Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update

Best Practices - An Introduction

Planning / Implementation

Firmware is essential to the operation of a server. It controls every single hardware component found in the
server; from the onboard chipset, to the built-in modules, to the add-on adapters and drives, and all the way
to the entire system, including the self-contained management controller.
Updating the firmware and drivers on a regular schedule is the recommended best practice for several
reasons:
Achieves the highest level hardware availability.
Enables you to proactively apply the latest bug fixes before your systems are affected by them.
Increases security, compatibility, and system uptime.
Lenovo has the richest portfolio of firmware and drivers update tools in the industry. These tools provide
easy-to-use graphical utilities to perform updates interactively. They also provide a complete set of utilities
to meet more complex scenarios to acquire and apply updates. The utilities support:
Graphical and command line modes.
Interactive or unattended updates.
Local or remote updates.
Apply updates to a single target or multiple targets.
Run updates within or outside of the operating system.
Perform task-based or policy-based updates.
Use local or online repositories.
This guide provides introductory instruction for users who are new to Lenovo ThinkSystem products. If you
are managing a few servers interactively and have no operational constraints, such as Internet access, this
is the place to start. This guide will present three simple interactive tools, which are part of the XClarity
Essentials toolset:
Bootable Media Creator
UpdateXpress
OneCLI
A subsequent guide will provide advanced level instruction to users managing a complex mix of servers and
operating systems. The advanced guide will describe how to update firmware in a distributed environment
while minimizing downtime to your workload.

Tip: While this guide is focused on Lenovo ThinkSystem servers, the provided recommendations and
instructions apply to Lenovo System x M5 or X6 generation servers with very minor variations.

The recommendations forClick

updates
here to check for updates
Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 1
The recommendations for updates
Consider these recommendations:
1. Use of UpdateXpress System Packs
Lenovo recommends that you update the entire system to the latest UpdateXpress System Pack
(UXSP) level before you deploy the server into a production environment. This includes system
firmware, all adapter and hard-drive firmware, and the corresponding device drivers in the operating
system.

Tip: Install all the hardware components (modules, adapters, and drives) and power on the
system at least once before updating the entire system, so that everything will be activated,
detected, and updated together.

2. Installing system firmware

If new system management controller firmware (IMM or XCC) is applied, either a system
management controller restart (via the XCC/IMM web interface or CLI) or a full power cycle (unplug
the server) will be required to activate the pending updates. A virtual reseat will also restart the
controller (if the function is available in your server).
If new UEFI firmware is applied, a server reboot is required to activate the updates. If delayed
activation is being used, such as in XClarity Administrator, then the updates will remain as pending
(unapplied) on the system until server is restarted.
If the system management controller firmware update package also includes updated FPGA
firmware (as indicated in the change history for the update), then both the system management
controller will need to be restarted (via XCC/IMM web interface/CLI) and the server will need to be
rebooted before the FPGA change becomes effective. A full power cycle (unplug the server) will
achieve both.
3. Installing new hardware
If you install or upgrade hardware components later, make sure that you perform a full system
update to ensure that the system can handle the new hardware, and that the newly installed
components have the proper firmware and drivers.
4. Updating firmware manually
Updating firmware manually: If you are updating individual firmware manually or via your own script
but are not using the XClarity tools mentioned above, you should always update the BMC (XCC or
IMM) first, restart the BMC and wait 5 minutes, then update UEFI, reboot the server, then update the
rest of the system. This order ensures that critical dependencies are satisfied.
5. Subscribe to updates on the Lenovo support site
Make sure that you visit the Lenovo Support web site regularly, or that you subscribe to product
notifications to be informed of critical updates for your devices. Then, plan your maintenance
schedule accordingly.

Why should I update firmware and drivers?

Every Lenovo server that is shipped to a customer contains a set of firmware that has been
comprehensively tested together to provide optimal performance. Due to a variety of factors, firmware for
one or more components may need to be updated. Firmware updates to individual components may be
planned or unplanned, e.g. a fix to a problem not identified previously. To ensure continued optimal
performance, the firmware updates are integrated and thoroughly re-tested together. The updated firmware
and drivers are available on the Lenovo Support web site.
While it is safe to receive a new server, install a certified operating system, and put the server into
production, Lenovo recommends that you update the server to the latest firmware and driver pack before
putting the server into production.

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 2

There are several reasons for updating firmware and drivers:
The key advantage of Intel x86 platform is its openness and fast-paced innovation. New hardware
technologies, new device classes, new adapters, emerging standards and protocols, new operating
systems, and major applications become available in the marketplace on a regular basis.
Lenovo partners with many hardware component suppliers who update their firmware and drivers
continuously to enhance functionality or resolve issues. The Lenovo development team must
periodically release new firmware and drivers, and incorporate suppliers’ new firmware and drivers
into our update pack. While all systems receive the latest firmware at time of manufacturing, there
could be additional updates between manufacturing date and system installation at your site.
Lenovo service and solution teams work directly with customers around the world to meet their
business requirement. As we help customers fine tune the servers for their workloads, or address
technical issues, we’re eager to share the benefit to all other customers. We’re continuously
enhancing firmware to improve security, compatibility and system uptime.
Lenovo actively works with the major software partners to certify our servers for their software, and vice-
versa. We also provide our device drivers to be included in their official software release, such as Windows
Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and VMware ESXi. However, device
drivers that are shipped in the official OS release might be out of date or might not support the complete set
of features and functions advertised by Lenovo. Therefore, the drivers need to be refreshed at the same
time as the firmware.

UpdateXpress System Pack

UpdateXpress System Pack (UXSP) is a bundle of firmware and device drivers that are validated together
as a whole for compatibility and stability across all of the supported system models, and that are released
on a predefined schedule (typically, 3 times a year).
The UXSP contains additional metadata for the Lenovo tools to optimize sequencing and minimize reboots
while applying the updates. Unless explicitly mentioned, this guide always recommends that you use the
UXSP for updates, not the individual packages.

Update process flow

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 3
Update process flow
Use the following flow chart to determine the best tool to be used when updating the firmware and device
drivers, based on your environment.

Figure 1. Update process flow (click for a larger version)

Tools for updating firmware and OS drivers

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 4
Tools for updating firmware and OS drivers
This introductory guide is focused on the following tools:
XClarity Essentials Bootable Media Creator
Bootable Media Creator (BoMC) is ideal for pre-operating-system firmware updates and for updates to
“desktop-less” operating systems, such as VMware ESXi, Windows Server Core, or Nano:
Supports bare-metal update of entire system firmware, without the operating system drivers.
Acquires UXSP automatically from Lenovo Support web site.
Creates a bootable DVD, USB, or ISO image, which includes the update tool and firmware files.
We describe BoMC in the Bootable Media Creator section below.
XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress
UpdateXpress is ideal for post-OS update, and periodic refresh of firmware and OS drivers:
Runs inside the Windows and Linux GUI environment to update the entire system firmware and OS
drivers.
Acquires UXSP automatically from the Lenovo Support web site.
We describe UpdateXpress in the UpdateXpress section below.
XClarity Essentials OneCLI
OneCLI is a command-line utility that is ideal for a non-GUI environment:
Provides a command line interface to the same functions available with UpdateXpress.
Enables the scripting of updates.
We describe OneCLI in the OneCLI section below.
Other tools can be used to update firmware, but they are not in the scope of this guide. For example, users
can always update device drivers through the operating system. Windows Server and VMware have their
own way to update drivers individually and on a large scale.
Additional Lenovo tools that can be used to update firmware include:
XClarity Provisioning Manager. Available by pressing F1 when the server boots, XClarity
Provisioning Manager can be used to update UEFI, BMC firmware, and the XClarity Provisioning
Manager software.
XClarity Controller. Available on the server, XClarity Controller provides a browser-based and a
command-line interface to update system firmware and some adapter firmware. However, it does not
support using a UXSP; you must update each firmware package separately.
XClarity Administrator. XClarity Administrator is recommended for customers working in a remotely
managed environment. It provides the centralized system management for servers, storage, and
switches. XClarity Administrator supports policy-based updates to the system and adapter firmware
for multiple servers from a local repository.

Bootable Media Creator

Bootable Media Creator (BoMC) is used for pre-operating-system firmware updates and for updates to
“desktop-less” operating systems, such as VMware ESXi, Windows Server Core , or Nano
BoMC runs in any Windows or Linux system (for example a Windows 10 laptop), and it requires Internet
access to acquire firmware online.

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 5

Download BoMC from the Lenovo support site:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/lnvo-bomc
This tool runs on your Windows computer or Linux-based workstations, to acquire the UXSP online based
on your selected system model(s). It creates an image that includes a bootable operating system, the
update tool, and all the firmware files applicable to the selected system model(s). It can write the image
directly to a DVD or USB drive that you can carry to the target server and boot.
Alternatively, if you are working remotely from the target server, the ISO image that it creates can be
remotely mounted to the management controller as a virtual DVD, if the function is available on your server.
Then you can boot the server from the mount and apply the updates.

Remote mounting of ISO images : Use of remote ISO files on ThinkSystem servers requires XClarity
Controller Advanced, which may be an optional upgrade for your server, depending on your server
model and configuration.

To use BoMC, do the following:

1. Download the tool from the link provided above
2. Start the application:
In Windows, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder where you downloaded the
executable file and double click to launch it: lnvgy_utl_bomc_version number_windows_i386.exe

Tip: To write the image directly to a DVD or USB drive, rather than to an ISO file, you must right-
click the icon and then click Run as administrator.

In Linux, open a terminal session, change to the directory where you downloaded the application
and start the application as root with the command:
./lnvgy_utl_bomc_version number_linux_distro_x86-64.bin

Tip: To write the image directly to a DVD or USB drive, ensure that you have write access
privileges to the resource.

3. Step through the wizard, and choose one or more system models for which you intend to create the
image. You can choose one or more ThinkSystem models, or one or more System x models, but not
both ThinkSystem and System x models at the same time.
4. At the Acquire Location step, choose to acquire the UXSP from Lenovo Support web site.

Note: Downloads for each system model may exceed 1 GB of downloaded data.

5. At the Media Format step, choose to write the output to an ISO image file, or write directly to the
DVD or USB drive. The tool creates an image first, and then writes the image to the device. You will
be prompted to format the media on the chosen device at a later time.
6. Step through the wizard to confirm the selection and check back once in a while to answer the
prompt.
After the image is created or written to a drive, you can boot from it on the target server(s). The server does
the following:
1. Boots an operating system.
2. Launches the update tool.
3. Collects current hardware inventory and current firmware versions.
4. Compares those to the applicable updates.
5. Shows the comparison result on screen while waiting for user confirmation.

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 6

Upon confirmation or timeout, the tool automatically applies the updates and reboots the system. The
update process runs unattended. However, you can also intervene manually after the comparison result is
displayed, if you want to.
If the server to be updated has the same or newer firmware than what is in the image, the update process
automatically skips those items, unless you intervene and select an item manually. Likewise, If you boot the
image on a server model that is different from the server for which the image was create, the tool skips the
update process and indicates that there is nothing to update.
If you just bought a batch of servers of the same or various models, you can create one image for all of
them and use it among those servers. You can also burn the image onto several DVDs or several USB
keys to update them all at the same time. If you have similar servers across a number of remote branch
offices, you can also send the image to the remote branch office. You can get someone in the remote
branch office to burn a DVD, and then boot the server to update it locally.

BoMC doesn't update drivers: The image created by BoMC does not update the device drivers for the
operating system. You will need use the methods provided by the operating system to update the device
drivers, as needed.

For customers who are deploying VMware ESXi, Lenovo provides Lenovo’s-VMware Certified-Custom ESXi
Images, and Lenovo strongly recommends that customers use these images. They include the latest
Lenovo-qualified I/O drivers and, when your system is updated with the BoMC process, match entries on
VMware’s Hardware Combability List. Lenovo’s VMware ESXi Custom Images can be used for initial ESXi
deployments or for updates/upgrades to existing deployments. Go to
https://vmware.lenovo.com/content/custom_iso/ for additional details.

UpdateXpress
Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 7
UpdateXpress
UpdateXpress is used to apply a firmware/driver update within the target server operating system, and to
periodically refresh of firmware and drivers.
UpdateXpress runs on supported versions of Windows Server, RHEL and SLES. It requires Internet access
to acquire firmware and drivers online.
Download UpdateXpress from the Lenovo support site:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/lnvo-xpress
This tool runs in the target server’s operating system desktop session as Administrator or as root. It
automatically detects the hardware inventory, firmware version, and operating system. It can acquire a
UXSP online, and then update the firmware and device drivers. It also implements an update sequence to
minimize reboots; the server is rebooted one time after all updates have been applied.

Tip: If your server does not have an Internet connection, you can set up your own repository, as
described in the Build your own update repository section.

To use UpdateXpress, do the following:

1. Download the tool from the link provided above; unzip the file in a temporary directory.
2. Start the application:
In Windows, right-click the executable file lxce_ux.exe and then click Run as administrator.
In Linux, open a terminal session, change to the directory where you unziped the file, and
execute: ./start_lxce_ux.sh
3. At the Update Task step, choose to update the local machine.
4. At the Update Type step, choose UXSP as the update type.
5. Step through the wizard and follow the instructions.
6. The tool downloads firmware metadata to compare against the current hardware inventory; then it
downloads the firmware payload for components that need to be updated.
7. Firmware and driver updates will be applied in a sequence that minimizes reboot. Changes will be
effective after the reboot is completed.
This is the easiest tool for updating the entire system if your environment has no constraint on Internet
access or running the management tool. This tool does not need to be installed, nor does it create any
permanent daemon or background service at runtime. Therefore, you can run it from a temporary folder
then delete it at the end.

OneCLI
Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 8
OneCLI
OneCLI is used to apply firmware/driver updates within the operating system for a target server, and to
periodically refresh of firmware and drivers.
OneCLI runs on supported versions of Windows Server, RHEL and SLES. It requires Internet access to
acquire the UXSP packages online.
Download OneCLI from the Lenovo support site:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/lnvo-tcli
This tool runs in Windows Command Prompt as Administrator, or in Linux terminal as root. It acquires the
UXSP packages online, and then updates the firmware and device drivers. It also implements an update
sequence to minimize reboots; the server is rebooted one time after all updates have been applied.

Tip: If your server does not have an Internet connection, you can set up your own repository, as
described in the Build your own update repository section.

To use OneCLI if the target server is connected to the Internet:

1. Download the tool specific to the server type/operating system from the link provided above.
2. Expand the compressed file download into a new directory.
3. Open a command prompt/terminal window and change into the directory where the expanded
version of OneCLI was written.
4. Acquire updates using the command:
onecli[.exe] update acquire --mt XXXX --ostype ostype --dir uxsp
where:
The XXXX parameter is the four digit machine type of targeted server
The ostype parameter is one of the following: win2012r2, win2016, rhel6, rhel7, sles11, or
sles12
5. Apply updates using the command:
onecli[.exe] update flash --dir uxsp
Firmware and driver updates are applied in a sequence that minimizes the number of reboots. Changes will
be effective after the user reboot the server.

Build your own update repository

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 9
Build your own update repository
If the target server is not connected to the Internet, you can run UpdateXpress or OneCLI on an Internet-
connected workstation to acquire the firmware packages to build your own repository. Then you can copy
the folder to the target servers using a USB drive or over the network. Finally, you can run UpdateXpress or
OneCLI on the target servers by pointing to that folder.
To use OneCLI from your own update repository:
1. Expand the compressed file, designated for your workstation, into a new directory.
2. Open a command prompt/terminal window and change into the directory where the expanded
version of OneCLI was written.
3. Acquire updates using the command:
onecli[.exe] update acquire --mt XXXX --ostype ostype --dir uxsp
where:

Note: The uxsp directory is a subdirectory of the expanded OneCLI directory.

The XXXX parameter is the four digit machine type of targeted server
The ostype parameter is one of the following: win2012r2, win2016, rhel6, rhel7, sles11, or
sles12
4. Transfer the expanded OneCLI directory, which includes the files in the uxsp directory, to a new
directory on the targeted server. Apply updates using the command:
onecli[.exe] update flash --dir uxsp
Changes will be effective after you reboot the server.

Summary
As you try out the tools described in this guide, you will find that they have more functions than what was
described here, and you are encouraged to try them out thoroughly. You will notice too that BoMC and
UpdateXpress fully support the entire Lenovo System x M5 and X6 family of servers. So do not hesitate to
apply these best practices to your existing servers as well.
As you get more comfortable with updating the entire system firmware using these tools, and you start to
apply the process to more servers, you will want to look for ways to increase productivity, minimize
downtime, and schedule a specific reboot time after an update. The advanced guide will show you how to
accomplish these procedures.

Related publications and links

For more information, see the following resources:
ToolsCenter for Lenovo x86 servers:
https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/us/en/documents/lnvo-center
XClarity Essentials online documentation:
http://sysmgt.lenovofiles.com/help/topic/xclarity_essentials/overview.html

Related product families

Product families related to this document are the following:
Lenovo XClarity
System Utilities

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 10

Notices
Lenovo may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document in all countries. Consult your
local Lenovo representative for information on the products and services currently available in your area. Any
reference to a Lenovo product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that Lenovo product,
program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not infringe any
Lenovo intellectual property right may be used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify
the operation of any other product, program, or service. Lenovo may have patents or pending patent applications
covering subject matter described in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to
these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:

Lenovo (United States), Inc.

8001 Development Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560
U.S.A.
Attention: Lenovo Director of Licensing

LENOVO PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION ”AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT,
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of
express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you.

This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the
information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. Lenovo may make
improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time
without notice.

The products described in this document are not intended for use in implantation or other life support applications
where malfunction may result in injury or death to persons. The information contained in this document does not
affect or change Lenovo product specifications or warranties. Nothing in this document shall operate as an express
or implied license or indemnity under the intellectual property rights of Lenovo or third parties. All information
contained in this document was obtained in specific environments and is presented as an illustration. The result
obtained in other operating environments may vary. Lenovo may use or distribute any of the information you supply
in any way it believes appropriate without incurring any obligation to you.

Any references in this publication to non-Lenovo Web sites are provided for convenience only and do not in any
manner serve as an endorsement of those Web sites. The materials at those Web sites are not part of the materials
for this Lenovo product, and use of those Web sites is at your own risk. Any performance data contained herein was
determined in a controlled environment. Therefore, the result obtained in other operating environments may vary
significantly. Some measurements may have been made on development-level systems and there is no guarantee
that these measurements will be the same on generally available systems. Furthermore, some measurements may
have been estimated through extrapolation. Actual results may vary. Users of this document should verify the
applicable data for their specific environment.

© Copyright Lenovo 2023. All rights reserved.

This document, LP0656, was created or updated on December 14, 2021.

Send us your comments in one of the following ways:
Use the online Contact us review form found at:
https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/LP0656
Send your comments in an e-mail to:
[email protected]
This document is available online at https://lenovopress.lenovo.com/LP0656.

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 11

Trademarks
Lenovo and the Lenovo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other
countries, or both. A current list of Lenovo trademarks is available on the Web at
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/legal/copytrade/.
The following terms are trademarks of Lenovo in the United States, other countries, or both:
Lenovo®
Bootable Media Creator
System x®
ThinkSystem®
ToolsCenter
UpdateXpress System Packs
XClarity®
The following terms are trademarks of other companies:
Intel® is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Linux® is the trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows Server® and Windows® are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other
countries, or both.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Lenovo ThinkSystem Firmware and Driver Update Best Practices - An Introduction 12