1. What is firmware?
Firmware (Firmware) is written into EPROM (electrically erasable read only memory) or EEPROM Program (electrically erasable programmable read only memory). This device saved internal device "drivers", this driver, run a particular operating system to achieve the standard machine. Similarly, the firmware also served as the lowest level of software the most basic work of a system, which is the soul of hardware, there are some devices in addition to the firmware, without any software, it can be said firmware also determine the performance and capabilities of the hardware.
Early ROM firmware design of the chip, the code is a cured Firmware in the production process, can not be modified by any means. As technology continues to evolve, to adapt to modify the firmware update users of the hardware environment it has become an urgent requirement, so rewritable programmable EEPROM EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM), EEPROM, and flash appear a. These chips can be repeated writing brush, so to modify and upgrade the firmware.
2. The difference between the firmware microcode
Firmware generally refers to executable machine code running on the other components within the non main CPU in the Host, which may be a bare program, the operating system may be + program. "Other components of non-core CPU", a typical example IO HBA cards such as SCSI, SAS, FC cards, and Ethernet cards, graphics cards, optical drives, hard disk. Within these devices, there will be one or more embedded CPU core and thus play a role in running firmware. The command logic processing devices is quite complex, such as a SCSI command parsing, a CPU + completion of firmware having a maximum flexibility, although it can be resolved into the pure digital circuitry working cured decoder, but its flexibility will be greatly reduce, if there is bug, it can not be resolved.
Microcode that code refers to a lower order of magnitude than the code logic firmware, such as a typical case: mouse / keyboard actually have a small internal CPU, but because it runs code logic is too simple, and instruction set are private, the number of small, so the hardware is fairly simple, but this does not prevent it still belongs to the CPU, just a MCU (microControl unit, micro control unit). The MCU is responsible for such as a mouse receives various key signals, and extracts signals encoded according to the code stored in the table from the ROM, and transmits the encoded data to the USB Host controller driver end USB interface controller, this process also requires a extremely simple to handle, this program is called microcode.
3. Firmware upgrade
DELL:
SUU CD: official download mirror package, upgrade from Lifecycle, the upgrade for a one-time, single room scene, from the firmware is upgraded
IDRAC upgrade: For single or multiple upgrades can be multiple, simultaneous remote, almost all of the firmware can be upgraded in the iDRAC.
Lifecycle in the U disk upgrade: | single-site execution room, suitable for use when a smaller number.
Operating system upgrade: You can simultaneously execute multiple remote, can be upgraded all drivers, firmware, operating system but need permission.
Firmware upgrade conventional type: BIOS, iDRAC, NIC, HBA cards, array cards (to start the upgrade after reboot)
Dell firmware download address: https://www.dell.com/support/home/cn/zh/cnbsd1?app=products& ~ ck = mn
HP：
Upgrade iLO management page: iLO 4 web pages directly control management firmware upgrade type: iLO, BIOS, chassis, power supply, CPLD,, tailgate, the language pack. iLO5 multi-NIC and HBA cards
UEFI BIOS upgrade: You can upgrade the BIOS, array cards, network cards, HBA card firmware.
SPP upgrade package: should be able to make U disk
Operating system upgrade can be performed remotely multiple colleagues can be upgraded all drivers, firmware, operating system permissions required.
iLO 5 upgrade firmware format: iLO: .bin; Bios: .flash; Other: .exe and .compsig signature file. With reference to specific components of the firmware to be upgraded vendors say instructions, such as: nVme SSD cache card; in addition to iLO, other firmware upgrades are required to restart the server (after the upgrade to restart to take effect)
Firmware upgrade conventional type: BIOS, iLO, NIC, array cards, HBA cards
HP Firmware Download: https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/home
System X series servers upgrade the IMM. Only upgrade IMM, BIOS, DSA firmware.
ThinkSystem XCC Series server upgrade, upgrade only BMC, LXPM, UEFI, array cards, PSU, part of a firmware upgrade PCI device.
Upgrading the operating system layer, the vast majority of the firmware can be upgraded in the operating system.
BIOS upgrade
professional upgrade tool: with storcli tool, Bomc (multiple remote firmware upgrade at the same time, the need to network port authority) under fullshell.
association Firmware Download: https://datacentersupport.lenovo.com/cn/zh/