Updating the Baseboard Management Controller Firmware

Occasionally there are updates to the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) firmware on the Netgate 8300 to address problems or improve features. This firmware can be updated using the web interface on the BMC which also contains Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) functionality.

Warnings & Precautions

Warning

The firmware should only be updated at the direction of Netgate TAC.

Warning

The device must be rebooted multiple times during this process. This reboots the BMC and the operating system, which will disrupt traffic passing through the device.

Warning

As a part of this update process the BMC may lose customizations made to the BMC settings and IPMI, including any network configuration, additional users, and any password changes. Make sure to note and custom settings and double check their values after completing the upgrade process.

Check the Firmware Version

Connect to the browser-based web interface on the BMC. To access this web interface, follow the directions in Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

Look for the System Information widget on the BMC GUI dashboard. In that box, there are three fields:

Active BMC Firmware Build Time:

The time and date at which the current firmware was built.

Active BMC FW Rev:

The current firmware revision.

Build ID:

The build ID of the current firmware revision. This number roughly corresponds to the end of the firmware revision, but contains more digits at the end.

../_images/marbella-update-bmc-current-build.png

Current active BMC firmware revision and build ID outlined in red

Note current values of both fields.

Obtain the Firmware Update File

Before starting, contact Netgate TAC and request the BMC firmware update file.

The firmware update file will have a name similar to Netgate8300-BMC_FW-update-03.54.23.001101.bin and may be compressed.

Compare the version in the filename to the current firmware revision and build ID noted earlier from the BMC GUI. The version number in the filename corresponds to the firmware revision and build ID reported in the BMC GUI.

If the firmware filename matches the current active BMC firmware revision, then it is already current and no update is necessary.

If the firmware filename contains a newer version than the current active BMC firmware revision, then proceed with the update.

The file should be on the same computer with the web browser being used to access the BMC web interface.

Note

If the firmware file is compressed, decompress it before proceeding.

Update the Firmware

This update is performed in the browser-based web interface on the BMC. To access this web interface, follow the directions in Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).

  • Navigate to Configuration > Firmware Update in the web interface.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-menu.png

    Firmware Update menu location

  • Check Reboot immediately after update.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-reboot-setting.png

    Check the box to automatically reboot when the update finishes

    Warning

    This reboots the BMC and the operating system.

  • Click Choose File

  • Select the firmware update file (e.g. Netgate8300-BMC_FW-update-03.54.23.001101.bin).

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-select-file.png

    Select the firmware update file (e.g. Netgate8300-BMC_FW-update-03.54.23.001101.bin)

  • Click Upload to start the upload process.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-uploading.png

    Firmware file upload in progress

  • Wait until the upload process is 100% complete.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-progress.png

    Firmware update in progress

  • Click Update to start the BMC firmware update process.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-updatebutton.png

    Click Update to perform the firmware update

  • Wait for the update to complete and for the device to reboot.

  • Log back into the BMC web interface.

  • Verify the BMC version.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-check-version.png

    Checking the BMC firmware version

Hardware Reset

To complete the update, the hardware must be undergo a cold boot, which can be performed via the BMC GUI as a hardware reset.

  • Navigate to Remote Control > Virtual Front Panel.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-vfp.png

    Virtual Front Panel menu location

  • Select Reset Host

  • Click Perform Action to reset the hardware and perform a cold boot.

    ../_images/marbella-update-bmc-reset-host.png

    Click Perform Action to reset the host

  • Wait for the device to boot.

  • Log back into the BMC web interface and check all previous custom settings, making corrections if necessary.