BIOS update package for UCS C220M3 - Where to download from?

[SAM MUNZANI]

Hi,

I have a UCS 220M3 server where running ucs-c220-huu-3.0.1c.iso update-all corrupted my bios. Now it's unable to boot and asking me to recover using recovery.cap file on an USB flash stick root folder. I can't seem to find that file anywhere on the Cisco.com site. Can someone please point me to it?

I found following document as an instruction for the recovery however it doesn't tell me where to download the BIOS update package.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/hw/C220/install/C220/install.html#88948

On download page for UCS 220M3, I see following options and the BIOS update utility is not an option. Neither it seems to be embedded inside any other ISO files. Please help.

[Paul Felts]

Hi Sam, 

The Recovery.cap file is found in the HUU. To download the HUU you can go to    https://software.cisco.com/download/release.html?mdfid=286281345&flowid=71442&softwareid=283850974&release=2.0(9e)&relind=AVAILABLE&rellifecycle=&reltype=latest

and browse for the CIMC version you are currently running.

Once you have the ISO, you need to open it with an utility like Winrar or 7ZIP, to decompress the ISO. In there, open the other zip file you will find (it would be named something like C220M4-2.0.8.zip) and on the new windows you need to open the bios folder. Inside the bios folder you will find the recovery folder, and inside that one you will find the recovery.cap file.

Hope this helps, 

-AJ Felts

Cisco TAC

[SAM MUNZANI]

Hi AJ,

There is no zip files at all in the ISO. Please see attached file that shows complete contents list on the ISO.

Thanks,

sam

[SAM MUNZANI]

BTW, there is a folder called GETFW and there is a file readme.txt that says to use getfw command on a linux system. However when I run it, I get following error.

./getfw: cannot execute binary file: Exec format error

[Paul Felts]

Sam, 

You're correct. There is no CIMC.zip file in the 3.0(1) HUU. 

I'm currently looking in 2.0(9) & 2.0(8) to see if I can just provide the recovery.cap file for you. Standby. 

[Paul Felts · Accepted solution]

Sam, 

Here is the .cap file for 2.0(8) & 2.0(9). Either should work to recover the BIOS.

You will need to rename the extension to .cap 

I've also uploaded the .zip file as well if you need to extract the .cap file manually for whatever reason. Note, it's not in the Recovery folder, however it's in pretty much every other folder. The documentation needs to be updated. 

Sorry about the confusion. Let me know if you have any issues.

-AJ Felts

Cisco TAC

[SAM MUNZANI]

My server is C220 M3. Does it matter if I use these BIOS files that shows C220M4 on them? Don't want to end up with a brick.

[SAM MUNZANI]

AJ,

Based on your advise, I downloaded C220M3 HUU file for the 2.0.9 version and got the recovery.cap file on USB stick. It even detected and started copy but came to attached screen and that screen is there for 12+ hours. After waiting that long I simply removed the USB stick and power cycled the server and it came to the same error message so I started the process again and stuck for 12+ hours again. How do I get out of this issue?

This happens to be on my lab BE6000 system and need to setup a demo for a customer next week.

BTW, CIMC still works and reports BIOS version: C220M3.1.5.1c.0 (Build Date: 01/31/2013). That means recovery.cap file is not writing the BIOS files at all. Should I go with the jumper method at this point or find recovery.cap file for the 3.1.5.1c.0 somewhere and try with that?

[Grace Zhu]

if you have access to CIMC.  You can do a BIOS update/Activate through browser.  Unzip the HUU, go to BIOS folder to get the file such as: C220-BIOS-2-0-9a-0.cap, what ever version you are working on.  Then go to CIMC GUI, > Admin > Utilities.  The update BIOS link will be in that page

[SAM MUNZANI]

My issue resolved as below.

1. Follow jumper 41 and move to position 2-3.

2. Boot with recovery.cap file from 2.0.9 version. It flashes the BIOS and tells you to move the jumper back.

3. Go through 3.0.1 version of HUU image to flash it again to latest version.

[midhun.cp]

Is there any way to extract CIMC and BIOS files from 3.0 series ISO file on a windows machine?

I have seen cases where HUU upgrade gets failed even after a power cycle of server and only option is to perform a direct upgrade but individual files are not available in 3.0 series.

[kdotten36]

Were you able to find a solution to extract CIMC firmware from 3.0? I'm currently trying to do this since our HUU attempts failed multiple times over the course of 5 hours last night and I'd like to make this go much smoother! Documentation says CIMC firmware can be done non-intrusively using this method, but there is no zip file in the ISO with firmware/BIOS to do separately.

[craigbruenderman]

Hi, I'm unable to extract firmware and BIOS for a C220M4.

./getfw -s ~/Downloads/ucs-c220m4-huu-3.0.3f.iso -d /home/craigb/

Error: Extraction Failed

Can someone who has getfw running successfully extract and post these to me?

Thanks

[Thijs Van Severen]

try running as root (just ad 'sudo')

[ecmc_cisco]

When running as root I get 'Decryption Failed'.