How to upgrade CIMC on a Cisco UCS server?

Introduction

In this post we will go through the process of CIMC (Cisco Integrated Management Controller) upgrade on a standalone Cisco UCS server. I will be upgrading C220M4 server from 3.0(3a) to 4.0(1d), but instructions apply to any standalone UCS server.

Step 1: Download Host Upgrade Utility

Go to Cisco Software Download website and download the latest  Host Upgrade Utility for your model of the server. In my case the file is ucs-c220m4-huu-4.0.1d.iso. You will probably need to have an active support contract to download the file.

Step 2: Boot from HUU ISO

Now we need to open KVM Console in CIMC and mount the Host Upgrade Utility file on a Virtual Media tab as shown on the picture below:

Now restart the server and boot from the mapped ISO file. Use F6
to open Boot Menu.

Step 3: Start upgrade process

Once you have booted from Host Upgrade Utility image you will see an interface similar to this:

You can see that it can upgrade CIMC, BIOS, MLOM and RAID Controller firmware. The utility shows both current and update firwmare versions for these components. Click Update All and wait for the upgrade to complete.

Step 4: Exit HUU

When the upgrade completes all components will have status PASS:

Click Exit and the server will reboot and activate the new CIMC. Wait for the server to come back up and you will see that CIMC has been upgraded.

Conclusion

As you can see the process is pretty easy and straightforward thanks to Cisco’s Host Upgrade Utility image. Thank you for reading.