Solid State Drives

[Mark]

We do have an iDrac but I have no knowledge of how to access it. Generally it is used by the fine folks at Redbird who manage our server. The  last time they did a firmware update the tech mentioned how convoluted and difficult it was (cost us a few hundred $$$ too).

With my firmware updates via iDRAC, I have to disable a bunch of ports on the switch or LifeCycle manager doesn't get internet (due to how the network ports are aggregated).  So it is a process, which I have down fairly decently.

1) Migrate all VMs off host and put into maintenance mode
2) Reboot to Lifecycle Controller
3) Disable 3 of 4 ports in the Switch LAG group (copy and paste into Cisco cli - super easy)
4) Go through the update process through final reboot (if more that one)
5) Enable switch ports via another cli copy and paste
6) Take out of maintenance mode & migrate VM back and move to next server to rinse and repeat
7) Be sad about how old these servers are and imagine a world with newer servers and newer tech that would make this even easier while setting unrealistic expectations of vendors and my own reality.

I think I typed that last part out loud.