How to Remotely Upgrade R2520G6 Firmware Using Redfish Commands

This article provides a solution for remotely upgrading the firmware of the R2520G6 server using Redfish commands, addressing challenges associated with manual or onsite firmware updates.

Overview

To perform a remote firmware upgrade on the R2520G6, follow these steps using Redfish commands:

1. Define Update Targets — Use PATCH commands with Redfish to specify the components you wish to update.
2. Initiate Firmware Update — Use POST commands with Redfish to begin upgrading the firmware on the previously defined targets.
3. Prepare Firmware Files — Upload the BIOS, BMC and ROT firmware files to the Linux working directory for the update process.
4. Power Off the Server — Ensure that the R2520G6 is powered off before executing Redfish commands to upgrade the firmware.

Note: This process requires out-of-band (OOB) upgrade image files.

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Required Firmware Files

Place the following firmware files in your Linux working directory before proceeding:

Component	Filename Pattern
BIOS	B066xxxxxx_signed_cap_prd.bin
BMC	B066Axxx.Ixx_signed_cap_prd.bin
ROT	B8066ROTAxx.xx_signed_cap_prd.bin

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BIOS Upgrade

Step 1 — Check Current Version

curl -u username:password -k -s \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/FirmwareInventory/bios_active

Step 2 — Define Update Target (PATCH)

curl -k -u username:password -X PATCH \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "HttpPushUriOptions": {
      "HttpPushUriApplyTime": { "ApplyTime": "Immediate" }
    },
    "HttpPushUriTargets": ["bios_active"],
    "HttpPushUriTargetsBusy": true,
    "Oem": { "ApplyOptions": { "ClearConfig": true } }
  }' \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=200

Step 3 — Upload and Apply Firmware (POST)

curl -k -u username:password -X POST \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/update \
  -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
  --data-binary "@{Image_path}" \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=202

Result

A task will appear in the BMC Task menu. Wait approximately 10 minutes for the BIOS upgrade to complete, then re-run Step 1 to confirm the new version.

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BMC Upgrade

Step 1 — Check Current Version

curl -u username:password -k -s \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/FirmwareInventory/bmc_active

Step 2 — Define Update Target (PATCH)

curl -k -u username:password -X PATCH \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "HttpPushUriOptions": {
      "HttpPushUriApplyTime": { "ApplyTime": "Immediate" }
    },
    "HttpPushUriTargets": ["bmc_active"],
    "HttpPushUriTargetsBusy": true,
    "Oem": { "ApplyOptions": { "ClearConfig": false } }
  }' \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=200

Step 3 — Upload and Apply Firmware (POST)

curl -k -u username:password -X POST \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/update \
  -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
  --data-binary "@{Image_path}" \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=202

Result

A task will appear in the BMC Task menu. Wait approximately 20 minutes for the BMC upgrade to complete, then re-run Step 1 to confirm the new version.

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ROT Upgrade

Step 1 — Check Current Version

curl -u username:password -k -s \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/FirmwareInventory/rot_fw_active

Step 2 — Define Update Target (PATCH)

curl -k -u username:password -X PATCH \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "HttpPushUriOptions": {
      "HttpPushUriApplyTime": { "ApplyTime": "Immediate" }
    },
    "HttpPushUriTargets": ["rot_fw_active"],
    "HttpPushUriTargetsBusy": true,
    "Oem": { "ApplyOptions": { "ClearConfig": false } }
  }' \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=200

Step 3 — Upload and Apply Firmware (POST)

curl -k -u username:password -X POST \
  https://{BMC_IP}/redfish/v1/UpdateService/update \
  -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" \
  --data-binary "@{Image_path}" \
  -w "\nHTTP_CODE=%{response_code}\n"

Expected Response: HTTP_CODE=202

Result

Wait approximately 30 seconds for the ROT upgrade to complete, then re-run Step 1 to confirm the new version.