Compare and update functions

The compare and update functions inventory the system where an update will be performed, query the update directory for a list of applicable update packages, compare the inventory to the applicable update list, recommend a set of updates to apply, and then deploy those updates to the system.

Parent topic: Using Lenovo UpdateXpress System Pack Installer

Using the command line interface

This section provides information about running the compare and update commands using the CLI. The compare and update commands share the same set of command-line arguments. The only difference between the compare and update commands is that the compare command stops at the compare step and does not proceed to the update step.
Attention: There are special considerations when updating multi-node systems in a scalable complex with multiple partitions. Failure to follow the correct procedure can render the complex not usable.

compare (co) - compares updates with installed versions

The compare command gathers the inventory on the system and queries a specified location and then compares the data and displays the result.

Format:
lnvgy_utl_uxspi_10.6_winsrvr_32-64.exe compare [options]

update (up) - applies updates

The update command gathers the inventory on the system and queries a specified location and then compares the data and deploys the recommended set of updates.
Note: Before running the update command, close all running programs and any open dialog boxes, such as the Windows New Hardware Found dialog box. If this dialog box is open, the installer cannot perform updates.
Format:
lnvgy_utl_uxspi_10.6_winsrvr_32-64.exe update [options]

command options

-D | --drivers
Applies only driver updates.
--disable-imm-lan
Disables the IMM over LAN interface after package installation.
You can enable the IMM over LAN interface using device manager for Windows or the ifconfig utility for Linux.
-e update_ids, --exclude=update_ids
Excludes the updates specified by the list of comma separated update IDs.
Example: -e lnvgy_fw_uefi_the104b-1.00_anyos_32-64
This option can be used with the --latest option. The --latest option customizes the content of a UXSP and excludes specific updates from UXSP. If excluded updates have earlier versions in the UXSPI directory that are in the same supersede chain, the latest update in the supersede chain is included. The value of update IDs might be all. This is useful when used in conjunction with the -i option and only applies those updates specified by -i.
Using the same update-id for the --include and --exclude options causes an error.
If a fixed ID specified in update IDs cannot be found, an error is displayed. UXSPI exits without deploying any updates.
--esxi-updatefile=ftp://userid:password@ftp_server_IPaddress/path
Sets the path of the VMware ESXi self-update image on the FTP server. To update the VMware ESXi image itself, specify this option together with the --vmware-esxi option.
Note:
  • The VMware ESXi self update package and XML file must be located in the same directory.
  • You must unzip the self-update package in the same directory as the XML file prior to running the updates.
-f update_ids, --force=update_ids
Specifies that if the update is run, the installer applies the update, which could be a prior version compared to the version currently on the system. At this time, not all updates support running an update in force mode.
Use the --include option to apply the force function to either all or a comma delimited list of updates. When not supported by an update, specifying the force is no different than specifying the force argument. Note that this argument does not specify whether the update is selected.
The decision to select the update is determined by the version comparison check or by specifying the --select argument.
-F | --firmware
Applies only firmware updates.
Note: The --firmware option does not install or upgrade any drivers, regardless of whether the driver is required as a prerequisite.
-include-software
Specifies that the vendor software should also be updated.
This option can be used with the following commands: acquire, compare, and update.
-i update_ids, --include=update_ids
Includes the updates specified by the list of comma separated update IDs.
Example: -ilnvgy_fw_uefi_the104b-1.00_anyos_32-64.
If there are more recent versions of the included update, they are not deployed; subsequent updates in the supersede chain are not included. However, if update IDs contains two or more updates belonging to the same supersede chain, a return error code of 36 is returned with a message displayed, and no updates are deployed.
Using the same update-id for the --include and --exclude options causes an error.
The --latest option customizes the content of a UXSP and includes specific updates from UXSP. If the --latest option is used with a UXSP, the fix ID that it supersedes in the UXSP is automatically excluded from the list of updates being deployed. This argument has a higher priority than --drivers and can be combined with --drivers to include a specific firmware update.
Similarly, --include has a higher priority than the --firmware option and can be used to include a specific driver update. It is an error to include a fix ID that does not exist in the local update directory.
--ignore-hwcheck
Disables hardware checking. Specifying this option displays all available packages, whether the applicable hardware is present or not.
-l UXSP | --local=UXSP
Specifies the path and name of a UpdateXpress System Pack XML file or the directory (on either a shared network or on the local system) for the search of an applicable UpdateXpress System Pack XML file.
This option can also specify a Windows network share in the format.
Example: \\server\share.
HTTP and FTP URL-style addresses are not supported.
-L | --latest
Applies the latest updates whether the latest updates are from UXSP, individual updates, or a combination of UXSP and individual updates. If this option is not specified, latest UXSP update found in the UXSPI directory is applied.
-m machine_type | --machine type=machine_type
Specifies the machine type to be used by the compare and update commands.
Setting this value prevents UXSPI from determining the machine type of the host system from inventory, and instead uses the specified machine type for the compare and update functions.
-n | --new
Selects all updates that are newer than the currently installed versions.
This includes updates where updateSelection=never in the update XML (QLogic and Emulex) that are not normally selected for update by default. This has the effect of making the QLogic and Emulex update behave like other updates.
--noinventory
Performs a minimal inventory check and obtains the machine type and OS.
--nouxsp
Does not deploy UXSPs. If this option or the --latest option is not specified, the default behavior is to automatically deploy a UXSP.
The --nouxsp option is particularly useful when used with the --include option. In that case, only those updates specified by --include are deployed.
The specified options must result in at least one update in the compare or update list; otherwise, an error is generated.
-o update_ids | --linux-override=update_ids
Applies the Linux driver override command to the list of comma separated update IDs. This only effects the Linux drivers.
Update IDs can have the value all, which means the override command should be applied to all Linux drivers.
Example: -o all.
Deploy Linux drivers with the --update and --override options instead of --update-force-if-overridden. This causes drivers to be updated even if the current driver was distributed with the Linux distribution.
If the fix ID specified in update IDs cannot be found, a warning message is displayed. UXSPI continues to complete the compare or update command.
--remote=remote_address
Performs the update command on a remote server that is identified by the specified address. The address can be a DNS name or an IP address.
Example: --remote=10.1.0.1
The address should not be prefixed with://.
The remote update function is supported only in unattended mode.
Note: When using an IPv6 address, you must enclose the address in brackets as shown here: [IPv6_address].
--remote-dir=directory
Sets the staging or working directory of the remote server.
Example: --remote-dir=c:\tmp
--remote-password=password
Sets the password to the specified password when authenticating with the remote server.
Example: --remote-password=UXSPI0
If the --remote-user option is specified but the --remote-password or the --remote-password-secure options are not specified, you are prompted to enter a password which is not echoed to the console.
If this option is specified, the --remote option must also be specified.
Specify --remote-password with no value to pass an empty password.
--remote-password-secure=secure-password
Sets the secure password to a specified password when authenticating with the remote server.
Example: --remote-password-secure=UXSPI0.
If the --remote-user option is specified but --remote-password or --remote-password-secure options are not specified, you are be prompted to enter a password which is not echoed to the console.
If this option is specified, the --remote option must also be specified.
Specify --remote-password-secure with no value to pass an empty password.
--remote-user=user
Sets the username to user when authenticating with the remote server.
Example: --remote-user=admin
If none is specified, the current username is used.
If this option is specified, the --remote option must also be specified.
-r | --report
Displays a summary report of updates that were used for the compare step. The summary report displays the fix ID, description, and whether the update is to be deployed for each update. Because nothing is actually deployed, this option behaves the same for the compare and update commands.
-s update_ids, --select=[update_ids| all | undetected]
Deploys the appropriate set of updates to the target system regardless of whether the system version is newer than the update package version.
Example: -s brcm_fw_nic_1.0.0_windows_32-64
The default behavior is from a previous version before uEFI and BIOS diagnostics and IMM and BMC firmware updates. Other updates will not apply a previous version to the system. This option overrides that behavior and selects all updates for deployment including QLogic and Emulex updates.
update_ids
Specifies the updates to deploy.
all
Deploys all applicable updates, including updating firmware with a level that cannot be detected.
undetected
Specifies that updates should be deployed on systems with firmware levels that cannot be detected. This can be useful for setting firmware to known and detectable levels on systems where it cannot be detected. This is also useful when correcting errors due to unknown Windows devices.
You can specify the all value to select all updates. This is the equivalent of the --force option available in UpdateXpress System Pack Installer version 1.20 and 1.21.
--update-args=
category_1: --user=user_id --password_type=password
category_2:options
Specifies the options to be used with operating system independent ESW updates.
Separate multiple options for a category with spaces.
Separate multiple categories with commas.
If no options are specified, ESW updates are flashed with the default options.
Valid values for category are:
  • IMM
  • uEFI
  • DSA
  • FPGA
Note: The --backup option updates the backup bank for IMM and uEFI systems. This option is only valid for these categories.

Example: --update-args="UEFI:--backup,IMM:--user=userid --password=passw0rd".

  • The user id and password are for IMM IPMI user account.
  • The password_type option can be:
    --password=password
    Sets the password to the specified password when authenticating with the remote server.
    Example: --password=UXSPI0
    --password-secure=secure-password
    Sets the secure password to the specified password when authenticating with the remote server.
    Example: --remote-password-secure=UXSPI0
--vmware-esxi=https://userid:password@vmware_esxi_IPaddress:port
Specifies the authorization information to the remote ESXi system when comparing or updating a Lenovo customized VMware ESXi.
The default port is 5989.
--xml
Specifies that the co_result.xml and up_result.xml files should be created in the Lenovo_Support directory to create summary report files.
Note: The ordering of options is not significant. Therefore, the following command:
<program> update --include=ibm_fw_bios_ne34a_i386 --drivers
is equivalent to:
<program> update --drivers --include=ibm_fw_bios_ne34a_i386
This example deploys drivers and the BIOS update specified by the -include option.

Example of the update command on a Windows system

C:\><program>.exe update --local=uxsp\4199\windows\ -u -s all
This is an example of how to:
  • Invoke UpdateXpress System Pack Installer on a local system running Windows that has a file path for location of the UpdateXpress System Pack XML file as: uxsp\4199\windows\.
  • Issue the update command to inventory, query, compare, and deploy updates.
  • Select all updates as applicable, regardless of the system version or the available version by specifying: -s all.
  • Run the updates in unattended mode by specifying: -u.

Example of the compare command on a Linux system

[root@localhost /root/uxsp/4199/rhel4]# ./<program> co
This is an example of how to:
  • Invoke UpdateXpress System Pack Installer on a local system running Red Hat Linux 4.0. The file path for the location of the UpdateXpress System Pack XML file is:[root@localhost /root/uxsp/4199/rhel4]# ./
  • Run the compare (co) command to inventory, query, and compare updates.

Linux device drivers and UpdateXpress System Packs

The default operation for Linux device drivers is to maintain the Linux distribution certified drivers whenever possible. Therefore by default, the installer will not apply the Linux device drivers from the UpdateXpress System Pack. To override this behavior you need to specify the --linuxoverride argument with either the update name to override or all to override all linux device drivers. Once a device driver is no longer the same as the Linux distribution certified driver, you no longer need to specify the --linuxoverride argument on subsequent UpdateXpress System Pack updates.

Using the GUI

You can use the UpdateXpress System Pack Installer GUI to compare and update UpdateXpress System Packs and the latest individual updates.

Complete the following steps to compare and install updates using the GUI.
  1. Launch the UpdateXpress System Pack Installer GUI by double-clicking lnvgy_utl_uxspi_10.6_winsrvr_32-64.exe.
  2. Use the appropriate task as described in Lenovo UpdateXpress System Pack Installer scenarios.
Note: Before running the installer, close all running programs and any open dialog boxes, such as Windows New Hardware Found dialog box. If this dialog box is open, the installer cannot perform updates.