Upgrading HP Proliant ILO100i firmware over network

Another nightmare product from HP with broken everything, including broken remote firmware upgrade process.


This time requirements are either booting from USB or over network which requires first unpacking firmware image using ROMPAQ.EXE that in turn requires real-mode DOS to run. Since that makes no sense here's how to upgrade firmware remotely by working around DOS requirement using DOSBox. I've tested this by upgrading DL180 G6 models from 4.21 and 4.22 to latest 4.26. Upgrading firmware fixed broken KVM resulting in black screen with older firmware. Of course you still need ancient JRE but at least then it works.


  • Download HP firmware upgrade v4.26 (SP62696.exe)
  • Download Jounin TFTP server v4.50 (tftpd32.450.zip)
    No, it's not a virus. If your PC says so time to get better antivirus program that doesn't classify TFTP server as virus or trojan.
  • Download DOSBox v0.74 (DOSBox0.74-win32-installer.exe)
  • Download Putty (putty.exe)
  • Download 7-Zip v9.38 (7z938.msi)
  • Install 7-Zip
  • Unpack SP62696.exe using 7-Zip
  • Copy "SP62696\ROMPaq Flat Files" folder to C:\TEMP\ILO100
  • Install DOSBox
  • Launch DOSBox and type following to DOSBox window
    MOUNT X C:\TEMP
    X:
    CD ILO100
    ROMPAQ /D CPQQ1402.AA8 ILO100.BIN
  • Close DOSBox window after ROMPAQ completes and you have 4194304 byte ILO100.BIN file
  • Unpack TFTP32.450.ZIP
  • Copy C:\TEMP\ILO100\ILO100.BIN to same folder as TFTPD32.EXE
  • Turn off all firewalls
  • Launch TFTPD32.EXE
  • Launch PUTTY.EXE and connect to your ILO100 using telnet (SSH doesn't work)
  • Type following to Putty window in "/./->" prompt after logging in as admin
    cd map1
    cd firmware
    load -source //10.10.10.123/ILO100.BIN -oemhpfiletype csr
  • ILO100 will now flash new firmware and reboot disconnecting telnet connection
  • And don't forget to enable firewall you just disabled


Comments

  1. Unbelievable great work !
    I have no clue what HP developers think when they do those "ROMPAQS". I guess they live in a parallel world.
    Thanks a lot ... that made my day !

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  2. Another huge vote of thanks after going round in circles trying to flash a DL120 Lights Out 100 without needing to drive to site with a USB key.

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  3. Hello, thanks a lot, worked perfectly on a ML110G6.

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  4. Thank you ! Worked fine on a pair of DL180 G6.

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  5. Fantastic, worked perfectly on a pair of DL160 G6's :-) Thank you.

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  6. Great, worked as expected. Thank you!

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  7. Thanks for the wonderful article. I thought the .AA8 file was the firmware, didn't know that I had to unpack it using their utility. And +1 for recommending dosbox to unpack it rather than requiring to boot freedos.

    Thank you so much!

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  8. Worked great on my pair of 180SE servers... Thanks for the post!

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  9. Thank you very much!
    I have trouble with fake alarm "chassis state asserted 1"
    The problem has gone after flasing to 4.26 version

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  10. Thanks great tutorial. I love you

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  11. Worked like a charm on my DL160 G6. Thanks!

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  12. Thanks! Got it working on a bunch of G6's. Wish I could replace them instead but...

    ReplyDelete

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