************************************
Important Notice for the BIOS Update
************************************

On the X12 Whitley platform, Supermicro starts to use the Supermicro Update
Manager (SUM) UEFI tool to perform the motherboard BIOS update. The update is
performed by the BMC in-band command. Please note that the AMI flash utility
(AFU) used in previous generations will no longer work on this platform.

=======================================
Known Limitations of the SUM (EFI) Tool
=======================================
1. The -UpdateBios command does not support the --preserve_setting option.
   After the BIOS update, the BIOS setting will be reset to the factory default.
2. A system reboot is required to kick off the BIOS flash process.
3. A BMC device on the motherboard is required for the SUM tool to work.


*******************************************************************************
The following instructions describe the BIOS upgrade process in the X12 Whitley
BIOS flash package. Please follow the instructions carefully to prevent any
need for RMA repair or replacement.
*******************************************************************************

===============================================================================
Standard BIOS Update Procedure under the UEFI Shell
===============================================================================

1. Save the BIOS update package to your workstation computer.

2. Extract the files from the BIOS flash package to a USB stick. 
   
   Note: The USB stick doesn't have to be bootable, but has to be formatted with
         the FAT32 file system.

3. Plug the USB stick into a USB port, boot to the Built-In UEFI Shell, and type
   "flash.nsh <BMC Username> <BMC Password> <BIOS Filename>" to start the BIOS
   update:

   Shell> fs0:
   fs0:\> cd X12BIOS
   fs0:\X12BIOS> flash.nsh USER PASSWORD BIOS_X12DPTB-1B6A_20210113_1.0a_STDsp.bin

   Note: The BMC account used for the BIOS update must have admin privileges.

4. The flash.nsh UEFI script will verify the flash command first. Press any key
   to continue, or press "q" or "Q" to abort the BIOS update.

5. The flash script will invoke the SUM (EFI) tool to perform the BIOS update,
   beginning with uploading the BIOS image to BMC.

6. Do not interrupt the process until the BIOS image upload is complete.  The
   system will reboot automatically to continue, after a short message.

7. After the system reboot, BMC will take over and continue the BIOS update in
   the background. The process will take 3-5 minutes. During this stage, the
   green power LED on the front control panel will blink slowly, and the blue
   UID LED will blink rapidly. There will be no display on the screen.

8. Do NOT unplug the power or try to boot up the system until the LEDs stop
   blinking and the BIOS splash screen is shown.

9. After the BIOS update has completed, the system will boot up automatically.

===============================================================================
*Remote* BIOS Update using the OOB Method with the SUM Tool
===============================================================================

1. Make sure the OOB or DCMS license is enabled in BMC. The SFT-OOB-LIC or the
   SFT-DCMS-Single key will be required to enable the OOB (Out-of-Band) method.

2. Download and extract the BIOS from the motherboard webpage to the OS.

3. Follow the below URL to download the SUM tool for your OS type:
   https://www.supermicro.com/en/solutions/management-software/supermicro-update-manager

4. Extract the SUM tool from the SUM package in the OS.

5. Run the below command on the workstation to update the remote system's BIOS:

   sum -i <BMC IP> -u <BMC User ID> -p <Password> -c UpdateBIOS --file <BIOS Name> --reboot

   Example:
   ./sum -i 192.168.1.100 -u ADMIN -p PASSWORD -c UpdateBIOS --file 
   BIOS_X12DPTB-1B6A_20210113_1.0a_STDsp.bin --reboot

6. Do not interrupt the process or reboot the system until the BIOS is updated
   successfully.

Notes: (a) Please use SUM v2.5.0 or above on the X12 Whitley Platform.
       (b) The "--reboot" switch must be included in the command.

===============================================================================
*Local* BIOS Update using the In-band Method with the SUM Tool
===============================================================================

1. Download and extract the BIOS from the motherboard webpage to the local OS.

2. Follow the below URL to download the SUM tool for your OS type:
   https://www.supermicro.com/en/solutions/management-software/supermicro-update-manager

3. Extract the SUM tool from the SUM package in the local OS.

4. Run the below command on the workstation to update the local system's BIOS:

   sum -I Redfish_HI -u <BMC User ID> -p <Password> -c UpdateBIOS --file <BIOS Name> --reboot

   Example:
   ./sum -I Redfish_HI -u ADMIN -p HGFEDCBA UpdateBIOS --file X12DPTB0.814 --reboot

5. Do not interrupt the process or reboot the system until the BIOS is updated
   successfully.

Notes: (a) Please use SUM v2.5.0 or above on the X12 Whitley Platform.
       (b) The in-band method will go through the Redfish Host Interface.
       (c) The "--reboot" switch must be included in the command.
       (d) The OOB license is not required for this BIOS update method.

===============================================================================
*Remote* BIOS Update using the OOB Method on IPMI Web UI
===============================================================================

1. Download & extract the BIOS from the motherboard webpage to the OS.

2. Log into IPMI with an Internet browser.

3. To see the BIOS update feature, click the "Firmware Update" button on the
   Dashboard, or go to the Maintenance menu and click the "Firmware Management" button.

4. Click the "BIOS" button and then the "Next" button.

5. Select the BIOS image file, then click the "Upload" button.

6. Do not interrupt the process or reboot the system until the BIOS is updated
   successfully.

Note: The OOB license is not required for this BIOS update method.


*******************************************************************************
RMA Information
*******************************************************************************

If the BIOS flash fails, you may contact our RMA Dept. to have the BIOS
chip reprogrammed. This will require shipping the board to our RMA Dept.
for repair. Please submit your RMA request at:

https://www.supermicro.com/en/support/rma


*******************************************************************************
BIOS Naming Convention
*******************************************************************************

BIOS name  : BIOS_X12DXXXXX-BBBB_YYYYMMDD_VVV_T.Tt_STDsp.bin

"BIOS"     : BIOS image identifier
X12DXXXXX  : Project name
BBBB       : 4-digit project ID
YYYY       : Year of the build date
MM         : Month of the build date
DD         : Day of the build date
T.Tt       : BIOS revision number
"STD"      : Standard BIOS ("OEM" = Custom BIOS)
"sp"       : Production signed image (No "sp" means unsigned.)

Examples:
           X12DPi-N6 -> BIOS_X12DPi-N(T)6-1B47_20210302_1.0b_STDsp.bin
           X12DPT-B6 -> BIOS_X12DPTB-1B6A_20210113_1.0a_STDsp.bin





---Last Update on: 03/17/2021---

