Can BIOS upgrade damage something?

[Matt Domsch]

On Thu, Nov 06, 2008 at 08:48:25PM -0500, J. Epperson wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: linux-poweredge-bounces at dell.com
> > [mailto:linux-poweredge-bounces at dell.com] On Behalf Of michalwd1979
> > Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 1:06 PM
> > To: linux-poweredge-Lists
> > Subject: Can BIOS upgrade damage something?
> >
> > Hello,
> > While I never had a situation when BIOS upgrade went wrong I am
> > wondering if it can damage something. For example I have a power
> > failure/storm/nuclear explosion during upgrade and the server has been
> > rebooted in the middle of writing new image to flash. Does anyone know
> > what would happen then?
> > Or maybe someone has already experienced such situation?
> > My system is PE2850 with gentoo linux and A07 Bios.
> >
> 
> I bricked a PE6300 like that once.  Power failure, bad UPS.  The nuclear
> explosion came later, from management.

Tech Support should be able to unbrick such boxes.  It requires, as
Stuart mentions, a special PCI card with a flash which then is
used to start the system, then can flash the onboard chip.

-- 
Matt Domsch
Linux Technology Strategist, Dell Office of the CTO
linux.dell.com & www.dell.com/linux