Apply Azure Stack Hub original equipment manufacturer (OEM) updates

You can apply original equipment manufacturer (OEM) updates to your Azure Stack Hub hardware components to get driver updates, firmware updates, and security patches. These updates are done while minimizing impact on your users. In this article, you can learn about OEM updates, OEM contact information, and how to apply an OEM update.

Overview of OEM updates

In addition to Azure Stack Hub updates, many OEMs also release regular updates for your Azure Stack Hub hardware, such as driver and firmware updates. These updates are referred to as OEM package updates. To understand whether your OEM releases OEM package updates, check your OEM's Azure Stack Hub documentation.

These OEM package updates are uploaded into the updateadminaccount storage account and applied via the Azure Stack Hub administrator portal. For more information, see Applying OEM updates.

Ask your OEM about their specific notification process to ensure OEM package update notifications reach your organization.

Some hardware vendors may require a hardware vendor VM that handles the internal firmware update process. For more information, see Configure hardware vendor VM.

OEM contact information

This section contains OEM contact information and links to OEM Azure Stack Hub reference material.

Apply OEM updates

Apply the OEM packages with the following steps:

1. Contact your OEM to:
   • Determine the current version of your OEM package.
   • Find the best method to download your OEM package.
2. Before applying an OEM package update, always apply the latest Azure Stack Hub hotfix available on your system's current Azure Stack Hub version. For more information on hotfixes, see Azure Stack Hub hotfixes.
3. Prepare your OEM package with the steps outlined in Download update packages for integrated systems.
4. Apply the updates with the steps outlined in Apply updates in Azure Stack Hub.

Configure hardware vendor VM

Some hardware vendors may require a virtual machine (VM) to help with the OEM update process. Your hardware vendor is responsible for creating these VMs and documenting if you require ProxyVM or HardwareManager for -VMType when running the Set-OEMExternalVM cmdlet, as well as which credential should be used for -Credential. Once the VMs are created, configure them with the Set-OEMExternalVM from the privileged endpoint.

For more information on the privileged endpoint in Azure Stack Hub, see Using the privileged endpoint in Azure Stack Hub.

1. Access the privileged endpoint.

   $cred = Get-Credential
   $session = New-PSSession -ComputerName <IP Address of ERCS> `
   -ConfigurationName PrivilegedEndpoint -Credential $cred `
   -SessionOption (New-PSSessionOption -Culture en-US -UICulture en-US)
   

2. Configure the hardware vendor VM using the Set-OEMExternalVM cmdlet. The cmdlet validates the IP address and credentials for -VMType ProxyVM. For -VMType HardwareManager, the cmdlet won't validate the input. The -Credential parameter provided to Set-OEMExternalVM is one that will be clearly documented by the hardware vendor documentation. It is NOT the CloudAdmin credential used with the privileged endpoint, or any other existing Azure Stack Hub credential.

   $VmCred = Get-Credential
   Invoke-Command -Session $session
       {
   Set-OEMExternalVM -VMType <Either "ProxyVM" or "HardwareManager">
       -IPAddress <IP Address of hardware vendor VM> -Credential $using:VmCred
       }
   

Next steps

• Azure Stack Hub updates