Setting boot order on a dell optiple gx520 using sample script

Question

To All,

I am trying to set the boot order on an Optiplex GX520 with OMCI 8.0 installed. I get the following error when I run the sample vbs script:

setboot.vbs(100, 2) SWbemObjectEx: Invalid parameter.

Line 100 reads as follows:

Set returnValue = objInstance.ExecMethod_("ChangeBootOrder", oInParams)

The getboot script works fine. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dan

Peter Tsai · Answer

Hi Dan,

Have you looked into this OMCI whitepaper that contains a sample script on setting the boot order on a system?

http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/solutions/omci_info.pdf

http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/systems-management/w/wiki/omci-sample-scripts.aspx

JuusoV · Answer

With example script at en.community.dell.com/.../omci-sample-scripts.aspx I'm getting the same error as DanVolpe.

as strOldOrder values I'm getting for example this:

//COMPUTERNAME/root/dcim/sysman:DCIM_BootSourceSetting.InstanceID="DCIM:BootSoureSetting:UEFI:BootListType-1:index-2"

thus line if(InStr(strOldOrder(j),":"&strNewOrderInput(i))> 0) is never true.

Same results on two Latitude laptops (e4300 and e6410)

chanhing line "oInParams.source = strNewOrder" to "oInParams.source = strOldOrder" doesn't work either (you might think it should work because strNewOrder is a copy of strOldOrder with different order)

is that example script broken?

DanVolpe · Answer

Peter,

I did review the white paper you recommended. The namespace it refers to is for version 7x of OMCI. The sample scripts do refer to the new namespace used in the 8.0 version but I am running into the problem I listed originally. Any thoughts?

Peter Tsai · Answer

Hi Dan,

I'm not an expert on OMCI, but from what I understand, some functions in OMCI 8 don't work with certain systems - it has something to do with the BIOS.

I've heard that Dell is working on addressing this with BIOS revisions, but I don't think a list of exactly which functions are affected exists.

The only recommendation I can give is updating the BIOS if you aren't currently up to date.

I'll try to see if someone else at Dell can give more information.

DanVolpe · Answer

To All,

JuusoV has a point. The //COMPUTERNAME/root/dcim/sysman:DCIM_BootSourceSetting.InstanceID="DCIM:BootSoureSetting:UEFI:BootListType-1:index-2" values differ by machine. Some are "index-#" some are "IPL::#". I am sure there are others.

You can't just use the number. I see 2 possible solutions:

1. Compare the new sort order value with the last digit for the old order value of which presumes you don't have more than 9 boot devices.

2. Compare the new sort order index-# or IPL:# or any others in the environment.

Dan

DELL-Warren B · Answer

I've pinged the product team to get more information on their sample scripts.

DELL-Warren B · Answer

My bad. I had the wrong version of the SampleSetBootOrder.vbs posted. The original had issues differentiating between BIOS (oldorder) and UEFI (neworder) which was corrected in the updated version.

Get the updated script here.

Let me know if you still have issues.

JuusoV · Answer

Hi,

Updated version works for me so far that I don't get the "Invalid parameter" error anymore and boot order does change.

I still can't boot automatically with NIC because it's AssignedSequence -value is zero. Any help with this?

DELL-Warren B · Answer

Are you trying to boot to PXE?  If so, you might want to try the 'Force PXE on next Reboot' sample script here.  This is a more simple method to get to a network boot than changing boot orders around.

JuusoV · Answer

I hear it isn't supported in Latitude systems anymore :) en.community.dell.com/.../19415297.aspx

DELL-Warren B · Answer

Yes, that is true for current Latitude systems.  From the thread title, I thought you were working with Optiplex systems.

JuusoV · Answer

Sorry about that. I created a new thread en.community.dell.com/.../19426142.aspx

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Setting boot order on a dell optiple gx520 using sample script

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