Automate configuration of NUC7i3DNB BIOS settings

[VRe00]

We have a large number of NUC7i3DNB devices running Ubuntu Linux. As we configure new ones, the most time-consuming part of the setup process has been updating the various BIOS settings, and we'd like to find a way to automate these tasks.

I'm familiar with Intel's Syscfg, vPRO, AMT, IPMI and so on, but I can't find a technology that works on the i3 processors in our NUCs. This means we have to plug the NUC into a keyboard and monitor and adjust the BIOS settings by hand, hoping we get everything right - it's definitely the weak link in our otherwise completely automated provisioning system.

Is there any other way we might be able to configure the BIOS settings on these systems?

[n_scott_pearson]

You haven't tried doing this with Intel Integrator Toolkit?

[Wanner_G_Intel]

Hello VRe00,

Thank you for posting your question on this Intel® Community.

To better assist you, we would like to have more information about your system configuration.

1. Could you please provide the model numbers of the Intel® NUCs?
2. How many devices are being impacted by this issue?
3. What is the BIOS version running on these devices?
4. As recommended by n.scott.pearson, have you tried using the Intel® Integrator Toolkit?

Wanner G.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[VRe00]

At the moment, we have about 200 NUCs, and we expect the number to grow to about 1000 in the next year or so. We don't haven't tried the Integrator Toolkit, but we will have a look.

As far as what the configurations are, right now the bulk of our systems are NUC7i3DNB systems in custom fanless enclosures.

DMIDECODE under Linux reports this configuration:

BIOS Information

Vendor: Intel Corp.

Version: DNKBLi30.86A.0063.2019.0503.1904

Release Date: 05/03/2019

Address: 0xF0000

Runtime Size: 64 kB

ROM Size: 16 MB

Characteristics:

PCI is supported

BIOS is upgradeable

BIOS shadowing is allowed

Boot from CD is supported

Selectable boot is supported

BIOS ROM is socketed

EDD is supported

5.25"/1.2 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)

3.5"/720 kB floppy services are supported (int 13h)

3.5"/2.88 MB floppy services are supported (int 13h)

Print screen service is supported (int 5h)

Serial services are supported (int 14h)

Printer services are supported (int 17h)

ACPI is supported

USB legacy is supported

BIOS boot specification is supported

Targeted content distribution is supported

UEFI is supported

BIOS Revision: 5.6

System Information

Manufacturer: Intel Corporation

Product Name: NUC7i3DNB

Version: NUC7i3-63-LS

Serial Number: U747085

UUID: 00DEE23E-2727-4D59-BC16-54B2038BCF1F

Wake-up Type: Power Switch

SKU Number:                  

Family: Intel NUC

Base Board Information

Manufacturer: Intel Corporation

Product Name: NUC7i3DNB

Version: J57625-512

Serial Number: BTDN931001U5

Asset Tag:                  

Features:

Board is a hosting board

Board is replaceable

Location In Chassis: Default string

Chassis Handle: 0x0003

Type: Motherboard

Contained Object Handles: 0

Processor Information

Socket Designation: U3E1

Type: Central Processor

Family: Core i3

Manufacturer: Intel(R) Corporation

ID: E9 06 08 00 FF FB EB BF

Signature: Type 0, Family 6, Model 142, Stepping 9

Flags:

FPU (Floating-point unit on-chip)

VME (Virtual mode extension)

DE (Debugging extension)

PSE (Page size extension)

TSC (Time stamp counter)

MSR (Model specific registers)

PAE (Physical address extension)

MCE (Machine check exception)

CX8 (CMPXCHG8 instruction supported)

APIC (On-chip APIC hardware supported)

SEP (Fast system call)

MTRR (Memory type range registers)

PGE (Page global enable)

MCA (Machine check architecture)

CMOV (Conditional move instruction supported)

PAT (Page attribute table)

PSE-36 (36-bit page size extension)

CLFSH (CLFLUSH instruction supported)

DS (Debug store)

ACPI (ACPI supported)

MMX (MMX technology supported)

FXSR (FXSAVE and FXSTOR instructions supported)

SSE (Streaming SIMD extensions)

SSE2 (Streaming SIMD extensions 2)

SS (Self-snoop)

HTT (Multi-threading)

TM (Thermal monitor supported)

PBE (Pending break enabled)

Version: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-7100U CPU @ 2.40GHz

Voltage: 0.8 V

External Clock: 100 MHz

Max Speed: 8300 MHz

Current Speed: 2300 MHz

Status: Populated, Enabled

Upgrade: Socket BGA1356

L1 Cache Handle: 0x003C

L2 Cache Handle: 0x003D

L3 Cache Handle: 0x003E

Core Count: 2

Core Enabled: 2

Thread Count: 4

Characteristics:

64-bit capable

Multi-Core

Hardware Thread

Execute Protection

Enhanced Virtualization

Power/Performance Control

[Ronny_G_Intel]

Hi,

We dont really have a tool or recommended process to run BIOS update over the network on multiple systems, this depends on the customer set up, operating system, and other available tools, for example a PXE set-up.

We do have tools that could help you created a custom BIOS that you can run in all equivalent systems:

ITK6: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29345/Intel-Integrator-Toolkit

VCUST: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28900/Intel-VCUST-Tool

On the other hand, Intel vPro® or Intel® Active Management Technology are intended for other purposes different from BIOS update and the NUC7i3DNKE is not vPro capable, only i5 and i7 versions of the same family support vPro.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Ronny G