Update method terminology
•  In-band update. The installation or update is performed using a tool or application within an operating 
system that is executing on the server’s core CPU.
•  Out-of-band update. The installation or update is performed by the Lenovo XClarity Controller collecting 
the update and then directing the update to the target subsystem or device. Out-of-band updates have no 
dependency on an operating system executing on the core CPU. However, most out-of-band operations 
do require the server to be in the S0 (Working) power state.
•  On-Target update. The installation or update is initiated from an Operating System executing on the 
server’s operating system.
•  Off-Target update. The installation or update is initiated from a computing device interacting directly with 
the server’s Lenovo XClarity Controller.
•  UpdateXpress System Packs (UXSPs). UXSPs are bundled updates designed and tested to provide the 
interdependent level of functionality, performance, and compatibility. UXSPs are server machine-type 
specific and are built (with firmware and device driver updates) to support specific Windows Server, Red 
Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) operating system distributions. 
Machine-type-specific firmware-only UXSPs are also available.
Firmware updating tools
See the following table to determine the best Lenovo tool to use for installing and setting up the firmware: 
Tool Update 
Methods 
Supported
Core 
System 
Firmware 
Updates
I/O Devices 
Firmware 
Updates
Graphical 
user 
interface
Command 
line 
interface
Supports 
UXSPs
Lenovo XClarity 
Provisioning Manager 
(LXPM)
In-band
2
On-Target
√ √
Lenovo XClarity 
Controller 
(XCC)
Out-of-band
Off-Target
√
Selected I/O 
devices
√
Lenovo XClarity 
Essentials OneCLI 
(OneCLI)
In-band
Out-of-band
On-Target
Off-Target
√
All I/O 
devices
√ √
Lenovo XClarity 
Essentials 
UpdateXpress 
(LXCE)
In-band
Out-of-band
On-Target
Off-Target
√
All I/O 
devices
√ √
Lenovo XClarity 
Essentials Bootable 
Media Creator 
(BoMC)
In-band
Out-of-band
Off-Target
√
All I/O 
devices
√ 
(BoMC 
application)
√ 
(BoMC 
application)
√
10 ThinkSystem ST250 V2 Maintenance Manual