[Updating Intel’s I40e Driver In Ubuntu 18.10
Eliora Shopbell
What firmware version is on the card? You would see either 16.5.0, 16.5.20, 17.0.0, or 17.0.12 for the firmware version. Firmware version 17.0.12 is the latest as of today. It's available for download from the following website:
The i40e driver version of 1.0.11 is quite old. I'm not sure what version came in Ubuntu. The latest version available from support.dell.com is v1.3.38. It's available for download from the following website:
After updating the i40e driver in RHEL7.1, you'll need to update the initrd image. Otherwise the native driver (I assume v1.0.11) will automatically be loaded each time the system reboots. I've found dracut to be my favorite utility to update the initrd image in RHEL7.x.
Be sure the Dell supported i40e driver is loaded when you run the Firmware Update in Linux. If you can't get the firmware update to run in Linux, then you can attempt to use the Windows based FW DUP via Lifecycle Controller's firmware update feature. I suspect the cause of the issue is the outdated i40e driver that is being used. I could be wrong though...
Do you have drivers installed on the card? What is the Dell part number of that card? Alternatively, what are the Hardware Ids of it? You can find the Hardware Ids of it in Device Manager. View the properties of the card, click the Details tab, then in the dropdown, select "Hardware Ids". The first line is the most useful line.
It's definitely a different card. Otherwise it wouldn't have a different Subdevice ID. I have no knowledge about the card you're using. You'll need to get assistance from Intel for it. Modifying the Dell Firmware DUP to try to get it to work on your non Dell card might cause problems that could be irreversible. Even though it's an X540, not all X540's are the same. Some have different flash parts/sizes. It's better to use Intel tools from Intel's website to update it. I wouldn't want you to damage your card.