Thanks @ Bob Mader for updating the dead link! (2015-10-26)

Not only is it possible to use HP’s Firmware Update ISO through PXE, but it can also be managed by Cobbler.

I give much credit to this thread on HP’s forums for helping me with figuring out this process.

We’ll need to start a NFS server and open the appropriate ports on the firewall. Edit your /etc/exports file and add an entry for where you will dump your firmware ISOs. I just open up the entire cobbler build tree via NFS, just to make things easier:

/data/linux_build        *(ro,insecure,all_squash,no_subtree_check,nohide)

For firewall access, use system-config-security level and enable NFS4 or add the following to /etc/sysconfig/iptables :

-A RH-Firewall-1-INPUT -m state --state NEW -m tcp -p tcp --dport 2049 -j ACCEPT

Be sure to restart iptables:

service iptables restart

We’ll be storing the HP firmware ISOs in /data/linux_build/firmware/.

Since the latest available HP Firmware Update CD is 9.30, we’ll download that and put it in /data/linux_build/firmware/fw930.

Unzip the iso, and rename it to something cleaner like fw930.iso.

loopback mount the iso, and copy the initrd.img and vmlinuz from the iso and put them in /data/linux_build/firmware/fw930.

mount -o loop /data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/fw930.iso /mnt/
cp /mnt/system/vmlinuz  /data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/
cp /mnt/system/initrd.img  /data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/

Now we add the HP Firmware Update ISO as a “distro” and add the profile as well:

Make sure your substitute yourserver.lab.yourcompany.com with the server your NFS hostname!

cobbler distro add --name=hp_firmware_update_v9.30 --arch=x86 --breed=debian \
--kernel=/data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/vmlinuz --initrd=/data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/initrd.img \
--kopts 'rw PROTOCOL=DHCP ip=dhcp root=/dev/ram0 iso1=nfs://yourserver.lab.yourcompany.com/data/linux_build/firmware/fw930/fw930.iso init=/bin/init media=cdrom ramdisk_size=127464 ide=noraid pnpbios=off'
cobbler profile add --name=hp_firmware_update_v9.30 --distro=hp_firmware_update_v9.30
cobbler sync

You may get the following warning during cobbler sync, but it hasn’t proved an issue for me.

warning: kernel option length exceeds 255

On the aforementioned thread, you will also find information on automating the firmware install process so it can be done hands-free. You could also add supplemental updates to the ISO as well.