Alternate firmware download servers allow you to perform remote firmware downloads without having to reconfigure your default local file transfer servers. By performing firmware downloads via a remote server, you can avoid transferring traffic over a WAN. Alternate servers can be configured to use either the TFTP, FTP, or SCP protocol.
After you have configured your alternate servers, you must create and assign new firmware records, and associate them with the alternate servers. Then, you must specify which alternate firmware download server is to be used by a device group or by individual devices. Once you have finished these set-up procedures, you are ready to perform remote firmware downloads using the Firmware Upgrade Wizard or the Boot PROM Upgrade Wizard.
Instructions on:
- Configuring the Alternate Server
- Creating and Assigning Firmware Records
- Setting the Firmware Server
Configuring the Alternate Server
Use the Alternate Firmware Servers view in the Options window to configure your alternate firmware download servers.
- Select Tools > Options in the menu bar. The Options window opens.
- In the left-panel tree, expand the File Transfer Method folder, and select Alternate Firmware Servers. The right-panel Alternate Firmware Servers view displays a list of any configured alternate servers.
- Click Add Server to open the
Add Alternate Firmware Server window where you
can configure a new alternate server:
- Enter the IP address of the workstation where the server is running.
- Enter an Identifier -- a description that helps you identify the alternate server.
- Enter the Server Root Path. The root directory is the base directory to which the server is allowed access. The
server will be allowed to create files to or read files from this
directory and any of its subdirectories. Keep in mind the following requirements when setting the server root path:
- If your server is configured with a root directory, it must match the root directory entered here.
- If your server is not configured with a root directory, specify the root directory here as the root of the drive (e.g. C:\ or D:\).
- Specify the transfer protocol for the alternate server.
- The required connection information changes depending on your selected transfer protocol.
- For TFTP, specify the port number your TFTP server is configured to run on.
- For FTP or SCP, specify the port number your server is configured to run on. Select the Anonymous checkbox if your server is configured to accept Anonymous logins; Inventory Manager will automatically fill in the username and password fields. Otherwise, enter your username and password to access the server. If you select the Hide Password checkbox, your password will be replaced with asterisks when it is typed in.
- To edit an alternate server, select a server in the list and click Edit Server. The Edit Alternate Firmware Server window opens where you can edit certain server properties.
- To remove a server, select a server and click Remove Server.
- Click OK to set options and close the window. Click Apply to set options and leave the window open.
After you have configured your alternate servers, you must create and assign firmware records, and associate them with the alternate servers. See the instructions below for more information.
Creating and Assigning Firmware Records
Before you can use an alternate firmware server to perform remote firmware downloads, you need to create the firmware records associated with the alternate server and add them to the Inventory Manager database. Use the Create Firmware Record window to create the new firmware entries and associate them with your configured alternate servers.
When you create a firmware record, it is added to the Unknown folder and the All Firmware folder in the Firmware Mgmt tab. You will need to use the Assign Firmware window to assign the record (firmware image) to one or more product families or device types.
After assigning the firmware, you must configure your remote devices to use the alternate server when performing download operations (see Setting the Firmware Server below) in order to see these images listed in the Firmware Upgrade Wizard. This enables you to download the image to your remote network devices of that family or type, using the Firmware Upgrade Wizard or the Boot PROM Upgrade Wizard.
- Select the All Firmware folder in the left-panel Firmware Mgmt tab and select Tools > Create Firmware Record, or right-click the All Firmware folder and select Create Firmware Record from the menu. (You must have a configured alternate firmware server for this menu option to be available.) The Create Firmware Record window opens.
- Use the radio buttons at the top of the window to specify whether the image is a firmware or boot PROM image.
- In the Image file name field, enter the name of the firmware or boot PROM image as it appears in the image directory.
- In the Image directory path field, enter the path to the location where the image is stored.
- The table at the bottom of the window lists your configured alternate firmware download servers. Select the appropriate server for the firmware record: the image directory path must exist under the server root path. If you select multiple servers, be sure that the same image type, file name, and directory path are used on all selected servers. Individual firmware records will be created for each selected server.
- Click OK to create the firmware record and close the window. Click Apply to create the record and leave the window open, allowing you to create more firmware records. The firmware records are added to the Unknown folder and the All Firmware folder in the Firmware Mgmt tab.
- Assign the firmware record to
the appropriate product families or
device types.
- Expand the Unknown folder in the left-panel Firmware Mgmt tab. Select the firmware or boot PROM image, then select Tools > Assign Firmware. You can also right-click on the image, and select Assign Firmware from the menu. The Assign Firmware window opens.
- In the Device Type list, select the families and/or individual device types where you want to assign the image. You can select multiple product families or device types using the Ctrl or Shift keys.
- Click OK to assign the image to the selected product families and/or device types and close the window.
After you have configured your alternate servers, and created and assigned your firmware records, you must specify which alternate firmware download server is to be used by a device group or by individual devices. See the instructions below for more information.
Setting the Firmware Server
Before you can use an alternate firmware server to perform remote firmware downloads, you must configure your remote devices to use the alternate server when performing download operations. All devices are initially configured to use the mapped file transfer server (as configured in the Services for NetSight Server view of the Suite-Wide Options window) for firmware downloads. By specifying an alternate firmware download server, you can enable a remote device to use a server in its own local network.
Use the Set Firmware Server window to specify which firmware download server a device will use when performing firmware downloads. You can set the firmware server for a single device, multiple devices, or a device group.
- Select a single device or device group in the left-panel Network Elements tab or multiple devices in a right-panel Details View tab, then select Tools > Alternate Firmware Server from the menu bar. You can also right-click a device or device group and select the Alternate Firmware Server option from the menu. The Set Firmware Server window opens.
- Use the drop-down list to select the IP address of the firmware download server you would like used for the selected device(s). The drop-down list displays all the alternate servers that match the file transfer method set for the device(s). All devices are initially configured with TFTP as their file transfer method, until specified otherwise. For more information, see How to Set a File Transfer Method.
- Click OK to set the server and close the window.
After you have configured your alternate servers, created and assigned your firmware records, and set your firmware server using these instructions, you will be ready to perform firmware downloads using your alternate firmware download servers. For information on performing downloads, see the Firmware Upgrade Wizard or the Boot PROM Upgrade Wizard.
For information on related windows:
- Alternate Firmware Servers View, Options Window
- Create Firmware Record Window
- Set Firmware Server Window
