IOCOMM - Configuration Tasks 14 v.104

Making Changes to IOCOMM

Upgrading Firmware with BOOTP

Upgrading Firmware without BOOTP

Checking Firmware Upgrade

Upgrading Firmware Remotely

Disabling Remote Firmware Upgrade

Configuring TFTP Access on Unix

Configuring TFTP Access on Windows® NT

Saving / Copying Configuration File

Copying Configuration File to New Unit

Changing Passwords

Upgrading Firmware with BOOTP

The IOCOMM firmware can be upgraded at any stage to implement latest revisions. This procedure is carried out from the IOCOMM's bootstrap menu as follows:

Note: You can download new firmware from a network server to the IOCOMM using TFTP. The process uses BOOTP on the network server and requires the correct IOCOMM settings and firmware file details to be present in the BOOTP configuration file. If the new firmware file is not on the BOOTP server, you will need to specify its location and file name in the BOOTP configuration file (bootptab under Unix) before proceeding.

Connect a terminal to port A on the IOCOMM.
Power off the IOCOMM and then power on while holding in the TEST button to obtain the IOCOMM bootstrap menu.
If you wish to test the new firmware before writing it to FLASH, go to step 4, otherwise go to step 6.
Select 6 from the bootstrap menu to load the firmware to RAM..
If after testing the new firmware it worked correctly and produced the expected results, you can proceed to step 6 and write it directly to FLASH.
To write the new firmware directly to FLASH, select 7 on the bootstrap menu.

Note: Use of the bootstrap menus is detailed in the Bootstrap section.

Upgrading Firmware without BOOTP

If the network BOOTP server is not available at the time of downloading a new firmware file, you can still run the download manually using the IOCOMM bootstrap menu:

Connect a terminal to port A on the IOCOMM.
Power off the IOCOMM and then power on while holding in the TEST button. The IOCOMM bootstrap menu will appear on the terminal.
From the main bootstrap menu, select 6 to download to RAM or7to download to FLASH, then press .
When the IOCOMM detects that the BOOTP server is unavailable, the bootstrap menu prompts you to enter details of the network, IOCOMM and firmware file.
At the prompt Ethernet interface, select the option relevant to your network and press .
For Unit IP address, enter the IOCOMM's IP address and press.
For Netmask, enter the IP netmask for the IOCOMM and press.
For Boot host IP address, enter the IP address for the network host where the download file is located and press . If you enter a boot host address which is on a different network to the IOCOMM, go to step 9.
At Setup IP gateway ?, enter y if you want to specify a gateway or n if you do not. If you entered n, go to step 10.
For Default gateway, enter the gateway address and press .
For Boot file, enter the name of the firmware file and press .

The new firmware file will be downloaded to either RAM or FLASH (as selected in 3. above).

Checking Firmware Upgrade

You can check firmware before permanently downloading it to FLASH.

Download the firmware as instructed in the previous section and store in RAM. This is a temporary measure.
Test that the new firmware works correctly and produces the expected results.
If the new firmware works as expected;
Reload the firmware and store in FLASH for permanent use.

Upgrading Firmware Remotely

The IOCOMM firmware can also be upgraded via the Web interface.

This facility allows the administrator to download firmware to an IOCOMM without having to be at the same location as the unit and does not require a terminal connection. Remote Firmware Upgrade is available only on units running both firmware version 1.06 or later and bootstrap version 1.02 or later.

On the IOCOMM Main menu page, select Special operations.
Select Remote Firmware Upgrade.
In the Download host field, enter the IP address or name of the host system from which you want to download the firmware.
In the Filename of download image field, enter the tftp path and filename for the firmware file.
To download the new firmware to FLASH, select Download to FLASH and then discard download parameters if the download is successful. This option means that once the download has been successfully completed, the IOCOMM will revert to loading its firmware from FLASH on subsequent reboots.
To download the new firmware to RAM, select Download to RAM and apply these download parameters on every power-up. This option means that the firmware will be downloaded to RAM from the selected host each time the IOCOMM is rebooted.
Select Submit to save the parameters only. The download will then happen the next time the IOCOMM is rebooted. Alternatively, select Submit and Reboot to trigger the download immediately. During the reboot, the following will appear on screen:

Reset The IOCOMM will now reset.All connections will be dropped. Will download firmware to FLASH Please wait for 4 minutes and then reconnect to the IOCOMM. Note: When the IOCOMM is being re-booted, the Web browser connection is terminated.
Wait four minutes (two if loading to RAM), then on the browser re-enter your hostname or IP address to access the IOCOMM Administration page. If the download was successful, at the top of the page you will see the message:

RFU download to FLASH OK

Disabling Remote Firmware Upgrade

On the IOCOMM Main menu page, select Special operations.
Select Remote Firmware Upgrade.
Select Download disabled.
Select Submit.
Select Return to the Main menu.

Configuring TFTP Access on Unix

Note: Ensure that the TFTP daemon is running (enabled from /etc/inetd.conf ).

There are 3 types of TFTP Access possible:

Insecure TFTP, where files may be downloaded from anywhere on the file system: The full path of the file will be required.
Secure TFTP, where files may only be downloaded from/tftpboot: The full pathname is required, i.e: /tftpboot/iocomm.dl.
Secure TFTP, where files may only be downloaded from/tftpboot: Only the filename is required, i.e: iocomm.dl.

Note: Make sure that the firmware file on the server has correct read permissions as if this is not the case, the IOCOMM may not be able to read the file. To make the file readable, it may be necessary to execute the following command:

chmod +r iocomm.dl

Configuring TFTP Access on Windows® NT

The method employed for configuring TFTP on a Windows® NT server will depend upon the particular version of TFTP used. Check the vendor's documentation.

Saving / Copying Configuration File

This procedure allows you to save an IOCOMM's configuration to a network host. This information can be used as a back-up in case the configuration information is lost from the IOCOMM, or it can be read back to a second unit, giving the second IOCOMM the same configuration as the first. This procedure can be useful where you require subsequent IOCOMMs to have the same or similar configuration.

The one parameter that must be changed when copying configuration files is the IP address, which must not be duplicated. There are two ways of dealing with the required change to the IP address for the configuration file.

You can copy the configuration file completely (including the IP address) and then edit the configuration file on the remote host before copying it to the new IOCOMM. To use this method, follow the instructions from 3. to 8. below.
You can blank the IP address field on the browser page of the current IOCOMM before you copy the configuration file, in which case it can be read to the new unit without the need to manually edit the file. This option is the easier and preferred method. To use this method, follow the instructions from 1. to 9. below.

On the IOCOMM Main menu page, select Global configuration, then LAN interface.
The IP address is shown in the top box. Highlight the IP address and delete text to blank the field. Select Submit to confirm the change.
Select Return to the main menu.
On the IOCOMM Main menu page, select Special operations.
Select Read or write configuration.
The Read or write configuration page allows you to copy the complete configuration information from the current IOCOMM to a file on a remote host.

Before proceeding with this operation, you should first create a file on the target system (remote host) with the name you require for the configuration file. Ideally, the file should have zero contents (an example is given below):

/usr/tftpboot/access_server1.db
In the Name or IP address of host field, enter the IP address or host name for the target system (to which you want to copy the configuration file).
In the Configuration file name field, enter the full path and filename for the configuration file. You should have already created the file to which you want to copy the configuration.
Select Write configuration to host. The file will then be copied to the selected remote host and the following will appear on the page:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writing file /etc/tftpboot/access_server1.db To remote host hostname or IP address ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the file has been successfully copied, the two page links at the bottom of the current page will be re-displayed. If there is an error while copying the file, the following message will be displayed:
Transfer failed. Please check the parameters and try again
Check and if necessary re-enter the host name or IP address and file name, then re-submit the Write command.
If the copy procedure fails continuously, re-check the host name (and that a correct DNS entry exists), IP address and directory / filename for the target file on the remote host and then re-submit the Write command.
When the operation is completed, select Return to the Main menu.
Select Global configuration, then LAN interface.
Click the cursor in the IP address box, re-enter the unit's IP address which you blanked in step 2 and then select Submit to confirm the change.
Select Return to the main menu.

The configuration including the IP address, for the IOCOMM you copied the configuration file from, should now be back to its original state.

Copying Configuration File to New Unit

This is the procedure to copy the IOCOMM's configuration (file on remote host) to a second or subsequent IOCOMM unit. Follow the instructions in the previous section to copy the required configuration file to a remote host, edit the file to change the IP address. If you chose to use this option, see Notes in the previous section and proceed as follows.

Note: You must have previously entered and saved the IP address for the IOCOMM you wish to copy the configuration to, in order to establish a web connection to the unit.

On the IOCOMM you wish to copy the configuration to, on the Main menu page, select Special operations.
On the Special operations page, select Read or write configuration file.
In the Name or IP address of host field, enter the IP address or host name for the system (from which to copy the configuration file).
In the Configuration file name field, enter the full path and filename for the configuration file to read (having previously edited the file to change the IP address if you chose this method).
When you are happy with your entries, select Read configuration from host. The file will then be read back from the remote host to the IOCOMM and text similar to the following example will appear on the page:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reading file /etc/tftpboot/iocomm2.db From remote host hostname or IP address
Please reboot system to activate the downloaded configuration. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Read operation is complete.
Select Return to the Main menu.
Reboot the IOCOMM to make the configuration download effective.
On the Main menu, select Global configuration, then LAN interface.
Check that the IP address shown in the IP address field is correct for this unit. If it is, select Submit to save the configuration.

Note: The configuration will be written directly to non-volatile RAM. If after reading a configuration file back to a new unit you select any action button, the subsequent configuration information will overwrite the newly copied version and you will be back to a default or limited configuration status.

It is vitally important that you reboot the IOCOMM as soon as the configuration file has been read to the new unit. Both NV-RAM and operating RAM will then reflect the new configuration information.

If you read a configuration file which had the IP address field blanked when it was written to the remote host, this IOCOMM unit will automatically detect its IP address through the bootstrap.

Changing Passwords

When the IOCOMM is first installed it will have a factory default password set to iocomm. You should change this password as soon as possible and issue it to only those people who are authorised by you to make changes.

To change the password follow the procedure below:

On the IOCOMM Main menu page, select Special operations.
Select Change administration password.
Enter the old password in the Current administration password field.
Enter the new password twice in the subsequent fields.
Note: This password allows full administration access to the IOCOMM via the Web or the admin login of the CLI.
Select Submit.
Select Return to the Main menu.

000128

Links to Configuration Tasks