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Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

 
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Cass Witkowski
Trusted Contributor

Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Anyone have ideas how to upgrade the firmware for the GbE2c LAN switch from an OpenVMS blade? The GbE2c switch allows upgrades via a serial link with xmodem-1K.

Is there an Xmodem-1K utility for OpenVMS I64? (I don't know if c-KERMIT would work)

I'm trying to get the .bin files from HP but need to figure out how to connect to the switch for the serial download.

Thanks,

Cass Witkowski
11 REPLIES 11
Steven Schweda
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Among my (unreliable and) dim recollections:

There may be (an old) one, but I've never
used it. I believe that the last time I
needed one (download firmware to a Cisco 678
DSL modem+router?), I used some terminal
emulator on a Mac (pre-OS X) which offered
it.

> (I don't know if c-KERMIT would work)

Nor I, but there does seem to be a C macro,
CK_XYZ, which, if defined at build time,
seems to have some effect:

ALP$DKA0:[UTILITY.SOURCE.KERMIT.v9r0_2009-11-20] C-Kermit>set proto ? One of the
following:
kermit xmodem ymodem zmodem
other xmodem-crc ymodem-g

Without defining CK_XYZ, that list includes
only "kermit". (Well, _that_ was
educational for at least one of us.)
Steven Schweda
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

> [...] CK_XYZ [...]

Hmmm. It's not obvious that that's enough to
get any actual work done. Everything's
complicated.
The Brit
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Cass,
I dont wish to discourage your inquiry, however this question would definitely benefit from being transferred to the ITRC "BladeSystems" forum.

Although I run OpenVMS on Blades, I dont use this particular switch and so I am not familiar with how firmware is upgraded. However I guarantee that someone on the BladeSystem Forum will give the the answer.

HTH

Dave.
Hoff
Honored Contributor
Solution

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

IIRC, C-Kermit does not what you want here on OpenVMS; it expects an external widget to implement the XMODEM XMODEM 1K or YMODEM or ZMODEM stuff; the XMODEM 1K is also variously known as XMODEM/CRC and is a subset/variant of what is typically known as YMODEM.

lrzsz might be an option:

http://freshmeat.net/projects/lrzsz/

As might these ancient porst of sz and rz tools and such:

http://www.decuslib.com/decus/vax90a/nieland/xyzmodem/

http://www.decuslib.com/decus/vax89b2/ymodem/

Given how likely this device is to brick itself, I'd probably go find a Windows and upgrade the firmware from there. That way you have a somewhat better case to escalate failures to the vendor if the device bricks itself. You won't have to explain the tool you used.

I'd also wonder what else within this device hadn't been upgraded or redesigned or rethought since 1970s or the early 1980s, too; XMODEM, YMODEM and ZMODEM were common when folks were using dial-up connections between bulletin board systems (BBSes) a quarter-century ago; this hardware uses exceptionally old and very primitive approaches toward maintenance. (And yes, I'm aware of the existence of some gray-haired engineers at vendors; engineers that haven't looked around at the industry since the 1980s.)
Cass Witkowski
Trusted Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Since I have 100 remotes sites I don't have the luxury of "plugging in a PC."

I had put the entry in this forum since I was going to need OpenVMS answers. Dave, do you still think it would be valuable to also put this call into the BladeServer forum?

Right now HP is saying the only way I can upgrade the switch is through the serial connection. I would like to use the network or OA connection if that was valid.
Uwe Zessin
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Ah, yes those //wonderful// switches...

It sounds like you can also fetch the image from an FTP/TFTP server using '/boot/gtimg':

HP GbE2c Ethernet Blade Switch for c-Class BladeSystem Command Reference Guide

418118-003

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00701969/c00701969.pdf
.
Steven Schweda
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

> Right now HP is saying the only way I can
> upgrade the switch is through the serial
> connection. I would like to use the network
> or OA connection if that was valid.

I know nothing, but there seems to be an "HP
GbE2c Ethernet Blade Switch for c-Class
BladeSystem | Command Reference Guide" at:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManualтМй=en&cc=us&docIndexId=64180&taskId=101&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1845925
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=1845925&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fbizsupport2.austin.hp.com%2Fbc%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc00701969%2Fc00701969.pdf

and it talks about things like this (page
162):

gtimg - Download new software image via FTP/TFTP
[...]

All of which looks more promising than the
XMODEM stuff in the "HP GbE2c Layer 2/3
Ethernet Blade Switch for c-Class BladeSystem
| User Guide" at:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=1845925&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fbizsupport2.austin.hp.com%2Fbc%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc00865010%2Fc00865010.pdf

Ya pays yer money, and ya takes yer choice
(of reading material).

I'd bet that those URLs could be simplified
if I weren't so lazy.

(Even my Cisco 678 DSL modem+router claims to
be able to use TFTP, although I never tried
it. The local Telco supplied/supported only
the serial scheme.)
Cass Witkowski
Trusted Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Thanks for the pointers to documents. I had already purused them.

I will look at the TFTP option. I like it better than serial but always like having a backup plan. So there is no Xmodem-1K for OpenVMS?

I'm still waiting to see if HP will provide the .bin files that I can TFTP to the switches.

The Brit
Honored Contributor

Re: Upgrade GbE2c switch firmware from OpenVMS with serial connection

Hi Cass,

If the switch you are referring to is the "GbE2c Ethernet Blade Switch",

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Home.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=1845925тМй=en&cc=us

then yes, the blade system forum could likely help you out.

Dave