Dell 8132F Switch Firmware Upgrade - shawfdong/hyades GitHub Wiki

In July 2014, we upgraded the firmware on the Dell 8132F Switch^[1].

The old firmware was version 5.0.0.4:

console#show version 
Image Descriptions
 active :
 backup :
 Images currently available on Flash
unit  active       backup       current-active     next-active
----- ------------ ------------ ----------------- -----------------
1     5.0.0.4      5.0.0.4      5.0.0.4            5.0.0.4

A tftp server is required for the firmware upgrade. The Rocks Toolkit comes with a tftp server, whose root directory is /tftpboot/pxelinux. However, by default, the Linux tftpd will only allow upload of files that already exist, according to the manpage of tftpd:

       --create, -c
              Allow  new  files  to  be created.  By default, tftpd will only allow upload of files
              that already exist.  Files are created with default permissions  allowing  anyone  to
              read or write them, unless the --permissive or --umask options are specified.

For example, on another Linux client the following command will fail:

$ tftp 10.6.8.1 -c put 6248.txt 6248.txt
Error code 1: File not found
<pre>

One workaround is to manually create the file on the tftp server:
<pre>
# cd /tftpboot/pxelinux
# touch 6248.txt
# chmod 666 6248.txt

Note that the file must be world-writable (chmod 666). Otherwise we'll get the following error:

$ tftp 10.6.8.1 -c put 6248.txt 6248.txt
Error code 2: File must have global write permissions

Note: chmod is required!

Now upload will work:

$ tftp 10.6.8.1 -c put 6248.txt 6248.txt

Another option is enable file creation on the tftp server. Change the following line of /etc/xinetd.d/tftp:

        server_args             = -s /tftpboot/pxelinux -B 1468

to

        server_args             = -s /tftpboot/pxelinux -B 1468 -c

then restart xinetd:

# service xinetd restart

For this approach to work, the enclosing directory needs to be writable by nobody (owner of the tftp process), which is dangerous. For a little extra security, we'll create a subdirectory switches and make it owned by nobody:

# cd /tftpboot/pxelinux
# mkdir switches
# chown nobody:nobody switches

Now uploading a file to the root directory will fail:

# tftp 10.6.8.1 -c put 8132f.txt 8132f.test
Error code 0: Permission denied

but to the subdirectory switches will succeed:

$ tftp 10.6.8.1 -c put 8132f.txt switches/8132f.test

On the tftp server:

# cd /tftpboot/pxelinux/switches
# ls -l
-rw-rw-rw- 1 nobody nobody 2101 Oct  7 15:06 8132f.test

On the tftp server, copy the firmware file PC8100v5.1.4.5.stk to the directory /tftpboot/pxelinux/switches.

Log into the Dell 8132F Switch via the console or telnet.

Back up running configuration of the switch:

console#copy running-config tftp://10.6.8.1/switches/8132f.config

Transfer Mode.................................. TFTP  
Server IP Address.............................. 10.6.8.1
Destination File Path.......................... switches/
Destination Filename........................... 8132f.config
Data Type...................................... Config Script   
Source Filename................................ running-config

Management access will be blocked for the duration of the transfer
Are you sure you want to start? (y/n) y

2058 bytes transferred   

File transfer operation completed successfully.

Set an enable password and save the configuration:

console#configure
console(config)#enable password XXXXXX
console(config)# exit
console#copy running-config startup-config

Download firmware 5.1.4.5 from the tftp server:

console#copy tftp://10.6.8.1/switches/PC8100v5.1.4.5.stk backup

List the firmware images:

console#show switch
    Management Standby   Preconfig     Plugged-in    Switch        Code
SW  Status     Status    Model ID      Model ID      Status        Version
--- ---------- --------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -----------
1   Mgmt Sw              PCT8132F      PCT8132F      OK            5.0.0.4

console#show version
Image Descriptions
 active :
 backup :
 Images currently available on Flash
unit  active       backup       current-active     next-active
----- ------------ ------------ ----------------- -----------------
1     5.0.0.4      5.1.4.5      5.0.0.4            5.0.0.4

Activate the new firmware:

console#boot system backup
Activating image backup ..

Reboot the switch:

console#reload

After rebooting is finished, log in and verify that firmware has been successfully upgraded:

console#show version 

System Description................ Dell Ethernet Switch
System Up Time.................... 497 days, 17h:19m:21s
System Contact....................
System Name.......................
System Location...................
Burned In MAC Address............. D067.E5B2.FABB
System Object ID.................. 1.3.6.1.4.1.674.10895.3044
System Model ID................... PCT8132F
Machine Type...................... PowerConnect 8132F
CPU Version....................... XLP308H-A1

unit active      backup      current-active next-active
---- ----------- ----------- -------------- --------------
1    5.1.4.5     5.0.0.4     5.1.4.5        5.1.4.5

1. ^ Upgrading Dell PowerConnect 8132/8132F/8164/8164F Switches to 5.1.4.5 Firmware