Software upgrade options

[GabiE-Xerox · Accepted solution]

With a regular AltBoot (just the AltBoot folder with the DLM inside) you can upgrade or downgrade the machine without lose customer data, the machine will keep the clone and will restore it. With this method the machine will be upgraded/downgraded just on those boards/modules that are not at the same level of software with the firmware you want to download to machine.

You can use the AltBoot with FORCED_UPGRADE and DISABLE_DATA_BACKUP files (sometimes it is recommended) without problem to upgrade/downgrade the machine and to clear customer settings.

There are no other commands. 

You cannot upgrade just one module.

[shervin zargham]

Dear Gabi,

Thank you so much for your valuable information.

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software DLM.  The machine does a clone to self and the customer’s configuration settings are restored automatically.  The UI will have the message ‘The administrator is configuring the machine’ after the altboot software load is complete.

I think that FORCED_UPGRADE will Upgraded/Downgrade the machine and overwrite all memories, while normal UPGRADE will only Upgrade the machine and cannot downgrade the machine. In fact, it only upgrades the boards with lower version compare with the software. So am I true?

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software and the FORCED_UPGRADE file.  The machine does a clone to self, but the clone is not automatically applied.

So Where and how can we apply the clone after upgrade?

Additionally, I had a machine which had a PaperCut software installed on it. We FORCED_UPGRADE it, but the machine still had the data and the login method required authentication. So what we did, we formatted the hard disk and FORCED_UPGRADE it. So how can we make sure all data has been removed. 

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software and the DISABLE_DATA_BACKUP file .  None of the customer’s data is retained and some NVM's modified by the tech.

So in this mode the machine does not clone itself and all user data will be lost. So in this case will all the boards be overwritten anyway as well? Or should we do FORCED_UPGRADE it again ?

• IGNORE_MISSING_MODULE will force upgrade a faulty machine with a defective board or module.

I have two other questions,

1. for such commands, can we use combination of them? for example FORCED_UPGRADE and DISABLE_DATA_BACKUP simultaneously? If so what is the method?
2. Are there other commands other than these 4 options? for example if I want to only upgrade one board not all. For example, only IOT; or back up address book.

Thanks,

Shervin 

[GabiE-Xerox]

Hi Shervin,

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software DLM.  The machine does a clone to self and the customer’s configuration settings are restored automatically.  The UI will have the message ‘The administrator is configuring the machine’ after the altboot software load is complete.

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software and the FORCED_UPGRADE file.  The machine does a clone to self, but the clone is not automatically applied.

• USB flash drive altboot load with the software and the DISABLE_DATA_BACKUP file .  None of the customer’s data is retained and some NVM's modified by the tech.
• IGNORE_MISSING_MODULE will force upgrade a faulty machine with a defective board or module.

Gabi

[shervin zargham]

Dear all,

I have a question regarding the software upgrade option using usb flash(AltBoot). Actually as you know there are some command like FORCED_UPGRADE , DISABLE_DATA_BACKUP ,IGNORE_MISSING_MODULES. So I do highly appreciate if anyone provide me a document or explain all the possible commands with description. For example, we had upgraded a machine but still the setting was remained which we expected to have initial setting while we are using FORCED_UPGRADE.  

All the best,

Shervin