Calix CMS - E7 Software Upgrade from CMS

This article shows how to upgrade single or multiple E7 shelves from the CMS interface. This process applies to EXA (non-AXOS) E7s. Upgrading from CMS is generally easier than manually because CMS will fill in items for you automatically that you would otherwise have to type. It can also batch download to a number of E7s at once

High Level Process

First, it's important to understand the steps of the E7 upgrade process. They are:

Download Software to the E7 (if ONT software is included, this step also installs new software on attached GPON ONTs)
- The software is generally transferred via FTP, such as an FTP service running on CMS or SMX server
Reboot each E7 card into the new software version
- Unless otherwise approved, the reboot is done during a maintenance window. Exceptions would be for new shelves not yet part of a ring or in service.
- This can be done manually, or via CMS, we usually do it manually
- Care should be taken to reboot in such a way that the ring stays up during the maintenance
- Note that some cards, like E7 VDSL cards in a modular chassis shelf, take a very long time to reboot
Commit the software release to make it permanent
- This step is usually performed manually as the last step

Performing an Upgrade

First, obtain the desired software release and ensure that the release can be upgraded to from the existing version based on the release notes. A recent upgrade chart is shown following.
Upload the release ZIP file to the FTP server, usually CMS
- The filename should look something like E7_R03.04.030.0040.zip
- You can use something like Filezilla or WinSCP for the upload
- The following steps are performed from the CLI of the FTP server. Alternatively you can unzip and upload the files from your computer. This might be more simple if you are less familiar with Linux.
Unzip the release file and delete everything except the rel.zipfile (The other files are for if you are using a windows laptop and want to use the bundled FTP server)
- unzip command example: unzip E7_R03.04.030.0040.zip
Unzip the rel.zip file, this should create a folder called something like E7_R03.04.030.0040
Move the created folder to a directory under the cmsftp user, for example, at Mid-Plains E7 software is saved in /home/cmsftp/e7software
- example command: mv E7_R03.04.030.0040 /home/cmsftp/e7software
Obtain the official release version by running the command
```
head manifest.xml
```
and noting the information in the version release tag such as
```
<Version release="3.1.81.1" customerrelease="0"></Version>
```
Open CMS and go to SYSTEM->SCHEDULED TASKS->SOFTWARE UPGRADE
Click Create and choose E7-2 or E7-20 Upgrade as appropriate
Select the network, network group, or nodes that you wish to upgrade using the tree on the left. Green means that the item has been selected. Right click on an item or group and choose Select to select it.
- The following example shows what it would look like to select a single node for an upgrade
Fill in the following information
- Upgrade Option: File Distribution Only
- ONT Mode: Retain Existing
- Source Ftp Server: CMS Server IP Address
- Source Ftp User: usually cmsftp
- Source Ftp password: usually cmsftp or ftpcms
- Source Ftp confirm password: same as above
- Source Directory Path: relative path of release files from FTP root, for example at Mid-Plains /e7software/E7_R03.01.081.0001
- Version: The exact version noted in the manifest.xml file
- Forced: N
Click OK to start the task
Wait for each E7 to download the new release files. CMS does about 4 at a time so for a large network this might take awhile.
Navigate to an E7 that you wish to reboot into the new software
Click ACTION->Upgrade->Reset System
Choose the new version from the provided drop down and click RESET SYSTEM
Wait for both cards in the shelf to reboot into the new version
After software initialization has completed, go to ACTION->Upgrade->Commit System and choose the new version and click OK
Repeat as necessary until all nodes have been upgraded