You didn't say what your platform is, if you have an S8500B (for example), you might need to upgrade the SAMP firmware.  If you have an S8300B, and you are using it to support IP phones via TFTP or HTTP/HTTPS, you should probably back up the /tftpboot directory, as installing a new version of CM, writes over the existing /tftpboot directory.  just a few hints for you :)

mitch

AVAYA Certified Specialist

Apologies they are 8710s

S8710's, you might need to get the AVAYA patch, for the S8710 BIOS upgrade.  There where several that shipped out, and if you didn't upgrade the BIOS, the S8710 would try BOOTING of the Compact Flash device, making your S8710 look likes it was dead.

They have different versions for different versions of CM, they all are patch # "13132", they don't have them for every version, for example, I know they don't have it for CM 3.0.1, the earlies is CM 3.1.1, so what you need to do is, get the CM 3.1.4 patch, and apply it AFTER the upgrade.  You mnust have someone onsite, because if you try and reboot, and you have the old BIOS bug, it will try and boot from the Compact Flash device...   thats why you need someone to unpug the CF readers during the upgrade.

The Patch is # "01.1.628.7-13132.tar.gz" for CM 3.1.1, and "01.4.642.1-13132.tar.gz" for CM 3.1.4, and "00.1.731.2-13132.tar.gz" for CM 4.0.1, I have these 3 versions.. at least.

This S8710 BIOS issue is a real PITA, when your server reboots, and it appears to be dead...  disconnect USB readers and power off/on, if it works, you need the S8710 BIOS Upgrade.

mitch

AVAYA Certified Specialist

Thanks Mitch for not only this but the other very useful information!

Any way I could see if my systems were patched?

THere is now way to tell if you have the new BIOS, other than these 2 methods:

Install the Patch again.  If you already have it, it will tell you the version you are running (month/date), and will upgrade again.. no harm no foul, does nothing really.

If you attempt to reboot an S8710, with a Compact Flash drive connected, and it does NOT reboot, then you need the patch..  of course at this point, you also need to get someone onsite to remove the CF drive, and reboot the server again to get it to boot.  Apparantly, in the older BIOS they attempt to boot off the CF device, which causes all kinds of havoc...

mitch

AVAYA Certified Specialist

This post has saved my life!! I have recently installed duplicated 8710's on cm4.0.1 and have had this self same issue, we pulled the plug on the active server and they interchanged like a dream, but the server would not come back up untill we unpluuged the flash reader, we thought we had a faulty flash reader and still the same issue, at least i now know

your welcome macwoody1976, now ask AVAYA for patch
"00.1.731.2-13132.tar.gz", this is the S8710 BIOS patch for CM 4.0.1, once you install and activate it, it will upgrade your S8710's BIOS, of course need to aply it to both servers :)  once you activate the patch, you can deactivate it and remove it... I usually just deactivate it, and leave it unpacked, so in the future, anyone following me can see it was already applied.

mitch

AVAYA Certified Specialist

Hi Mitch,

I have a call open with Avaya, so am waiting on a call back, do you just follow the normal patch procedure for doing this?

yes.  however, they need to send you the patch, it's not on their website.

mitch

AVAYA Certified Specialist