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  • 1.  Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 20, 2024 02:09 AM
    Edited by Scryden Jan 20, 2024 02:40 AM

    I have 2 IAP-315-RW access points that I need to downgrade from version 8.11 to 6.5.4.3. These access points are going to expand an existing IAP cluster. The reason I am downgrading is because in a few months we are going to replace all the Aruba APs for newer models and I don't at the moment want to deal with upgrading the entire IAP cluster. So these 2 APs are going to run 6.5.4.3, so they match the firmware of the current Instant cluster.

    I acquired the firmware from the ASP portal and simply loaded the firmware image into the APs and then rebooted. The APs then briefly come online running the old 6.5.4.3 firmware. But then for whatever unbeknownst reason they reboot themselves after a couple of minutes and boot up in version 8.11 again. This is driving me up the wall. I have downgraded them many times now, they come up in 6.5.4.3 and then after a few minutes they reboot again into 8.11. When I check the "show version" command from SSH I see the following:

    "Reboot Time and Cause: AP rebooted Sat Jan 20 07:22:35 UTC 2024; System cmd at uptime 0D 0H 5M 16S: Image Upgrade Successful"

    How do I stop this from happening? Is there a way I can delete the 8.11 firmware image from its flash memory so it will never boot into it again?

    "show image" command shows:

    Primary Partition                 :1
    Primary Partition Build Time      :2023-12-6 05:38:23 UTC
    Primary Partition Build Version   :8.11.2.1_88699 SSR (Digitally Signed - Production Build)
    Backup Partition                  :0
    Backup Partition Build Time       :2017-10-19 20:14:11 PDT
    Backup Partition Build Version    :6.5.4.3_61959 (Digitally Signed - Production Build)



  • 2.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 20, 2024 04:30 PM

    Two IAP in the same layer-2 form automatic a cluster. What i think what happens is that you downgrade one it will re-connect the other and upgrade again. Try downgrade again when have one AP in a dedicated vlan to prevent this. Let us known if that's works.



    ------------------------------
    Marcel Koedijk | MVP Expert 2023 | ACEP | ACMP | ACCP | ACDP | Ekahau ECSE | Not an HPE Employee | Opinions are my own
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 20, 2024 05:08 PM

    Hi Marcel,

    What I have tried so far is connect 1 AP in an isolated network and do the firmware downgrade. Then after reboot and I confirmed it is now running on 6.5.4.3 I power off the unit. I then boot up the second AP in the isolated network and perform the downgrade. After it's rebooted into the old firmware, I then power up the other AP again and I now see that both of them are in the same IAP cluster, within my isolated network, running 6.5.4.3. Then after 5 minutes both accesspoints all of a sudden reboot at the exact same time and after reboot they are back at 8.11


    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 21, 2024 02:17 AM
    Edited by Scryden Jan 21, 2024 02:37 AM

    The story gets even weirder.

    I found that when I upload the old firmware image, the image goes into Backup Partition 1, while the primary partition keeps the 8.11 firmware:

    Primary Partition                 :0
    Primary Partition Build Time      :2023-12-6 05:38:23 UTC
    Primary Partition Build Version   :8.11.2.1_88699 SSR (Digitally Signed - Production Build)
    Backup Partition                  :1
    Backup Partition Build Time       :2017-10-19 20:14:11 PDT
    Backup Partition Build Version    :6.5.4.3_61959 (Digitally Signed - Production Build)

    Now, when the IAP reboots into 6.5.4.3 and I immediately upload the old firmware image again, now the primary partition is overwritten with 6.5.4.3 like so:

    Primary Partition                 :1
    Primary Partition Build Time      :2017-10-19 20:14:11 PDT
    Primary Partition Build Version   :6.5.4.3_61959 (Digitally Signed - Production Build)
    Backup Partition                  :0
    Backup Partition Build Time       :2017-10-19 20:14:11 PDT
    Backup Partition Build Version    :6.5.4.3_61959 (Digitally Signed - Production Build)

    At this point I thought I booked great success! The 8.11 image is gone and both partition now contain 6.5.4.3. However, I celebrated prematurely. When spamming the "show upgrade" command I noticed the following happening:

    swarm upgrade status
    --------------------
    Mac                IP Address   Seed AP  AP Class  Status         Image Info
    ---                ----------   -------  --------  ------         ----------
    x:x:X:x:x  x.x.x.138  Yes      Hercules  download-done  http://common.cloud.hpe.com/ccssvc/ccs-system-firmware-registry/IAP/ArubaInstant_Hercules_8.11.2.1_88699
    Auto reboot           :enable
    Use external URL      :enable
    Master wait Time      :6 secs 2 count
    Switch Partition      :enable
    Upgrade in process    :Yes

    So the AP does in fact automatically check for image upgrades and just goes ahead and performs the upgrade. How do I stop this from happening? I found the "ignore-image-check" command online in the HPE documentation, however this command expects a value:

    # ignore-image-check ?
    <val>     val

    Simply pressing enter results in a "incomplete command". I don't know what value it is expecting here and the HPE documentation doesn't specify either.


    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 21, 2024 03:17 AM

    Hi Scryden.

    Use "activate-disable" command to prevent automatic upgrade of the FW image.

    Best, Gorazd



    ------------------------------
    Gorazd Kikelj
    MVP Expert 2023
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 21, 2024 03:22 AM
    Edited by Scryden Jan 21, 2024 03:25 AM

    Hi Gorazd,

    I tried that command but that command does not exist in version 6.5.4.3. Yet the AP is still automatically checking for updates and automatically upgrading to version 8.11.

    (config) # activate-disable
                                  ^
    % Parse error


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 21, 2024 03:38 AM

    Hi Martin.

    Try the following.

    Upgrade back to 8.11.

    Disable activate

    Downgrade to 6.5.4.3. Do not reboot.

    Connect AP to the existing cluster and power it on.

    It should connect to existing cluster and stay on the 6.5.4.3 version.

    Just add second AP to the cluster and it will downgrade itself.

    Hope it will work.

    Best, Gorazd



    ------------------------------
    Gorazd Kikelj
    MVP Expert 2023
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 21, 2024 02:37 PM

    Hi Gorazd,

    Thank you I will try that. Are there any risks by doing this? I don't want the 2 IAP-315 APs to somehow screw up the existing cluster. Is this safe to do?


    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Downgrading firmware on IAP-315

    Posted Jan 22, 2024 03:05 AM

    Hi Martin.

    When the FW is on correct version, new APs should join existing cluster without any problems and will inherit configuration from existing cluster.

    If you really want to play safe, you can factory reset AP before adding it to the cluster.

    Main requirement is, that the cluster is up and running before you add a new AP.

    Best, Gorazd



    ------------------------------
    Gorazd Kikelj
    MVP Expert 2023
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


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