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Spirent TestCenter: What are some of the best practices to follow when upgrading a Spirent TestCenter chassis?

Objective/Summary
To minimize issues during or after an upgrade, the following steps should be followed.
Notes

1.       Make sure all tests have stopped and all other users are logged off.  Make sure all potential users understand an upgrade is taking place so nobody attempts to log in during the upgrade.

2.       Check current firmware version and controller version

a.      If starting from a FW build less than 3.80, follow the steps in FAQ11021

b.      Controller 2 is required for Spirent TestCenter 4.0 and beyond

3.       If at all possible, pull the modules out so only the controller is running during the upgrade.  This will help speed the upgrade process, especially with CPU modules.

4.       It is best to reboot the chassis before an upgrade to ensure that controller memory and CPU is starting from a clean state.

5.       Proceed with the upgrade per SOL14010 - Spirent TestCenter: How to upgrade a Spirent TestCenter Chassis?

6.       If it appears that something has gone wrong, (taking too long), don’t immediately reboot.  Give it at least an hour or two to recover - a Linux disk check could be underway.

7.       If stuck at nearly 100% complete, connect with another GUI instance and check if tools/equipment view looks good.  If OK, go to the other instance and kill the task that has hung.​​​​​​

8.     If you want to upgrade from an old version, for example 4.60 to 5.10, it is recommended to upgrade the chassis doing several upgrades, around 8-9 versions. 
 Example 4.60->4.68->4.75...and so on. Sometimes it is easier and quicker to do a reimage. 

Product : Chassis,Spirent TestCenter