Documentation forNetwork Configuration Manager
Managing network configurations is a key capability of SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted (formerly Hybrid Cloud Observability) and is available in the Advanced edition. Network Configuration Manager (NCM) is also available in a standalone module.

Perform a firmware upgrade operation

After you have set up your storage location and firmware repository, and reviewed or defined firmware upgrade templates, you can perform an upgrade operation.

You can run multiple firmware upgrade operations simultaneously.

Add a firmware upgrade operation

Create a firmware upgrade operation to upgrade the firmware on many devices. The devices targeted by a firmware upgrade operation are upgraded one at a time in sequential order, which you can customize.

You must have the NCM WebUploader role (or higher) to add and execute a firmware upgrade operation.

  1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Firmware Upgrades.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Enter an operation name, and select a firmware upgrade template. Click Next.
  4. On the Select Firmware Image panel, specify which firmware image this operation will apply to the selected nodes:
    • If a firmware image is preselected by the upgrade template, it is listed under Select Firmware Image. Click Next to use the preselected image.
    • To select an image, click Select New Image From Repository. This option overrides any existing selection.

  5. Select the nodes you want to upgrade, and click Start Collecting Data.

    The data collection may take a few moments, so you are returned to the Firmware Upgrade Operations view.

  6. When the data collection finishes, click Please Review to Continue in the Status/Details column of the operation.

    The wizard resumes at the Upgrade Options step.

  7. In the Selected Nodes list, click each node and review the image path and upgrade options for that node. Make changes if needed. See the Upgrade Options section for more information.

  8. Select all the nodes in the list and click Confirm to verify that you have confirmed the selections for all nodes.

    If required information is missing for any node, a warning icon is displayed next to the node name. Click the node and complete the missing information. Then click Confirm again.

    To remove a node from the firmware upgrade operation, click the remove icon and click Yes at the confirmation prompt.

    NCM displays a warning if there is not enough free space to continue the operation without removing the current firmware image. These upgrade options are automatically selected:

    • Back up existing firmware image
    • Delete existing firmware image
  9. When all nodes are confirmed, click Next.
  10. Specify whether you want the results emailed, and click Next.
  11. On the Summary panel, you review the order in which devices will be upgraded. You can use the arrows on the right to change the order.
  12. Under Schedule Options, select Run Immediately or schedule the operation for later.
  13. Type YES to continue, and click Finish.

    You are returned to the Firmware Upgrade Operations view. You can check the progress of the operation in the Status/Details column.

Upgrade Options

Determine image paths

Path to upload image: A required field under the selected firmware image. This is the path NCM uses to upload the new firmware image. NCM attempts to detect the existing image path and populate this field with the same drive where the existing image is located. For example, flash:.

Back up existing firmware image: An option under Upgrade Options with a required field to enter the image path. NCM attempts to automatically determine the path to the existing firmware image on the device. For example, flash:c2951-universalk9-mz.SPA.155-3.M1.bin.

If one or both of theses fields are empty, refer to the documentation of your device for more information. You can also try to determine the path from the output of the show version command.

Config comparison

Select the following options to list a config comparison report in the log, or in an email notification if enabled, after the firmware upgrade operation is complete:

  • Back up running and startup configs before upgrade
  • Back up running and startup configs after upgrade

Rebooting a device after the upgrade

Select the Reboot device after upgrade option to execute the Reboot command after the upgrade operation.

Operation statuses for firmware upgrades

Check the status of an operation in the Status/Details column of the Firmware Upgrades Operations view.

Status Description
Collecting data NCM is executing the collect info commands for the upgrade operations.
Need review

All collect info commands have executed, and the operation is waiting for user review and confirmation of the upgrade options for each node.

If necessary, you can remove any node from the upgrade operation.
Queued Another firmware upgrade operation is already in the "Upgrading" status, and NCM is waiting for it to finish before starting this operation.
Upgrading NCM is currently executing the firmware upgrade scripts.
Complete The firmware upgrade operation finished successfully.
Error

The firmware upgrade operation failed.

See Additional actions for firmware upgrade operations to review your options.

Additional actions for firmware upgrade operations

Based on the operation status of a firmware upgrade, you may need to cancel, rollback, or re-execute the operation.

Cancel a firmware upgrade operation

If you made a mistake when configuring an operation and it currently has the "Upgrading" status, you can cancel the active firmware upgrade operations.

If you cancel a currently running operation, you do not have the option to rollback.

  1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Firmware Upgrades.
  2. Select one or more entries, and click Cancel Selected.

Roll back a firmware upgrade operation

If there is a problem with the new firmware, you can restore each node in a firmware upgrade operation to its previous image, boot register, and configuration.

  1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Firmware Upgrades.
  2. Select one or more entries, and click Rollback.

Re-execute a firmware upgrade operation

If some of the nodes in a firmware upgrade operation were not upgraded successfully, you can re-execute the operation on only the failed nodes.

  1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Firmware Upgrades.
  2. Select one or more entries, and click Re-execute.

Review a firmware upgrade operation

If you started but did not complete or execute a firmware upgrade operation, you can review it and continue.

  1. Click My Dashboards > Network Configuration > Firmware Upgrades.
  2. Select an entry, and click Review.

    You are returned to the Upgrade wizard.