Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

1716.0. "Looking for HUBloader Guinea Pigs" by NETCAD::FORINO () Tue Nov 22 1994 15:41

	Have to upgrade fifty hub modules using NDU on a PC and that 
	prospect is dampening your holiday spirits?   Well, RONCO
	(alias the HUBwatch software group) has	the thing for you
	just in time for the holidays.
	

	As you may have already seen references in this notefile
	there will be a NDU replacement called HUBloader.  The current 
	plan is to integrate it into HUBwatch V4.0 on all the platforms.
	However, in the case of PCs it is also going to be made 
	available as a standalone Windows application.

	This PC standalone application will start system testing the
	week of November 28.  We hope to make it available for internal
	field testing the week after that.  If you are interested in testing
	HUBloader, send a mail message directly to me at NETCAD::FORINO.
	Please don't put a reply in here asking to be included.
	Again, note we are not talking VMS or OSF as this time.

	We will compile a distribution list of internal sites for the
	field testing.  Based on the number of responses we may have to
	limit the size.


	What is HUBloader?

		This is a Windows application used to do firmware upgrades
	on hubs, hub modules and the GIGAswitch/FDDI.  GIGAswitch/ATM 
	support still needs to be tested so there is no commitment for it
	yet.  It works in hand with the firmware upgrade kit and the
	hubwatch agents file (if HUBwatch is on your PC as well).
	The application is bundled with a subset of the Pathworks
	IP stack like HUBwatch for Windows.  However, if you have a
	third party IP stack already installed on your PC it should
	run there as well.  It is built with a WINSOCK interface so 
	it could run with other parties IP stacks.  

	IF YOU ARE RUNNING ON THIRD PARTY IP STACKS PLEASE LET US KNOW
	THAT WHEN YOU SEND IN YOUR REQUEST.  WE WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED 
	IF YOU CAN TEST THIS.

	Without going into all the details here is a quick summary of 
	its features.

	1. Windows GUI Interface 

	2. Ability to do a SHOW on what you want to load 
		- This will go get the relevant information needed
		  for a LOAD and display it.  Also, it will show you 
		  if the current rev of the module is the latest.

	3. Two types of LOADs 
		- Loading from the user input information on the screen
		- Loading from a file containing a list of various
		  modules you want to load -> it will load all the 
		  modules on the list, one at a time.

	3. Status box
		- Status messages will be displayed as you do various
		  operations.  You have the ability to save the messages
		  to a file (very handy if you are loading from a file
		  overnight and want to check status in the morning).

	4. Selectable TFTP Server
		- You're not restricted to only having your PC
		  do the actual module loading.  You can select
		  any TFTP Server on the net to load the module
		  and specify where the load file is on the remote
		  TFTP Server.
		 
	5. A view to create a load file

	6. Hyperhelp 
	


	More details will be available once we ready to start testing.



							John

    What's the status of Hubloader? 
    
    Richard

    HUBloader will be released at the same time as HUBwatch V4, so that 
    we can synchronize it with the new consolidated hub firmware kit.
    

    See note 2110 for a pointer to the beta version now available 
    to anyone to use internally.
    							John

    See note 2346 for information and pointers to the released kit.
    
    						John