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PA-4C-E 1-Port High-Performance ESCON Channel Port Adapter Installation and Configuration
OL-3743-02
Preparing for Installation
Preparing for Installation
This section describes the general equipment, safety, and site preparation requirements for installing the
HP ESCON PA. It also includes microcode overview information.This section contains the following
subsections:
•
Required Tools and Equipment, page 12
•
HP ESCON PA Microcode Overview, page 12
•
Hardware and Software Requirements, page 13
•
Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility, page 14
•
Safety Guidelines, page 15
•
Laser LED Safety Information, page 18
Required Tools and Equipment
You need the following parts and tools to install an HP ESCON PA. If you need additional equipment,
contact a service representative for ordering information.
•
HP ESCON PA
•
ESCON interface cables
•
ESD-prevention equipment or the disposable grounding wrist strap included with all upgrade kits,
field-replaceable units (FRUs), and spares
•
An antistatic mat on which you can place the removed port adapter
•
An antistatic container in which you can place the failed port adapter for shipment to the factory
HP ESCON PA Microcode Overview
Microcode, also known as firmware, is a set of processor-specific software instructions that enables and
manages the features and functions of a specific port adapter type. At system startup or reload, the
system loads the microcode for each port adapter type present in the system.
The entire HP ESCON PA microcode image is delivered on a router Flash memory card or SanDisk
memory device, or you can download it from Cisco.com.
New microcode is released to enable new features, improve performance, or fix known problems in
earlier versions. The Cisco 7200 series routers support downloadable software and microcode images
for most upgrades. This support lets you download new or upgraded images remotely, store the images
in router memory, and load the new images at system startup without physically accessing the router.
You can store multiple versions of an image in Flash or SanDisk memory for a specific processor type,
and use configuration commands to specify which version of the image loads at startup. All port adapters
of the same type (for example, all HP ESCON PA port adapters) use the same microcode image.
By default, the HP ESCON PA microcode is loaded from the router Flash memory card or SanDisk
memory device for the Cisco 7200 series routers. The default HP ESCON PA microcode version is found
by entering the show microcode command.
