9-2
Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide
OL-17037-01
Chapter 9 Managing Controller Software and Configurations
Upgrading Controller Software
Upgrading Controller Software
When you upgrade the controller’s software, the software on the controller’s associated access points is
also automatically upgraded. When an access point is loading software, each of its LEDs blinks in
succession. Up to 10 access points can be concurrently upgraded from the controller.
Caution
Do not power down the controller or any access point during this process; otherwise, you might corrupt
the software image! Upgrading a controller with a large number of access points can take as long as 30
minutes, depending on the size of your network. However, with the increased number of concurrent
access point upgrades supported in software release 4.0.206.0 and later, the upgrade time should be
significantly reduced. The access points must remain powered, and the controller must not be reset
during this time.
Note
In controller software release 5.2.157.0, the WLAN override feature has been removed from both the
controller GUI and CLI. If your controller is configured for WLAN override and you upgrade to
controller software release 5.2.157.0, the controller deletes the WLAN configuration and broadcasts all
WLANs. You can specify that only certain WLANs be transmitted by configuring access point groups.
Each access point advertises only the enabled WLANs that belong to its access point group.
Guidelines for Upgrading Controller Software
Follow these guidelines before upgrading your controller to software release 5.2:
•
Make sure you have a TFTP or FTP server available for the software upgrade. Keep these guidelines
in mind when setting up a TFTP or FTP server:
–
Controller software release 5.2 is greater than 32 MB; therefore, you must make sure that your
TFTP server supports files that are larger than 32 MB. Some TFTP servers that support files of
this size are tftpd32 and the TFTP server within WCS. If you attempt to download the 5.2
controller software and your TFTP server does not support files of this size, the following error
message appears: “TFTP failure while storing in flash.”
–
If you are upgrading through the service port, the TFTP or FTP server must be on the same
subnet as the service port because the service port is not routable, or you must create static
routes on the controller.
–
If you are upgrading through the distribution system network port, the TFTP or FTP server can
be on the same or a different subnet because the distribution system port is routable.
–
A third-party TFTP or FTP server cannot run on the same computer as WCS because the WCS
built-in TFTP or FTP server and the third-party TFTP or FTP server require the same
communication port.
•
You can upgrade or downgrade the controller software only between certain releases. In some
instances, you must first install an intermediate release prior to upgrading to software release 5.2.
shows the upgrade path that you must follow prior to downloading software release 5.2.
