6. Firmware Upgrade and Configuration Management
ROS® v3.11User Guide
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• Xmodem using the ROS® CLI over a console session.
• TFTP client (using the ROS® CLI in a console session and a remote TFTP server).
• TFTP server (from a remote TFTP client).
• SFTP (secure FTP over SSH, from a remote SFTP client).
Please refer to the preceding section,
Section 6.4, “Upgrading Firmware”
, for examples of the
use of each of these mechanisms for transferring a file to a ROS® device.
Configuration File Format
The format of the configuration file makes it simple to apply a wide variety of tools to the task
of maintaining ROS® configuration. Among the applications that may be used to manipulate
ROS® configuration files are:
• Any text editing program capable of reading and writing ASCII files.
• Difference/patching tools (e.g. the UN*X “diff” and “patch” command line utilities).
• Source Code Control systems (e.g. CVS, SVN).
ROS® also has the ability to accept partial configuration updates. It is possible to, for example,
update only the parameters for a single Ethernet port. Transferring a file containing only the
following lines to a ROS® device will result in an update of the parameters for Ethernet port 1
without changing any other parameters of the device’s configuration:
# Port Parameters
ethPortCfg
Port,Name,Media,State,AutoN,Speed,Dupx,FlowCtrl,LFI,Alarm,
1,Port 1,100TX,Enabled,On,Auto,Auto,Off,Off,On,
Applying the Configuration Update
Once a configuration file has been successfully transferred to a ROS® device, irrespective of
the transfer method, the device will reset itself automatically. Note that this behavior differs
from that when upgrading firmware files, where a reset command must be issued by the
administrator.
Security Considerations
The same limitations apply to writing config.csv to the ROS® device that apply to firmware
images. Refer to
Section 6.4, “Upgrading Firmware”
for details on the permissions necessary
to write the ROS® configuration file.
6.6. Backing Up ROS®System Files
All of the same file transfer mechanisms discussed in the preceding sections may also be used
to transfer files from a ROS® device, as well as to update firmware or configuration files. It
might be desirable, in addition to creating an archive of the device’s firmware files, to back up
the configuration database, config.csv, or system log file, syslog.txt, on a regular basis. Type
“dir” at the ROS® CLI for a listing and description of files on the ROS® device.
An example of backing up a file using SFTP follows. For descriptions on the use of the other
file transfer mechanisms, please refer to the examples in
Section 6.4, “Upgrading Firmware”
.
Note that only the direction of file transfer changes.
