Testing firmware before installing it
You can test a new firmware image by temporarily running it from memory, without saving it to disk. By keeping your existing firmware on disk, if the evaluation fails, you do not have to re-install your previous firmware. Instead, you can quickly revert to your existing firmware by simply rebooting the FortiMail unit.
To test a new firmware image
- Connect your management computer to the FortiMail console port using a RJ-45 to DB-9 serial cable or a null-modem cable.
- Initiate a connection from your management computer to the CLI of the FortiMail unit. Requires login as “admin” or an administrator with read and write privileges to the system configuration.
- Connect port1 of the FortiMail unit directly or to the same subnet as a TFTP server.
- Copy the new firmware image file to the root directory of the TFTP server.
- Verify that the TFTP server is currently running, and that the FortiMail unit can reach the TFTP server.
- Enter the following command to restart the FortiMail unit:
- As the FortiMail units starts, a series of system startup messages are displayed.
- Immediately press a key to interrupt the system startup.
- Type
Gto get the firmware image from the TFTP server. - Type the IP address of the TFTP server and press Enter.
- Type a temporary IP address that can be used by the FortiMail unit to connect to the TFTP server.
- Type the firmware image file name and press Enter.
- Type
R. - To verify that the new firmware image has been loaded, log in to the CLI and type:
- Test the new firmware image.
To use the FortiMail CLI to verify connectivity, enter the following command:
execute ping 192.168.1.168
where 192.168.1.168 is the IP address of the TFTP server.
execute reboot
Press any key to display configuration menu........
|
You have only three seconds to press a key. If you do not press a key soon enough, the FortiMail unit reboots and you must log in and repeat the |
If you successfully interrupt the startup process, the following messages appears:
[G]: Get firmware image from TFTP server.
[F]: Format boot device.
[B]: Boot with backup firmware and set as default.
[I]: Configuration and information.
[Q]: Quit menu and continue to boot with default firmware.
[H]: Display this list of options.
Enter G,F,B,I,Q,or H:
The following message appears:
Enter TFTP server address [192.168.1.168]:
The following message appears:
Enter Local Address [192.168.1.188]:
The following message appears:
Enter File Name [image.out]:
The FortiMail unit downloads the firmware image file from the TFTP server and displays a message similar to the following:
Save as Default firmware/Backup firmware/Run image without saving:[D/B/R]
The FortiMail image is loaded into memory and uses the current configuration, without saving the new firmware image to disk.
get system status
- If the new firmware image operates successfully, you can install it to disk, overwriting the existing firmware, using the procedure Installing firmware.
- If the new firmware image does not operate successfully, reboot the FortiMail unit to discard the temporary firmware and resume operation using the existing firmware.
See also