BCM 450 Multi-Image Drive

[miller3383]

I have a BCM 450 rls 5.0 system and I want to have an operational spare available in case of an emergency. So I purchased a BCM 450 Multi-Image drive that I hope to use on the existing system or in a completely different cabinet if needed. As I look at and experiment with this new hard drive, I am questioning how I know what image to load and how to load it. Can someone give me some direction?

 

[snowman50]

You just connect the hard drive to the system
The bottom led goes green and the top led flashes orange
You then connect to the bcm using putty.
Login withthe default ip address and username and passwords.

You will only be offered the software the system detects.
If it's a bcm50 rel 1 then the software you will be offered is rel1 or rel2.

You then select your version.

Then you can restore with your backup.

This means the backups can now be used for the correct versionoff software

The multi image offers bcm50 rel1,2,3,5,6.
Bcm 450 rel 1,5,6

It does not work on bcm 4.0 ,3.0 to 3.7

The process takes about 30 mins to complete
You see completion progress prompts through each stage

 

[pkellow]

Lets say you need a 450r1 and a 450r6. Right now you are in a perfect position to remove the HDD and back it up.

Use Acronis true image 2011 (available for free trial for 30 days, else approx £30), install Acronis. Attach the HDD to your PC using appropriate SATA connection/converter. Backup the entire hard drive. Go to help and view logs to verify the backup.

Get a spare HDD. Restore the file 'as a disk' you just backed up and then try it in the BCM.

Better still post the backed up image (the .TIB file) to jumbofiles.com. I've been after a multi image backup for some time to try.

 

[pkellow]

If you do post it to jumbofiles.com can you please update thread with the link. I'd really appreciate this, so I can test it myself.

 

[pkellow]

snowman, you sure the multi image applies to 50s as well? I've only seen the multi image on 450 and didn't know it applies to 50s as well. The 50s seem much more fussy when it comes to recovery, for example if you have a 50r3 you can restore only the 50r3 tib file to HDD else it won't boot (not entirely true the early verions of BCM50 seem less fussy). So I'm interested to find out if the multi image does apply to the 50 to. If it does, I think you'd need to be real careful on picking the same version as installed. For the 450s you can recover any tib file and they seem to come up okay. DOCS CLEARLY STATE THAT THE SAME VERSION OF BCM MUST BE RECOVERED.

 

[snowman50]

Yes.
The drive says bcm450 multi image but i used it on a bcm50 rel2.

It offered me bcm50 rel1 or bcm50 rel2.

so I selected rel2.

From what i have read it then removes all the other images.

therefore you need to be sure you select the correct image.

The idea behind it is it can be used for all Bcm50,bcm450.
It contains all the images.

There must be some software trigger on the main chassis to tell it what version it can detect on the system.
Then it will only offer you that version.

 

[pkellow]

Thanks snowman that news to me. Next time I'm delivered a 50 or 450, I'll be sure to try to image the disk to a tib file, so we can maintain one HDD for all platforms. Sure will make stock room easier to maintain.