BCM 50 Rel 5 Keycode deletion 1

[ccarmock]

Hi,

I have a BCM 50 that is in a state where it was a upgraded from Rel 5 to Rel 6. It has been level 2 reset and taken back to Rel 5 but the Rel 6 keycode is still active (but not working obviously)

I thought a L2 reset wiped the keycode - but it seems it might be stored in NVRAM on Rel 5 and later.

I have all the keycodes generated for this system and need to carry out the upgrade to Rel 6 again.

However I am now in a situation where when I try to upgrade it tells me an invalid keycode is loaded. I am trying to load the rel 5 keycode that has the upgrade authorisation in it, but since this is an earlier sequence number it will not load.

L2 reset won't revert it back. I've tried a resore from a backup taken when it was a Rel 5 system, but again the keycode will not be reverted back.

Short of buying a hard drive with Rel 6 pre-loaded is there anyway to recover this system?

 

[SupportDude]

Raise a case with Avaya.
They can access via command line and remove the keycode.

-SD-

http://www.mysupportguy.net

 

[ccarmock]

Unfortuntely this isn't a switch that is on Avaya maintenance as it's a test switch we use. The good news is this means it's not business critical, but we do need to get it running again.

Is there anyway we can delete the keycode? or even make it accept an earlier sequence keycode.

Originally this switch was a rel3, that was upgraded to 5 and then 6 so I tried restoring release 3 with the view to carry out the upgrades again, but I guess the release 5 upgrade changes the boot sequence to make it refuse to run any earlier software. Possibly the same mechanism that prevents it from restoring a keycode from backup, and preserving the keycode across a hard drive swap.

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

Hello Clive. It's your lucky day!. I've just emailed you all the lic files that I could download tonight. Take your pick from them.

Regards

David

All the best

Firebird Scrambler
Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

If it's working, then leave it alone!.

 

[ccarmock]

Thanks David - you are a star now I have the full set... However the engineerign team at Nortel when they crafted version 5.0 BCM software made it such that the keycodes are preserved across hard drive swaps, and indeed even survive a level 2 reset now.

I guess they have to be stored in NVRAM on the motherboard of the BCM 50 now.

My plan was to revert the thing back to rls 5 and then re do the upgrade to 6.0 but having loaded a 5.0 image it boots fine, but won't recogise that the 6.0 keycode on it is a valid upgrade keycode as they changed the format some way into 6.0 and as such 5.0 can't read it, and since I can't remove it my only option I thinkis a 6.0 image.

 

[ccarmock]

I thought I'd provide an update to this in case anyone else stumbles across this thread with a simialr problem.

I have recovered the failed BCM 50, and in the process of doing so have learned:-

When a BCM 50 is upgraded to Rel 5.0 or later, it's BOOT PROMS are updated to prevent it running any release earlier than 5.0

After the 5.0 upgrade keycode the next keycode changes format to type 3 (an XML format). Once a 5.0 keycode is on the BCM it is stored both in the hard drive and in NVRAM. One in this state it will survive across hard drive swaps and a Level 2 reset. I suspect this is because it is possible from 5.0 onwards to have the system 'donate' keycoded features to another system. If it woudl possible to L2 reset and wipe the keycode it would be possible to revert to a previous version and bypass the donation.

Because the keycode format changes to type 3 / XML an earlier BCM release cannot read any of it's entries. I had hoped a 3.0 would see the valid upgrade entry and allow me to upgrade again to 6.0 - but that would not work.

The method I had to use to recover this system was:-

Create a new hard drive image of a 6.0 disc.
Install that in the BCM
Restore from backup.

I found that the Acronis 6.0 image will not restore to the original 40 GB hard drive, so swapped to a 120 GB drive which is working perfectly.

I was however originally upgrade this BCM 50 from 3.0 to 5.0 and then 6.0 so 40 GB was enough to upgrade, but not restore the image.

The system failed after installing the latest Sustem-005 patch - maybe it had run out of drive space and that caused it to fail to boot.

Since recovery I have been able to install the SU-005 patch.

 

[Firebird Scrambler]

Hello Clive

This is good info. Can you do a FAQ please?.

All the best

Firebird Scrambler
Meridian 1 / Succession and BCM / Norstar Programmer in the UK

http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbromley

If it's working, then leave it alone!.