MSC Core Loads 1

[MagnaRGP]

The Objective:

I want to maintain a BCM400 Chassis with all keycodes that I can use as a temporary unit while I patch/repair/kick/curse at/throw-out-the-window a customer's live unit. I want to restore telephony and voice apps so that all I have to do is go onsite, power down their unit, insert MBM's (cables attached) and power up the temp unit. When done, I can re-image the HD to clean awaiting the next use.

The Problem:

I have been told that once an MSC card has been loaded with a particular level of core, it can't go backwards (say from a 3.7 machine fully patched to a 3.5 machine clean out of the box). Is this true? If so, this totally blows away the objective here for obvious reasons.

The Solution:

??? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller??

 

[acewarlock]

You could inage the spare to the same level as the BCM you want to repair.

 

[MagnaRGP]

Imaging the HD is not the main concern. To sucessfully restore telephony from one BCM chassis to another (read one MSC to another), you need to have the same core load and same profile on both. For instance:

My customer is a 3.7 with MSC Core wi0703 CT2Plus. My chassis is a 3.6. So, I image my HD 3.7 and patch to Core wi0703 and then upload to CT2Plus. Great. Next customer though is a 3.5 running Core wi0510 Etiquette. Can I re-image my HD as 3.5 and have it "downgrade" the MSC to a 3.5 base Core load and then patch to Core wi0510?

I was told by ITAS that you cannot downgrade an MSC. I truly hope that it is simply "not supported" but works rather than Not Possible.

 

[acewarlock]

That's a good question, sorry But I don't have an answer.

 

[biv343]

I have never tried downgrading a MSC card, as I've always been afraid of turning it into a boat anchor. I've heard from some folks at Nortel that it is possible (in their labs of course) but is not supported, as strange things can happen.

That being said, I'd be curious to see what would happen in the "real world". Makes me wish I had a lab system I was willing to sacrifice for the cause.

 

[MagnaRGP]

I can understand "strange things" happening to the telephony programming and that is fine because the intent is to blow out all programming here. The key is, does the "downgrade" create a high priced bookmark or not?

Any other thoughts?

 

[MagnaRGP]

I just had a long talk with ITAS and the answer is:

You CAN downgrade a core load on an MSC card if you reinitialize the card from a clean drive. If you have a 3.6 machine and install a clean 3.5 drive, it will upload the core version from the drive. You WILL of course lose all programming, but it will not ruin the card.

You CANNOT downgrade a core load by re-running an older patch on a live system.

All of this is of course "unsupported in the field", but that's the answer I got.

Kthxbye.