The excitement of receiving new equipment is very good, however, this moment can cause some important items to be forgotten, with that some problems may arise in the production environment.
To help new users and remind users who already work with Huawei, I would like to share 3 steps that should be checked before starting the equipment configuration and approval process, they are:
1) Licenses
Check if the purchased product needs a license or if any additional licenses have been purchased. If so, licenses need to be generated and installed. This generation can be done directly by you or your supplier.
If you have the "Proof of Entitlement" file, which is shown in the image below, just access the ESDP (http://app.huawei.com/isdp/) and proceed with the generation process.
If you purchased the equipment from an official distributor, this process may be different and you will need to obtain instructions on how to generate and install licenses directly from the supplier.
Some licenses are installed transparently, without affecting the services of the equipment, however, some require a reboot of the equipment, so check this item before putting the equipment into production.
2) Firmware Update
The equipment that arrived probably spent a few weeks traveling to reach its destination, in addition to the trip, they may have been stored for a few weeks, so even though it is a completely new equipment, there may already be a new firmware recommended for production environments.
As a result, it is always necessary to check that there is no new firmware. This firmware can be obtained from the Huawei support website (https://support.huawei.com/enterprise/en/index.html), all devices have a page with various materials, such as documentation, support material, tools and software downloads.
After finding your device using the search tool, access the "Software Download" tab, as shown in the example below:
In the case above, there are two firmwares available, both are from the same equipment, but one of them is the stable version and indicated for use, this firmware is indicated with the following symbol:
Check if the version of your equipment is up to date, otherwise, click on the indicated firmware to have access to all files and instructions needed to perform the upgrade.
The firmware update process will normally require a reboot of the equipment, only modular equipment that has two or more controllers can be upgraded without interrupting services.
Note: To find the version installed on your device, use the "display version" command on the VRP console on your device.
3) Patch Update
The patch update could have been included in item 2, but there are some doubts about what a "patch" is, because of that we will talk about it exclusively.
As its name says, it is a part of the firmware, but it does not represent new firmware. It is used to make small changes, which can be new features, new improvements and even bug fixes (bugs).
The patch is found on the same page as the firmware, just look at the items below the firmware, as highlighted in the image below:
Note: To know the version of the patch installed on your device, use the command "display patch-information" on the VRP console on your device.
The recommendation is to always use the latest patch available. The patches are incremental, so patch 2 has all the modifications of patch 1, etc.
Check that firmware updates are made every several months, while patch releases are virtually monthly.
The patch installation process is usually done transparently on routers and switches, that is, there is no need to restart the equipment and no service is interrupted.
Conclusion
The verification of the three items mentioned will increase the stability and security of your network, offering better services and more quality for all users. Whenever you receive new equipment, check if one of these three items needs to be adjusted before starting the configuration and approval process.
After being in a production environment, check frequently for new firmware versions and new patches, a monthly check is enough to keep your equipment up to date.
If you have any questions about the items above, feel free to ask below or contact the support team.
