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First time software upgrade: 303H/305/315 - from 6.5.4.10 to ? (Airwave)

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  • 1.  First time software upgrade: 303H/305/315 - from 6.5.4.10 to ? (Airwave)

    Posted Jun 03, 2021 11:31 AM
    Hello airheads,

    I'm still in the planning stage, as my single cluster of 303H/305/315 APs (60 APs in total) is a production environment in an education setting, and is being used for online learning and examinations. Plan is to be in a position to perform whatever maintenace (downtime) I need mid-July.

    I'm looking for advice, but here is what I've looked at so far:

    Original installation build (no previous firmware upgrades): 6.5.4.10
    The 315's are not affected by Field Bulletin AP1804-1 (can go direct to 8.3 or later)
    I can download software from Aruba Support Portal (arubanetworks.com)
    AirWave server has allowed me to upload some firmware binaries (Device Setup > Upload Firmware & Files) e.g. 6.5.4.10 and 6.5.4.12 (Ursa & Hercules)
    AirWave is showing Monitor only (Allow firmware upgrades in monitor-only mode = No), not going to touch this before exams are over... As such, I've not yet tested if the VC will pull down the software from AirWave (VC states Airwave Staus: Connected in browser's footer)

    All the APs are on a management VLAN. with private IP Addresses from a DHCP server
    VC is a 305 - set as preferred master
    VC has a static IP address unique from AP's IP


    Questions
    What are the limitations in upgrading from 6.5.4.10 please? 
    Am I correct in thinking I could go straight to 8.8, or should I stick with a "conservative" build and limit initial upgrade to 8.6, or a lower version?
    Does the version of AirWave matter?

    Any other pearls of wisdom (gotchas) from anyone who has done similar greatly appreciated!



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    Jonathan Boucard
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  • 2.  RE: First time software upgrade: 303H/305/315 - from 6.5.4.10 to ? (Airwave)

    EMPLOYEE
    Posted Jun 04, 2021 05:47 AM
    You should check the release notes for the new version (8.8, or 8.6) to check if all of your APs are supported, as well as if there is an intermediate step required or direct upgrade is supported.

    Airwave should be recent enough to support the AP firmware version as well, so check the Airwave supported devices guide to check if the version you are running does support Instant 8.6 or 8.8, and upgrade if needed.

    If you don't have a reason to go to 8.8, like features or AP support, it may be safe to go to 8.6 being conservative. If you prefer to go to 8.8, I don't see an issue though.

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    Herman Robers
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    If you have urgent issues, always contact your Aruba partner, distributor, or Aruba TAC Support. Check https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/contact-support/ for how to contact Aruba TAC. Any opinions expressed here are solely my own and not necessarily that of Hewlett Packard Enterprise or Aruba Networks.

    In case your problem is solved, please invest the time to post a follow-up with the information on how you solved it. Others can benefit from that.
    ------------------------------

    Original Message