Installation

Card Slots

Installing Cards

To install a front card:

To install a back card:

Connecting Cables:

Removing Cards

To remove a front card:

To remove a back card:

Power Up

Power Up

Installing VISM Software Updates

Installation

This chapter describes the installation and removal of VISM front and back cards in an MGX 8850 shelf. The installation procedure for installing new VISM software versions is also included.

Card Slots

VISM cards are single height cards. Installation of a VISM card set in an MGX 8850 Wide Area Edge Switch consists of installing one front card and one back card (if not in bulk mode) in either an upper or lower shelf slot. Slots 1-6, 9-14, 17-22, and 25-30 are available for VISM cards (see Figure 2-1).

Using all the available slots, the MGX 8850 can be configured with up to 24 VISM cards with the following restrictions.

The two lower shef cellbuses can each sustain a bandwidth of one OC-3/STM-1 link. For example, this bandwidth limits the number of E1 ports on the lower shelf, when using the G.711 codec, to 78 (approximately 10 VISMs).

Figure 2-1: Allowable slots for VISM cards - Front View

Figure 2-2: VISM Front Cards

Figure 2-3: VISM Back Cards

Installing Cards

To install a front card:

Step 1 Position the rear card guides over the appropriate slot at the top and bottom of the card cage.

Step 2 Gently slide the card all the way into the slot and press the insertion/extractor lever until it snaps into the vertical position.

Note The card should slide in and out with only slight friction on the adjacent board's EMI gaskets. Do not use force. Investigate any binding.

To install a back card:

Step 1 Ensure the two extractor levers are in the "in" position. When the card is being inserted into the slot, the levers should be vertical along the line of the back card.

Step 2 Position the rear card guides over the appropriate slot at the top and bottom of the card cage.

Step 3 Gently slide the card all the way into the slot and tighten the two captive screws on the back card's faceplate. Tighten the upper and lower screws to prevent misalignment of the card. Do not overtighten the screws. Tighten only enough to secure the card.

Connecting Cables:

When the VISM front and back cards are installed the T1 or E1 cables can then be connected to the RJ-48 or SMB connectors on the back card. See Appendix B for cable types.

Removing Cards

To remove a front card:

Step 1 Insert a small flat head screwdriver into the slot in the insertion/extractor lever and press until the latch springs open, approximately 10°. Continue to lift the insertion/extractor lever to disconnect the connector.

Step 2 Gently pull the card out of the card cage.

To remove a back card:

Step 1 Remove any cables connected to the back card.

Step 2 Use a flat screwdriver to undo the two retaining screws in the back card's faceplate.

Step 3 Pull both of the two extractor levers out to the horizontal position. This action will start the removal of the card. Gently pull the card out of the card cage.

Power Up

When a VISM card is powered up (either by being installed in an already running MGX 8850 shelf or, if already installed, by starting the shelf) the card performs extensive testing and initialization functions. If the card has already been configured, the initialization includes downloading the configuration data from the disk on the PXM. The whole process can take a minute or two during which the LED indicator blinks. When Active LED becomes solid green, the card is in the Active state and is ready to be configured (if necessary) and process data.

Installing VISM Software Updates

VISM releases 1.5.05 and later provides a procedure for the graceful upgrade (one in which the existing VISM configuration is preserved throughout the upgrade procedure) froman earlier software release (Release1.5.03 or later) to the current (or later) software release.

Initial Conditions

The following intitial conditions are required before the graceful upgrade procedure can be started.

The MGX 8850 must be configured with at least two VISM cards in a redundant configuration (see the add redundancy, addred, command in the MGX 8850 Command Reference for details).
The VISM cards must be running VISM 1.5.03 or later and be configured to the desired configuration.
The VISM new software must have been already downloaded to the MGX 8850 (see the VISM Release Notes for the new version for details).

Upgrade Procedure

In the following procedure:

Two VISM card are involved, one initially active and one initially standby.
In this procedure description, the initially active VISM is identified as VISM 1 and the initially standby VISM as VISM 2.
Old-rev refers to the firmware before the upgrade (1.5.03 or later).
New-rev refers to the firmwareafter the upgrade (1.5.05 or later).

Step 1 Logon to the active PXM card (slot 7 or 8).

Step 2 Execute the PXM install command:

install sm<SM slot#><new-rev>

where:

SM slot# is the slot number of the VISM 2 card and new-rev is the file name ot the new firmware ( for example vism_8t1e1_1.5.0_5.fw).

This command causes the standby VISM 2 to reset and come up in the "hold" state, running the new-rev firmware.The active VISM 1 is unaffected by this command. At this point the primary firmware still the old-rev and the secondary firmware is new-rev.

Step 3 Execute the PXM newrev command:

newrev sm<SM slot#><new-rev>

where:

SM slot# is the slot number of theVISM 2 and new-rev is the filename of the new firmware.

This command causes the VISM 2 to become the active VISM running the new-rev firmware. The previously active VISM 1 changes to a "hold" state and is still running the old-rev firmware. The primary and secondary firmware switches with the new-rev becoming the primary firmware.

Step 4 Execute the PXM commit command:

commit sm<SMslot#><new-rev>

where:

SM slot# is the slot number of the standby VISM 1 and new-rev is the filename of the new firmware.

This command causes both VISMs to run the new-rev firmware. At first, VISM 2 is the active VISM with VISM 1 remaining in the hold state. After a short time, the cards switch automatically with
VISM 1 becoming the active card and VISM 2 the standby card.

The two VISM cards are now back to their original condition exept that both cards are now running the new-rev firmware.

Step 5 Logon to the active VISM card and use the display commands (dspendpts, dspcasvar, etc.) to confirm that the configuration has been preserved through the upgrade process.

It is also recommended that a further verification be performed by making some minor modifications to the configuration, checking that the changes have been executed correctly, and then changing the configuration back again.

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Installation