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Firmware Upgrade & Config Backup/Restore

Objective

Validate that the z40 Gateway Router can:

  • Upgrade firmware through the Director UI once the firmware package is staged.
  • Roll back to a last-known-good firmware image if necessary.
  • Perform a full factory reset to return the device to default state.
  • Back up its configuration to an external SFTP target via Director and restore from a saved backup.
  • Ensure that all actions are observable in logs, survive reboots, and preserve or restore connectivity.

Prerequisites

  • z40 onboarded to the Director tenant, with active tunnels to the cloud vGR concentrator.
  • A Windows or Linux client connected to LAN00 via a switch for validation traffic.
  • Administrative access to both Director and z40 WebUI.
  • Latest firmware image file available.
  • An SFTP server reachable from Director with valid credentials.
  • A known-good baseline configuration (e.g., DHCP scope, VLAN settings) to validate after restore.

Test 1 — Firmware Staging in Director

Setup

  1. Log in to Director with administrator credentials.
  2. Navigate to the Firmware Management section.
  3. Select the option to Upload Firmware Package.

Steps

  1. Log in to the object storage service (MinIO) with the credentials provided.
  2. Navigate to the firmware bucket.
  3. Upload the new firmware file.
  4. Update the manifest file if prompted so the Director recognizes the new build.
  5. Confirm that the new firmware entry appears in the firmware list with its version number.

Validation

  • The firmware version is listed and selectable in Director.
  • Metadata such as version number and file size display correctly.

Evidence

  • Firmware version appears in the Director firmware list.

Test 2 — Firmware Upgrade on z40

Setup

  1. In Director, navigate to Edge Controllers → [z40] → System → Firmware Update.
  2. Review the Firmware Table, which shows:
    • Current Version (running build).
    • Updatable Version (new build available).

Steps

  1. Click Upgrade next to the Updatable Version.
  2. Confirm the reboot prompt.
  3. Wait for the z40 to download the image, install it, and reboot.
  4. After reboot, return to the Firmware Update page.

Validation

  • Current Version now matches the Updatable Version that was shown before the upgrade.
  • z40 shows Online in Director.
  • Tunnels to vGR re-establish.
  • LAN client regains internet reachability.

Evidence

  • Firmware table shows Current Version updated to the new build.
  • Device status in Director is Online.
  • Test client can ping or browse to an external site.

Persistence Check

  • Manually reboot the z40 again; confirm firmware version persists.

Test 3 — Firmware Recovery (Last-Good)

Setup

  1. From the Director interface or CLI access tool, select Firmware Recovery.

Steps

  1. At the recovery prompt, enter lastgood.
  2. Confirm when asked.
  3. Allow the system to restore the previous working firmware and reboot.

Validation

  • Firmware Update page shows Current Version reverted to the prior build.
  • Device reconnects to Director and tunnels re-establish.
  • LAN client connectivity restored.

Evidence

  • Firmware table shows the reverted version under Current Version.
  • Director shows device Online.
  • LAN client passes traffic.

Persistence Check

  • Reboot device again and confirm version remains restored.

Test 4 — Factory Reset

Setup

Two supported methods: WebUI/CLI command or physical reset button.

Steps

WebUI/CLI Path:

  1. Navigate to System → Factory Reset.
  2. Select Reset and confirm prompt.

Hardware Path:

  1. Press and hold the reset button for the documented duration (typically >10 seconds).
  2. Watch for LED sequence indicating reset.
  3. Release button to trigger reset.

Validation

  • Device reboots to factory defaults.
  • WebUI requires default admin credentials.
  • Previous configuration is wiped; device must be re-onboarded to Director.

Evidence

  • WebUI shows login screen after reset.
  • Director shows device requires provisioning.

Test 5 — Director CPE Configuration Backup

Setup

  1. In Director, navigate to Edge Controllers → [z40] → Maintenance → Backup/Restore.
  2. Configure SFTP target by adding server address, port, username, password, and path.
  3. Save and confirm SFTP target appears in the list.

Steps

  1. On the Backup tab, select the configured SFTP target.
  2. Click Start Backup.
  3. Observe progress bar during backup.
  4. Confirm completion message shows success.
  5. Verify backup entry appears in list with timestamp and size.

Validation

  • Backup shows Success status.
  • Backup file is delivered to SFTP server.

Evidence

  • Backup entry listed with timestamp and Success status.
  • Backup file visible on SFTP server.

Scope of Backup

Configuration backup includes (but is not limited to):

  • /var/register
  • /etc/amz
  • /etc/frr
  • /var/register/system/zwan.db
  • /etc/rsyslog.d/15-amz.conf
  • /etc/ipsec.d
  • /etc/ssl

Test 6 — Director CPE Configuration Restore

Setup

Have a completed backup entry available in Director.

Steps

  1. On the Restore tab, select a backup entry.
  2. Click Restore.
  3. Confirm the restore action.
  4. Monitor progress bar.
  5. Confirm success message when restore completes.
  6. If failure occurs, retry restore until success.

Validation

  • Device settings revert to the state of the selected backup.
  • For example, if DHCP pool was altered before restore, it is restored to baseline.
  • Director shows device Online with tunnels up.

Evidence

  • Restore entry shows Success status.
  • Device configuration matches baseline.

Persistence Check

  • Reboot the device; confirm restored configuration persists.

Negative & Edge Cases

  • Invalid firmware image: attempt to upload unsupported file → error message displayed.
  • Recovery misuse: incorrect command entered instead of lastgood → error response.
  • Backup failure: misconfigure SFTP credentials → backup fails with error.
  • Restore failure: disconnect SFTP mid-restore → failure message, retry to success.

Notes & Tips

  • Always capture Firmware Table before and after upgrade to demonstrate change.
  • Allow 3–5 minutes for firmware upgrades and recovery reboots.
  • For backups, confirm files exist both in Director list and on SFTP server.
  • Clean up test backups after POC to avoid clutter.
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