Upgrade Firmware with 3rd Party TFTP Server (TFPD32)

[Robert Thomas]

Audience

This document describes the process to upgrade Unified IP Phones firware by an the means of an external TFTP server. This is usefull on situations like firmware upgrade over high delay WAN links that take a long time or can cause timeouts.

Components used:

- CUCM 7.1.5

- TFTPd32

- 7945 IP Phone

Steps to follow:

• You need to download the .zip file of the firmware you want to use in this case we'll use a SCCP version for the 8-5-2. The zip file contains all the files required for the phone to be able to upgrade it's firmware.

• Create a folder on your desktop and put it as the root directory on the TFTP32.

• Uncompress the .zip file into the TFTP folder you created on the previous step as the root for the TFTP server.

• Get the XMLDefault.cnf file from the TFTP of CUCM and save it in the same TFTP folder as the other files. The XMLDefault.cnf file will be used by the phone when is not able to find it's configuration file to identify the firmware version it needs to uprade to. This will allow to upgrade multiple phones without having to download each phone configuration file to the external TFTP server. For this you can use the Windows built in TFTP client.

• Modify in Notepad++ the desired phone model's firmware name so it will push the phone to upgrade to the chosen firmware. Tip: use the .loads file that you have on the TFTP folder and copy it to the .cnf file.

• Change the TFTP of your IP Phone and reset it. You will see the phone contacting the TFTP server and start downloading the different firmware files.

Here's a packet capture example of how it looks. You can see the phone will not be able to find the CTL, ITL or configuration file however the XMLDefault.cnf.xml will instruct the phone what firmware to download next.

• The phone will start downloading the firmware related files.

• Make sure to update the Phone load Name or the Device Defaults before pointing back the phones to the CUCM server to prevent the phones from upgrading/downgrading their firmware again. Since the phone already has the same firmware release that CUCM is instructing the phone will skip the firmware download process on every bootup.

[jochaver]

Good Job Joshua, and thanks!

[CSCO10659222]

I  brought  three  dead  7911g to life  with this  method, faster than the  TFTP server  on the CME/CUCME

[craig.ardry]

Thanks. Your method saved me some serious headaches. I had a couple of 7941G's I thought were bricked and now they are back in production.

[alinmaakw]

Hi, I have no experience with Cisco phones and I have few Cisco IP Phone CP-6921 that I need to convert to SIP can you please help? guide me?

[denayer.peter]

I tried the above procedure exactly,  to update 6941 phone from SCCP9.1.1.2.SR to SCCP69xx.9-4-1-3SR2. 

after pointing phone to local tftp server and resetting it, I can see it trying to grab the phone specific config files from the local tftp and failing.

The phone then boots to the currently loaded SCCP9.1.1.2.SR without looking at the de xmldefault.cnf.xml on the local tftp server.  

the phone load name in CM for this phone is set to  SCCP69xx.9-4-1-3SR2.

any ideas?  

[Marcel Bissonnette]

Hi there, 

I would love to follow this guide however, on my demo CUCM 10.5.2, I cannot find the following file "Get the XMLDefault.cnf file from the TFTP of CUCM".  It does not seem to exist in the TFTP File management page.

I'm trying to follow this guide so that I can upgrade a DX80 to version 10.2.5+ and then to CE8 code.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Marcel B.