Download How to upgrade Snom

F REQUENTLY
A SKED
QUESTION
How can I update a snom
phone?
Date: Sep-19-2002
Author: Dr. Christian Stredicke
Document: faq-02-08-31-cs
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Software Components
The snom 100 comes with two software
components: A bootloader and a firmware.
Both are stored in a flash memory on the
phone. The flash also stores non volatile
settings like the network identity, the phone
type or the last calls.
The bootloader is required to load the
initial firmware image on the phone and to
start up this firmware. The bootloader may
load a firmware image from a tftp server on to
the phone even if the firmware on the phone
is totally broken.
The firmware contains the software
which makes up the VoIP phone. This includes
the user interface, the stacks, and other
components. The firmware also contains a
software update mechanism that may load a
new firmware into the flash memory of the
phone.
Using the Bootloader for Updating
Updating the firmware with the bootloader
is intended for the initial setup of the phone or
for situations when there is no other way to
get the phone working again.
The bootloader waits for short period
after powering up if the user presses a key.
If this is the case, it asks the user for an IP
address, a network mask, a default IP gateway
and a tftp server.
When you put the binary image in the
tftp server directory, make sure that it is
renamed to “snom100.bin”. The size of the file
is typically 3-4 MB.
If the phone and the tftp server are on
the same subnet, only the IP address and
the tftp server need to be entered. A sample
tftp server for Windows® is available at
www.klever.net.
Images contain a CRC check. If the
download process fails for any reason, this
CRC check will fail and the bootloader refuses
erasing the firmware flash section. Otherwise,
the bootloader starts erasing the flash
and writing the image. This process takes
approximately two minutes.
Updating the firmware with the bootloader
erases also the settings in the flash. That
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means that all previous settings get lost and
the phone does not even know its identity.
If you are using Pumpkin (www.klever.net)
the following checklist may help you updating
the phone easily:
• Run Pumpkin
• Make sure that the directory for outgoing
files of the Pumpkin is correct
• Check if Pumpkin is offering files without
asking the user
• Check if Pumpkin is offering files without
asking the user
• Make sure that the image file which is
residing in the above directory is called
snom100.bin/snom200.bin
• Connect phone to network which is
connected to Pumpkin PC
• Restart the phone
• Immediatly after restart press a key
• Type in a valid IP address and set the tftp
server IP address to the IP address of the
PC which is running the tftp server
• If the PC and the phone are on the same
subnet the values for gateway and netmask
can be left unchanged
• Press Ok
• The phone should display: „searching
TFTP“, „erasing Flash“, „writing Flash“.
Automatic Update
The normal update procedure uses the
settings of the phone. This makes updating
the phone as simple as possible for customers
that are not aware of the technical details
of the phone. Using this mechanism, new
images can be set up so that the user just has
to acknowledge the update of the software
version. It is also possible to do a complete
silent update of a large number of phones.
After starting up, the phone tries the URL
given in the “Setting URL” of the phone. If this
setting does not exists, the phone tries the
snom home page.
This setting URL may contain a variable
{mac} which is replaced with the MACAddress of the phone. This makes it possible
to provide arguments to scripts like in “http:
//snom.operator.com?mac={mac}”. If no mac
variable is available, the phone performs two
steps. First, it downloads the file without any
modifications in the file name. As a second step,
snom technology AG
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it prepends the name with the mac address,
e.g. “http://snom.operator.com/settings.htm”
becomes “http://snom.operator.com/settings000413043AB2.htm”. If then tries to download
the resulting file name and if it is found the
settings in this file override the already exising
settings on the phone.
The setting URL must begin with “http:
//”. If this is not the case, the phone assumes
that the server if a tftp server and tries the
tftp protocol. It is recommended to explicitly
prepend the URL with “tftp://” when the phone
should contact a tftp server.
The dowloaded file for the settings
contains a simple line oriented format which
contains the settings of the phone (for more
information on this file, see the manual and
additional FAQs). One of the settings is the
“firmware_status”, which points to another
URL that contains the firmware links. The URL
may also begin with “http://” or “tftp://” and
by default the phone assumes tftp.
Two links in the firmware_status file are
defined: “bootloader” contains the URL for
bootloader image and “firmware” the URL for
the firmware. The phone compares these URL
with the URL that were stored with the last
update. If they match, it silently continues the
start up process; if there is a difference, it asks
the user if a firmware update or a bootloader
update should be performed.
For firmware version starting from 1.13a,
the setting “update_policy” may avoid asking
the user. „update“ means update without
asking the user, „update_firm“ means update
the software without asking the user and ask
the user on boot updates, „update_boot“ same
for bootloader, „timeout“ means update after
the user does not make a decision, „timeout_
firm“ means ask the user, and if there is not
response update firmware, „timeout_boot“
same for bootloader; anything else means
ask the user and if there is no confirm, dont
update (this was the behaviour with software
versions before the 1.13a image).
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Restart the phone using the web interface
Send a special SIP NOTIFY to the phone
that asks the phone to reboot.
The SIP NOTIFY method waits until all
calls of the phone have ended and then starts
to reboot. This avoids service disruptions in
networks where it is not clear whether the
phone is idle or not.
Defining Firmware Realms
An operator sometimes wants to control
which firmware must be run in its network.
By controlling the files that are downloaded
during the start up process, this can be done
on a mac based addressing mechanism.
When a phone boots up the first time,
it always contacts the snom web page for
downloading its settings. If the mac address
of the phone has been set up for settings
redirection, it will download the file for this
mac address. This file contains a new value
for the “setting_server” setting, the phone
will automatically start downloading ist setting
from the URL in this variable. The phone then
is in a different setting realm.
This realm may define its own value for
firmware and bootloader. It is then up to the
operator to define the links for the software.
snom defined a realm “beta” where
customers can sign up for the latest beta
status image.
Asking the Phone to Reboot
It is not necessary to physically go to
a phone to make an update. There are two
possibilites to make a phone reboot and this
triggers the update procedure:
Software Update for snom phones
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Pascalstr. 10E, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (30) 39833-0
mailto: [email protected]
http: www.snom.de
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© 2002 snom technology AG
All rights reserved.
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