Software Management
Background
Software management is a basic feature on a device. It involves various operations, such as software installation, software upgrade, software version rollback, and patch operations.
- Software upgrade automation can be implemented, which minimizes time-consuming manual operations, upgrade costs, and risks of upgrade failures resulted from misoperations.
- Software upgrade optimizes system performance, enables new performance capabilities, and resolves problems in an existing software version.
- Patches are software compatible with the system software. Installing patches can resolve a specific number of urgent problems, whereas the device does not need to be upgraded.
Basic Concepts
Software management is a basic feature on a device. It involves various operations, such as software installation, software upgrade, software version rollback, and patch operations.
Before operating system software, note the following:
Obtain the system software of the latest version and its matching documentation from Huawei.
Before uploading the system software onto a device, ensure that sufficient storage space is available on the main control boards.
When you install or upgrade the system software, enable the log and alarm management functions to record installation or upgrade operations on a device. The recorded information helps diagnose faults if installation or an upgrade fails.
Software installation
A device can load software onto all main control boards simultaneously, which minimizes the loading time.
Software upgrade
Software can be upgraded to satisfy network and service requirements on a live network.
Software version rollback
If the target software fails to satisfy service requirements or transmit services, software can be rolled back to the source version.
Patch operations
Installing the latest patch optimizes software capabilities and fixes software bugs. Installing the latest patch also dynamically upgrades software on a running device, which minimizes negative impact on services and improves communication quality.
Digital signature for a software package
The digital signature mechanism checks validity and integrity of software packages to ensure that the software installed on a device is secure and reliable.
After a software package is released, it has security risks in the transfer, download, storage and installation phases, such as components being replaced or tampered with. A digital signature is packed into a software package before it is released and validated before the software package is loaded to a device. The software package is considered complete and reliable for further installation and use only after the verification on the digital signature succeeds.
Digital signatures are verified when you set the next-startup patch or system software package, or load a patch.