Firmware Management

Can I upgrade to a primary or secondary partition?

Yes, this is supported for all device types except Access Points (APs) and Bridge devices.

At what levels in the hierarchy can firmware policies be defined?

Firmware policies can be created at various levels, including Global, Site Collections, Sites, Device Groups, and individual devices. These policies are applicable only to devices that are part of HPE Aruba Networking Central-enabled group (labeled New Central in the WebUI).

Is creating a firmware policy the way to upgrade devices in HPE Aruba Networking Central?

Yes, in HPE Aruba Networking Central, firmware policy creation is the single, unified way to upgrade devices. This approach ensures your upgrade intent is remembered and consistently applied across all scopes.

You have complete flexibility to define the upgrade timing, scope, and type but all upgrade actions are managed through firmware policies to ensure auditability and compliance.

Can I create multiple firmware policies for the same device function at one scope?

No, only one firmware policy per device function is allowed at each scope. Creating a new firmware policy for the same device function at the same scope replaces the existing policy.

What happens if firmware policies exist at different scopes in the hierarchy?

The most specific scope takes precedence. For example, a Site-level firmware policy overrides a Global firmware policy for the same device function. You can view these policy relationships on the Firmware Policy Overrides page.

Can I set firmware intent based on device models?

Yes, model firmware exceptions allow you to create device model-specific firmware intent within the same firmware policy.

How do I create a firmware policy?

To create a firmware policy, complete the following steps:

  1. Go to Menu> Firmware Management > Manage.

  2. Select the desired scope (Global, Sites, Device Group, and so on).

  3. Click Create Firmware Policy.

  4. Choose Device Function and target Firmware Version.

  5. Set Upgrade Type (Standard or Live) and Schedule (Immediate or Specific Date/Time).

  6. Review the summary of the firmware policy configuration, and click Create.

    The operation is logged on the Audit Trail page.

For more information, see Creating a Firmware Policy.

Figure 1: Firmware Management Card

How do I update or edit a firmware policy?

To updated or edit a firmware policy, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to Menu> Firmware Management > Manage.

  2. Go to Firmware Policies and select the ellipsis icon to edit the desired firmware policy.

  3. Update or edit desired firmware policy details.

  4. Review and Update. The update or edit is logged in Audit Trail page.

For more information, see Editing a Firmware Policy.

What scheduling options are available in Firmware Management?

• Immediate Upgrade—Runs the firmware upgrade as soon as the firmware policy is created; new devices within scope are upgraded instantly.

• From Scheduled Date—Runs the firmware upgrade at a specified date and time (time zone is based on the site).

• Download & Install Firmware Immediately—Pre-downloads the firmware image, but reboots at the scheduled time.

• Upgrade New Devices Immediately—Forces newly added devices to upgrade immediately without wait time after joining the scope.

Can devices download firmware from a local server?

Yes, enable Download Image from Server and specify the Base URL and Path of your local firmware repository.

How can I monitor firmware status?

Navigate to Firmware Management > Overview to view details such as the current firmware version, recommended version, upgrade status (for example, Scheduled, Upgrade Successful, and so on), and the last upgrade date. You can also filter by device type (AP, Gateway, Switch), recommendation reason (Security Fix, Bug Fix, Enhancement), and other parameters.

Figure 2: Firmware Management Overview Page

How do I see which firmware policies were overridden?

On the Firmware Policies page, check the Overrides column. If the override count value is greater than zero, click the non-zero value to open the Firmware Policy Overrides dialog. The dialog box displays which lower-scope firmware policies took precedence.

What happens if I delete the firmware policy?

Deleting a firmware policy removes it from the selected scope. Devices will inherit the next applicable policy from a higher scope in the hierarchy. This deletion is logged in the Audit Trail page.