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Question/Issue:
You need to know how to apply firmware updates to your Symantec Gateway Security 300 Series or 400 Series appliance. You need instructions to update through LiveUpdate and manual updates, including instructions to force firmware updates.


Solution:
Upgrade firmware automatically with LiveUpdate
LiveUpdate is a Symantec technology that lets you to automatically keep your Symantec products current. You can set up LiveUpdate to check for updates automatically, or you can manually run LiveUpdate at any time to check for updates. Symantec periodically releases firmware updates to ensure that you have the best available security. Run LiveUpdate as soon as you connect your appliance to the Internet.

If LiveUpdate finds a new firmware package, it downloads and applies the firmware. As the appliance installs the update, the Security Gateway Management Interface (SGMI) displays a message to let you know that it is updating its firmware. After the update, a message appears in the log to alert you to the update. The appliance may restart after it applies the update.

If no new updates are available, LiveUpdate creates a log message to tell you that no updates are available.

Symantec tests and validates all LiveUpdate packages. These packages do not overwrite your current configuration. The packages may require that the appliance restart. To minimize down time or interruptions in your network connection, use the Preferred Time feature to schedule your updates during periods of low network traffic.

Your appliance provides a fail-safe mechanism for firmware updates. If your appliance cannot pass its self-check test during startup after a new firmware update, it reverts to the factory firmware that is stored in protected memory. LiveUpdate downloads and applies only nondestructive firmware updates.

To configure automatic LiveUpdate

1. In the left pane of the SGMI, click Administration.
2. In the right pane, on the LiveUpdate tab, check Enable Scheduler.
3. Use the drop-down list to select the frequency with which the gateway checks for updates.
4. In the Preferred Time field, type the time that you want the gateway to check for updates.
5. If you are behind a proxy server, configure the proxy settings.
6. Click Save.

You can also run LiveUpdate manually. When you click Run LiveUpdate Now, the gateway immediately checks for the latest firmware updates and installs them. If you already have the latest version, it does not update your appliance. Firmware updates that you perform with LiveUpdate do not overwrite your settings.

To run LiveUpdate manually

1. In the left pane of the SGMI, click Administration.
2. In the right pane, on the LiveUpdate tab, under Status, click Run LiveUpdate Now.

Upgrade firmware manually
You can download firmware upgrades from the Symantec Product Updates Web page. If you do not set LiveUpdate to automatically download and apply firmware upgrades, or if Symantec Technical Support asks you to manually upgrade, check the Symantec Web site for the latest firmware. Use the appliance version number from the Status screen of the SGMI to determine your current firmware version. If you install the all.bin firmware file, the update overwrites your settings. The only setting that the all.bin does not overwrite is your administration password. Before you apply an all.bin update, make sure to write down or otherwise record your settings.

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WARNING: If you apply a version of the firmware that is older than the version that is installed, all of your previous configuration information is erased, including your administrator password.

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Apply the firmware by using the Symantec TFTP utility (included on the Symantec Gateway Security 300 Series or 400 Series CD-ROM), or use a TFTP client with the -i (binary) option. The appliance restarts after the firmware update.

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Before you begin: Before you upgrade your firmware, make sure that you have the following:

• The symcftpw utility (from the Tools folder on the CD that comes with your appliance) or a standard TFTP client that provides binary-mode transfer.
  Some of the instructions may not apply to third-party TFTP clients. Read your TFTP client software documentation for instructions that apply to your client.
• The updated firmware file.
  You can download the firmware from the Symantec Product Updates Web page. Use the Product Updates drop-down menu to get the appropriate firmware for your product.

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If Norton Personal Firewall, Norton Internet Security, or Symantec Client Security is installed on the computer on which you run symcftpw, you must configure both an inbound rule and an outbound rule in order to permit traffic between the computer and the appliance.

To flash the firmware

1. Press the power button on the back panel of your appliance to turn off the power.
2. Turn DIP switch 1 and DIP switch 2 to the on (up) position.
3. Press the power button on the back panel of your appliance to turn on the power.
4. On the computer from which you want to update the firmware, copy the symcftpw.exe file to the directory in which you extracted the firmware file.
5. Double-click the symcftpw icon.
6. In the Server IP text box, type the IP address of the appliance.
   The default IP address of the appliance is 192.168.0.1.
7. In the Local File text box, do one of the following:
   • Type the file name for the firmware upgrade file
   • Click Browse, browse to the firmware file, and then click Open.
8. Click Put.
   When symcftpw reports that flashing is complete, LEDs 2 and 3 stop flashing alternately. The appliance restarts, and then LEDs 1 and 3 are lit steadily. This process may take several minutes.
9. After the upload finishes, turn off the power by pressing the power button on the back panel of the appliance.
10. Turn DIP switch 1 and DIP switch 2 to the off (down) position.

Your appliance is updated.


Force a firmware update
In the event that you cannot apply a firmware update normally, you can force a firmware update by changing the DIP switch settings. Before you force a firmware update make sure to record all of your appliance settings. The firmware update erases all of the appliance configuration.

To force the firmware update

1. Record all of your configuration settings.
2. Press the power button on the back panel of your appliance to turn off the power.
3. Turn DIP switch 2 and DIP switch 4 to the on (up) position.
4. Press the power button on the back panel of your appliance to turn on the power.
5. On the computer from which you want to update the appliance, set the IP address to 192.168.0.2
6. Copy the symcftpw.exe file to the directory in which you extracted the all.bin file.
7. Double-click the symcftpw icon.
8. In the Server IP text box, type 192.168.0.1
9. In the Local File text box, do one of the following:
   • Type the file name for the firmware upgrade file
   • Click Browse, browse to the firmware file, and then click Open.
10. Click Put.
    Wait several minutes before you restart the appliance. When symcftpw reports that flashing is complete, LEDs 2 and 3 stop flashing alternately. The appliance restarts, and then LEDs 1 and 3 are lit steadily. This process may take several minutes.
11. When the upload finishes, turn off the power by pressing the power button on the back panel of the appliance.
12. Turn DIP switch 2 and DIP switch 4 to the off (down) position .

Your appliance is updated.

 

Document ID: 2004042211154954
Last Modified: 01/29/2007
Date Created: 04/22/2004
Product(s): Symantec Gateway Security 300 Series, Symantec Gateway Security 400 Series
Release(s): 320, 360, 360R, 440, 460, 460R, SGS 440, SGS 460, SGS 460R

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