Cisco Aironet Conversion Tool for Cisco IOS Software, 2.1 Administrator Guide for Windows
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Table Of Contents

Overview

Overview of the Conversion Tool

Before You Begin

Obtaining the Conversion Tool Software

Obtaining the Helper Image

Installing or Upgrading the Conversion Tool

Running the Conversion Tool

Summary of Operations

Uninstalling the Conversion Tool

Finding the Configuration Tool Version

Finding the Access Point Software Version


Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the conversion tool used by administrators to upgrade VxWorks Cisco Aironet 350 or 1200 series access points and their configuration to Cisco IOS operation.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

•Overview of the Conversion Tool

•Before You Begin

•Obtaining the Conversion Tool Software

•Obtaining the Helper Image

•Installing or Upgrading the Conversion Tool

•Running the Conversion Tool

•Summary of Operations

•Uninstalling the Conversion Tool

•Finding the Configuration Tool Version

•Finding the Access Point Software Version

Overview of the Conversion Tool

The conversion tool is a special utility that is used by administrators to do the following:

•Create a Cisco IOS configuration using the configuration of an existing VxWorks 350 or 1200 series access point. Table 1 identifies the access points, VxWorks versions, and images supported by the conversion tool.

Note The conversion tool does not support VxWorks 350 and 1200 series access points running operating system version 12.04. Access points running operating system version 12.04 must be downgraded to a supported operating system version before using the conversion tool.

Table 1 Supported Access Points, VxWorks Versions, and Images

Access Points
VxWorks Versions
Helper Image Filename
Cisco IOS Version
(after conversion)

AP1200
AP1220

12.03T, 12.02T1, 12.01T1, 12.00T, 11.56, or 11.54T

AP1200-Cisco-IOS-Upgrade-Image-v3.img

12.2(11)JA3

AP350

12.03T, 12.02T1, 12.01T1, 12.00T, 11.23T, or 11.21

AP350-Cisco-IOS-Upgrade-Image-v2.img

12.2(13)JA1


•Store a Cisco IOS configuration file on your PC for later use.

•Upgrade VxWorks 1200 series access points to Cisco IOS operation by combining the Cisco IOS configuration file with a 1200 series helper image.

•Upgrade VxWorks 350 series access points to Cisco IOS operation by combining the Cisco IOS configuration file with a 350 series helper image.

Note The conversion tool does not support 802.11g radios. You must ensure that the VxWorks access points do not contain 802.11g radios before using the conversion tool.

To find your access point software version (Cisco IOS or VxWorks) refer to the "Finding the Access Point Software Version" section.

Caution The conversion tool cannot reverse the Cisco IOS upgrade process. Be sure you want to upgrade your access point to Cisco IOS operation before using the conversion tool.

Tip If you want to upgrade a VxWorks 350 or 1200 series access point to Cisco IOS operation without preserving the existing configuration for that access point, refer to Appendix A.

Before You Begin

Before you begin, you must observe the following conversion tool requirements:

•The conversion tool operates only on a PC with the Windows 2000 or XP operating system and is not supported if Terminal Services is installed.

•The conversion tool requires the following minimum PC hardware:

–Processor: Pentium III or equivalent

–Speed: 850 MHz

–RAM: 128 MB

–Hard disk free space: 250 MB (4 MB for each helper image upgrade task)

When using the minimum PC hardware, the conversion tool supports up to 14 parallel helper image upgrades. You can enter up to 20 tasks, but only 14 of the tasks (maximum) can be helper image upgrades, and the remaining tasks can be used to store the access point's Cisco IOS configurations on your hard disk. Prior to starting multiple helper image upgrade tasks, you should verify that your PC has sufficient disk space.

Note When you upgrade your access points, you can recover disk space on your PC by deleting the Cisco IOS configurations (with helper images) that were saved in the ConversionToolDirectory/images folder.

Note The limit of 14 parallel helper image upgrades depends solely on the ability of the system and the network to handle multiple TFTP jobs. Faster systems, disks, and networks may be able to handle more parallel upgrade tasks, though too many tasks impact the speed of the individual tasks.

•The person installing and running the conversion tool must be logged in and must be the administrator of the PC.

•All access points (source and target) must have a user enabled with full access privileges (Write, SNMP, Ident, Firmware, and Admin)..

Note For additional information on SNMP, refer to the Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide for Access Points.

•SNMP must be enabled on the source and target access points.

•The conversion tool uses SNMP commands to obtain configuration data from the source access point, but some security information cannot be accessed using SNMP. Before you use the conversion tool, you should obtain the following source access point security information:

–The WEP keys used for the radio interfaces and VLANs

–The LEAP passwords for repeater access points

–The passwords used with the User Manager Configuration

–AAA Server Configuration Secret Keys

•The upgrade process requires the following minimum contiguous free space in your VxWorks access points to be successful:

–4.0 MB for 1200 series access points

–4.2 MB for 350 series access points

Note You can verify the amount of contiguous free memory in your access point by connecting to your access point using the console port or a Telnet session and entering the command :vxdiag_memshow. The amount of contiguous free memory is listed in the max block column.

Complete these steps to increase the amount of free memory in your access point:

–If your access point runs an .ini confriguration file acquired by choosing the Download All System Configuration options from the Web interface, replace the configuration with an .ini file acquired by choosing the Download Non-Default System Configuration option.

–On Cisco Aironet 1200 series access points, you can remove the 802.11a radio module to obtain additional free space.

If necessary, you can free additional memory in your access point by performing these steps:

a. Access the Advanced page (Setup > Associations > Advanced).

b. Disable the RFC 1493 802.1D Statistics in MIB (dot1dTpFdbTable) and the Aironet Extended Statistics in MIB (awcTpFdbTable) options.

c. Enable the Map Multicast Entries to Broadcast Entry option.

•The conversion tool should be used over Ethernet LANs and not over slower networks.

Caution You must ensure that the same Ethernet and duplex settings are configured on all VxWorks access points and switches prior to beginning the conversion process. Different settings can result in inoperable access points that constantly power off and on.

•The Cisco Aironet 350 access point conversion process can take up to 30 minutes.

•Cisco IOS access points do not allow the radio interface to adopt the Ethernet port identity that allows the radio and Ethernet interfaces to use the same IP and MAC addresses.

Caution During the Cisco IOS conversion process, the radio interface MAC address for your access points might change from the original setting, resulting in lost repeater associations and failure of the hot standby option. This happens because Cisco IOS software does not support the VxWorks Adopt Primary Port Identity option for the radio interfaces. Before you begin the conversion process, Cisco recommends that you change your VxWorks configurations to disable the Adopt Primary Port Identity option and to use the actual radio interface MAC address in all repeater and hot standby configuration settings.

•If your VxWorks access points are configured to use BOOTP, you must change their configurations to support DHCP prior to running the conversion tool to avoid a conversion failure. For access point configured for BOOTP, the access point IP address changes during the conversion process, and the conversion tool is unable to complete the access point conversion.

Obtaining the Conversion Tool Software

To obtain the latest conversion tool software from the Cisco Web site, follow these steps:

Step 1 Use your web browser to go to the Cisco Software Center at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/index.shtml

Step 2 Click the link for wireless software.

Step 3 Click the link for access points.

Step 4 Click the links for your specific access point.

Step 5 Click the link for the Aironet VxWorks to Cisco IOS conversion tool and image.

Step 6 Click the link for the 2.1 tool.

Step 7 Click the Aironet-AP-Cisco-IOS-Conversion-Tool-v2.1.exe file (where v2.1 is the version number).

Step 8 Click Download.

Step 9 Read and accept the terms and conditions of the Software License Agreement.

Step 10 Save the file to your computer's hard drive; then exit the web browser.

Obtaining the Helper Image

The conversion tool uses a 350 or 1200 series access point helper image file to upgrade your VxWorks access point to Cisco IOS operation. To obtain the most recent 350 or 1200 series access point helper image from the Cisco Web site, follow these steps:

Step 1 Use your web browser to go to the Cisco Software Center at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/index.shtml

Step 2 Click the link for wireless software.

Step 3 Click the links for the 350 or 1200 series access point.

Step 4 Click the link for the Aironet VxWorks to Cisco IOS conversion tool and image.

Step 5 Click the link for the 2.0 or 3.0 image.

Step 6 Click the 350 or 1200 series access point helper image file with the highest version number, such as AP350-Cisco-IOS-Upgrade-Image-v2.img or AP1200-Cisco-IOS-Upgrade-Image-v3.img (where v2 or v3 is the version number).

Step 7 Click Download.

Step 8 Read and accept the terms and conditions of the Software License Agreement.

Step 9 Save the file to your computer's hard drive; then exit the web browser.

Installing or Upgrading the Conversion Tool

Follow these steps to install or upgrade the conversion tool on your PC:

Step 1 Close any Windows programs that are running.

Step 2 Prior to installing a new version of the conversion tool, you must uninstall any previous versions installed on your PC. (For additional information, refer to the "Uninstalling the Conversion Tool" section).

Step 3 Locate and double-click the downloaded conversion tool software on your hard drive. The conversion tool setup program activates.

Note If you did not uninstall the conversion tool, a message appears indicating that the conversion tool (CAC Tool) is already installed on your PC, click OK and uninstall the conversion tool. (For additional information, refer to the "Uninstalling the Conversion Tool" section).

Step 4 Click Next on the Welcome window.

Step 5 If you want to specify a destination folder, click Browse to locate a different folder.

Step 6 Click Next to accept the destination folder. The Select Program Folder window appears.

Step 7 Specify a folder. Click Next to accept the folder.

Step 8 Click Yes or No to place a conversion tool shortcut on your PC desktop. The Setup Complete window appears.

Step 9 On the Setup Complete window, you can select to view a Readme file and launch the conversion tool by clicking the corresponding check boxes. Click Finish to complete the installation.

Running the Conversion Tool

The conversion tool installs and uses a TFTP server as a service (CACToolTFTPService) on your PC. When the tool is active, the TFTP server is active and when you exit the tool, the TFTP server is deactivated.

Note Prior to running the tool, you must deactivate any other TFTP servers you have installed on your PC.

You activate the conversion tool by double clicking the conversion tool icon on your PC desktop or by clicking Start > Programs > CAC Tool (or the name of your installation folder) > CAC Tool (depending on the installation options selected). When you activate the conversion tool, the main window (Figure 1-1) appears. This window enables you to add, modify, delete, or start operating tasks that control the activities performed by the conversion tool. The buttons on the main window enable you to view an operating log, view the Cisco IOS configuration file, and exit the tool.

Note To use the conversion tool, you must be an administrator on the PC where the conversion tool is running.

Figure 1-1 Conversion Tool Main Window

The main window lists the operating tasks that have been added using the Add Task button (Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-2 Task Entries on Main Window

Each operating task listed on the main window contains the following fields:

•Task—a number used to identify the task.

•Device Type—indicates the access point type (350 or 1200 series access point)

•Source AP Config—indicates the location for the configuration information Possible options are:

–IP address of the VxWorks 1200 or 350 series access point used to obtain the configuration information.

–Disk Storage—indicates the configuration file is located on your hard disk.

•Target AP Config—indicates the destination for the configuration information. Possible options are the IP address of the destination access point or Disk Storage to indicate that the file will be stored on your hard disk.

•Status—indicates the status of the task. Possible options are:

–To Start—indicates the task is waiting to start.

–Progress bar—indicates that the task progress by the length of the bar.

–Learning Configuration—indicates that the conversion tool is obtaining configuration information from the source access point.

–Completed—indicates that the task has executed successfully without any detected errors.

–Error—indicates that an error has occurred during the execution of the task. For additional details on the error, click View Logs.

–Warning—indicates that the conversion tool was not able to read some configuration data from the source access point. For additional information on the warning, click View Logs. If you are upgrading an access point, you may need to manually enter the missing configuration parameters into the access point.

–Uploading Image—indicates that the helper image and configuration parameters are being uploaded into the target access point.

–Checking Device Status—indicates that the conversion tool is checking the access point status after the image upgrade.

The conversion tool uses special colors in the status bar to provide a quick indication of the status (see Table 1-2).

Table 1-2 Status Bar Colors

Color
Description

Blue

Indicates that the task is progressing normally. Displayed during Learning Configuration and Uploading Image status indications.

Amber

Indicates that a status warning indication has occurred. Your attention is required to correct the problem in the access point configuration.

Red

Indicates that a status error indication has occurred. Your attention is required to identify the problem.


The buttons on the conversion tool main window are described in Table 1-3.

Table 1-3 Conversion Tool Main Window Buttons 

Buttons
Description

Add Task

Enables you to add single or multiple operating tasks to be performed.

Modify Task

Enables you to modify the information contained in a task.

Delete Task

Enables you to delete a task.

IOS Config

Enables you to view the contents of the Cisco IOS configuration file.

View Log

Enables you to view completion or error information on the operations performed.

Start Task

Starts the task operations.

Help

Provides help information on the conversion tool.

Exit

Closes and exits the conversion tool.


Summary of Operations

The conversion tool enables you to upgrade a single access point or multiple access points. The tool enables you to obtain the configuration data from a VxWorks access point and store the converted
Cisco IOS configuration on your hard disk or directly apply the Cisco IOS configuration to a single access point. You can use the stored Cisco IOS configuration file on your hard disk to upgrade a single access point or multiple access points.

The following list indicates the basic operations needed to convert the configuration and upgrade a single access point:

1. Obtain the conversion tool software.

2. Obtain the 350 or 1200 series access point helper image file.

3. Click the Device Type down-arrow and select AP350 or AP1200.

4. Add a conversion tool task with the following parameters:

a. Source Configuration—Device, IP address, and administrator username (refer to the "Source Configuration Parameters" section on page 2-3).

b. Target Configuration—Device, helper image file, password (if needed), IP address, and administrator username (refer to the "Target Configuration Parameters" section on page 2-4).

c. Hot Standby Configuration—Monitored radio MAC addresses (if needed). For additional information refer to the "Hot Standby Configuration" section on page 2-6.

d. Your PC's network adapter IP address (refer to the "Interface for Communicating with Target Access Point" section on page 2-7).

e. Security Configuration—Passwords, secret keys, and WEP keys (refer to the "Security Configuration" section on page 3-1).

Note If you choose not to enter the Security Configuration information, your access point will be configured with default security settings.

5. Start the task and wait for it to complete.

If your task was to upgrade a VxWorks access point into a Cisco IOS access point, you should carefully review the Cisco IOS configuration data (refer to the "Viewing the Cisco IOS Configuration" section on page 4-18). Because of differences between VxWorks and Cisco IOS configuration parameters, you should also review the "Limitations in the Cisco IOS Configuration" section on page B-5.

The process for upgrading multiple access points is similar to upgrading a single access point. For additional information refer to the "Adding Multiple Tasks" section on page 4-19.

Uninstalling the Conversion Tool

Follow these steps to uninstall the conversion tool from your PC:

Step 1 Double-click My Computer > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

Step 2 Select Cisco Aironet Conversion Tool for Cisco IOS Software.

Step 3 Click Add/Remove or Change/Remove. The conversion tool setup program activates and uninstalls the tool and the icon from your PC.

Step 4 Close the Add/Remove and Control Panel windows.

Note You can also select Start > Programs > CAC Tool (or the name of your installation folder) > UnInstall to uninstall the conversion tool.

Finding the Configuration Tool Version

To find the conversion tool version number follow these steps:

Step 1 On the main window of the conversion tool, right-click the conversion tool name in the title line as shown by the cursor in Figure 1-3.

Figure 1-3 Conversion Tool Title Line

Step 2 When the right-click window appears, click About CAC Tool.

The conversion tool About window (Figure 1-4) appears and contains the conversion tool version number. Version 2.1 is shown in the figure.

Figure 1-4 Conversion Tool About Window

Finding the Access Point Software Version

To find the version of Cisco IOS running on your access point, use a Telnet session to log into the access point and enter the show version EXEC command. This example shows command output from an access point running Cisco IOS Release 12.2(8)JA: 

ap1200>show version  
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software  
IOS (tm) C1200 Software (C1200-K9W7-M), Version 12.2(8)JA  
Copyright (c) 1986-2003 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

On access points running Cisco IOS software, you can also find the software version on the System Software Version page in the access point's browser interface.

If your access point does not run Cisco IOS software, the software version appears at the top left of most pages in the browser interface. The home page on access points not running Cisco IOS software looks like Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5 Home Page on VxWorks Access Points