User's Manual

Chapter 7 Using HiveManager
88 Aerohive
• Activate at next reboot: Select to load the software and not activate it. The loaded software gets
activated the next time the HiveAP reboots.
• Select the check box for each HiveAP whose software you want to update.
Updating HiveAPs in a Mesh Environment
When updating hive members in a mesh environment, be careful of the order in which the HiveAPs reboot. If a
portal completes the upload and reboots before a mesh point beyond it completes its upload—which most likely
would happen because portals receive the uploaded content first and then forward it to mesh points—the reboot
will interrupt the data transfer to the mesh point. This can also happen if a mesh point linking HiveManager to
another mesh point reboots before the more distant mesh point completes its upload. As a result of such an
interruption, the affected mesh point receives an incomplete firmware or configuration file and aborts the update.
Figure 9 HiveAPs in a Mesh Environment
To avoid the reboot of an intervening HiveAP from interfering with an ongoing upload to a mesh point beyond it,
allow enough time for the firmware to reach the farthest mesh points before activating the firmware. After all the
HiveAPs have the firmware, rebooting any HiveAPs between them and HiveManager becomes inconsequential.
Note: When choosing which option to use, consider how HiveManager connects to the HiveAPs it is updating.
See "Updating HiveAPs in a Mesh Environment".
Note: A mesh point is a hive member that uses a wireless backhaul connection to communicate with the rest of
the hive. HiveManager manages mesh points through another hive member that acts as a portal, which
links mesh points to the wired LAN.
= Wired Link
= Wireless Link
HiveManager
Switch HiveAP
(Portal)
HiveAP
(Mesh Point 1)
HiveAP
(Mesh Point 2)
When updating HiveAPs in a mesh environment, the HiveManager communicates with mesh points through
their portal and, if there are any intervening mesh points, through them as well. While updating HiveAPs in
such an environment, it is important to keep the path from the HiveManager to all HiveAPs clear so that the
data transfer along that path is not disrupted. Therefore, when updating a firmware image or configuration
on HiveAPs in a mesh environment, make sure that the portal or a mesh point closer to the portal does not
reboot before the upload to a mesh point farther away completes.