Basic Operation Guide 2014/02

Download interruptions. In most cases, if a power failure or other cause interrupts a flash image
download, the switch reboots with the image previously stored in primary flash. In the unlikely
event that the primary image is corrupted, as a result of an interruption, the switch will reboot from
secondary flash and you can either copy the secondary image into primary or download another
image to primary from an external source.
Local switch software replacement and removal
This section describes commands for erasing a software version and copying an existing software
version between primary and secondary flash.
NOTE: It is not necessary to erase the content of a flash location before downloading another
software file. The process automatically overwrites the previous file with the new file. If you want
to remove an unwanted software version from flash, HP recommends that you do so by overwriting
it with the same software version that you are using to operate the switch, or with another acceptable
software version. To copy a software file between the primary and secondary flash locations, See
"Copying a switch software image from one flash location to another", below.
The local commands described here are for flash image management within the switch. To download
a software image file from an external source, see "File Transfers" in the Management and
Configuration Guide for your switch.
Copying a switch software image from one flash location to another. When you copy the flash
image from primary to secondary or the reverse, the switch overwrites the file in the destination
location with a copy of the file from the source location. This means you do not have to erase the
current image at the destination location before copying in a new image.
CAUTION: Verify that there is an acceptable software version in the source flash location from
which you are going to copy. Use the show flash command or, if necessary, the procedure under
“Displaying the current flash image data” (page 62) to verify an acceptable software version.
Attempting to copy from a source image location that has a corrupted flash image overwrites the
image in the destination flash location. In this case, the switch will not have a valid flash image in
either flash location, but will continue running on a temporary flash image in RAM. Do not reboot
the switch. Instead, immediately download another valid flash image to primary or secondary
flash. Otherwise, if the switch is rebooted without a software image in either primary or secondary
flash, the temporary flash image in RAM will be cleared and the switch will go down. To recover,
see "Restoring a Flash Image" in the Management and Configuration Guide for your switch.
Syntax:
copy flash flash <destination flash>
where: destination flash = primary or secondary:
64 Switch Memory and Configuration