hp download manager for jetdirect - version A.03.01
readme file: 04 September 2001

1. What's New
2. Operating System Requirements
3. Installation Methods
4. Basic Program Operation
5. Advanced Program Operation 

1.0  What's New 

The HP Download Manager version A.03.01 (DLM) is designed to replace HP Download Manager version A.02.25.  It is a 32-bit application that runs on Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, NT 40, 2000, and ME over TCP/IP and/or IPX.   Some of the new features for the DLM are as follows:

2.0 Operating System Requirements

The DLM runs on one of the following operating systems:

 The DLM requires one of the following protocols to be loaded:

 ·         TCP/IP
 ·         IPX/SPX 

3.0 Installation Methods

 The DLM can be installed three different ways:

·         Using the HP Download Manager Ethernet Firmware Bundle
·         Using the HP Download Manager Token-Ring Firmware Bundle
·         Using the HP Download Manager stand-alone

 The bundle versions preload the appropriate jetdirect firmware download files. 

 NOTE:  The HP Download Manager version 3 will require any previous versions to be uninstalled. Also, depending on the Operating System, the DLM may require the user to restart the PC.

 4.0 Basic Program Operation

One of the first things DLM does is build a jetdirect firmware catalog.  A firmware catalog is a mapping of the product numbers of jetdirect cards to the latest firmware images available.  How the firmware catalog is obtained depends on the operating mode of the DLM.  There are two possible operating modes: Internet Mode or Local Mode. 

With Internet Mode, the DLM gets the firmware catalog from the Internet.  This mode requires the PC that is running the DLM to be able to access the Internet.  The other operating mode is Local Mode.  Use this mode if you have the download images already in place (i.e., have downloaded the 'bundle' version of the DLM).  In Local Mode, the DLM examines the jetdirect firmware images that are already on the hard disk.  It sorts them by jetdirect product number, firmware version, as well as date, and selects the most appropriate one. 

Refer to Figure 4.1 - Operating Mode

NOTE: The HP Download Manager does NOT send any private information regarding your network, peripherals, or jetdirect products.  The DLM uses the Internet to get the firmware catalog and jetdirect firmware images only. 

When the DLM is building the firmware catalog, it will show the user the following dialog: 

Figure 4.2 - Firmware Catalog

Once the firmware catalog has been built, the DLM will prompt the user for discovery options.  There are two choices - Automatic and Custom.  Refer to Figure 4.3 - Discovery Selections: 

Figure 4.3 - Discovery Selections


Automatic Discovery will search all the local networks attached to the PC using all the available methods it can.  For most users, this discovery option will be sufficient.  For a description of the "Discovery Methods" and "Custom Discovery", please refer to Section 5 - Advanced Program Operation.  

Once the "Begin Discovery" button is pressed, the DLM will start discovering jetdirect devices.  The discovery process may take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the user's network.  During this time, the DLM displays the following dialog:

Figure 4.4 - Discovering Devices


Once the discovery has completed, the DLM will display a dialog indicating the results of the discovery and whether any devices need to be upgraded based on the firmware catalog. 

Figure 4.5 - Discovery Report


If the user presses "Yes", they will be presented with the following dialog:

Figure 4.6 - Upgrade Options


If the user presses "OK" here, the DLM will begin upgrading jetdirect devices and, if necessary, pulling down the relevant upgrade images from the Internet.  The overall progress is shown as follows:

Figure 4.7 - Upgrade Progress

When the DLM has completed upgrading all the jetdirect devices, it brings up a status dialog indicating the results: 

Figure 4.8 - Firmware Upgrade Results


The Main screen of the DLM will indicate more information in the Upgrade Results folder. 

Figure 4.9 – Upgrade Results Display


Depending on the folder selected, the right pane (not shown) will display the devices whose upgrade status is appropriate to the folder.  Devices appearing in the "Manual Intervention" subfolder (under "Successful Upgrade"), require the user to manually power down the print server and then manually power the print server up to enable the firmware upgrade to take effect.  

Devices that did not upgrade successfully are placed in the "Upgrade Failure" folder.  These devices do not necessarily indicate a hardware problem.  The "Security Failure" folder indicates devices that require an SNMP set community name to be upgraded.  The "Invalid Firmware File" folder typically indicates that the jetdirect upgrade file on the hard disk is corrupted.  The "Unable to Communicate" folder means that a communication problem between jetdirect and the DLM has been interrupted.  This condition can be caused by a variety of network scenarios.  Typically, restarting the upgrade process on that device will correct the problem.

5.0 Advanced Program Operation

5.1 Internet Mode

When Internet Mode is selected, the DLM attempts to read proxy server information from the registry.  If the DLM has trouble building the firmware catalog from the Internet, it will allow the user to enter the correct proxy server information.   

To change Internet Settings, press the "Internet Settings" button.  The user will be prompted for Proxy Server Information.

 Figure 5.1 - Internet Settings


5.2 Automatic Discovery Settings

When prompted for a Discovery Options (see Figure 4.3), Automatic Discovery has a button for Discovery Settings.  These allow the user to choose which automated methods to use.  Although Automatic Discovery's default settings are suitable for most customers, the user can configure to search remote networks using IP and/or IPX (via the hop count settings) or disable certain automatic discovery methods.  Refer to Figure 5.2 - Automatic Discovery Methods 

Figure 5.2 - Automatic Discovery Methods


NOTE: Figure 5.2 denotes a PC loaded with both IPX and IP protocols. 

5.3 Custom Discovery

If the user wishes, they can have even more control by selecting "Custom Discovery" and then selecting "Custom Settings".  The user will be presented with a dialog offering three main choices: IP Subnets, Single Addresses, and Address File.  Refer to Figure 5.3 - Custom Settings:

Figure 5.3 – Custom Settings


5.3.1 IP Subnet Discovery

If the user wishes to discover devices on a specific subnet, they can enter a device's IP address from that subnet and enter the subnet mask from that subnet.  The DLM will formulate a subnet directed broadcast to discover devices.  Refer to Figure 5.4 – IP Subnets

Figure 5.4 – IP Subnets


This discovery option is useful if routers that exist in the infrastructure do not support multicast routing protocols.  If the infrastructure's routers do support multicast traffic, then the user may be better suited to utilize multicast discovery (see Figure 5.2) as part of Automatic Discovery as a more reliable discovery method and one that creates less network traffic.

5.3.2 Single Address Discovery

Single address discovery is useful if there are only a few devices that the user needs to discover and the user already knows the addresses to use.  There are three choices: IP Address, IPX Address, and MAC address.  The user may specify multiple addresses as well as use one or all choices. Refer to Figure 5.5 – Single Addresses

Figure 5.5 – Single Addresses


NOTE: MAC address discovery is only available if the IPX protocol is loaded and the device is on the same network as the PC.

5.3.4 Address File

The Address File is useful for customers that do not want device discoveries run on their network.  It is a simple text file that anyone can create. The DLM will read and process only one file.   Refer to Figure 5.6 – Address File.

 Figure 5.6 – Address File


The format of the simple text file is as follows:

                a) Each discovery setting is delimited by a carriage return.
                b) Individual IP address format: AAA.AAA.AAA.AAA
                c) Individual IPX format: NNNNNN:OOOOOOOOOOOO
                d) Individual MAC format: OOOOOOOOOOOO

The DLM will validate the file exists at the time the user enters the file name (or selects it via browsing).  The entries in the file will not be validated until discovery is run.  Valid lines in the file will be used by discovery, invalid lines will be skipped.

5.4 Scheduling Download Times

When the DLM has finished discovery and has found devices that need to be upgraded, the user is presented with two options: Start upgrading now or schedule a time later (Refer to Figure 4.7).  Scheduling a later time is useful to delay upgrading jetdirect devices until a time where the network peripherals are not being used (e.g., late at night).  A 24-hour window is provided for scheduling. 

If the user chooses to schedule an upgrade time, the DLM must remain running as an application.  Note that the DLM may be minimized on the task bar, but it cannot be shut down.  Otherwise, the discovery data and the scheduled upgrade will be lost.

5.5 Interpreting the Main Screen

In situations where the upgrade has been cancelled or delayed, the DLM will show a main screen.  From the main screen, the user can perform all the operations that have, to that point, been prompted by the DLM via dialogs.  Refer to Figure 5.7 – Main Screen

Figure 5.7 – Main Screen


The status view before an upgrade has been started shows the discovery results and what the DLM will attempt to perform.  By default all devices are shown.  Devices shown with a green circle will not be upgraded because their firmware is already at the highest level.  Devices shown with a red triangle require an upgrade.  Devices shown with a lock indicate that a set-community-name is specified on that device and the user will be required to enter a set-community-name before the download can be started.  The user can select the device and press the "Security" button on the tool bar to enter the security name.  Before an upgrade can be started, the devices must be selected.  These can be individually selected by checking the square box to the left of the device.  All the devices requiring an upgrade can be selected by pressing the "Select All" button on the toolbar.  Pressing the “Upgrade” button on the toolbar can start an upgrade.  Refer to Figure 5.8 – Firmware Upgrade Needed

Figure 5.8 – Firmware Upgrade Needed

Other folders can be selected and a filtered version of all the devices is shown based upon the folder selected.  The "Device is Not Upgradeable" folder indicates that the device does not have Flash memory and upgrades cannot be done on that device.

5.6 SNMP Settings

When a device is selected and the "Security" button is pressed on the toolbar, or the DLM, while upgrading, finds a device that requires the user to enter an SNMP set-community-name, the user will be prompted with the following dialog:

Figure 5.9 – SNMP Security


From the Main window, SNMP timeout and retry settings can be changed via the "Settings" menu.  If the user is upgrading devices on remote networks where the latency is high, these settings should be increased.

Figure 5.10 – SNMP Settings