...simply power the stack up and wait for it to initialize, and then remove the Original device and immediately insert the Replacement device. This works because the Point System Management Module reads configuration information from new slide-in devices that it sees, and from that point forward continuously re-distributes this information to the devices, incorporating any changes that have been made via SNMP and via messages from the devices themselves. If you remove and replace a device in so short a period of time that the old configuration data has not yet been purged from the Management Module's memory, the old configuration will be written to the new device.

The detailed steps below provide an exhaustive, fail-safe way of performing this procedure and verifying the results. If you consider the configuration data in the Original device to be important, you should carefully read and understand this procedure before proceeding.

Starting over at any time without losing data:

If at any time you feel that the replace/copy operation is not going well, you can start over by reloading the configuration from the Original device. If this done carelessly, it can result in data loss, since the Management Module is continuously distributing configuration information to the devices in the stack. To start over correctly, proceed exactly as follows: Remove the repacement device and wait until you can verify that the Management Module has recognized its removal (i.e. that the Management Module sees the slot as empty) . After the empty slot has been verified, re-insert the Original device and wait for it to reappear in Focal Point or the CLI STATH display. Verify that Focal Point or the CLI STATH shows the correct configuration that you wish to copy before starting again.

To Replace a device and retain the old configuration:

1. Power the Point System stack up and wait until a Primary Management Module has been recognized and this Primary Management Module has discovered the stack.
   
   If an image of the device you want to replace appears in the Focal Point application, you have waited long enough. (Note: Unless you are certain that you understand the implications of your actions, you should not have inserted or removed any devices in the two minutes leading up to this verification.) Alternatively, you may verify discovery via the Command Line Interface (CLI): enter the STATH command and make sure the device you are replacing appears in the list. ( Tip: For a printout that is limited to the device in question, enter "STATH= bia , slot " where bia is the serial number of the cabinet and slot is the slot where the device is installed.)
   
   The configuration of the Original device should be verified by examining its Focal Point details screen or STATH printout. To make verification of the copy easier later, it is highly recommended that you make a note of the serial number of the Original device at this time.
   
   

2. If the Replacement device has a Software/Hardware Configuration Mode switch or jumper, make sure that it is set in the 'Software' position.
   
   

3. Remove the Original device from the cabinet and immediately (within approximately five seconds) install the Replacement device.
   
   This entire replacement procedure must be completed without interrupting the power supply or rebooting the Management Module for any other reason. All Point System devices are hot-swappable.
   
   

4. (optional) Verify that the swap was completed correctly.
   If you receive only a trap or a CLI message indicating that the device has cold-started, the swap has been performed correctly. If, on the other hand, the device disappears from the Focal Point Cabinet View Screen during the swap, or you receive a Device removed trap or CLI message at any time, then too much time has elapsed.
   
   

5. Verify that the Replacement device has accepted the configuration.
   
   Examine the Focal Point Details screen or the CLI STATH display to verify the configuration has been copied. If the serial number of the device has changed but the other configuration fields have not, the copy was successful. If the serial number has not changed, try again in a few moments. Generally this happens within fifteen seconds, but in a worst-case scenario , it may take as much as four minutes for the change to be recognized. Note: The Details screen in the Focal Point application does not update automatically. You must click the Refresh button.
   
   Certain fields, such as the Serial Number, are not part of the configuration and are therefore not copied. Only read-write fields are copied. For information on which fields are read-only and which are read-write, refer to the MIB or the help screen that is attached to each Focal Point Details screen.
   
   

   Failures

   The two most common reasons for failure to copy the configuration are:

   1. Too much time elapsed between the removal of the Original device and the insertion of the Replacement device (in which case the Management Module "forgets" the configuration you were trying to copy from the Original device, and simply accepts whatever configuration was in the Replacement device).

   2. The Replacement device has its jumpers set to disallow software configuration (in which case the Replacement device rejects the configuration sent to it by the Management Module, and returns its own configuration, which is accepted by the Management Module).
      

   
   
   In the latter case, the Focal Point Details screen will display a warning that software configuration changes are not supported, and the STATH command will contain an entry that says "ConfigMode=HARDWARE" or words to that effect. If these indications are present, you must change the jumper or switch on the board to the "software" configuration mode.
   
   In either case you must start over using the method described earlier.

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...Is not supported by the Point System. If you are making a change (for example) from a 10Mbps Ethernet converter to a 100Mpbs Ethernet converter, any configuration settings you wish to retain must be manually entered into the new converter via its Focal Point Details screen.