Cisco IXM

ThingPark supports the Cisco IXM standalone model (also known as Corsica).

note

The multi-box model (also known as warbler) is end-of-life and no longer supported by the latest LRR versions.

Software pre-requisites and compatibility matrix

Base Station Model	LRR Version	Firmware Version	FPGA Version
Cisco IXM	2.8.54	2.3.2	61

If your base station's FPGA version is not at the version stated, you need to first upgrade the base station with an OS image that has the desired FPGA version. For further details, refer to the Cisco documentation.

To upgrade your base station's firmware version, see the procedure provided in Installing Cisco IXM Firmware.

LRR installation

After downloading the base station image as described in Retrieving the base station image, follow the steps provided below to flash your base station with the new image.

Host console access

The first steps of the installation process require access on the host console. Follow the below diagram to connect to the terminal:

Then, use the terminal emulator with the following configurations:


Baud rate	115200
Data	8-bit
Parity	None
Stop	1 bit
Flow Control	none

Note If you are not familiar with Cisco IXM LoRaWAN® CLI interface, you may refer to Cisco IXM LoRaWAN® documentation:

First, you must enable the CLI console:

Gateway> enable
Gateway#

If your base station comes with factory settings: no password is required to access the console.

If your base station already has a LRR Software installed: You need to provide the password (secret) that you have set during the first installation.

Checking the firmware version

To get and verify versions, run the "show inventory" command:

Gateway#show inventory
Name          : Gateway
ImageVer      : 2.3.2
BootloaderVer : 20180130_cisco
SerialNumber  : FOC20304ZDA
PID           : IXM-LPWA-800-16-K9
UTCTime       : 12:01:17.844 UTC Fri Jun 21 2024
FPGAVersion   : 61
FPGAStatus    : Ready
ChipID        : LSB = 0x28750a03 MSB = 0x00f14086
TimeZone      : UTC
LocalTime     : Fri Jun 21 12:01:17 UTC 2024
ACT2 Authentication: PASS

Your acquired Cisco base station should come with those FPGA and Cisco IXM Firmware versions. If not, contact your Cisco partner, distributor or reseller and refer to Cisco IXM documentation. To learn more about IXM LoRaWAN® firmware update and release notes, see the Cisco documentation.

Preparing the USB install key or TFTP server

Extract the LRR Software package <LRR_SOFTWARE_PACKAGE_FILENAME> (.tar.gz file) previously downloaded with the following command:

# tar -zxvf <LRR_SOFTWARE_PACKAGE_FILENAME> -C <DESTINATION PATH FOLDER>

The software package contains the following files:

<lrr installation package>: the LRR installation package (.cpkg file)
<ixm firmware>: the firmware package to be installed (.tar.gz file)
<pubkey file>: the pubkey needed to allow the LRR installation (.pubkey file).

All files above need to be copied into a USB stick file system or on a TFTP server depending on the method you will use to flash the base station.

Installing Cisco IXM Firmware

Only if your IXM LoRaWAN® gateway is not running release 2.3.2, you need to install the Cisco IXM base station firmware.

If you are using TFTP to transfer the IXM firmware file on base station, run the following command:

Gateway# copy tftp://<tftp server address>/<ixm firmware> flash:

If you are using usb to transfer the IXM firmware file on base station, run the following command:

Gateway# usb enable
Gateway# copy usb:/<ixm firmware>flash:

Install the Cisco IXM base station firmware with the below archive command on CLI (host console):

Gateway# archive download-sw firmware /factory /save-reload flash:<ixm firmware>

Note <ixm firmware> should be changed to match the version and software itself.

Note /factory option is recommended to avoid potential problems while performing upgrade.

Transferring installation packages

If you are using TFTP to transfer the installation packages on base station, run the following command:

Gateway# copy tftp://<tftp server address>/<lrr installation package> flash:                   
Gateway# copy tftp://<tftp server address>/<pubkey file> flash:

To display the files under flash directory, run the following command:

Gateway# dir flash:

Note Cisco IXM base station is delivered with its firmware pre-installed in manufacturing, therefore it should not be necessary to copy and install the IXM firmware file.

If you are using USB to transfer the installation packages on the base station, run the following command:

Gateway# usb enable
Gateway# copy usb:/<lrr installation package> flash:               
Gateway# copy usb:/<pubkey file> flash:

Running configuration settings for host machine

Note All the settings done in this section are on the host machine. The LRR software requires an account created on the host machine for CLI access through a "ssh" connection. Perform the configuration with the commands provided below:

Enable the CLI configure terminal to set the following configurations:

Gateway#configure terminal

Username and password creation (this username and password are the ones used to connect via ssh):

Gateway(config)#username actility password actility

Secret enablement (this password is the one used to enable host console):

Gateway(config)#enable secret cisco

SSH enablement:

Gateway(config)#crypto key generate rsa

SSH from outside gateway enablement:

Gateway(config)#ip ssh admin-access

IP/DHCP settings
- IP domain lockup:

Gateway(config)#ip domain lookup

IP name server:

Gateway(config)#ip name-server 8.8.8.8
Gateway(config)#ip name-server 8.8.4.4

Interface(VLAN/DHCP) setting:

Gateway(config)#interface FastEthernet 0/1
Gateway(config-if)#ip address dhcp                    
Or
Gateway(config-if)#ip address <IP_address> <Netmask>

Note The example above describes how to set-up an IP address on the FastEthernet 0/1 interface. If a VLAN interface should be configured, see Cisco documentation to set it up.

Note If you have enabled DHCP, you can retrieve the IP address of the base station with the following command:

Gateway#show ip interface FastEthernet 0/1

Radio status:

Gateway#show radio
LORA_SN: FOC21028R30
LORA_PN: 95.1602T01
LORA_SKU: 915
LORA_CALC: <NA,NA,NA,54,35,110,101,92,84,75,67,57,48,39,30,21-NA,NA,NA,53,35,108,99,91,82,74,66,57,48,39,30,21>
CAL_TEMP_CELSIUS: 33
CAL_TEMP_CODE_AD9361: 89
RSSI_OFFSET: -204.00,-205.00
LORA_REVISION_NUM: C0
RSSI_OFFSET_AUS: -203.00,-203.00

radio status:
on

Note If radio status not on, enable with following command:

Gateway(config)#no radio off

Saving startup configuration:

Gateway(config-if)#exit
Gateway(config)#exit
Gateway#copy running-config startup-config

Note You may check the running-config with the following command:

Gateway#show running-config

Installing packet forwarder (LRR)

The packet forwarder installation corresponds to the LRR software and custom configurations setup.

Ensure the LRR package and pubkey exist in the flash drive:

Gateway#dir flash:

Check if there is existing LRR software installed and uninstall it if exist.

Gateway#show packet-forwarder info

If there is existing LRR software up and running, stop the service and uninstall it before proceed to next step. If not, skip the following steps:

Gateway#configure terminal
Gateway(config)#packet-forwarder stop
Gateway(config)#packet-forwarder uninstall firmware
Gateway(config)#exit

Install the public key you have extracted during the step " Preparing the USB install key or TFTP server":

Gateway# configure terminal
Gateway(config)#packet-forwarder install pubkey flash:<pubkey file>

Once the pubkey file is installed, install the LRR using the following command and reload the gateway to properly start the necessary services :

Gateway(config)#packet-forwarder install firmware flash:<lrr installation package>
Gateway(config)#packet-forwarder start
Gateway(config)#exit
Gateway#reload

Once the packet forwarder is installed and the gateway has reloaded, wait for 5 minutes to allow the LRR background tasks to complete the setup of the CLI setting.
After 5 minutes, check the packet forwarder status and check the running-configuration and NTP server list, the settings shall be as shown below:

Gateway#show packet-forwarder status
Status : Running

Gateway#show packet-forwarder status
Status : Running
Gateway#show running-config                   
Warning: Try to get lock. Please wait...
!
enable secret 8 ****
!
hostname Gateway
!
interface FastEthernet 0/1
 ip address dhcp
 exit
!
username actility password 8 ****
!
radio off
ip ssh admin-access
!
ntp server ip 0.pool.ntp.org
ntp server ip 1.pool.ntp.org
ntp server ip 2.pool.ntp.org

Finally, you must exit the configuration mode first and then enable the container console

Gateway(config)#exit
Gateway# request shell container-console
Password: admin

You may then access SUPLOG to verify that the LRR version installed on the base station is as per the version stated on the ThingPark base station image.

For Cisco IXM base station, the LRR is installed in a container. To access the SUPLOG menu, connect in SSH to the base station using the IP address, the username and the password set during the step "Running configuration settings for host machine".

Once you have enabled the CLI console, you need to request access to the LXC and connect to support account.

The password asked while enabling host command line is the secret you had set during configuration:

Gateway>enable
Password (secret)               
Gateway# request shell container-console
Password: admin                  
bash-3.2# su support

You also need to edit the credentials.txt file in the LRR within the container:

Gateway>enable
Password (secret)
Gateway# request shell container-console
Password: admin
bash-3.2# vi /tmp/mdm/pktfwd/firmware/usr/etc/lrr/credentials.txt

The credentials.txt file holds the following information (in this order):

IXM "secret" password
IXM username
IXM user's associated password.

Please edit the file with the 3 passwords you configured.

Note Especially for SAAS installation, this is required for the base station to automatically download its IPSEC certificates and allow remote operations and troubleshooting. A reboot of the base station after the file is updated is needed to complete the connection towards the ThingPark SaaS core network.

You may also verify the base station with the following command:

# cat $ROOTACT/usr/etc/lrr/versions.ini

Upgrade Cisco IXM without factory reset and LRR upgrade

1. Cisco IXM firmware upgrade from v2.2.0 to v2.3.2 or from v2.3.1 to v2.3.2

For the Cisco IXM firmware upgrade without factory reset, you may use image installation with /normal option instead of /factory option. The Cisco image installation command should be as below, assuming the Cisco image has already been placed under the flash: directory:

Gateway# archive download-sw firmware /normal /save-reload flash:ixm_mdm_i_k9-2.3.2.tar.gz

After the firmware has been installed, the gateway shall reload. Once the gateway boot up and if it's not showing connected to the ThingPark GUI after 15 minutes, please follow these steps to connect the gateway to Thingpark platform:

Request the container console to access SUPLOG menu.
```
Gateway# request shell container-console
```
From SUPLOG's root menu (su - support), choose System configuration, then PKI, then Cleanup certificates and Confirm the cleanup.
Perform a reload on the gateway.
During the gateway reloading, login to your account on the ThingPark portal and go to the base station's detailed page. Then go to the Advanced tab, under the Security widget, then click Regenerate. This step shall regenerate the security certificate of your base station, it is required to allow re-setup of the secure backhaul link between gateway and ThingPark core network

Note By using /normal option in flashing the Cisco image, the gateway shall be able to reconnect to the Network Server after gateway reboot. Note that after the gateway boots up, radio may not work accordingly due to incompatible Cisco firmware and LRR software version. This issue shall be lifted once the new LRR software package has been installed on the gateway.

2. LRR software package upgrade from lrr-2.6.53 to lrr-2.8.36 or from lrr-2.6.53 to lrr-2.8.54 or from lrr-2.8.36 to lrr-2.8.54 via ThingPark GUI

Once gateway upgraded to Cisco firmware version 2.3.2, follow these steps to upgrade the LRR software to version 2.8.47:

Login to your account on the ThingPark portal and go to the base station's detailed page.
Go to the Basic View tab > Information widget and click the upgrade button next to the Packet Forwarder field.
Once upgrade done, go to the Advanced tab, under the Security widget, then click Regenerate. This step shall regenerate the security certificate of your base station, it is required for the new LRR software to properly setup the secure backhaul link when the ThingPark core network, either based on IPSec or TLS.

note

Due to a known limitation reported in PT-2513, GUI may return the error message "The base station upgrade has failed because the upgrade command returned an error." during the upgrade process. You should ignore the error message. Once the LRR upgrade is done, the gateway shall be reloaded. It shall reconnect back to network server after the booting up and downloading its new certificate. The LRR version on GUI should be updated to reflect the new LRR version installed.
This step may take around 20 minutes to complete.

Software pre-requisites and compatibility matrix​

LRR installation​

Host console access​

Checking the firmware version​

Preparing the USB install key or TFTP server​

Installing Cisco IXM Firmware​

Transferring installation packages​

Running configuration settings for host machine​

Installing packet forwarder (LRR)​

Upgrade Cisco IXM without factory reset and LRR upgrade​