Firmware Cluster F - XIQ "Classic" Versus EP1

[DeVoID]

Ok Extreme, what the heck are you doing with terribly released, buggy firmware?

This started about 8-12 months ago, where you would release firmware - AP650 - only for the update to fail and either leave "device update failed" message next to the AP, or that message and an unreachable, un-ping-able AP and the only solution (only resolved when you released  .a version of it) is to unplug it at the AP or switch level, neither of which is easy or desired!

And it appears to get WORSE!!  In XIQ I did two AP650 AP's, ones I knew I could get to if needed (with a ladder) and sure enough one failed and went offline (cant ping, etc.) and the other EXACT MODEL with the same uptime, same Policy, etc, updated without issue.  The firmware is 10.8.6.0 BTW.

Now this is where I have to shake my head and wonder what the heck Extreme is thinking.

As I put, in XIQ Classic the firmware version is 10.8.6.0, and when I go into EP1, the version is 10.8.6.1 for the SAME AP MODEL!  Not only that, but of the three AP's I pushed new firmware, to it shows as failed in EP1, and showed as successful in XIQ Classic AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!  WTH.. see my appropriately named attachments to this post.  

I mean REALLY....  if we are going to be transitioned to XIQ New, or EP1 by the end of this year then you at Extreme need to figure your **** out!  WHY TWO versions of firmware depending on what Interface/Platform you happen to use... Because of our licenses, we have access to Classic and EP1, but again, I should not see TWO versions of the same firmware for the SAME AP right?  That is not "a thing" in IT, and never has been.

I would LOVE to hear your answer Extreme.

I do apologize for coming off pissy, but being pushed and shoved into the new interface, and see this, has me standing at the edge of an anger cliff (metaphorical).

DeVoiD

 

 

[DeVoID]

See that's BS.  They shouldn't release new firmware then.  They should only release firmware when it IS the golden version.

Yeah I get that a hot fix for some vulnerability may need to get done.  But it should be release as a golden version, and build the hotfix into it, and then release it an 'a" of that golden version..

Ugh.. have to call them!  that's such crap!

[DeVoID]

Thanks @wwillingham Then I think moving forward Ill update what I have to 10.8.5.2.  What sucks here though, since the world went to hell, updating everything to the latest whatever has been hammered into the head of anyone with hardware/software due to vulnerability exposure, and then Extreme breaks that "rule" with faulty/bad firmware that makes AP's go offline, or erroneous errors, etc.

<sigh> am I right, or what?

DeVoiD

[Raul_Carbonari]

You're not alone in this.
I've already said the exact same thing to GTAC about the firmware discrepancy between XIQ Classic and XIQ New/EP1, not to mention the lack of RN documentation on versions 10.8r5a and 10.8.r6b, for example.
A little-discussed reality is the divergent visibility between XIQ Classic and XIQ New, even though in our view the data reported by the AP is the same; there is no (that we separate or that makes sense) duplication of telemetry reports from the APs to the cloud. This discrepancy has been around for a long time, and I started complaining when XIQ Classic reported PoE problems on the APs and XIQ New didn't report them.

I would also love to see a response from Extreme, but unfortunately I don't have much hope that it will be something convincing.

What I can recommend is to forget about XIQ Classic and get used to XIQ New because they're unlikely to fix anything once its demise is announced.
There are many "practical" things in XIQ New that urgently need improvement, such as column resizing, sorting capabilities, and filtering.

My biggest complaint about the new UI is that it seems to have been designed for use on 4K screens, which isn't necessarily everyone's reality. And this can be verified in the videos they released on how to do things in the new UI.

Raúl Carbonari

[DeVoID]

My biggest issue, is our rep gave us 3 (out of 283) wrong licenses and BOOM, we login to EP1 (but can find classic from the 9 dot menu), and until that expires, we are stuck with EP1... New isnt even an option until that license drops off.. thankfully this May...

But still.  Yeah, EP1 and Classic dont match, data-wise, so yeah, I can only imagine the pain you have with New, Ep1 and Classic..

Oh and yeah on that **** display... it IS like 4K... horrible... the scaling or whatever is SO off. It really is bad... 1024 x 768 not 500000 x 20000 (thats what it feels like), and yeah the column debacle.. horrible, horrible and horrible.. doesnt even have a "Clients" option in filters... I need to see an AP online, clients connected, IP and MAC... got most, but no connected clients... <sigh>.. and cant resize the column.. insane.. I hear the dev team is working on that, per a post about the 4th Q being when they will retire XIQ classic.  Link to that, here: https://community.extremenetworks.com/t5/extremecloud-iq-xiq/extremecloud-iq-ui-transition-what-you-... 

Doesnt appear whoever is responsible for "owning" these changes is really listening to anyone... customers that is.

I feel somewhat better knowing its not just my instance, but still, that doesnt make this right.  Appreciate your reply,

DeVoiD

[DeVoID]

Heres the thing though, that 10.8.6a ALSO has the same fail rate.  I pushed it out to 6 AP's, and 1 or 2 will take, some will say "device failed to update" but did update and the rest go offline and are unreachable..... The AP's are AP650 and running 10.8.5.0 prior to the update.  I have to get ladders to go and physically unplug the AP - I cant power off the network switch, we are a school - and trying to get a time that I wont disturb people and can take care of this, is very difficult.

Also, the fact that GTAC told you 10.8.6.0 shouldnt be installed... Extreme DOESNT say anything to anyone unless you call them.  This should be an email to ALL its customers, and then them pulling that particular firmware out of the drop-down box! Not a case of having to CALL and find out it shouldnt be installed... UGH

Seriously, thats a 101 thing, it doesn't require thought, you sent out bad firmware, pull it and send out an email... Not rocket surgery....

Remember though, for me, this has been going on since 10.8.3.0 and a few version "a's" sort of resolved the issue, and by that I went from a failure rate of about 50% to around 17%. I shouldn't even have 17% failure rate on firmware, especially when its the same model of AP on the same firmware that Im updating!

<sigh>.

Thanks and sorry for the rant, its just this has been kicking me in the teeth for a frigging age!

DeVoiD