RTFM

We have HP ProCurve network switches at work. I tried using the ProCurve Manager software and it was a real pain to use. So I uninstalled it. Recently, I posted a question on a listserv asking what people were using to manage their ProCurves. The answer that came back informed me that ProCurve Manager gave them fits, too, but all was well once they read the manual.

Yesterday I reinstalled the management software and this morning I noticed that the switches needed a software upgrade. Not only that, but I had the capability to schedule the upgrade after hours so nobody's work would be affected. Whoo-hoo! I scheduled five of the switches to upgrade at ten minute intervals beginning at 7:15 pm tonight. One of the switches then went "red" in the display and was offline. It had updated its software and rebooted. Ten minutes later another switch did the same thing. Ten minutes later a third switch followed suit. Each one knocked anywhere from 20-40 people off the network. So I scrambled around and hurriedly explained to everyone what I had done.

Hmmm, I wonder if it would have gone better if I had read the manual first.