This guide is to help you update the firmware on an APC UPS Network Management Card (e.g., AP9630, AP9631, AP9635, AP9537SUM). It is based on the official FAQ help page provided by Schneider Electric:
https://www.se.com/us/en/faqs/FA156047/
The firmware download typically comes bundled with the firmware update tool (NMCFirmwareUpdateUtility.exe) and all the necessary files (multiple .bin files).
Upon launching the tool, you typically provide the Host (IP address), username and password. The credentials must be for the administrator account to allow file transfer using the default protocol SCP on port 22. The tool is then supposed to take care of the rest.
When I clicked Start Update button, everything was looking good until the update failed with error:
Firmware distribution does not match target device platform; this could be due to a corrupt distribution.
Unable to update device x.x.x.x with Boot Monitor; stopping all further processing of this device!
When I tried to then access the web interface, it resulted in the following error:
The Application Was Not Able to Load
You are attempting to access a Schneider device.
There was a problem loading the application. Please login to the device via telnet for more details.
Multiple attempts at using the firmware update tool resulted in the same errors. I believe this may happen when the existing Boot Monitor version matches the one already on the network card.
What worked for me was to perform a manual update using the FTP protocol.
However, unless you enabled it in the past, you will likely need to first enable the FTP server on the card.
- Connect to the network card with SSH using a free SSH client such as PuTTY.
- Log in with the administrator credentials.
- Send the command
ftp -S enable
- Then issue the reboot command
reboot
When the network card comes back up, connect to it again but via FTP. Use a dedicated client or simply open a Windows Explorer and type in the address bar: ftp://x.x.x.x replacing the x with appropriate numbers for the IP address of your card.
Now you must upload the files, one at a time, into the root directory (not in any folder), overwriting any files that may already be there. It is critical that you upload the files in the following order:
- Boot Montior (bootmon)
- APC Operating System (AOS)
- Application (either SUMX or SY)
Wait 20-30 seconds in between each upload to allow the device to process and perform the upgrade. It is best to disconnect and reconnect to be sure.
Once complete, the web access should be restored and the device updated. You can confirm by viewing the section About -> Network in the menu at the top.