Overview

A model upgrade enables you to add a license and hardware to an existing SteelHead xx50 appliance to increase the capacity and model number of the SteelHead within its platform family.

Model upgrades increase the WAN capacity and total number of optimized TCP connections for the appliance. RAID model upgrades also increase the size of the data store.

Model upgrades require a license and, in some cases, the installation of additional hard disk drives and memory modules. Licenses can be installed using the command-line interface (CLI) or the SteelHead Management Console. Upgrades that require the installation of additional hardware do not preserve the data store. Model upgrades always preserve the configuration of the appliance.

Basic model upgrades require RiOS software v4.1.9d, v5.0.7e, v5.5.2d, or later. RAID model upgrades require RiOS software v5.0.9, v5.5.4, or later. Model upgrades always require a license and, in some cases, require the installation of additional hard disk drives and memory modules.

The following section describes the model upgrades available within an appliance family, the minimum required RiOS software version, and the impact on the appliance data store, RSP and PFS data.

The following table describes the platform requirements for basic model upgrades.

Source Model	Destination Model	Upgrade Requirements	Minimum RiOS Version	Impact on Data Store	Impact on Configuration	Reboot Required
250L	250M	License only	v4.1.9d v5.0.7e v5.5.2d	None	None	No
250L	250H	License only	v4.1.9d v5.0.7e v5.5.2d	None	None	No
250M	250H	License only	v4.1.9d v5.0.7e v5.5.2d	None	None	No
550M	550H	License only	v4.1.9d v5.0.7e v5.5.2d	None	None	No

Model upgrades always require a license and, in some cases, require the installation of hard disk drives and memory modules. This section lists the contents of the Upgrade Kits, including hardware for basic upgrades and RAID upgrades.

• Model Upgrade Licenses - Model upgrade licenses are installed using the CLI or the Management Console. For instructions on installing upgrade licenses, see Installing Licenses and Activating Specifications.

• Basic Model Upgrade Kit Hardware Contents - Some model upgrades require the installation of hardware. The hardware required for your model upgrade is contained in the Upgrade Kit shipped to you.

• RAID Model Upgrade Kit Hardware Contents - RAID model upgrades require the installation of hardware. The hardware required for your RAID model upgrade is contained in the RAID Upgrade Kit shipped to you.

You must install Riverbed-approved hardware for the system to function properly. The following table lists the minimum hardware requirements for each model.

Model	Minimum RAM	Minimum # of HDDs
250L	1 x 1 GB (1 GB)	N/A
250M	1 x 1 GB (1 GB)	N/A
250H	1 x 1 GB (1 GB)	N/A
550M	1 x 2 GB (2 GB)	N/A
550H	1 x 2 GB (2 GB)	N/A

Note: RSP requires a license and an additional 2 GB of memory. For detailed information about RSP, see the Riverbed Services Platform Installation Guide. Contact Riverbed Support at https://support.riverbed.com for information about ordering RSP.

You perform the following steps to upgrade a model:

1. Install the model upgrade license - The model upgrade license can be installed in the CLI or the Management Console. For detailed information, see Installing Licenses and Activating Specifications. After the license is installed, the system indicates the model specifications available and if hardware is required for activation.

2. Stop the service - The SteelHead optimization service must be halted to activate a model upgrade specification.

3. Activate the specification - The model upgrade specification can be activated in the CLI or the Management Console. For detailed information, see Installing Licenses and Activating Specifications.

Note: For model upgrades that require additional hardware, the specification cannot be activated until the required hardware is installed.

4. Reboot the system (if needed) - For model upgrades that require additional hardware, the system will notify you that a reboot is necessary. The SteelHead reboots automatically after the required hardware is installed and the specification is activated in the CLI or Management Console.

5. Restart the service - The system does not reboot for upgrades that do not require the addition of hardware. License-only upgrades switch immediately to the new model after the license is installed, the SteelHead service is halted, and the specification is activated. Restart the service after activating the upgrade specification.