If I swap out the NVRAM cartridge on a MICS XC7.0 with another cartridge that I've changed the capacitor in, will I loose programming on the system?

There are several expansion modules, an analog DID card and over a hundred phones. I really don't want to loose it. I will backup with a rad. Perhaps the only way to do this is to swap, then restore? 2nd question: about how long should a backup take to run? I want to be sure it's really backing up and not failing.

Thanks!
Jim

Hi Jim,
I think you will lose the programming. What I do is run the back up and then open the workbook to make sure all the info is there. If you have a spare cabinet and 7.0 s/w you could load the programming on it to make sure.
Good Luck

Thanks John. I think in the back of my mind I knew I would loose programming, but wanted to hear it from someone else :-) .

I don't have a spare cabinet. Customer wants to do this over lunch time. They run all shifts so there isn't really a good time for this. I'll prepare as much as I can and go for it.

Thanks for the reply.
Jim

Well, I backed out on the cartridge swap today. I did a backup with the rad, and the resulting file wouldn't open for me. And it was only 344 KB in size. I'm not sure what it's supposed to be. What type of file should it be? Mine was named [filename].NEW. I tried opening it with notepad, excel, etc. but just saw garbage.

It also created an Access database file with only one record in it, that had the customer name system ID.

So, I chickened out because I couldn't tell if my backup was any good or not.

Jim

The file that you have sounds about right.
(filename).NEW and around 340KB.

Problem is that I have never had to restore one.
The other problem I don't know about is will your System-ID number change when you change out Cart and does it have to have the correct number to restore to. And can you do a backup without the Sys ID entered.? And will it restore without a SYS ID?
Anyone answer this?

I always swap the NVRAM from R1 to R2 (or form old to new), then proceed with the software upgrade.

You should not loose the system ID.

I would say 30 min to an hour for the backup but that's hard to answer. The NRU will tell you if the the backup was successful or not. You cannot view the backup file.
The Workbook will ONLY populate if you do an Acquire procedure to the correct workbook.....this procedure will take much longer than a backup.
It should restore programming even if the SYSID changes but of course no PRI settings will be present until the new key code is re-entered....have an authorized partner handy should the sysid change so they can re-generate a new key.
It can only restore to the same software level it backed up.

The sysid changes usually when their is a hardware issue/changes so dont touch expansion cards etc until the upgrade is complete.


Why are you swapping the NVRAM?
Are you upgrading software as well?

I'm swapping the nvram in order to replace it with a cartridge with a new capacitor, so they won't loose programming if there is a power outage. The system is about 12 years old as far as I can tell (I didn't install it). They had some power problems over the holidays and lost everything. Don't want to go thru that again.

- My backup took 10 minutes to run. NRU said it was successful.
- Glad to know I can't view the backup file. Thought I was doing something wrong.
- No PRI, just an old analog DID card and a bunch of POTS lines. No keys for the DID, I don't think. There is a CP150, ver 3.1 attached, but that has its own keys, of course.
- I guess my choices are 1)Backup, swap cart., restore. - Or 2)Backup, wait for a problem, then swap cart. and restore at that time.

Jim

The cap in the KSU is gone in that case.
That is where all the programming is.

8X24 and 6X16 programming is on the software sleeve.
CICS and MICS programming is on the KSU

Choices are now
Backup, swap KSU (or CAP), Restore

10 minute backup....I gather you did that on site, I have not done that for awhile.

Well, that narrows things down a lot. I think I'll do a backup and wait for a problem. I don't want to dig around with a soldering iron on a working system. Unless I find a spare ksu to prep with a new cap. If/when there is a problem, I'll either just restore or change the cap and restore, depending on circumstances.

Yes, the 10 minute backup was on site.

Thanks for all the recommendations and support.
Jim

And you shouldn't...the customer should pay for a properly refurbished KSU (with minor trade-in value) and not any on site open heart surgery.
No Surge Battery Backup = their problem.

Once they are swapped then do the cap on your own time/bench.
Then you have a spare backup as you should or now can re-sell as "refurbished" if required.