ACTAtek Firmware Upgrade Procedure

Below are step-by-step instructions for upgrading multiple ACTAteks in the Primary/Secondary Mode. It is important that ALL units be upgraded to the latest firmware.

Download New Firmware:

1. Download the new firmware file from this link: http://www.actateksupport.com/support/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=view&parentcategoryid=4&pcid=0&nav=0
   
2. Note the location where the new firmware was saved to the computer's hard drive.

Backup Existing Primary Unit:

1. Login to the Primary unit as a Super Administrator.
2. Click on the "Backup System Data" link from the navigational menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Click on the "Download" button.
4. Choose a safe location to store the backup file.
   

NOTE: As with any computer based system, it is extremely important to make regular backups of the ACTAtek system. This is particularly important when upgrading firmware due to the nature of firmware upgrades!

Detaching Secondary Units from the Primary Unit:

1. Login to the Primary unit as a Super Administrator.
2. Click on the "Terminal List" link from the navigational menu on the left side of the screen.
3. The "Terminal List" page will show a table of all the units connected in the Primary/Secondary Mode.
4. Locate each unit that is a Secondary unit by looking in the "Type" column.
5. Write down the IP address (e.g. 192.168.1.102) of each Secondary Unit.
6. Click on the checkbox located in the far left column for each of the secondary units. The checkbox should show and "X" or checkmark to indicate that it is selected
7. Click on the "Delete" button located at the bottom of the table.

Upgrading ACTAtek Firmware:

WARNING: During the firmware upgrade process it is critical that the ACTAtek unit being upgraded is not powered off!

1. Login to the Primary unit as a Super Administrator.
2. Click on the "Firmware Upgrade" link from the navigational menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Click on the "Browse" button.
4. Search and select the new firmware file that was downloaded in Step 1 of the "Download New Firmware" section of this email. (Once selected, click on the "Open" button to close the dialog box.)
5. Click on the "Upload" button. It may take a few moments for the file to completely upload to the ACTAtek unit.
6. Once the upload is complete, click on the "Upgrade" button. During the upgrade process the ACTAtek unit will flash "System Maintenance" on the LCD screen. The unit will not perform any authentication functions while in the process of upgrading.
   

NOTE: Repeat the above process for each Secondary Unit.

Re-Attaching the Secondary Units to the Primary Unit (Repeat for each Secondary Unit):

1. Using the list IP addresses recorded in step 5 of the "Detaching Secondary Units from the Primary Unit" section, connect to the Secondary device and login as a Super Administrator.
2. Click on the "Primary / Secondary Setup" link from the navigational menu on the left side of the screen.
3. Select the "Secondary" check box.
4. Enter the IP address of the Primary Unit (e.g. 192.168.1.100)
5. Click on the "Set" button.
6. Once completed, a message stating "Primary Setup Success" should display at the top of the screen. The unit is now in Secondary Mode. Repeat the for each additional secondary unit.

Designating Backup Primary Units:

As of firmware 1.29.2, two secondary units can be designated "Backup Primary" units. These units can replace the Primary unit if there is a hardware failure. All Secondary units store all the user enrollment data and access policies for the entire network. However, only Primary and Backup Primary store all of the event log data for the entire network. This feature adds fail-over redundancy for the event log data.

1. Login to the Primary unit as a Super Administrator.
2. Click on the "Terminal List" link from the navigational menu on the left side of the screen.
3. The "Terminal List" page will show a table of all the units connected in the Primary/Secondary Mode.
4. Find one or two Secondary unit(s) that you wish to make a Backup Primary unit and click the "Backup" button in the far right column.
   

The entire ACTAtek network is now upgraded to the latest firmware version.