Home › Forums › Conduit: AEP Model › Custom Node.js app on v5.3.3: downgrade or use node-red-custom-app? [MTCAP-L4E1]
Jeff Hatch.
RafaelHi,
We need to install our custom Node.js app but the last gateways that we bought came with v5.3.3 (MTCAP-L4E1-868-001A). Until now, we’re using v5.2.1. I tried downgrading one of the gateways via DeviceHQ but now it seems to be unstable. It’s dropping the ssh connections and the Web Interface also stops working after a few seconds. I can see on the Web Interface that v5.2.1 is installed, but the gateway seems to be constantly rebooting.
So, I have two questions:
1) How can I safely downgrade from v5.3.3 to v5.2.1? What’s the procedure?
2) What is the recommended way of running custom Node.js apps on v5.3.3? I tried installing node-red-custom-app and then installing our custom-app that runs on Node.js (it’s not a node-red app). It seems to be working. Is it safe to do this? Are there any drawbacks?
Thank you,
Rafael
Jeff HatchHello Rafael,
For the device that you downgraded, and things were acting badly, I recommend, if you can, factory resetting the device. That will be tricky, though because it appears that the device is arbitrarily rebooting constantly from your description. If you can get it to stay up long enough to press the reset button for >30s, you might be able to get it to reset to factory defaults. It may also be possible to get it to factory default through the API. Downgrading is not a supported use case since the API and the configuration database have to change going forward, and at times, is incompatible with past versions.
I think it should be safe to say that your app should run fine (you’ll need to test it). If your application is working as a custom application using the Node-RED application version of node.js which I think it is, then the primary dependency is on the Node-RED custom application. Currently we have not had to rev the Node-RED custom application yet to run on the different 5.3.3+ versions of mPower. The risk is that if you upgrade to a future mPower version at some point you may it may break and need the Node-RED app updated. Unfortunately, that is hard to predict.
Thank You,
Jeff
RafaelHi Jeff,
Thank you!
So, just to make it clear: it’s not possible to downgrade from v5.3.3 to v5.2.x? (MTCAP-L4E1-868-001A)
Rafael
Jeff HatchHello Rafael,
What I mean by “not supported” is that Multitech does not test downgrading mPower firmware. It may work, or you may run into issues where you have to factory reset the device.
Typically, downgrades of versions that are close together, ie. 5.3.3 -> 5.3.0 will work close to all the time. In the case you have experienced, downgrading between 5.3.3 to 5.2.1, there are changes to the configuration database collections that is causing an incompatibility between the configurations, and can only be resolved by a factory reset.
Hope that helps.
Jeff