143-420 · Question #194
What is the default behavior when using the firmwaredownload command to upgrade firmware on a Brocade DCX 8510-8?
The correct answer is B. The firmware download automatically updates the firmware on both CPs. Brocade 143-420 Exam
Question
What is the default behavior when using the firmwaredownload command to upgrade firmware on a Brocade DCX 8510-8?
Options
- AIt will download firmware to the secondary partition on both CPs and requires a manual reboot.
- BThe firmware download automatically updates the firmware on both CPs.
- CThe firmware is only downloaded to the standby CP.
- DThe firmware is only downloaded to the active CP.
How the community answered
(60 responses)- A12% (7)
- B82% (49)
- C2% (1)
- D5% (3)
Explanation
Brocade 143-420 Exam
Topics
Community Discussion
8
Hiroshi T.Jun 26, 2026B is correct. The firmwaredownload command on the DCX 8510-8 is designed to operate on both CPs in tandem by default, so you do not need to run separate commands per CP or trigger a manual reboot to complete the upgrade across the chassis.
Orla P.Jun 26, 2026That is right, though the exam has been known to test the sequencing detail that the standby CP reboots first and rejoins the fabric before the active CP fails over and reboots, so knowing that two-stage reboot order is still fair game even if you only run one command.
Toby R.Jun 26, 2026Saw this one worded almost exactly the same way on my exam, and I almost second-guessed myself into A because I kept thinking you had to kick off a reboot manually, but B is right, firmwaredownload handles both CPs automatically without you doing anything extra. Just trust the command.
Orla P.Jun 23, 2026Saw this one on my actual exam and almost second-guessed myself because I kept thinking there had to be a manual step in there somewhere, but B is right, the firmwaredownload command handles both CPs automatically so you do not have to babysit the process or kick off a separate reboot. Once I remembered watching that command run in the lab one afternoon and seeing it push to both partitions on its own, I locked in B without looking back.
Lena V.Jun 26, 2026D, firmwaredownload targets the active CP only by default.
Hiroshi T.Jun 27, 2026Lena, the answer is B. The firmwaredownload command in the official Brocade documentation downloads firmware to all blades and both CPs by default, not the active CP only, so option D misrepresents that default behavior.
Prof. SaraJun 26, 2026The firmwaredownload command on the DCX 8510-8 is designed around the chassis HA model, which means both Control Processors get handled in a single operation rather than forcing you to log into each CP separately. The command downloads to the secondary partition on the active CP first, triggers an HA failover so the standby takes over, and then the formerly-active CP downloads and updates itself, all without requiring a manual reboot in the default flow. This is what separates a director-class platform from a fixed-form switch, and it shows up on exams precisely because candidates confuse the partition behavior with the CP behavior, thinking the secondary-partition staging means you still have to kick off a reboot yourself. The process is built to be non-disruptive, and that word non-disruptive is the hint you want to carry into the exam room. Here is what I want you to think about before the next post: do you know what happens to in-flight traffic during the HA failover that occurs mid-upgrade, and does the firmwaredownload command on a standalone switch behave the same way? That distinction between chassis behavior and standalone behavior is where a lot of students leave points on the table.
Hiroshi T.Jun 26, 2026The non-disruptive point holds for data-plane traffic because the line card CPUs maintain forwarding state independently during the CP failover, but candidates should also know that on a standalone switch firmwaredownload requires a reboot of that single unit, which does cause a traffic interruption, so the two behaviors are not interchangeable on the exam.