[c-nsp] "Enhanced" download procedure

[Elmar K. Bins]

(Bcc of this goes to our account manager who should start shooting at
 Cisco webmonkey headquarters, please)

jmaimon at ttec.com (Joe Maimon) wrote:

>> What the #$^&$@# is going on with Cisco's download site?  It completely 
>> hangs Firefox with some shopping cart java thing.  And this is downright 
>> scary:  http://www.west.net/~jay/images/cisco-wants-root.png
>> Enhanced downloads, brought to you by the same people who brought us 
>> enhanced interrogation?
>> Is there a workaround?  What happened to our friend kobayashi ?
> 
> Yes, there is a workaround. Put a windows server somewhere with good 
> bandwidth, use modern browsers and java to download the file, place it into 
> a TFTP/FTP/HTTP served up from there and now you are good to go, with just 
> this short little detour.

Actually, that would be the only thing that helped, but...why would one
want to introduce a windows workstation into the secluded world of the
management network?

This Web stuff might be nice IF one needed the software on their workstation.
Well, I suppose, less than 1% need that. The other 99+% will want to have
the software on the TFTP server they use to feed their infrastructure boxes.

Honestly, web interfaces suck for this, but

  - introducing Java crap
  - that also wants extended privileges on the box it runs on
  - and is buggy

...my ass - what happened to Cisco being network-centric?

Oh, btw - "modern browsers" - I wouldn't call Opera 10 old-fashioned, but
the Cisco site just dropped me an error message about "my cart".

Iron worked, but...

Just to remind the Cisco people: Your website may be flashy as hell,
because Management looks at it. Downloading MUST NOT BE FLASHY, because
it's being used from the dark recesses of datacenters with very often
no graphical browser.

CISCO - LEARN!

In the future, I might ask my account manager to get the software, put
it on a stick and send it to me.


> This bulk/batch downloader does have its upsides, but without any decent 
> alternative readily available, you are stuck with its considerable 
> downsides, some of which can be coded around and some which just plain 
> cant.

That downloader has no upsides at all, because honestly - why would you
want the software on your workstation?

> I would suggest that they focus on methods that would allow a download and 
> upgrade direct from the console of the equipment in question.

Very definitely what we need.

> Perhaps the larger issue is the terminology shift - "Shopping Cart" implies 
> purchasing.

Which only means that they have bought a shop software and are now trying
it out on unsuspecting networkers who need (!!!) the software and will have
(!!!) to jump through all the hoops to get it.

This sucks, and I bet most of the Cisco folks know it.

Elmar.