Background
What is the product?
This is a web tool for updating a Cisco headset, camera, or USB adapter. It can also be used to check the current firmware and gather logs from the headset.
What is the goal?
This tool was built mainly for internal users to change the firmware on their headsets during development. While the tool can update to the latest stable load, many users use it to test private loads to verify code changes.
Who are the users?
Mainly early adopter internal users, but the site is public and anyone in the world can use it to update their accessories.
What are the user goals?
- See what load they are currently running.
- Update the load to the latest released load.
- Change the load to a local file.
- Gather logs.
Update flow
The general update flow is simple – select a connected accessory -> view details -> compare load to the latest -> update. The edge cases are not simple. There are a lot of places that the user can go astray. The user can unplug the accessory, the download can fail, the browser can lose connection with the accessory, and the update can fail. Additionally, when the accessory completes and reboots, the user needs to select it again from the browser.
Another issue is that updating can take a long time and we can’t technically tell the user how much longer it will take. The progress ring loader does not actually track real update progress. It is just there so the user knows that the accessory is still updating and that it won’t (hopefully) be too much longer.
