Our Scanner Update Went Out Over the Backup Line and Used a Month of Data by Lunchtime

Description and use

An OS update for handheld scanners was distributed over a mobile backup router with a data cap, exhausting the limit and throttling the connection. Implementing a depot‑level cache, backup status flagging, and data usage alerts prevented recurrence.

Problem

A quarterly OS update for handheld scanners was distributed over a mobile backup router with a limited monthly data allowance, causing the update to exhaust the allowance and throttle the connection, preventing scanners from printing labels.

Outcome

The new approach prevented data overage during a backup‑line outage, ensured scanners could receive updates without throttling, and automated exclusion of backup sites from distribution.

Workflow

• 1. Detect backup router fail‑over and set site attribute in device management platform.
• 2. Exclude sites marked as on backup from update distribution.
• 3. Use a local cache device to download the update once per depot.
• 4. Serve the update from the cache to all scanners on the local network.
• 5. Monitor backup router data usage and raise alerts when half the allowance is reached.

Evidence

The platform saw devices online and an update pending. It had no way of knowing that online now meant a mobile connection with a monthly allowance of fifty gigabytes.

Source

The fix had three parts. Each depot now has a single cache device that downloads an update once and serves it to the scanners over the local network, so the number of scanners at a site no longer multiplies the download.

Source

The routers set a site attribute in the device management platform when they fail over, and any site on backup is excluded from every distribution until it is back on fibre.

Source

The backup routers raise an alert when they pass half of their monthly allowance, whatever the cause.

Source