If you do not have a console connection to or a management interface on the passive node of an Juniper SRX cluster, you need to reach the passive node from the active one.
Here is how:

Solution

log in to the passive node

  • from CLI (">" prompt) of the active node: 
    request routing-engine login node 1
  • from the shell ("%" prompt) of the active node: 
    rlogin -Jk -T node1

transfer files from ative to passive node

  • from CLI (">" prompt) of the active node: 
    file copy /var/tmp/source-file_on_active_node node1:/var/tmp/
  • from the shell ("%" prompt) of the active node: 
    rcp -T /var/tmp/source-file_on_active_node node1:/var/tmp/

Example

If you want to update the passive node on branch SRX with these steps:

  1. Upload the JunOS install image to the active node into the temp directory.
    e.g. /var/tmp/junos-srxsme-11.22R33.4-domestic.tgz
  2. Transfer the file to the passive node.
    e.g. file copy /var/tmp/junos-srxsme-11.22R33.4-domestic.tgz node1:/var/tmp/
  3. Install the update on the active node, but don’t reboot!
    e.g. request system software add unlink no-copy no-validate /var/tmp/junos-srxsme-11.22R33.4-domestic.tgz
  4. Log into the passive node.
    request routing-engine login node 1
  5. Install the update on the passive node, but don’t reboot!
    e.g. request system software add unlink no-copy no-validate /var/tmp/junos-srxsme-11.22R33.4-domestic.tgz

On Branch SRX a cluster update always interrupts all connections :-( because both nodes must always run on the same version. So a nearly simultaneous reboot is required.

My suggestion:

  1. Be sure that the installation of the update on both nodes (as described above) was successful.
  2. Got to the passive node.
    request routing-engine login node 1
  3. Request a reboot of the passive node in 2 minutes.
    request system reboot in 2
  4. Immediately return to the active node (two times exit).
  5. Request a reboot of the active node in 1 minutes.
    request system reboot in 1
  6. If you’ve done step 4 and 5 within one minute, the former active node should be the active one after both have bootet, wich should take about 8 to 10 minutes.