IOS image Upgrade Cisco Stack Switch

 

Ensure backup of configuration taken as part of the normal process. If VM connects to the switch ports, all VMs should be in maintenance mode before rebooting the switch to avoid VM crash issues.

1. Clean up; use the below command to clean up old installation files. This ensures that you have sufficient space in the flash drive, to expand the new image. Use the switch all option to clean up all the switches in the stack.

# request platform software package clean switch all file flash

!! If you copy the new image before running this command, it won't delete the new image file.

 

2. Copy new image to switch flash via TFTP server.

# copy tftp: flash:

FTP!!! 

# copy ftp://username:password@server_ip/image.bin

 

3. # dir flash:*bin (To confirm that the image has been successfully copied to flash) and Checksum verify for any corruption when downloading the image file.

# verify /md5 flash:<image>

 

4. Software install image to flash.

# request platform software package install switch all file flash:<image> new auto-copy

!!!This will run the installation process and the master switch copied the image file to the next switch flash automatically by itself. This process can be seen in the background. CLI shows what's happening there. 

!!! # dir flash:*pkg (here you can see five files newly created)

!!! dir flash:*conf

Here you may see [package.conf] file with image files. May be an old image as well.

Don't hesitate, you can reboot the switch because that package.conf file has a new version.

 

5. # wr (Save the switch configuration)

 

6. # Reload (use this command in the privileged EXEC mode to reload the switch)

 

7. # show version (use this command to verify the version of the new image)

This process takes 30 minutes, but it is better to have 3 hours outage window, and then you have enough time to troubleshoot the issue if any errors occur during the image upgrade. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment below.

Cheers!