Downgrade Leaf Cisco ACI

[saurav.khanna]

Hello,

We have recently ordered new leaf switches for our ACI fabric. Version that we have recieved is:

aci-n9000-dk9.14.0.3d.bin

We need to downgrade this to:

aci-n9000-dk9.13.1.1i.bin

APIC: 3.1(1i) 

When I am trying to push this through ACI then I receive an error telling me that this is not compatible. Hardware is N9K-C9348GC-FXP

Any help!!

[Remi Astruc]

Hello,

You have to follow the recommended downgrade path:

Current release: 4.0(3)

Target release: 3.1(1)

Recommended path: 4.0(3) → 3.2(1) → 3.1(1)

Procedure:

• Downgrade the Cisco APICs first.
• After the APICs are downgraded successfully, downgrade the switches using 2 or more maintenance groups.

Caveats:

• With mixed operating system operation, you can have at most 2 different releases in the fabric at any given time. If the upgrade path contains one or more intermediate release hops, the entire fabric must be upgraded to each intermediate release before any one element is upgraded to the next hop.
• When downgrading, you must remove any hardware that is not supported on the target release.
• If you have switch models N9K-X9736C-FX, N9K-C9508-FM-E2, N9K-C9348GC-FXP, and N9K-C9364C, do not downgrade to any version earlier than Release 3.0(1), because these models are not supported in any version earlier than Cisco APIC 3.0(1).
• If you are running APIC on APIC L3 or APIC M3 servers, do not downgrade to any version earlier than Release 4.0(1).
• If you have switch models N9K-X9736C-FX, N9K-C9508-FM-E2, N9K-C9348GC-FXP, and N9K-C9364C, do not downgrade to any version earlier than Release 3.0(1), because these models are not supported in any version earlier than Cisco APIC 3.0(1).

Recommended software for target release:

• Cisco NX-OS ACI-mode version: 13.1(1)
• Cisco ACI Multi-Site version: 1.1(1)
• Cisco ACI Virtual Edge version: 1.1(1a)
• Cisco AVS version: 5.2(1)SV3(3.20)
• Cisco IMC version: UCS C220/C240 M3: 3.0(3e), UCS C220/C240 M4: 3.0(3f)
• Red Hat OSP version: 10
• Canonical version: Ocata

Software no longer supported on target release:

• CiscoAVS version(s): 5.2(1)SV3(3.40), 5.2(1)SV3(3.35), 5.2(1)SV3(3.29), 5.2(1)SV3(3.28), 5.2(1)SV3(3.27), 5.2(1)SV3(3.25), 5.2(1)SV3(3.21a), 5.2(1)SV3(3.21)
• CiscoAVE version(s): 2.0(2a), 2.0(1a), 1.2(6a), 1.2(4a), 1.2(3b), 1.2(3a), 1.2(2a), 1.2(1a), 1.1(2a)
• VMware vSphere version(s): 6.7
• VMware vRealize version(s): 7.4
• RedHatOSP version(s): 13, 12
• Canonical version(s): Queens, Pike

Remi Astruc

[saurav.khanna]

Hi Remy,

Thanks for responding my APIC version is already running on 3.1(1i). So, I just need to downgrade the newly purchased leaf. 

One solution that I can think of is to change the boot sequence from 14.0(3d) to 13.1(1i)

setup-bootvars.sh <target_image>
setup-clean-config.sh <target_image>
reboot switch

Saurav

[omz]

Hi 

Are you auto-provisioning the new switch?

This may help - 

https://unofficialaciguide.com/2017/10/19/using-the-auto-provision-feature-to-automatically-upgrade-new-switches-added-to-your-aci-fabric/

[Nik Noltenius]

You can manually downgrade the device via USB or tftp.
This document describes the upgrade but downgrading is the same thing:
https://community.cisco.com/kxiwq67737/attachments/kxiwq67737/4436-docs-data-center/921/1/technote-n9k-aci_manual_upgrade_01.pdf

I've done it a couple of times and it doesn't always work. You can also break the bootsequence to get into the loader-prompt (CTRL+C at "loading bootloader"). There you can boot from USB and afterwards copy the new image file to bootflash.

[saurav.khanna]

Thanks for the response Nick. Fortunately I got it to work finally. I am not really sure on what was the fix as I just repeated all the previous steps and that worked. Probably I was doing something wrong earlier. Also, thanks for the document will keep that in my repository.

Saurav

[Daps]

I want to downgrade 2 leafs version 14.0 to 13.2

Tried to copy image to bootflash from usb, however after some time it will be deleted automatically.

Pls suggest

[Nik Noltenius]

Hello Daps,

I've seen this happening, too. I assume you try to copy the files before the downgrade. What worked for me was rebooting, breaking the boot sequence to enter bootloader, loading the new image from USB and then copy the files afterwards, when the downgrade is done.

Kind regards,
Nik

[Daps]

Solved. There is a file named "auto-s". deleted the file. Copy the new image. Select boot new-image ...and done

[cmonks119]

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@Daps wrote:

Solved. There is a file named "auto-s". deleted the file. Copy the new image. Select boot new-image ...and done

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This. Per Cisco, there is a script that runs on the leafs, and if the bootflash is too full, it will just start deleting files, including the new firmware you just tried to copy. Deleting 'auto-s' seems safe, and will free up disk space to load the new image without the switch deleting it.