Upgrade release ACI with spine N9K-C9364C-GX

[Mario Rosi]

Hi,

currently we have ACI release 4.2(4i) with leaf and spine:

- leaf N9K-C93180YC-EX
- spine N9K-C9336PQ

I wanted upgrade the ACI to go to 5.2(7g) but:

- spine N9K-C9336PQ, starting with Release 5.0(1), is no longer supported

So we bought the N9K-C9364C-GX with on board the release 5.2.(7g). I know that the N9K-C9364C-GX by default is seen from ACI as a leaf and to change to spine role it should have at least 5.1(3) release, but we should be ok.

Unfortunately, when i try to discover the new spine N9K-C9364C-GX with onboard the 5.2.(7g), even though i force APIC to register as spine, is remain in the discovering phase and don't reboot. 

I don't want to believe that i need to upgrade before the ACI to 5.2.(7g) in order to let ACI swap from leaf to spine role on N9K-C9364C-GX, because i couldn't due to the presence in the fabric still of N9K-C9336PQ.

Do you have any suggestions?

Mario

[Robert Burns]

Which Interface are you using on the 9364C-GX to connect to an existing leaf?

Robert

[Mario Rosi]

63 and 64 as exepected by documentation.

I found here https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus9000/hw/aci-9364c-gx-hig/b_c9364c-gx-aci-mode-hardware-installation-guide/m_aci_connect_to_aci_fabric.html that:

1. Migrating from first generation Cisco ACI switches to second generation Cisco ACI switches that are running different software releases.

   The second migration path is required where the existing switches are not supported on the new release that is required for the new switches. For example, if you want to migrate from the first generation Cisco ACI switches, such as Cisco Nexus 9300 (with the -E suffix or without any suffixes in the product ID) that are no longer supported starting on Cisco ACI switch 15.0(1) or later releases, to some of the new switches that are supported only from 15.0(1) or later.

   When the first generation switches are comprising a vPC, complete the following mandatory prerequisite steps before you proceed with the second migration path:

   1. Due to potential traffic loss, it is recommended that that you perform the vPC migration during a maintenance window.

   2. Before you perform this procedure, the Auto Firmware Update policy must be disabled.

   3. Upgrade the Cisco APIC cluster to the 4.2(7v) release if the cluster is running an older release. Also upgrade the first generation switches to the 14.2(7v) release. Wait for the fabric to converge.

   4. Upgrade the Cisco APIC cluster to 5.2(7f) release and wait for the cluster to become "Fully Fit."

   5. Ensure that the new second generation switches are preloaded and running the equivalent release as the Cisco APICs, that is 15.2(7f) release. Other than source and target version software releases 4.2(7v)/14.2(7v) and 5.2(7f)/15.2(7f), no other software releases are supported for this migration procedure.

I'm trygin to follow this preocedure transit by 4.2(7v), upgrading only the APIC to 15.2(7f), and then from there trying to register the new spine with 15.2(7f) as target (but still remaining on 4.2(7v) on leaf and old spine). If i'll be able to register the new spine as SPINE, at that point, once aligned the config i'll deregister the old spine.

cross the finger

[Nova777]

The APIC is still on 4.2(4i)?

I had to sync the versions between APIC and spine to get a 93600GX spine to commission fully.

[Mario Rosi]

i'm moving to the final scenario with apic in 5.2(7f), new spine in 5.2(7f), old leaf ans old spine in 4.2(7v). 
At that point the APIC should be able to acquire the new spine in release 5.2(7f). I should then sync the two spine new and old and once the new spine is operative 100%, i'll remove from controller the old spine.

Finally i can upgrade the old leaf to 5.2(7f) (supported by them being -EX)

[Mario Rosi · Accepted solution]

...implementing the process that i had described, it worked, now all the fabric is up and running. I upgraded all the leaf to the final release 5.2(7f) and the old spine N9K-C9336PQ has been decommissioned.

Done!

[Robert Burns]

Thanks for closing the loop and glad the process worked!

Robert