DNAC IOS Upgrade & Replacement Guide

[Vaibhav Supugade]

Hi Team,

We are replacing the DN1 physical appliance with DN3 and setting up a parallel configuration for the new appliance using all existing IPs. The only difference is that the CIMC IP address will be unique for the new appliance and later updated to the old one.

After configuring the DNAC cluster, we will use the old management IP. However, we are unable to access the management IP via Web GUI because the device is not in the network.

How can we proceed with upgrading the IOS version on DNAC in this scenario?

Additionally, could you share a comprehensive document or guide for replacing DN1 with DN3? I have already referred to the installation guide but would appreciate any additional resources.

[Torbjørn]

Hello, 

You will have to shut down your existing appliances before bringing up your new appliances with the same addresses. See the following guide for migration instructions: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/cloud-systems-management/network-automation-and-management/catalyst-center/articles/data-migration.html 

[Vaibhav Supugade]

Hi Torbjorn,

Thanks for your update. I have already reviewed this document.

It is required to shut down the existing appliance, connect the cable to the new appliance and then proceed with the DNAC upgrade. This appears to be the only way to upgrade DNAC.

However, after reviewing the installation guide, I see that a bootable USB drive can potentially be used for the IOS upgrade. Could you confirm if upgrading DNAC via a bootable USB is possible? If so, please share the step-by-step procedure for performing the upgrade using a bootable USB drive.

[Torbjørn]

You can re-image the nodes through USB as described here: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/cloud-systems-management/network-automation-and-management/catalyst-center/2-3-7/install_guide/b_cisco_catalyst_center_install_guide_237x_3rdgen/m_prepare_the_appliance_for_configuration_2_x_x_3rdgen.html