Software upgrade while a Line Card reached EOL

[Sunshine East]

What happens if an N9K line card has reached EOL and it is no longer supports new verson. The chassis and other componenets are still supporting new software. Can we continue to upgrade the chassis even if the line card does not support new software releases? I am assumign it will function normally but just not upgrade the image.

[Sergiu.Daniluk]

HI @Sunshine East 

All SUPs, linecards, FMs and SCs in a Nexus 9500 chassis will and must run the same version. If a linecard does not support a specific software version you want to upgrade to, but the supervisor does, then supervisor will upgrade, will run the new software version, but it will not discover anymore the old linecard.

Cheers,

Sergiu

[Christopher Hart]

Hello!

If a Nexus 9000 switch has hardware (whether it's a top-of-rack chassis, line cards, fabric modules, etc.) that are not supported in an NX-OS software release that you are trying to upgrade to, the install all command will indicate that the hardware is not supported in the target release.

The most common modern example will be first-generation Nexus 9000 hardware (such as the Nexus 9372PX top-of-rack switch or the N9K-X9564PX line card) that is not supported starting with NX-OS software release 10.1(1). Let's say you have a Nexus 9504 switch with first-generation hardware running NX-OS software release 9.3(8):

switch# show module 
Mod Ports             Module-Type                       Model          Status
--- ----- ------------------------------------- --------------------- ---------
1    36   36p 40G Ethernet Module               N9K-X9636PQ           ok        
3    52   48x1/10G SFP+ 4x40G Ethernet Module   N9K-X9564PX           ok        
4    52   48x1/10G-T 4x40G Ethernet Module      N9K-X9464TX           ok        
21   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
22   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
23   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
24   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
25   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
26   0    Fabric Module                         N9K-C9504-FM          ok        
27   0    Supervisor Module                     N9K-SUP-A             active *  
29   0    System Controller                     N9K-SC-A              standby   
30   0    System Controller                     N9K-SC-A              active    

Mod  Sw                       Hw    Slot
---  ----------------------- ------ ----
1    9.3(8)                   1.3    LC1 
3    9.3(8)                   1.6    LC3 
4    9.3(8)                   2.1    LC4 
21   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM1 
22   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM2 
23   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM3 
24   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM4 
25   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM5 
26   9.3(8)                   1.2    FM6 
27   9.3(8)                   1.5    SUP1
29   9.3(8)                   1.4    SC1 
30   9.3(8)                   1.4    SC2 

If you attempt to upgrade this switch to NX-OS software release 10.1(2) (which does not support first-generation Nexus 9000 hardware) with the install all command, NX-OS will return an error message indicating that the hardware is not supported in the target release.

switch# install all nxos bootflash:nxos.10.1.2.bin
Installer will perform compatibility check first. Please wait. 
Installer is forced disruptive

Verifying image bootflash:/nxos.10.1.2.bin for boot variable "nxos".
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Verifying image type.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Preparing "bios" version info using image bootflash:/nxos.10.1.2.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Preparing "nxos" version info using image bootflash:/nxos.10.1.2.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Performing module support checks.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Notifying services about system upgrade.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS



Compatibility check is done:
Module  bootable          Impact  Install-type  Reason
------  --------  --------------  ------------  ------
     1        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
     3        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
     4        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    21        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    22        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    23        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    24        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    25        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    26        no             n/a           n/a  Module not supported in target version
    27       yes      disruptive         reset  default upgrade is not hitless
    29       yes      disruptive         reset  default upgrade is not hitless
    30       yes      disruptive         reset  default upgrade is not hitless



Images will be upgraded according to following table:
Module       Image                  Running-Version(pri:alt)           New-Version  Upg-Required
------  ----------  ----------------------------------------  --------------------  ------------
     1       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
     1        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.48(00             v01.48(00            no
     3       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
     3        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
     4       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
     4        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    21       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    21        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    22       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    22        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    23       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    23        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    24       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    24        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    25       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    25        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    26       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)            no
    26        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    27        nxos                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)           yes
    27        bios     v08.38(05/12/2020):v08.06(09/10/2014)    v08.39(04/04/2021)           yes
    29       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)           yes
    29        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.42(00             v01.48(00            no
    30       lcn9k                                    9.3(8)               10.1(2)           yes
    30        bios                       v01.48(00:v01.48(00             v01.48(00            no

If you were to upgrade this switch through an unsupported method (for example, setting the boot statement to the target NX-OS software release and reloading the switch) or some other method (for example, removing first-generation hardware from the switch, upgrading the switch to the target NX-OS software release via the install all command, then re-inserting first-generation hardware in the switch), then the first-generation hardware in the switch will simply not boot up. The first-generation hardware will not boot up with the previous NX-OS software image and continue operating as expected.

I hope this helps - thank you!

-Christopher

[Sunshine East]

Hi Christopher, 

Thanks for your detailed response.  Infact you mentioned one of the line cards which I have in my production setup, N9K-X9564PX. I see that this line card has 23 May 2021 as the last date Cisco will provide software vulnerabilities upgrade. Since the date has already passed I am guessing that any new software releases will not be inatalleded on this line card. 

Does it mean that we can't upgrade the chassis any further since the line card will not be upgraded? We are currently on 7.0(3)I7(8). How far we can go version 7? 

It's a tough situation. 

[Christopher Hart · Accepted solution]

Hello!

The last NX-OS software release that supports first-generation Nexus 9000 hardware will be the NX-OS 9.3(x) software train. The latest software release within this train at the time of this writing is NX-OS software release 9.3(8). The NX-OS 9.3(x) software train is the latest software release in the current long-lived release train.

If you are currently running NX-OS 7.0(3)I7(8), then the furthest you can upgrade to in the 7.0(3)I7(x) train is 7.0(3)I7(10) (which was released a few days ago as of the time of this writing). However, you can certainly still upgrade to the 9.3(x) train. You cannot upgrade to the 10.1(x) or 10.2(x) software trains, since support for first-generation Nexus 9000 hardware was removed in NX-OS 10.x.

I hope this helps - thank you!

-Christopher