Upgrading IOS in WS-C3750X-48T-S from 122 to 152 fails

[mike.mcvay]

I have several WS-C3750X-48T-S switches as spares. I need to replace a failed switch which is running c3750e-universalk9-mz.152-2.E5.bin. The replacement switches repeatedly fail in the IOS upgrade process from 122-55, 122-58, or 150.2. Is there a trick or something I am overlooking?

[balaji.bandi]

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@mike.mcvay wrote:

I have several WS-C3750X-48T-S switches as spares. I need to replace a failed switch which is running c3750e-universalk9-mz.152-2.E5.bin. The replacement switches repeatedly fail in the IOS upgrade process from 122-55, 122-58, or 150.2. Is there a trick or something I am overlooking?

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more interested to see what is failing, do you have any logs, and how are you upgrading? 

can you capture one of the upgrade complete processes (console log and post here ?)

[Leo Laohoo]

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@mike.mcvay wrote:

The replacement switches repeatedly fail in the IOS upgrade process from 122-55, 122-58, or 150.2.

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Console into the the switch and reboot.  Post the entire boot-up process so we can have a look.

[mike.mcvay]

I have attempted to perform the IOS upgrade in two different ways. (1) By TFTP of the *.bin file into the flash:\ (root) directory and creating a new [boot system flash:/*.bin] setting, and (2) by running the "archive download-sw" command and having the source *.tar file available vis TFTP for expansion into the flash:/(IOS DIRECTORY).

I both methods, I can start from the factory installed 122.55 IOS and upgrade to 150.2 with no issues. The IOS upgrades expands the UCode during the upgrade process and boots under the new IOS as normal.

However, using either methods for transferring the new IOS source file to the flash:/, the CLI shows an initial attempt the expand and load the 152.4 IOS, it looks like it completes that process, then the bootloader restarts the file load/expansion process again (only much slower). The it fails with no warning/alerts. If there is no backup IOS available, I have to XMODEM the old IOS back in to the switch and tray all over again.

An interesting note is the "bootloader version" (somehow) is showing a 122.58 version.

I saw the Cisco Notes that above IOS 150.2 there needs to be enough room on the flash for the full UCode (MCU) decode as the file is too big to decode from the archive commands. I have gone to the extreme by having an almost completely empty flash structure (sufficient flash memory) to ensure the IOS Upgrade takes.

[balaji.bandi]

I have followed Many devices all success - i do not see any issue :  ( as we mentioned, we are more intrested to completed process, what failing - until we see that we can comment what is wrong ?)

Image Upgrade :
Switch#sh boot system
flash:/c3750e-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.bin
Remove all unnesasary old images from the flash.
Note: leave the current image and only remove the oldest.
Switch#delete flash:c3750e-xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.bin
Extend the TFTP Block Size:
Switch(Conf)#ip tftp blocksize 8192
Copy the new image into the Flash:
Copy tftp://x.x.x.x/c3750e-XXXXX.152-4.E6.bin flash:
Switch#dir
switch#verify /md5 flash:c3750e-XXXXX.152-4.E6.bin
switch(config)#boot system flash:c3750e-XXXXX.152-4.E6.bin
Switch#Show boot
Switch#wr
Reboot

[mike.mcvay]

yes.

I did all that (several times) but it still fails at the new IOS load process @@@@@@@@@@@@@@. If I clear out all excess flash: and there there is no backup IOS in flash: ---- we are dead and I have to resort to an XMODEM upload of an IOS that will load again.

I have another switch, that like you, works every time. I compared the two switches for PID/VID and memory and the only difference I see is the bootloader version 122.58 (failing)/122.53r(working) and the MotherBoard Version B0 (on the failing system) and Version C0 (on the working switch).

I am going to try to load the 152.4E5 3750e universal version without MACSEC from *.tar and using the switch

archive function and see what happens.

[Leo Laohoo]

Ooops.  Wrong comment.