Firepower 1120: USB 3.x Media Incompatible - Required to use USB 2.x

[BrianSekleckiGE]

All:

[Updated Subject]

Per a ReddIt thread, I have learned that the following errors are ambiguous.  The root problem is that the onboard low level firmware (LOCAL-MGMT) seems not to support:

1) USB 3.x Drives (even though the port is clearly a BLUE USB 3.x port)

1.2) SDCard or CFCard USB 2.x Adapters

2) Thumb/Normal USB Drives greater than 4 or 8 GB capacity

https://www.reddit.com/r/networking/comments/he4les/reimage_1120_to_asa_code/

For example, With a 32GB USB 3.x Drive

firepower(local-mgmt)# dir usbdrive:/
USB drive is not mounted. Please insert a USB key. <---- !!!!!!!!!!
firepower(local-mgmt)# dir

--and--

firepower /firmware # download image usbA:/cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA
Please use the command 'show download-task' or 'show download-task detail' to check download progress.
% Download-task cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA : failed. Download failure - USB drive is not mounted

For example, With a 4GB Drive (Sucessful)

firepower(local-mgmt)# dir usbdrive:/

2 4096 Nov 15 17:48:56 2022 System Volume Information/
1 394056000 Nov 15 17:02:20 2022 cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA
1 130 Nov 15 17:00:16 2022 cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA.Cisco_Checksum-SHA512.txt
1 157 Nov 15 17:02:56 2022 cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA.sha3-512
1 157 Nov 15 17:02:46 2022 cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA.sha512

firepower /firmware # download image usbA:/cisco-asa-fp1k.9.16.2.SPA
Please use the command 'show download-task' or 'show download-task detail' to check download progress.
firepower /firmware #

[BrianSekleckiGE]

In the end, this was not a maximum storage size issue.

Instead the issue was a requirement to use USB 2.x and not a USB 3.x device.

Firepower low level firmware (supevisor, etc.) can only support USB 2.x media, even though:

1) The physical USB port is clearly a BLUE USB 3.x port

2) The hardware guide clearly says USB 3.x

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/1010/hw/guide/hw-install-1010/overview.html
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/1100/hw/guide/hw-install-1100/overview.html

So for example, when you order USB Media to use with your Cisco FirePower 11xx Chassis, take care to ensure it is USB 2.x and NOT USB 3.x:

Cross reference to: https://community.cisco.com/t5/network-security/download-failure-internal-error-1/td-p/4482084