Strange behavior with CSM 4.0.1 deploying asa841-k8.bin

[jkeeffe]

We have CMS v4.0.1 running and several asa-5540s that had v8.3(2).  When 8.4(1) came out a couple weeks ago, I copied asa841-k8.bin and asdm-641.bin to the Auto Update Server and ran a job to upgrade the asa-5540s with the new software. The job ran successfully.

When I access any of the 5540s through ASDM, it shows 8.4(1) running on the General/Home screan. However if, either from the 5540 cli or from Tools/CLI interface, I do a "show ver" this is part of the output I get:

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software Version 8.4(1)
Device Manager Version 6.4(1)

Compiled on Mon 31-Jan-11 02:11 by builders
System image file is "disk0:/asa832-k8.bin"
Config file at boot was "startup-config"

As you can see it shows 8.4(1) running, but the system image file as asa832-k8.bin

Here is the output of "dir disk0:"  (dir flash: gives the same output)

Directory of disk0:/

130    -rwx  15943680     22:11:24 Jan 16 2011  asa831-k8.bin
131    -rwx  14240396     00:15:42 Jan 17 2011  asdm-631.bin
132    -rwx  28672        16:00:00 Dec 31 1979  FSCK0000.REC
3      drwx  4096         16:03:30 Dec 31 2002  log
6      drwx  4096         16:03:38 Dec 31 2002  crypto_archive
13     drwx  4096         16:03:40 Dec 31 2002  coredumpinfo
133    -rwx  24938496     15:09:52 Feb 02 2011  asa832-k8.bin
134    -rwx  15841428     15:13:22 Feb 02 2011  asdm-634.bin
136    -rwx  4096         16:00:00 Dec 31 1979  FSCK0001.REC
137    -rwx  12105313     00:12:00 Jan 17 2011  csd_3.5.841-k9.pkg
138    drwx  4096         05:35:44 Feb 02 2011  sdesktop
139    -rwx  2857568      00:12:02 Jan 17 2011  anyconnect-wince-ARMv4I-2.4.1012-k9.pkg
140    -rwx  3203909      00:12:04 Jan 17 2011  anyconnect-win-2.4.1012-k9.pkg
141    -rwx  4832344      00:12:06 Jan 17 2011  anyconnect-macosx-i386-2.4.1012-k9.pkg
142    -rwx  5209423      00:12:08 Jan 17 2011  anyconnect-linux-2.4.1012-k9.pkg
143    drwx  4096         05:35:30 Feb 02 2011  csm
144    -rwx  3066         07:10:06 Feb 02 2011  8_3_2_0_startup_cfg.sav
145    -rwx  323          07:10:12 Feb 02 2011  upgrade_startup_errors_201102021410.log
148    drwx  4096         12:22:44 Feb 04 2011  tmp

255582208 bytes total (155762688 bytes free)

Nowhere does it show the file asa841-k8.bin.

How can the device show it is running 8.4(1) when that file is not in the file system on the 5540

Is CSM 4.0.1 capable of deploying asa841 - or is there some othere problem going on?

[mirober2 · Accepted solution]

Hello,

This is because when AUS pushes the new image, it simply pushes the new version and renames the file so it doesn't need to change the boot variable. Your ASA was likely running 8.3(2) when you pushed the upgrade, so AUS pushed the new image and named it asa832-k8.bin. The first version you see in the 'show version' output is the actual version that the ASA is running:

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance Software Version 8.4(1) 

The other line you see is simply the name of the file that the ASA loaded at boot time:

System image file is "disk0:/asa832-k8.bin"

There is an enhancement request filed, CSCsx01913, to change this behavior so that is is less confusing, but it has not been implemented yet.

Hope that helps.

-Mike