How to add a new Flash to a Cisco 3600 series router and copy an image to it without using xmodem

[TCC_2]

Core Issue

Because the Cisco 3600 series routers have two Flash SIMM slots and there is no requirement that the Flash SIMMs be the same size, it is possible to add a second Flash SIMM on a router with only one SIMM installed and copy an image to it using TFTP. In order to accomplish this, partitioning is required. This is less time-consuming than an xmodem procedure.

Resolution

If the 3600 series router has a Cisco IOS  image installed on one Flash SIMM and you wish to replace it with a larger Flash SIMM, perform the steps below. This example demonstrates going from one 8 MB Flash SIMM to two 16 MB Flash SIMMs.

1. Power off the router.
2. Install one of the 16 MB Flash SIMMs in the second slot.
3. Power the router back on. When the router loads, there should be 24 MB of Flash showing up in the show version command output.
4. Issue the partition flash [number-of-partitions] [partition-size] global configuration command. This is an example of the command output:

   router(config)#partition flash 2 8 16
   router(config)#^Z (ctrl z to exit)
   router#

The two Flash SIMMs are now partitioned.

Copy the Cisco IOS file to the second partition. If you are copying the file from the original 8 MB SIMM, issue the copy flash:1: <filename> flash:2: command.

This is an example of the command output for the filename c3640-i-mz.122-10.bin:

router#copy flash:1:c3640-i-mz.122-10.bin flash:2:

If you are copying a file from a TFTP server, issue the copy tftp flash:2: command and follow the prompts for the TFTP server address and filename.

Once the image is copied on the 16 MB Flash SIMM, perform these steps:

1. Power off the router.
2. Remove the 8 MB Flash SIMM and replace it with the new 16 MB Flash SIMM with the image on it.
3. Install the other 16 MB Flash SIMM in the second slot.
4. Power the router back on. You may see an error message about the partitions, but this should only happen once at the initial boot.
5. Issue the show version command to verify that one 32 MB partition now exists.

To create two 16 MB partitions, issue the partition flash 2 16 16 global configuration command.

To remove the partitions, issue the no partition flash command.