error copy tftp flash

[yi-chen]

when I issue erase flash,it displays:

Erasing device... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

and then stop there

then I open another telnet session to router and copy tftp flash,it seems worse

2610#copy tftp flash

Address or name of remote host []? 10.41.0.9

Source filename []? c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin

Destination filename [c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin]?

Accessing tftp://10.41.0.9/c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin...

Erase flash: before copying? [confirm]

Erasing the flash filesystem will remove all files! Continue? [confirm]

%dev_open: System flash already in use

%Error erasing flash: (Device in exclusive use)

Loading c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin from 10.41.0.140 (via Serial0/0.1): !

%Error opening flash:c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin (Device in exclusive use)

I wonder why?and I can't reload router for I am upgrading remotely

[svjoseph]

You can't erase or access the flash anymore, since the previous erase process is probably locking it. For some reason, the first erase is hanging. I'm afraid your only option would be to reload, but since the erase might already take some effect, you'd better log into the console. On a side note, this is exactly why remote upgrades can be dangerous...

[JORGE RODRIGUEZ]

Unfortunately you will have to somewho reload the router. From what I see in your message, the erase process does not complete and I feel that if you reload you may end up with a corrupted IOS image forcing you to get it fix via console.

For future reference, the best practice I find for upgrading IOS remotely is to have some kind of backdoor to your remote routers such as:

1) Setup a dialup to your router via modem to get to a console port or using a cisco terminal server, 2511's are excellent. This is a great tool if you don't have networkers at remote sites.

2) It is good to have a TFTP server on local subnet at the remote site, so that when upgrading IOS's you don't have to retreive these images from across WAN connections.

3) On global config I usually do have a way to have an l IOS loaded via TFTP on a local subnet. That is for example:

I have on all my routers these statements:

boot system flash c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin

boot system tftp c2600-js-mz.121-5.T12.bin 172.16.1.9

Should the first statement image fail the sencond stetment option will load an IOS from the local TFTP server. This way if I upgrade and IOS and for some reason the copy process corrupts the image by reloading the router you still have a loaded IOS and all its functions in place.

4)In your case, you could load the IOS from TFTP so that you can work with the erasing flash alone, and then load the IOS into flash and adjust your boot system flash statments accordingly to reflect the IOS images.

5) Always backup your startup-config files as well as the IOS before upgrading.

Jorge Rodriguez