ISR 4000 BOOT more than 6 minutes

[Ronen Benjamin]

Hello

We have a ISR 4331   equipped with L3 switch , and boot takes for the Router more the 6 min and additional 4 min for the switchץ

we tried soft release     16.6 ,     16.12.4   .and it did not improve in 1 sec. also  the Command reload warm doesn't work in those release .

Please advise 

[Georg Pauwen]

Hello,

there have been a few threads discussing this same issue. Basically, what it comes down to is that, since these are high(er) end routers running IOS XE, and not IOS, there is not much you can do to shorten the boot time. According to Wikipedia:

"Cisco IOS is a monolithic operating system running directly on the hardware while IOS XE is a combination of a linux kernel and a (monolithic) application (IOSd) that runs on top of this kernel."

[Leo Laohoo]

Is the router image in Bundle or Install Mode? 

Bundle mode will take about three to four minutes LONGER to boot up.  

Install Mode is the recommended method.

[paul driver]

Hello

i agree with @Leo Laohoo try install mode as the router doesn’t then have to take the time to unpack the software as it would in bundle mode so less time incurred.

[Ronen Benjamin]

Hi

Sorry for being Novice what is INSTALL MODE ?

Please explain

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Ronen Benjamin wrote:

what is INSTALL MODE ?

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Post the complete output to the command "sh version".

Since the introduction to the "new" IOS-XE (vs "classic" IOS), Cisco IOS can either be loaded in Install Mode or Bundle Mode. 

Bundle Mode means the router or switch boots the BIN file. 

Install Mode means the router or switch boots the package files.  

The package files are compressed into the BIN file (like ZIP or RAR).  

In order for the appliance to boot up in Bundle Mode (boots the BIN file), the firmware is first "un-packed" in memory -- And this takes time.  

However, if the firmware is already un-packed, then the appliance skips the process of un-packing and boots straight to the files directly.

Just as a note, each version have different process to unpack the firmware to Install Mode.  3.X.X have a different command to 16.X.X and 17.X.X have additional steps -- It pays to read the Release Notes very, very carefully. 

[Ronen Benjamin]

Do you have some configurtion guide for this option?

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Ronen Benjamin wrote:

Do you have some configurtion guide for this option?

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Read my last response:  It pays to read the Release Notes very, very carefully. 

[Ronen Benjamin]

Ok thanks. 

Quick question  in Insatll mode , what is the boot time for the router and the switch ?

[Leo Laohoo]

A clean appliance (no config & no modules installed) boot-up time, in Install Mode, is around <4.5 minutes.