ISR1100 operating system replacement

[maxnpj]

I have a few ISR1100-4GLTE-NA models that came with IOS XE as the installed O/S and I don't want to use that right now. I'd rather have the Viptela O/S. I have found plenty of documentation explaining how to put the SDWAN O/S on top of an IOS XE image on a router such as a 4331, but that's not what I want...I want the IOS XE image gone and the Viptela image in its place in this ISR 1100. 

Is there some easy way to do this? I'm thinking I can FTP the Viptela O/S to the device, "install-image" and then "activate" and reboot. Is it that easy? 

[BryanHefner2568]

You bought a Cisco device. It’s going to run Cisco code. 2 years ago, SDWAN code was different than the IOS XE code, but now it’s all the same. If you want to run a code version that 2 years old, go for it, but no one will be supporting you on that code. 

[maxnpj]

Well...maybe you're right about that, but just so I understand so that I'm not trying to do something that can't be done here:

SDWAN code was different than the IOS XE code, but now it’s all the same.

You're saying that the code is the same? Therefore the CLI commands are the same and the templates are the same? I was unaware of that, so thank you for pointing that out. 

If you want to run a code version that 2 years old, go for it, 

You're stating that the Viptela 20.3.4 version is 2 years old? or the 20.6.1 version as well? I thought those were more up to date but thank you for pointing that out. I was unaware of that. 

but no one will be supporting you on that code.

TAC does not support the current version of Viptela code (20.3.4 or 20.6.1)? I was unaware that TAC had stopped supporting that code....thanks for the info. 

[BryanHefner2568]

Not exactly saying you can't do it.  Just that its not a good idea on the router that you have.

You bought a Cisco Router, not a Viptela router.  So you have to run the Cisco Code.  Previously, Cisco has two separate code versions; One for SD-WAN, and one for traditional IOS Routers.  Starting about a year ago, this is just a single unified code version now.  Cisco recommends release 20.3.3.1 (vManage/Controllers) and 17.3.x (Routers).

To use the SD-WAN software, you just convert the router into controller mode for SDWAN.  Then the commands change.  You can still use a lot of the "show" commands for IOS, but now you can also use the 'show sdwan ..." commands.  It also changes configuration mode from 'conf t' to 'config-terminal', and requires a commit before exiting config mode to apply the configuration.  

You can still install the 16.12.x code on your router, but from experience, first time you open a TAC case, Cisco is going to have you upgrade.

It is Viptela code, its just integrated fully into IOS now.

[maxnpj · Accepted solution]

Answered my own question here.....I had to get 20.4.1 on my laptop, then SFTP that to the target vEdge; "install" the software on the vEdge and then "activate" the software on the vEdge; once that was completed and the vEdge was on 20.4.1 I then downgraded the same vEdge to 20.3.4 using the same process...SFTP; install; activate. 

The IOS XE image is gone; the Viptela OS is on the device and working fine. 

Thanks to me on this one.