Issues upgrading 9250i from 8.1(1b) to 8.4(2f)

[ChristopherG0364]

Just upgraded from 7.3.0.DY.1 to 8.1(1b) per Cisco guides. Now I am trying to update from 8.1(1b) to 8.4(2f) and I get a non-descript message about not everything in the image being compatible. I assume maybe the ssi image is a problem, but I'm having a hard time finding information on this.

removed# show boot
Current Boot Variables:

kickstart variable = bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.1.1b.bin
system variable = bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.1.1b.bin
Boot POAP Disabled
Module 1
ssi variable = modflash://1-1/m9000-ek9-ssi-mz.7.3.0.DY.1.bin

Boot Variables on next reload:

kickstart variable = bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.1.1b.bin
system variable = bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.1.1b.bin
Boot POAP Disabled
Module 1
ssi variable = modflash://1-1/m9000-ek9-ssi-mz.7.3.0.DY.1.bin

removed#

removed# show version
Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software
TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Documents: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9372/tsd_products_support_serie
s_home.html
Copyright (c) 2002-2018, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
The copyrights to certain works contained herein are owned by
other third parties and are used and distributed under license.
Some parts of this software are covered under the GNU Public
License. A copy of the license is available at
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html.

Software
BIOS: version 2.1.17
loader: version N/A
kickstart: version 8.1(1b)
system: version 8.1(1b)
BIOS compile time: 01/08/14
kickstart image file is: bootflash:///m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.1.1b.bin
kickstart compile time: 10/1/2018 12:00:00 [10/17/2018 12:00:03]
system image file is: bootflash:///m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.1.1b.bin
system compile time: 10/1/2018 12:00:00 [10/17/2018 15:07:14]

Hardware
cisco MDS 9250i 40 FC 2 IPS 8 FCoE (2 RU) Chassis ("40FC+8FCoE+2IPS Supervisor
")
Motorola, e500v2 with 4088556 kB of memory.
Processor Board ID N/A

Device name: N/A
bootflash: 4001760 kB

Kernel uptime is 0 day(s), 1 hour(s), 38 minute(s), 38 second(s)

Last reset at 227337 usecs after Wed Jun 19 14:10:43 2024

Reason: Reset due to upgrade
System version: 7.3(0)DY(1)
Service:

plugin
Core Plugin

removed# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.4.2f.bin system bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin

Installer will perform impact only check. Please wait.

Verifying image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.4.2f.bin for boot variable "kickstart".
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Verifying image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin for boot variable "system".
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Verifying image modflash://1-1/m9000-ek9-ssi-mz.7.3.0.DY.1.bin for boot variable "ssi".
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Performing module support checks. [####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Verifying image type.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Extracting "system" version from image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Extracting "kickstart" version from image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.4.2f.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Extracting "bios" version from image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Extracting "slc2" version from image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Extracting "ali_ips" version from image bootflash:/m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Performing Compact Flash and TCAM sanity test.
[####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Notifying services about system upgrade. [####################] 100% -- SUCCESS

Compatibility check is done:
Module bootable Impact Install-type Reason
------ -------- -------------- ------------ ------
1 no n/a n/a Incompatible image

Not all components in the image are compatible.
ISSU can't continue

removed# dir bootflash:

20824064 Dec 07 19:12:33 2016 m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.7.3.0.DY.1.bin
25012224 Jun 19 13:26:06 2024 m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.1.1b.bin
26274304 Jun 19 14:18:00 2024 m9250-s5ek9-kickstart-mz.8.4.2f.bin
133954370 Dec 07 19:12:00 2016 m9250-s5ek9-mz.7.3.0.DY.1.bin
137247740 Jun 19 13:30:21 2024 m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.1.1b.bin
150321198 Jun 19 14:20:02 2024 m9250-s5ek9-mz.8.4.2f.bin

[balaji.bandi]

you need to upgrade ssi image to meet higher version available to download from software and test it.

may be - SSI 7.3(1)DY(1) 

[ChristopherG0364]

Thanks for the response, and that's what I assumed after looking into this a bit more. The Cisco recommended SSI image is 6.2(33) which is from 2021. My inclination was to upgrade SSI to that, since the 7.3(1)DY(1) was from 2017. It reports as compatible when I do a pre-check. Are there instruction for manually updating the SSI, I can only find instructions from 3.x which seems rather old.

[balaji.bandi]

install ssi image that what i did long back.

[ChristopherG0364]

I get an error, how do I undefine boot variables if I don't even have an SSI module installed in the first place.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9250i-B(config)# install ssi bootflash:/m9000-ek9-ssi-mz.6.2.33.bin module 1
Not supported for this module

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9250i-B(config)# show module
Mod Ports Module-Type Model Status
--- ----- ---------------------------------- ------------------- ----------
1 50 40FC+8FCoE+2IPS Supervisor DS-C9250I-K9-SUP active *

Mod Sw Hw World-Wide-Name(s) (WWN)
--- --------------- ------ --------------------------------------------------
1 8.1(1b) 1.0 20:01:00:2a:6a:1b:5a:30 to 20:28:00:2a:6a:1b:5a:30

Mod MAC-Address(es) Serial-Num
--- -------------------------------------- ----------
1 3c-08-f6-45-d5-00 to 3c-08-f6-45-d5-0f *removed*

* this terminal session

[ChristopherG0364]

Unhelpful documentation buried in little side notes. Not sure where I go from here, already updated to 8.1 but still have these SSI boot vars defined.

From Cisco MDS NX-OS Release 8.1(1) and later releases, SSI images are no longer supported. Any SSI images installed in boot commands must be removed using the no boot ssi command and then reloading the modules before upgrading to Cisco MDS NX-OS Release 8.1(1) and later releases.

[ChristopherG0364 · Accepted solution]

Just an update for everyone, I ended up downgrading back to 7.3, running the "no boot ssi" command to clear out the boot variables, and then did the non-disruptive upgrade to 8.1(1b) without issue, and then I ran a "show install all impact" for 8.4(2f) and everything came back as compatible without a non-descript incompatibility message. I do wish Cisco included that snippet in the upgrade guide, it would have saved quite a bit of time.