Upgrade SAN OS and Fabricware

[wilson_1234_2]

I have a 9509 and 9216 both are running:

Software

BIOS: version 1.1.0

loader: version 1.2(2)

kickstart: version 3.0(2a)

system: version 3.0(2a)

BIOS compile time: 10/24/03

kickstart image file is: bootflash:/m9500-sf1ek9-kickstart-mz.3.0.2a.bin

kickstart compile time: 5/4/2006 21:00:00 [06/30/2006 13:51:50]

system image file is: bootflash:/m9500-sf1ek9-mz.3.0.2a.bin

system compile time: 5/4/2006 21:00:00 [06/30/2006 14:13:08]

Hardware

cisco MDS 9509 ("Supervisor/Fabric-1")

Intel(R) Pentium(R) III CPU with 1028604 kB of memory.

Processor Board ID JAB07530623

bootflash: 250368 kB

slot0: 0 kB

9509-01 kernel uptime is 317 days 3 hours 4 minute(s) 6 second(s)

Last reset at 500673 usecs after Wed Feb 7 06:32:58 2007

Reason: Reset by installer

System version: 2.1(1a)

Our EMC SAN will no longer be supported on these versions and I need to upgeade to:

SAN OS 3.1(2)

Fabricware 2.1(2)

I have never upgeaded one of these switches and have no idea of the potential problems associated with doing this.

Can someone give me an idea in what all is involved in this upgrade, the difficulty and potential problems?

Can this be done while the switch is online with no interruption of service to any of the ports?

I appreciate any help,

Thanks

[williamwbishop]

Since you are at 3.0 already, I'm thinking that it is non-disruptive. Hopefully someone will come along and correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall that being the big bonus of 3.X

I would start at the core switch(the 9509), as I also recall some issue with disruption on the 9216's

W.

[Nikhil Sharma]

Hi,

You can use the following doc to upgrade the switch. It is fairly easy and requires a ftp server to download the images to the switch. The install all would tell before upgrading if their would be any problems with install before hand. The upgrade on 9216 would be disruptive though since its a single supervisor which would reload after upgrade. The 9509 should be non-disruptive as it would have the ability to failover to the standby when the active reloads after upgrade.

For SANOS:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps5989/products_configuration_guide_chapter09186a008065fbd4.html

For Fabricware:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/storage/san_switches/mds9000/sw/rel_2_x/fabricware/configuration/guide/img.html

To download the software you would have to go to the download center:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/index.shtml

However you may want to consult with EMC on a support matrix as they qualify HBA/HBA firmware with SAN OS.

Hope this helps!

- N

[wilson_1234_2]

Thasnks for the information.

The 9216 is the DR switch, so it is ok that the upgrade requires the switch to reboot.

The OS shown in my original post was from the EMC support letter we received as, the version supported.

So,

The upgrade process will tell me if there are any issues with the image?

Is there any particular sequence like SAN OS first , then Fabricware?

Also, the SAN OS is linking with the EMC I am assuming which is the reason the version have to be comapatable?

[Gary Ross]

Typically, a SAN-OS upgrade on a Cisco 95xx series switch is non-disruptive. However, if you have any IPS modules, the upgrade will be disruptive and will impact any traffic on those IPS modules.

Do a SHOW MOD to verify what modules you have installed in your core switches.

Also, I highly recommend that you're connected into the Cisco 95xx's via the serial port when performing the upgrade. We have a Cisco 2511 that connects to both sups on both core Cisco 9509's. This way I can watch the upgrade on both sups at the same time.

Hope this helps.

[wilson_1234_2]

It looks like I have:

Mod Ports Module-Type Model Status

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

1 16 1/2 Gbps FC Module DS-X9016 ok

2 16 1/2 Gbps FC Module DS-X9016 ok

4 8 IP Storage Services Module DS-X9308-SMIP ok

5 0 Supervisor/Fabric-1 DS-X9530-SF1-K9 active *

6 0 Supervisor/Fabric-1 DS-X9530-SF1-K9 ha-standby

8 32 1/2 Gbps FC Module DS-X9032 ok

Is the IP Storage Service Module the IPS?

If so, how do I find out what which ports are using this module?

[Gary Ross]

Yes. Module 4 (8 IP Storage Services Module DS-X9308-SMIP) will need to reboot during the SAN-OS upgrade.

To find out if these ports are in use, here is the command I use (someone might have a better idea on how to do this).

The following commands are case sensitive.

sh interf br | inc Gig

and

sh interf br | inc is

Are any of the interface ports UP? If so, those interfaces will be impacted. I'm assuming that you have one Cisco 9509 at the main data center and a Cisco 9216 at the DR site. Is that correct? How are they connected? Fiber or FCIP?

[wilson_1234_2]

Correct, they are connected via FCIP (see my "FCIP link issues" post if you have any ideas on that one).

I am showing a single port which is the FCIP link to DR.

I thought I would upgrade the DR site first to see if there would be any problems.

Also, I a m remote from teh DR site, so I may not be able to use the serial interface to upgrade, any problems with that?

[Gary Ross]

Sounds like you don't have any issues/problems with the DR site going offline.

I've done upgrades via the management port with no problems. I just like to see what is going on but it isn't a big deal. I've just never done an upgrade to Fabricware so I can't speak with too much experience on that.

I can't remember which level of SAN-OS it was but it didn't allow me to upgrade from the management port. Not sure if this is still the case since I perform all our updates from the serial port ever since I ran into that. Sorry.

I'd agree with doing the DR site first and then do the 9509 last. Now you know that you'll lose the connection to the DR site again when performing that upgrade so you

should be good to go.