12-12-2024 04:58 AM - edited 12-12-2024 05:24 AM
Hi we are in the process of upgrading the firmware on our Catalyst 3850-48T - I have the below options from cisco firmware download.
what does E , L , S Switch mean ?is it the technology pack ie mine is LAN BASE? So use the L switch ? They are all the same images regardless but just wanted to make sure.
Stack is in install mode currently on 16.3.6 - Can I upgrade to latest directly ?
Is there anything that I need to consider before the upgrade?
12-12-2024 06:25 AM
"Is there anything that I need to consider before the upgrade?"
And
"Can I upgrade to latest directly ?"
Both should be addressed by release notes. I.e. prerequisites, if any, for moving up to a newer release.
"what does E , L , S Switch mean ?". I recall enhanced, LAN and standard.
Generally the letter suffix represents initial feature set on the device. Sometimes device feature set cannot be upgraded, sometimes it can. Usually a S can be upgraded to an E, and sometimes a L cannot be upgraded.
12-12-2024 06:54 AM - edited 12-12-2024 06:54 AM
L - LAN Base license - LAN Base: Enterprise access Layer 2 switching features
S - IP Base - Enterprise access Layer 3 switching features
E - Enterprise License - IP Services: Advanced enterprise Layer 3 switching (IPv4 and IPv6) features
information can be find here :
its only License that applicable based on the devices. now we have universal image available to download
Cisco suggested version 16.12.12
https://software.cisco.com/download/home/284455434/type/282046477/release/Gibraltar-16.12.12
read the release notes depends on what mode existing switches bundle mode or install mode ?
There will be Microcode upgrade it automtically take place - as mentioned read the release notes and check any caveats that affects your environment before upgrade.
12-12-2024 08:01 AM - edited 12-12-2024 08:03 AM
"E - Enterprise License - IP Services:"
BTW, "E" may often, today, be taken as meaning "enterprise" but S for standard and E for enhanced go further back in small Catalyst switch feature usage also predating the L LAN feature level. I.e., I believe those product code suffixes were retained on later products.
For example, I recall when the 3750 was introduced if could be ordered with IP Base, the S suffix, or with lP Services, the E suffix, although initially Cisco also had an available Advanced IP Services feature set too, although I don't recall a special suffix for initial ordering (you may have needed to order the -E suffix with a paper license for that feature set).
For example: https://community.cisco.com/t5/switching/emi-vs-smi/td-p/703750
If you go back even earlier, like the 3500 series, you'll see SMI and EMI again, I recall. E.g. https://community.cisco.com/t5/switching/smi-vs-emi/td-p/636939
12-12-2024 11:55 PM
E - Enterprise License
E stands for new Essential (Cisco changes many things)—I only refer to the model and IOS at the time of definition.
12-13-2024 03:09 AM
E for essential, do you have a reference? And, S now stands for?
(Do know, I've been retired some years now from networking, and I don't much concern myself with product ordering codes.)
Yea, Cisco certainly can rename, so if E is for essential, S is for subset (of essential)? ; )
I recall, years ago, when there were multiple features images, for routers, each with its own .bin, the Enterprise image, which had all possible features, had a letter K in the .bin file name, which I recall was sometimes referred to as standing for "kitchen sink". Don't recall its ordering product code, either either stand alone nor on a newly purchased router.
Besides naming, Cisco can change what features go into a feature set over the years. Features might vary between product series too. In the past, perhaps, Cisco's Feature Navigator was more important.
One of the most significant that I encountered, was as noted in a prior reply, initially Cisco had both a IP Services and Advanced IP Services for 3750, but they later merged the latter into the former. (Which was a nice cost savings if you needed the latter's features. I don't, though, recall getting a refund for the latter's additional cost if already acquired.)
12-12-2024 04:08 PM
12-13-2024 04:01 AM
Thanks for all the replies !
If I have a spare couple of 3850 , Can I upgrade those and swap them in ? Provided I copy all the running config on to the new switches. The current set up is running VTP server - would that cause any issues ?
12-13-2024 12:59 PM
Yes, you can offline upgrade to the latest code, copy and paste the config, and see that all the config is okay without any errors. Save the config and replace the old device with the new upgraded device when you get downtime.
Maybe carefully replace the VTP Server switch—or chance to convert them to transparent and create a local VLAN if that is a small setup.
12-16-2024 10:13 AM - edited 12-16-2024 10:14 AM
Update - Upgraded one Standalone switch - All worked well
The Show Platform command shows the full model number if that help anyone while downloading the firmware.
So just as a precaution - I have copied the config from the production sw to the spare one before I upgrade the main stack firmware.
The Vlans have been created to mirror the production switch - The VTP domain name has not copied over to the spare so shall I input the domain name and make the spare switch transparent ? anything else to take in to consideration ?
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