9500-16X-A with SVL IOS-XE and ROMMON upgrade advice

Feds · ‎08-16-2022

Hi all,
We need to upgrade IOS-XE and ROMMON for a 9500-16X from 16.12.1 to 17.6.1.
I have some doubts on what is the right procedure for ROMMON upgrade, as the documentation (and here) is not very clear about it.
As I can't use ISSU (as per this document), my original plan was to go with the IOS-XE upgrade (install mode) first and then after the reload run the ROMMON upgrades (manual due to platform + current/target IOS-XE) for primary and capsule, for both standby and active members. What would be the best way to achieve this?
Thank you!
Regards
Fed S.

Leo Laohoo · ‎08-16-2022

@Feds wrote:
We need to upgrade IOS-XE and ROMMON for a 9500-16X from 16.12.1 to 17.6.1.

Who provided the "recommendation" to upgrade to 17.6.1?

If I was to upgrade, I would go with either the soon-to-be-released 17.3.6 or soon-to-be-released 17.6.4.

IMPORTANT: Look at the last digits. It DOES NOT end with a "1".

Feds · ‎08-16-2022

Hi Leo,

Thanks for looking at this! I hoped you did
Unfortunately we have to use that version as bug CSCvw67001 is fixed ONLY for 17.6.1 and surprisingly not on the following 17.6.2 and .3 – this is what TAC had told me.. BUT I’ve just got a new email stating that the bug is also fixed in 17.6.3 which makes sense.
Would you suggest not to use 17.6.3 too and ait for .4?

Re ROMMON, could you please provide your view?

Thanks!
Fed

Leo Laohoo · ‎08-17-2022

Ask TAC if the bug is fixed in 17.6.3 or 17.6.4. This is a very important question. If this bug is fixed in 17.6.4, then upgrade to that.

@Feds wrote:
Re ROMMON, could you please provide your view?

I got some good news and some bad news.

I am a very bad person so I will start with the good news: 9300/9400/9500/9600 ROMMON Upgrade is automatic.

Bad News: 9300/9400/9500/9600 has manual Golden Capsule Upgrade.

Feds · ‎09-05-2022

Hi Leo,
Sorry it took some time to reply.

According to the document I mentioned above there's an exception to the automatic upgrade which is "On the C9500-12Q, C9500-16X, C9500-24Q, C9500-40X models [...] you must manually upgrade the ROMMON in the primary SPI flash device, if a new version is applicable, and the release you are upgrading from is Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 or a later release".
We were upgrading a C9500-16X rom 16.12.1 to 17.6.1 (customer wanted this one, long story) and the new ROMMON version was applicable, so this exception applied to us.
After IOS-XE upgrade in install mode I checked BOOTLDR was definitely still old one for both members and had to manually run the upgrade for both Pri and Golden (as you advised and as per doco) for both. It was a time comsuming process including reloads and switchovers.

Thank you
Fed

lzampetti · ‎09-23-2022

Hello Leo, I also need to upgrade both the primary and golden SPI on two stand-alone 9500 x16 devices. I have found this command- upgrade rom-monitor capsule golden | primary[R0 | RP active]. Is this the correct command to update both at the same time or should it be changed to address the upgrade one SPI at a time. Which SPI should be updated first and can I upgrade before I upgrade to the Bengaluru IOS or is it dependent on the IOS upgrade package to perform the ROMMON upgrade so it should be done after? These are the details that seem to be eluding me in Cisco's documentation of the process. Any help is appreciated.

Leo Laohoo · ‎09-23-2022

@lzampetti wrote:
Is this the correct command to update both at the same time

Unlike the Install Mode command where the firmware file gets "distributed" to the secondary or stack members, the Golden Capsule is crudely standalone command.
Each switch member needs to be manually upgraded.

Personally, I would not recommend anyone perform the Golden Capsule upgrade.

lzampetti · ‎09-23-2022

I just want to be sure that when I install Bengaluru 17.6.3 that it will boot correctly. I seemingly would need to at least update the primary SPI. So if I just walk up to the switch and run the upgrade rom-monitor capsule primary switch command it will somehow upgrade the primary SPI device to 17.6.1r just like that without any other prep and I'd be ready to upgrade from Amsterdam to Bengtaluru?

Leo Laohoo · ‎09-23-2022

We are currently testing 17.6.4 and I have never performed any Golden Capsule Upgrade in production.

(17.6.1r is the ROMMON and it is a completely different thing compare to Golden Capsule.)

After the different bugs me and my colleagues have been discovering since IOS-XE first came out, there is a strong chance of causing irreversible damage to an entire switch by performing as simple as Golden Capsule Upgrade.