9500 stackwise system upgrade not ISSU

[nporcelli]

Hello Comunity,

I have a couple of 9500 in Stackwise configuration, running 16.9.2. need to upgrade to 17.6.5. I checked the release notes and a direct upgrade is possible, the microcode will be upgraded as well so each switch will take longer to upgrade.

it is clear to me that I cannot use ISSU upgrade in this particular case. 

These devices are in production so I need to minimize disruption and be sure of the procedure, I have done many 9K upgrade as single switches but never done a stackwise system before.

It is not clear to me if I need to upgrade each node separately or if once I have uploaded the new IOS to the active node, and run the command "install add file boot.... activate commit", the process will automatically run the upgrade on both nodes (including copying the software from the active node to the standby one).

Can anyone please let me know what the procedure is in this specific case?

thanks in advance.

Nicola

[M02@rt37]

Hello @nporcelli,

Please follow this:

https://blog.noblinkyblinky.com/2019/07/27/upgrading-ios-xe-on-catalyst-9000-series-switch-stack/

Th "Install add" command takes the file and copies it to bootflash on all of the switches in the switch stack. 

[nporcelli]

Thanks but this document is for a 9300 in stack, I have done many of them, so no problem there. I am talking about a 9500 in stackwise, this is not a physical stack. I cannot find a clear procedure for them.

[Leo Laohoo]

There are two ways to upgrade the VSS pair:

Option 1:  Follow the Cisco recommended process and upgrade using CLI/GUI.  This method will reboot the pair when the upgrade command is entered. 

Option 2:  Read and understand:  One-Hit-Wonder Upgrade.  This process is long, however, this process also allows the user to reboot the chassis at a later time/date.  

[nporcelli]

Hi Leo,

Thanks for your answer but still I am not sure of the procedure, let me clarify what my doubts are.

I have done many 9K upgrade, 9200 9300 single or stack, and I have not problem there.- I have upgraded 9500 single switches, so no problem there. 

I now need to upgrade a pair of 9500 in stackwise. So they are logically linked but they are not in a physical stack. I do not want to re-invent the wheel, don't want to experiment on a live system and don't have a pair of 9500 to use for testing.

I went through the release notes that explain how to upgrade but I did not find the answer to my questions.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9500/software/release/17-6/release_notes/ol-17-6-9500.html#id_67613

i.e.  this is step 4

We recommend that you point to the source image on your TFTP server or the flash drive of the active switch, if you have copied the image to flash memory. If you point to an image on the flash or USB drive of a member switch (instead of the active), you must specify the exact flash or USB drive - otherwise installation fails. For example, if the image is on the flash drive of member switch 3 (flash-3): Switch# install add file flash-3:cat9k_iosxe.17.06.01.SPA.bin activate commit.

in a 9500 stackwise you can only have 2 switches, so does this point apply to the 9500? what I mean is if I copy the software to the flash of the active switch, will this be installed on both switches, in a stackwise pair? or does this only apply to a physical stack (in the example above the IOS is on flash-3 so this is not a 9500)?

if I had a stack of 9300 I would put the IOS on one of the flash run the install command and the process would install the software on all the members in the stack, and reload the whole stack at once.

with a pair of 9500 in stackwise if I put the IOS on the flash of the active switch what will happen when I run the install command? will the software be installed on both switches? will both switches reload at the same time? or will the process reload one switch at a time, minimizing the downtime? or do I need to copy the software on each switch and run the install command on one switch at a time?

the same document explains what happens if you run the install in ISSU, and it is clear, but I cannot find a description of what happens for a stackwise upgrade that is not ISSU.

thanks in advance

Nicola

[Leo Laohoo]

Please read the instructions I have written.  The instructions are specifically for 9500 in VSS.  

[nporcelli]

Hi Leo,

thanks I read your procedure and I understand it.

Sorry I still have one question, in my case with a couple of 9500, after I stopped the upgrade process and changed the file name, what happens when I enter the reload command, will this reload only the node I am connected to, or will it reload both nodes? 

if it only reloads the one I am connected to, when should I reload the second node so that I don't have issues with running different versions?

Thanks

Nicola

[Leo Laohoo]

Reload command will reboot both units at the same time.

[salomidhogela]

Hi,

Did you managed with this upgrade?

Regards,

Salom