Catalyst 9300 Factory-Reset-All Questions

NotGoodAtCisco · ‎08-21-2021

So... I am not a smart man but please bear with me as I have made a mistake.

A 9300 was given to me for configuration but the password seemed to have been forgotten me not really reading too much missed the article where I could bypass the config and instead factory reset the thing which the iOS.

Please try and be helpful here as I already feel pretty foolish for not reading more before committing to this, but I have a couple of questions I would like answered to kind of ease my mind.

1. So I have logged in to cisco to obtain the bin file the original iOS was CAT9K_IOSXE16.12.02(fc2) should I be fine downloading and installing cat9k_iosxe.17.03.03.SPA? or should I stick to major release 16?

2. From what I have read the factory reset does not impact licensing but will I need to do anything to ensure the system is licensed properly.

3. Are there any precautions or considerations before loading the new iOS?

Leo Laohoo · ‎08-21-2021

@NotGoodAtCisco wrote:

1. So I have logged in to cisco to obtain the bin file the original iOS was CAT9K_IOSXE16.12.02(fc2) should I be fine downloading and installing cat9k_iosxe.17.03.03.SPA? or should I stick to major release 16?

Go with the newly release 17.3.4.

@NotGoodAtCisco wrote:

2. From what I have read the factory reset does not impact licensing but will I need to do anything to ensure the system is licensed properly.

The command "factory-reset all" will erase all the contents of the flash and the appliance will boot into ROMMON. Use the command "emergency-install usbflash0:filename.bin" to re-install the firmware packages back into the switch.

@NotGoodAtCisco wrote:

3. Are there any precautions or considerations before loading the new iOS?

RTFM.
Make it a habit to read the Release Notes. IOS-XE is far more complicated than classic IOS.

00u1ab28axbOOzhqE5d7 · ‎09-12-2022

Sounds like 'license smart factory reset' should be performed before entering 'factory-reset all'? Does the smart license contain any identifying information settings data etc? Its easy to get burned just entering a command like 'factory-reset all and thinking the switch is truly reset. I also just found 'crypto key zeroize' needs be be done as well since the factory rest does not remove those. There are additional option if you enter 'crypto key zeroize ?'. Do those options need to be done as well. This brings has brought me down a rabbit hole of questions like what other commands are needed to do a factory reset and what other equipment should this be done on like routers and 3650/3850. Was burned in the past by just doing a write erase on routers years ago and dont wan to make similar mistakes.