08-24-2016 01:26 PM - edited 03-08-2019 07:08 AM
Currently the Cisco Catalyst 6506 Switch I am configuring is having booting issues (in addition to prior issues), and will fail to automatically load the IOS after a reload or loss of power. I can specify the boot path and load the IOS in rommon>, though I would prefer to not have to manually boot the IOS and possibly find the underlying cause of prior and current issues. I will describe and list out the current issues and my attempts thus far.
Cisco Catalyst 6506 Switch
Prior to this the 6500 was unable to boot at all. After issuing a boot command from rommon mode , it would decompress the image and return to rommon mode. The following messages were also displayed :
================================================================================
Warning: Rommon NVRAM area is corrupted. Initialize the area to default values
================================================================================
00:03:04: %SYS-SP-3-LOGGER_FLUSHED: System was paused for 00:00:00 to ensure console debugging output.
00:03:05: %OIR-SP-6-CONSOLE: Changing console ownership to switch processor
================================================================================
*** System received a Software forced crash ***
signal= 0x17, code= 0x42370000, context= 0x4239d6a4
PC = 0x40130b4c, Cause = 0x1820, Status Reg = 0x34018002
================================================================================
I at first tried to reset and reinitialize, and transferred in the IOS image over xmodem after about a day. After ensuring the proper configuration register was set, exploring device contents, and resetting I was able to boot the IOS image. However after setting some initial configurations, I found the reload brought me right back into rommon mode. I first thought to configure the boot path within the IOS itself and individually tried the following commands:
boot system sup-bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
boot system flash sup-bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
However after each reload I still had to issue boot bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin at the rommon prompt. At the prompt I attempted to set the boot path with the following(output attached)
rommon 1 > dev
Devices in device table:
id name
bootflash: boot flash
slot0: PCMCIA slot 0
disk0: PCMCIA slot 0
eprom: eprom
rommon 2 > dir bootflash:
File size Checksum File name
20360360 bytes (0x136aca8) 0x65c3cdc4 c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
rommon 3 > BOOT=bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
rommon 4 > sync
This seemed to be successful once, and returned to its previous behavior. I have thought about reformatting, though haven't gone that route yet. Attached are the current command outputs of relevant information. Thanks.
08-24-2016 01:44 PM
Hi,
The error Warning: Rommon NVRAM area is corrupted. Initialize the area to default values is normally an indication of a hardware problem, you may try reformatting but most likely this is a HW issue.
Also the sup module is EOL/EOS since 2012, so you may consider moving to a supported platform.
HTH.
Jose
09-06-2016 11:26 AM
What platform would you recommend moving to?
08-25-2016 12:50 AM
Replace the two CR1225 batteries (one on the SUP, one on the MSFC) and set the BOOT variable and config register (0x2102) again.
08-25-2016 08:23 AM
Working on this now, thanks. Getting some ordered now, I will reply with the results. In the meantime I will check them with a multi meter.
09-06-2016 10:53 AM
Did readings on both batteries , the SUP was lower than expected and the CR1225 battery on the MSFC was completely dead. While I had the board out for testing, i replaced it with a WS-X6K-SUP2-2GE, and I loaded a configuration onto it , and there wasn't any real issue, except that it booted into rommon as well, I was attempting to fix the conf register when it got stuck in an autoboot error
Autoboot executing command: "boot bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin"
open(): Open Error = -9
loadprog: error - on file open
boot: cannot load "bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin"
As for the MSFC Supervisor I borrowed a functioning battery from another board until batteries arrive. In looking it over, somethings that I am unfamiliar with is Sessions and SP/RP mode. I am not sure how to tell when I am in RP rommon , and in cases like this:
Router#show bootvar
BOOT variable = bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin,1;sup-bootflash:c6sup22-js-
mz.121-27b.E1.bin,12
CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist
BOOTLDR variable does not exist
Configuration register is 0x2102
Standby is not up.
Router#remote command switch show bootvar
BOOT variable = bootflash:c6sup22-js-mz.121-27b.E1.bin,1;bootflash:c6sup22-js-
mz.121-27b.E1.bin,12
CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist
BOOTLDR variable does not exist
Configuration register is 0x0
Where i see a missing configuration register by performing {remote command switch show bootvar} , but I am not certain if it needs to be set in conjunction or how to set it on the switch.
09-06-2016 11:03 AM
Just do "conf t", "config-register 0x2102", "wr mem" and it should get updated on both SP and RP.
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