Cisco IOS/images - Staying up to date

[cknox1]

Hi Guys,

What are the best ways of keeping up to date with new IOS files that are released?

for example how do you get notified when a new image that has become available which will need to be applied to your switches? I don’t think that Cisco notify you of this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated and please feel free to add further details to my question if you think they are necessary. 

Thank you guys in advance!!

[Seb Rupik]

Hi there,

On the Cisco software download page, for every platform there is a notification button. This will send you emails regarding EOS/EOL, field notices, security advisories, software updates and known bugs at regular intervals (daily, weekly, monthly).

cheers,

Seb.

[cknox1]

Hi Seb,

Thank you for your response - is this typically the best way to keep up to date in an organisation?

lets say is this best practice?

Thanks!

[Seb Rupik]

It depends on how proactive you want to be,.. or your boss expects you to be! Depending on the size of your estate and variety of hardware, combined with keeping an eye on the Cisco security advisories page (https://tools.cisco.com/security/center/publicationListing.x) , it could become a full time task to keep on top of.

Regarding the security advisories, Cisco offers an enterprise scale solution for fairly recent hardware in the form of APIC-EM when using the 'integrity verification' application/ plugin.

 https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/cloud-systems-management/application-policy-infrastructure-controller-enterprise-module/1-5-x/integrity_verification/release-notes_ver_275/Cisco_IV_App_RN_1_5_0_275.pdf

cheers,

Seb.

[cknox1]

Hi Seb,

Thank you for this information - I understand that it can become a full time task constantly scanning the Cisco pages for updates and advisories.

However, I think that with the links and advise you have given me - I have some more idea on how to keep track of these things!

Thank you for your assistance!

[Yury Kuzminov]

Thanks, it was helpful. I used the reminder in my work scheduler to periodically check an updates :)