Cisco IOS XE upgrade Issue (C9606R-C9600X-SUP-2)

[21T]

Hello Team,

I was trying to upgrade Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 17.08.01 to Version 17..11.1. However the upgrade process fails and shows the following error message.

switch# install add file bootflash:cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA

install_add: Adding IMG
/flash1/user/cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA is not valid file or cannot be handled by install CLI.
[1] R0 FAILED: Invalid installation package. Name cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA does not match with cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA.
FAILED: install_add /flash1/user/cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA Thu Sep 28 12:14:31 UTC 2023

Please help!!

[Leo Laohoo]

Two things: 

1.  Look at the filename:  cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA.  WLC stands for Wireless LAN Controller.  That is not a firmware to upgrade the Sup2 firmware. 
2.  Look at the filename again:  cat9k-wlc.17.11.1.SPA.  Where is the file extension?  And that is what the error message is:  What is this file?  Without any file extension, the system does not know how to read it.  

[21T]

Hey Leo,

We managed to upgrade the image, however it was not able to join stackwise virtual domain. It continuously reboots when we try to join to an active stackwise switch and enter to rommon mode.

FYI, below there is #show boot command results for the normal switch and defective switch for your comparison. The differences are highlighted in yellow. I think, If there is a way to change those configs to make it the same with the normal switch, it may fix the problem.

Normal switch

#show boot

BOOT variable = bootflash:packages.conf;
MANUAL_BOOT variable = no
BAUD variable = 9600
ENABLE_BREAK variable does not exist
BOOTMODE variable does not exist
IPXE_TIMEOUT variable does not exist
CONFIG_FILE variable =

Defective Switch

#show boot
BOOT variable = bootflash:packages.conf;
MANUAL_BOOT variable = no
BAUD variable = 9600
ENABLE_BREAK variable does not exist
BOOTMODE variable does not exist
IPXE_TIMEOUT variable does not exist
CONFIG_FILE variable = bootflash:packages.conf

Here are error the logs when it tries to connect to a primary/active stackwise switch. after these repeated logs, in goes to rommon mode  

Current ROMMON image : Primary Rommon Image

Last reset cause:CPU Reset
C9600X-SUP-2 platform with 33554432 Kbytes of main memory

Preparing to autoboot. [Press Ctrl-C to interrupt]  0
boot: attempting to boot from [bootflash:packages.conf]
boot: reading file packages.conf
#
Unsupported package header version (543449460)
boot: failed to boot file bootflash:packages.conf
ERROR: failed to boot from bootflash:packages.conf (Unsupported)
Please wait while the system restarts.

System Bootstrap, Version 17.10.1r, RELEASE SOFTWARE (P)
Compiled Thu Jun 16 01:47:09 2022 by rel

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@21T wrote:

CONFIG_FILE variable = bootflash:packages.conf

---

Who is the "genius" who instructed the system to read the switch configuration off the "packages.conf" file???

---

@21T wrote:
Unsupported package header version (543449460)
boot: failed to boot file bootflash:packages.conf
ERROR: failed to boot from bootflash:packages.conf (Unsupported)
Please wait while the system restarts.

And this is why the secondary supervisor card is in ROMMON -- The system is being instructed to read the configuration off the packages.conf file which is invalid.

[21T]

Haha... It got fixed now Leo. The steps are below

1. Changed CONFIG_FILE variable = bootflash:packages.conf from rommon mode
   1. command= unset CONFIG_FILE variable = bootflash:packages.conf
2. Booted from USB using stable image from rommon mode
   1. (command# boot usbbflash0:<image_name>.bin)
3. Copy image from the USB to flash/bootflash.
   1. copy usbflash0:<image_name>.bin flash:
4. change boot system config
   1. #no boot system
   2. #no boot config 
   3. #boot system flash:<image_name>.bin
   4. #write memory
5. convert from bundle mode to install mode(Optional) * the mode should be the same so that the stackwise configuration works.
   1. install add file:flash:image_name>.bin activate commit
6. Reload
7. Remove unused images from flash
   1. #install remove inactive (removes inactive images from the flash and free up some space. You can use this command if you run out of memory)

Tip: 9606R with C9600X-SUP-2 doesn't support stackwise-virtual with image older than IOS_XE 17.10.0. No Problem with SUP-1.