N5k and N2k FEX installation guide

[warren rautenbach]

Hey guys,

Hopefully real world experiences can help me and others who will google this same question

when installing the device, and the master n5k switch upgrades the FEX n2k firmware - does it reboot the master n5k switch or just the FEX n2k extender

Thanks guys

[InayathUlla Sharieff]

The N5K should upgrade the FEX when it is connected the first time. This pocess can take really long time the first time.

[InayathUlla Sharieff · Accepted solution]

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus5000/sw/upgrade/503_N1_1/n5k_upgrade_downgrade_503.html#wp676071

Impact of Upgrades and Downgrades

NX-OS supports a technology called In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) that allows a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches and any connected FEXs to be upgraded without any traffic disruption (with a brief control plane disruption). A few conditions have to be met for the system to be upgraded via ISSU process - the access layer topology should be ISSU compliant, the current and target versions should be ISSU capable and the network should be stable. Please see sections on ISSU for more details.

In the case where the conditions required for ISSU are not met or if the user intends to downgrade the software version, the installation process will be disruptive - Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch and any connected FEX will be rebooted, causing a disruption. If Cisco's Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) technology is configured on Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches, it is possible to achieve an upgrade/downgrade with very minimal traffic disruption to servers/hosts. Please see the section on Minimizing traffic disruption during a non-ISSU installation process for more details.

HTH

Regards

Inayath