Software upgrade C2960 from 12.2(55)SE10 to 15.0.2-SE10a

[wittrup58]

It started with me not being able to upgrade via web interface.  The exact same issue as this: cannot upgrade switches.

So console connection it is.  Had to overcoming getting TFTP server to work under windows 10 (SolarWinds wouldn't bind to the correct interface, Open TFTP Server worked like a charm) and followed with this question How Do I Upgrade a Cisco Catalyst 2960.

The command

Switch#  archive tar /xtract tftp://<ipaddress>/c2960-lanbasek9-tar.150-2.SE10a.tar flash:

fails (after the .bin has been extracted and while unpacking HTML files) with 

%Error writing flash:/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a/html/es/help/trends.htm (Not enough space on device)

Leading to TFTP transfer fails with a Not enough space which suggest flash: should be erased.

My bootpath goes there:

Switch#show boot
BOOT path-list : flash:c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10.bin

1. Will erase flash: be safe to execute?  I.e. will switch reload/reboot after that?
2. Can I safely change the boot to flash:/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a.bin reload and then delete c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10 and then unpack the complete c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a?
3. Any other way to upgrade software?

FWIW:

Switch#dir flash:
Directory of flash:/

2 drwx 512 Mar 1 1993 03:29:08 +00:00 c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a
3 -rwx 4590 Mar 1 1993 00:07:55 +00:00 config.text
4 -rwx 1911 Mar 1 1993 00:07:55 +00:00 private-config.text
763 -rwx 4608 Mar 1 1993 07:40:46 +00:00 multiple-fs
5 drwx 512 Mar 1 1993 00:19:00 +00:00 c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10

27998208 bytes total (512 bytes free)

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

archive tar /xtract tftp://<ipaddress>/c2960-lanbasek9-tar.150-2.SE10a.tar flash:

Let me be brutally frank:  Unless one knows what they are doing NEVER (EVER) use "archive tar /xtract" command.  This command, useful in extreme cases, does not provide some of the versatility as the "archive download-sw" command.  

In this particular case, where there is not enough space, the "archive download-sw" has the option of "/overwrite" and this will instruct the process to delete the first old IOS subdirectory.  

In regards to boot variable string, "archive download-sw", by default, change the boot variable string.  

See my presentation in regards to this very topic:  IOS Upgrade on Catalyst Switches 29XX, 3560 and 3750 - Easy as Pi

[wittrup58]

Nice presentation. ios_upgrade_on_catalyst_switches_2900_3500_and_3700_-_easy_as_pi.pdf

I think you should have mentioned in your answer that I should use the command:

archive download-sw /overwrite tftp://<ipaddress>/c2960-lanbasek9-tar.150-2.SE10a.tar

Would have saved me some trouble ;)

[Julio E. Moisa]

Hi

Yes you should delete the current images (it will free space) to upgrade the new one, the switch will not be reboot, it is safe. Also you do not reboot the switch once the image is deleted. Also be sure you have selected the correct/compatible image in order to upgrade. And always make a backup of your configuration.

Your output shows that you have the current image into a directory: 

Switch#dir flash:
Directory of flash:/

2 drwx 512 Mar 1 1993 03:29:08 +00:00 c2960-lanbasek9-mz.150-2.SE10a
3 -rwx 4590 Mar 1 1993 00:07:55 +00:00 config.text
4 -rwx 1911 Mar 1 1993 00:07:55 +00:00 private-config.text
763 -rwx 4608 Mar 1 1993 07:40:46 +00:00 multiple-fs
5 drwx 512 Mar 1 1993 00:19:00 +00:00 c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10

27998208 bytes total (512 bytes free)

To check where the .bin image is please run this command:

dir flash:c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10a/ <---- not sure if the 'a' is part of the path, you could check that.

So you should execute this command line:

delete flash:c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10a/c2960-lanbasek9-mz.122-55.SE10.bin

Once it is removed you can execute the command to xtract the .tar file. 

archive tar /xtract tftp://<ipaddress>/c2960-lanbasek9-tar.150-2.SE10a.tar flash:

But remember Do Not reboot the switch, once it is completed and no error messages are displayed, you must save the config with write command. Once everything is in place, you could set up the boot system before to reboot.

If you have the .bin a file you could execute:

Switch#copy tftp: flash:
Address or name of remote host []? <remote host where the .bin file is storage>
Source filename []? < name of file.bin>
Destination filename [file.bin]?  just press enter if everything is correct
Accessing tftp://ip address/file.bin...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This link could be useful: http://cisco2960.over-blog.com/2014/04/how-to-upgrade-an-ios-file-on-a-2950-or-2960-catalyst-switch.html

Please rate the comment if it is useful :-)