9800-40 FlexConnect Image Download always takes 1 hour

[littleyoda]

I am not sure what I have misconfigured but this only happens over the data center hosted FlexConnect controllers, any AP model. When I migrate an AP to the 9800 controller which is on code 17.3.3, the image always takes an hour to download to the AP even over fast MPLS connections. 

Anyone have an idea or experience the same issue?

[Arshad Safrulla]

Which AP models are having the issue and what platform you are migrating from and the code it was running. I assume that you have Flex AP's at remote sites, you can consider enabling efficient image upgrade under AP tags. This follows a master slave model, where the AP is downloaded to the master AP in remote location and image will be shared across other slave AP's in the same site.

But please note that the Cisco Wave 1 APs (x700 series) may download the image twice while moving from certain Cisco AireOS to Cisco IOS XE. This increases the AP downtime during migration. This is well known and pre-download will not work here.

https://content.cisco.com/chapter.sjs?uri=/searchable/chapter/content/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/16-11/config-guide/b_wl_16_11_cg/efficient-image-upgrade.html.xml

[littleyoda]

3802, 2802, even the 9120AXE. 

Using the Master/Save AP / Efficient imaging won't work because that only applies to existing joined access points. From migrating to a 5520 controller to the 9800 controller, each AP will have to download. However, either way, an hour to download the 9800 IOS image to these should not take one hour, especially over a 50M MPLS.

[Arshad Safrulla]

What was your migration process. Would you mind explaining briefly.

Also how many AP's were getting upgraded at the same time? Do you have console logs from an impacted AP?

[littleyoda]

A single AP. I can go one at a time it doesn't matter. I just change HA configuration on the AP tp point primary to the new 9800 controller. Pretty standard.

[Arshad Safrulla]

If end to end reachability from AP to WLC and vice versa is not a problem (no firewall, no asymmetric routing etc), I would be speaking to TAC to see why considering you are upgrading AP by AP. 

Did you also check on the 9800 to see the progress of AP join and try to match with the timeline, you can always do a RA trace using AP MAC.

[Scott Fella]

Not a problem for me at all with aps all over the world.  Maybe standup a 9800-CL in a site and test locally and with an ap located elsewhere. This way you can determine if there is an issue maybe with your install in the DC or maybe not. If you have a 9800 in a lab, you can use that also and have an ap join that. Get a baseline using different scenarios. 

[littleyoda]

Thanks Scott. It doesn't happen to a local 9800-CL. We do have Cisco IWAN
though so my guess this could be the culprit that I need to investigate. I
could try upgrading remotely to a local controller but IWAN still comes
into play.

I'll likely open a TAC.

[Scott Fella]

My guess is that it does have something to do with the slowness. If you do test with another ap to the test 9800-CL and it’s slow, then it for sure is the iwan. 

[jkaliente]

Hello,, I see this is a 'RECENT' post,, I am now converting AIR-OS 200+ APs to new 9800-40 platform. Success in first 'pilot' AP but yes,, took over 1 hour to migrate the AP to 9800.  Yes, I have high speed MPLS network to the 9800s. Yes, good 1gig to the APs, and new 9800 WLCs are 10GIG port channel one hop from MPLS 500meg networks.  I do have a TAC case opened, been two weeks now, and waiting on reply.  Is this simply a 'tftp' like slow image from AIROS to 17.3.3 image?  Just want a simple answer so I can manage how long it will take to move 200+ APs from AIROS to C9800 IOS-XE.  So any updates would appreciate cisco user replies.

[lukeberkheiser]

Hello,

Did anybody find a solution to this? 

I took a new 9130AXI AP out of the box, and tried to join it to a new 9800-CL running 17.6.3. After troubleshooting for several hours, I tried to join it to another 9800-CL running 17.3.5a. I'm not sure how long it took for it to successfully download the image, but it was definitely more than 30 minutes. 

I then migrated that AP from the 17.3.5a 9800-CL to the 17.6.3 9800-CL, and this time I know how long it took: one hour and 10 minutes from the moment I saw it on the 9800-CL and the moment I got the log "Disjoined Image Download Success". Another 6 minutes after that for the AP to be Joined. 

I've been looking through Cisco Live sessions on migrating from AireOS to 9800, or on troubleshooting 9800 WLCs, and have found nothing with regards to slow image download or recommended settings to change to speed it up. The only thing I've found is in the configuration guide about "AP Image Download Time Enhancement", but it says it's only applicable to OEAP/Teleworker. Here is the link: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/17-3/config-guide/b_wl_17_3_cg/m_predwnld_image_ap_ewlc.html#Cisco_Concept.dita_0cd070ec-f279-40e4-a777-17b0cf88667b

If migrating a single AP takes over an hour, it's going to be a very long migration process to migrate all APs on all sites. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Luke