Can we do AP predownload in advance while installing APSP?

[Nieo]

Hi,

Would appreciate your help to understand if I can perform the AP image predownload on all the connected APs on my 9800 controller (total APs = 370) during AP service Pack installation (APSP).

I am aware and did the predownload on APs while upgrading to the main software image. However, APSP installation procedure confused me a bit.

I don't want APs to predownload and reboot themselves immediately. I have the APSP file in controller bootflash. Now I want to predownload the APSP image to APs in advance and let them reboot themselves during the actual downtime window. what CLI commands I should follow?

[MHM Cisco World]

https://www.google.com/search?q=wlc+9800+ap+predownload&oq=wlc.9800+ap+pre&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgBEAAYFhgeMgYIABBFGDkyCAgBEAAYFhgeMgoIAhAAGIAEGKIEMgoIAxAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBBAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBRAAGIAEGKIEMgcIBhAhGI8CMgcIBxAhGI8CMgcICBAhGI8C0gEIODMwNWowajeoAg-...

MHM

[Flavio Miranda]

@Nieo 

AP Will not shut them selves after pre-downloading. They will reboot when you reboot the WLC. 

 Do the pre-downloading and run the command 

install activate

And 

install commit

During the maintenance windows. 

[Rich R]

@Flavio Miranda note that APSP does not require WLC reboot - only the AP are rebooted onto new AP image.

Pre-download simply updates the AP backup partition.  When the APSP is activated the APs switch partition and reload.

[Nieo]

Thanks for your responses guys. However I am not talking about Software Update here. The discussion is about APSP (AP service pack installation) which does not need a WLC reboot and APs will be upgraded in staggered manner.  Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controllers Patching

Meanwhile I did test with 1 AP upgrade with APSP and I observed AP go into the pre-download state and once the download is completed, it reboots automatically and joins back the WLC. There was no provision to reboot them in later time.

By the way I have WLC version 17.12.4 already running and I am installing  APSP7 for 17.12.4.

Please let know if you have a different opinion on this. 

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@Nieo wrote:
Now I want to predownload the APSP image to APs in advance

---

As far as I am aware, this is not possible.  

However, there is a feature in the GUI to stagger the reboot the APs.

[Rich R]

Totally possible @Leo Laohoo - we pre-download APs during the day in advance and then activate and reload the APs during maintenance window.  The activation of the APs can be staggered.

[MHM Cisco World]

There was no provision to reboot them in later time. <<- how AP use new ver if it not reboot?

I think it mandatory to reboot AP, and it better to upgrade AP as group each time upgrade one group of AP. 

MHM

[Rich R]

Wrong - the whole point of pre-download is to download the image at your leisure in advance and then reboot at a later time!

[Rich R]

> Meanwhile I did test with 1 AP upgrade with APSP and I observed AP go into the pre-download state and once the download is completed, it reboots automatically and joins back the WLC.

That's not right - explain exactly what steps you followed?
It sounds to me like you activated the APSP.

ps: that doc you linked is out of date.  The "Install prepare activate" command it mentions doesn't even exist in current IOS.

[Nieo]

Yes staggered AP reboot is the only option for now. 

[Rich R]

9800-80#install add file bootflash:C9800-universalk9_wlc.17.12.04.CSCwn02956.SPA.apsp.bin
9800-80#ap image predownload
9800-80#show ap image file summ

That installs the AP images and starts the pre-download to the APs.
sh ap image file summ shows you the installed AP images, including the base image and any APSPs installed.

When you're ready to reload the APs:
9800-80#install activate
If you prefer to skip the prompts like me then:
9800-80#install activate prompt-level none
9800-80#install commit

When all your APs are running the new APSP you can remove any previous APSP:
9800-80#install deactivate file bootflash:C9800-universalk9_wlc.17.12.04.CSCwm37063.SPA.apsp.bin
9800-80#install commit
9800-80#install remove file bootflash:C9800-universalk9_wlc.17.12.04.CSCwm37063.SPA.apsp.bin

[eglinsky2012]

@Rich R- I've noticed weirdness with the process, too. I usually use GUI and assuming OP did, too. Here's what I see when selecting the APSP after adding it:

There is no "predownload" button, and if you click Activate, as the OP described, it then initiates the predownload but subsequently activates the APSP and reboots the APs.

However, after adding the file via UI, i used the command you shared, "ap image predownload". That successfully initiated the predownload process and this message appears on top of both the 'Software Upgrade" and "AP Service Package (APSP)" tabs of the software management page: "There is an AP predownload operation in progress. Please wait till it completes...." Additionally, in the AP Service Package tab, it shows the progress of the predownloads as it would for doing a full software upgrade.

The difference is there's a checkbox for doing an AP image predownload when adding a full software upgrade file, but not an APSP file. That should be an option, or at least have a button to predownload the AP image after it's added before activating the file. But for now, thank you for sharing the "ap image predownload" command, very helpful!

[Rich R]

Aha, that explains it thanks @eglinsky2012 

Guess who never uses the GUI if he can avoid it ... <smile> which is why I've never noticed the problem before.
So it's a GUI bug (yes, of course they test this software...) - who wants to report that to TAC?

Meanwhile if you like using the GUI @eglinsky2012 has provided the workaround for you - start the pre-download from CLI and continue with the rest on GUI.