Different Softwareversion between WLAN-Controller and APs

[maro86]

Hello,

my APs and my WLC have a different Softwareversion installed after upgrading from 17.9.5. to 17.12.4 with APSP.

My new WLC-SW-Version has 17.02.04 and my APs has 17.3.6, they are running together perfectly, except one AP C9136 that wont connect to the WLC (i thing because of 17.3.6?). Usually all Access-Points should have the same Software Version like the WLC. So whats wrong here?

So what did i do?

1. Updating the Controller with no ISSU from 17.9.5 to 17.12.04 was working good. WLC and AP had the same SW-Version.

2. After successfully updating all devices, i tried to install the APSP C9800-universalk9_wlc.17.12.04.CSCwm71871.SPA.apsp.bin

While this APSP upgrade, the WLC shows, that there is some "improper file" and what kind of "Improper file"

Please take care of my screenshot, all files related to 17.3.6 has been declared as "improper file"

He did it 3 times and i just only uploaded this file to both WLC to bootflash. I didnt installed that files, only uploaded to both WLCs.

After that, my insallaton progress was going further without more "improper files" but then i saw something strange.

 

I choose the right bin file to install  the APSP-Software but instead of download to something like 17.02.04.xx they downloaded 17.03.06 and rebooted successfully.

So whats wrong here? It doesnt matter what i do, no chance to get in sync regarding the software image versiion between WLC and APs. When these APs connect to a completely different WLC with 17.12.04 installed, they swap there image and running good. When i send them back to his "home-wlc" they swap the version back to 17.03.06.

So can anybody tell me, what did i wrong here?

WLC is an C9800-40 and APs are mixed from 2702,2802,9120 and one 9136i

Thanks to everyone here

 

[Leo Laohoo]

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@maro86 wrote:
except one AP C9136 that wont connect to the WLC 

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9136?  

Reboot the AP.

[maro86]

I did it already but this device is not responding anymore to pings ...

But how can i get in sync between APs and WLC regarind the software-version?

Should i do downgrade it to 17.12.03?

[Leo Laohoo]

If the AP cannot be pinged then it may have crashed.  

Is the switch port drawing power?

[maro86]

Yes its drawing power and no reboot works, i need to see via console whats wrong there.

Im more interested if someone has an idea what has been happened wrong whith my update and the mismatch between the software version with WLC and AP. 

Thanks

[Leo Laohoo]

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@maro86 wrote:
Yes its drawing power 

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If the port is drawing power, what does the output to the command "sh power inline <PORT>" show, "Ieee"?

[maro86]

yes it shows IEEE PD

[Leo Laohoo]

The AP has crashed.  

[marce1000]

             @maro86 >...yes it shows IEEE PD
   - I don't know about the original issue but the above line usually means that the AP is not recognized correctly on the switch and POE could not be correctly applied according to the device needs. Usually you then need to enable LLDP on the switch and or the switch port , 

 M.

[maro86]

Ok one of the facility guys already took the AP for further investigations, so i cant proove with LLDP.

Do you have an idea, what happend to the issue with the version mismatch between WLC and AP?

I mean its working, no one has complained yet but how can i solve this problem with no interruptions at best?

If nothing works i would do an downgrad to 17.12.3 to do an new fresh installation, but is there an another way? When i logon into these APs, they show me for real 17.3.6 .... sometines the GUI shows wrong informations but not in this case

[Rich R · Accepted solution]

This is a known bug with almost every version of IOS-XE on 9800 - I've mentioned it in numerous previous posts.
Upgrading IOS-XE does not reliably remove previous SMU and APSP so leaves you with a corrupted install database.
This is supposed to be fixed in 17.12.4 by https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/bugsearch/bug/CSCwj73014

The only way for you to clear that now is to clear the install database:
https://community.cisco.com/t5/wireless/9800-issu-behavior/m-p/4905097#M259611
That will reload the WLC and set it back to 17.12.4 with no SMU or APSP and then you should be able to re-install them correctly.

The only other way to prevent this happening is to manually de-activate and remove each SMU and APSP *before* you upgrade.

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Rich R wrote:
This is a known bug with almost every version of IOS-XE on 9800 - I've mentioned it in numerous previous posts.
Upgrading IOS-XE does not reliably remove previous SMU and APSP so leaves you with a corrupted install database.
This is supposed to be fixed in 17.12.4 by https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/bugsearch/bug/CSCwj73014

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I want to add CSCwm98142.

[maro86]

Hello together,

i thank you all for your great help here. I will talk to my customer regarding the WLC and the next steps, to get away from that situation. I will inform you all later if this has helped here. Good to know that im not the first one with this kind of issue

Regarding the faulty C9136i, i have this device on my desk and im connected via console. This device has for real loaded the 17.3.6 version and as backup it has 17.12.04. 17.3.6 should not work with this device

 This device is in a boot loop, im able to log into this device, but i have only one minute to do something and at the end ill get this next message here and then it reboots ...

 Good Luck ... okay luckily we have only one device at this customer site which is an C9136i if we would have more of these devices, we were in bigtrouble .. 

Does anyone knows how i can swap from back to active image? Maybe this will help me ... if its not going, is this possible via "bootloader"?

I found something for C9120 and C9115 but not for C9130 via Bootloader. Is this also possible for C9130?

[Rich R]

You should be able to use this process to delete the 17.3.6 partition and then it will boot from 17.12.4:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/220443-how-to-avoid-boot-loop-due-to-corrupted.html#toc-hId-286164045

Just make sure you delete the correct partition.

[Leo Laohoo]

RMA the AP.