ASR 9k (9910) 6.6.3 (32-bit) Upgrade to 7.1.2 (64-bit)

[NullRoute]

Has anyone had any success upgrading an ASR9k from 6.6.3 (32-bit), or any 32-bit for that matter to a 64-bit version?

Using documentation from this.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/asr9000/migration/guide/b-migration-to-ios-xr-64-bit/m-migration-overview.html

Currently, if I"m running ISIS for example, my ASR9K doesn't list that under 'show install active'. Would I need to include the ISIS rpm for it to still work when upgrading to 64-bit? 

Documentation states that I need to combine the asr9k-mini-x64-7.1.2.iso and needed rpms into a single tar. Does anyone know if that is correct?

Anyone have more information on the following step?

Step 4

Run script resize_eusb to clean up harddisk:/, harddiskb:/, and back up System Admin and XR plane config to harddiskb:/.

Note

When searching for file in XR shell using ls –ltr in /pkg/bin for migrate_to_eXR or resize_eusb, use the complete file name. For example, ls –ltr pkg/bin/resize_eusb or ls –ltr pkg/bin/migrate_to_eXR. Wild card search is not supported in shell.

[M02@rt37 · Accepted solution]

Hello @NullRoute 

If the show install active command doesn't list the ISIS package, then it needs to be included in the migration process. This is because the migration to the 64-bit version requires all necessary RPMs to be available in the new environment. If the required RPMs are not included, the associated features will not function post-migration. Thus, for continued operation of features like ISIS, the relevant RPMs should be part of the migration package.

The documentation is accurate in stating that a combined tar file should be created, containing both the asr9k-mini-x64-7.1.2.iso and all necessary RPMs. This tar file essentially serves as a migration bundle, allowing the ASR9k to have all the required components available during the upgrade process. The combined tarball is then transferred to the router and used during the migration to ensure a seamless transition from 32-bit to 64-bit. Including all relevant RPMs within this tarball is crucial for ensuring feature continuity after the upgrade.

Also, the resize_eusb script is an important preparatory step. It is used to clean up file systems (harddisk:/ and harddiskb:/) to free up space needed for the migration.