Error with IOS upgrade of 2960-X stack -- will not upgrade entire stack with "archive download-sw"

[jakob.a.stevens92]

Hello, 

I am trying to upgrade a stack of 2960-X switches with a single command. 

I have the .bin file on a USB thumb drive. I plug the device into the stack master, and it is recognized by the switch. I can see the .bin file on the usbflash0: interface. However, when I use the "archive download-sw" command to copy the file to all members of the stack, I recieve the following error. 

SW2960X#archive download-sw usbflash0:c2960x-universalk9-mz.152-2.E3.bin
examining image...
%Tar checksum error in usbflash0:c2960x-universalk9-mz.152-2.E3.bin
%Error opening flash:update/info (No such file or directory)
ERROR: Image is not a valid IOS image archive.

I have no idea why I get this error. I do not know why  it attempts to open "flash:update/info", or why there is a Tar checksum error (it is a .bin file not a .tar file?)

I am able to copy this image to individual switches and boot them from it with no problem, it is only when I try to upgrade a stack that I am having problems. I have well over 100 switches to upgrade so I was hoping not to have to do them one at a time.... 

Have replicated this error with multiple other IOS versions (152-4.E and 150-2a.EX5) attempting to do the same thing.

Any thoughts? I have yet to see someone successfully upgrade a whole stack with one command like this, despite what I read on forums.

Thank you so much for your time,

- Jakob 

[Philip D'Ath · Accepted solution]

You are using a *.bin file when you should be using a *.tar file.

tar is an archive format, which is why it is used with the "archive" command.

[jakob.a.stevens92]

Wow - yes, that was indeed the case. Thank you p.dath! We do not use web-based management for our network so the extra functionality of the .tar version is not necessary for us, hence why I was using the .bin. 

Am I correct in assuming that there is no way to upgrade all stack members at once with a .bin file, then?

Also; While I was excited to see the "archive download-sw" command work with the .tar file, it does not seem to be a time-effective solution for my situation. It took over 25 minutes from the moment I hit "enter" to extract the file and download the image on a stack of three switches. I'm glad to have seen it work and there are situations where I could see this being useful, but at this rate I could upgrade my switches faster one at a time. 

Again, thanks for the answer p.dath. 

- Jakob

[Philip D'Ath · Accepted solution]

Hmm, you can probably "manually" upgrade the switches.  I think if you do a "dir ?" command you can see the flash filesystems of all the swicthes in the stack, so you can copy the *.bin file directly to each switch.

But personally, stick to using the *.tar method.  There is no down time while it is doing this, so you can always do something else and come back when it is done ...

Also with some model switches (not 2960-X to the best of my knowledge) the archive approach sometimes deploys other bits of software, such as firmware upgrades for low level hardware.  Changing just the *.bin file may only cause the IOS to be upgraded and not the low level micro-code and hardware firmware.

[jakob.a.stevens92]

Yes that is another option I had tested, thank you for the suggestion. Downtime is not a factor in my situation as this is a new shipment and all the switches are sitting on pallets, unpowered. 

Thank you for the tip about archving and low-level code as well, that is interesting and I had not heard that before. 

All the best to you, 

- Jakob 

[Philip D'Ath]

You couldn't mark my answer as correct could you ...

[jakob.a.stevens92]

Done.