RSP-880 (32-bit) to RSP5 (64-bit) upgrade

[Stephen Craven]

Is there a guide to upgrading between the RSP-880 and RSP5 line cards?

We are preparing to bring the chassis completely down and install the RSP5s and then copy the config over but I'm concerned about differences in the configs between the two OSes. I know some of the show commands are different.

UPDATE -- Right after I posted this, I discovered a resource:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/asr9000/migration/guide/b-migration-to-ios-xr-64-bit/b-migration-to-ios-xr-64-bit_chapter_011.html

We are currently running the 32-bit OS on our RSP880s. Is the preferred upgrade path to upgrade the RSP880s to the 64-bit OS and then swap the cards to the RSP5s?

[smilstea · Accepted solution]

You can upgrade to 64-bits but I don't see a need to, all you really need to do is iPXE boot the RSP5s (if not running any OS yet), install the optional packages (for 64-bit) and then in config mode 'load' the config from usb or copy the file to the router and apply it. You shouldn't have a problem migrating the config from 32-bit to 64-bit, very few commands were changed, if for some reason something doesn't apply the commit will fail and you can check 'show config failed' to see why, verify you have all the packages needed installed, try commit best-effort to apply everything that didn't fail and then figure out why something failed. But again I don't think you will run into an issue so long as you have installed the right packages.

Sam

[Beazle]

@smilstea Can you also upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit by simply powering down the chassis, installing new RSPs (presumably loaded with 64-bit OS) and then powering it back up? Then just install whichever iso and optional packages you want from USB and reapply the configuration? 

Also do you know if Cisco typically ships them with a current OS?

[smilstea]

Pre-baked images work fine, just dont mix them with an existing older RP in the system (new card as standby) or it will erase the disk and load the old OS. But yes you can preinstall in a lab then boot two RPs with the new code.

From manufacturing when you order the HW you select the code you want loaded. Some RMAs will come with code but there is no guarantee.

Sam

[Beazle]

@smilstea Would this be the command to copy from usb to the harddisk then to install?

admin copy usb: harddisk:asr9k-mini-x64-x.x.x.iso
admin copy usb: harddisk:ASR9K-x64-iosxr-px-k9-x.x.x.tar
install add source harddisk:asr9k-mini-x64-x.x.x.iso
install add source harddisk:ASR9K-x64-iosxr-px-k9-x.x.x.tar
install activate
install commit

[smilstea]

You can do install add source usb: instead of harddisk, it may also show up under disk2:. There is little reason to copy to harddisk if the usb is inserted, but the syntax is copy usb:/filename harddisk:/filename, no need for admin. Also when you use the source command in install add you need a space, as its expecting the source storage and then the files listed one by one, so you can do install add source harddisk: asr9k-mini-x64-x.x.x.iso ASR9K-x64-iosxr-px-k9-x.x.x.tar

Sam

[Hemant Sharma]

Hi,

If you can get a USB plugged in to the node, then the following is a tested method for migration from 32-bit to 64-bit XR using the manual approach of the following URL.

Migration Guide for Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers - Migrating using Manual Method [Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers] - Cisco

1. Identify the required packages and smus and create a golden iso(giso), it should be less than 2GB otherwise 32-bit won't support it.
   1. If there are more smus then load them as separate files in the USB, I created a giso of 1.944GB and it worked fine.
2. Unseat the standby RP/RSP, that way, you can always rollback without loosing code and config, easily.
3. Use the URL method script to migrate the active RP/RSP to 64-bit using the giso from usb.
4. Once the RP/RSP is up and running on the 64-bit OS, wait for the line cards to also finish booting.
5. If successful, then simply push the standby RP/RSP, it would boot a couple of times to recognize that the active RP/RSP is on 64-bit and would auto upgrade itself by syncing and downloading necessary files from the active RP/RSP
6. If unsuccessful, then simply unseat the active RSP, push the standby one in, once the standby RP/RSP boots up successfully on the older version and config, push the other RP/RSP back in, now the failed RP/RSP would do the same by syncing older software and downgrade itself automatically, that way rollback is also successful

NOTE: I threw in a double RP/RSP switchover as STEP 0(zero) because sometimes an RP/RSP running for a long time could have memory issues which are not so apparent and could mess with the migration, it happened a few times but a double RP/RSP switchover creates a fresh state of the node and never had to worry about rollback.

For worst case scenario, I also kept the turboboot min-px-vm file in the USB, to boot from rommon mode, for the older version.

Also, the xr version of the RP/RSP shipped by Cisco can vary.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Hemant