I/G/C/B/A-Series f/w 6.51/6.61 Upgrade considerations

FAQ_User — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 06:02:00 GMT

Article ID: 14480

Products
I-Series, firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher
G-Series, firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher
C5-Series, firmware 6.51.02.0018 and higher
C3-Series, firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher
B5-Series, firmware 6.51.02.0018 and higher
B3-Series, firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher
A4-Series, firmware 6.61.02.0007 and higher

Discussion
When considering a firmware upgrade, it is always good practice to review the release notes. This is particularly true for customers who will be upgrading one of the above-stated products from pre-6.51 to 6.51+, or who will be back-reving one of the above-stated products from 6.51+ to pre-6.51.
Note: Since the 6.51 firmware line does apply to the C5/B5 but does not apply to the I/G/C3/B3/A4, the simplest way to consider this issue for all products is to use the "pre-6.51" (= 1.0x, 6.03, 6.41, 6.42, etc) and "6.51+" (= 6.51, 6.61, 6.71, etc) markers generally cited in this document to designate the cutoff point of concern.

C5/B5 firmware 6.51.02.0018 release notes state, in the 'Installation and Configuration Notes' section:
WARNING: Configuration files containing a login banner may suspend
operation of images prior to 6.51. This state can only be corrected by
clearing the configuration through the boot PROM. Use extreme caution
when using a configuration file. Login banners will automatically be
removed from the configuration when back revving to pre-6.51 images.

Note: As a best practice, Enterasys recommends that prior to upgrading
or downgrading the firmware on your switch, you save the existing
working configuration of the system by using the show config outfile
configs/ command. Please note that you will need a copy of
your previous configuration if you need to back-rev from 6.51.xx.xxxx
to the previous firmware version.

To download the new software to a stack of switches, simply follow the
instructions to upgrade a switch with new software. The system will
automatically download the new software to all the members in the stack
controlled by that stack manager.
C5/B5 firmware 6.51.02.0018 release notes state, in the 'Known Issues in 6.51.02.0018' section:
Setting the security profile to c2 changes certain system defaults
including encryption algorithms used for storing passwords, shared
secrets, and routing keys. As a result, configuration files for devices
operating in different security profiles are not fully compatible and
may result in some loss of configuration if loaded.

The 6.51 image will not stack with earlier versions of code, due to the
use of VLAN 4094. When adding a new unit to an existing stack running
6.51 or higher, the unit will (first) need to be running 6.51 or higher.
When adding a new unit to an existing stack running a pre-6.51 image,
the new unit will (first) need to be downgraded to that pre-6.51 image.
Equivalent information is contained in C3/B3/A4 firmware 6.61.02.0007 release notes, in reference to upgrade from pre-6.61 to 6.61+ firmware, or back-rev from 6.61+ to pre-6.61 firmware.

Finally; for the I, G, C3, and B3-Series products, these guidelines assume that the upgrade starting point is somewhere in the 6.42 firmware line (14711).

In short:

Before upgrading from pre-6.51 to 6.51+; you should save a copy of the pre-6.51 configuration (5623), which will be needed if you ever decide to back-rev to pre-6.51.
When upgrading from pre-6.51 to 6.51+; with the exception of what is stated in 14711 the system will make the necessary configuration changes, so the standard upgrade procedure (5605) applies.
After the upgrade, as desired and as applicable reload a saved 6.51+ configuration (5623).

Before back-reving from 6.51+ to pre-6.51; you should save a copy of the 6.51+ configuration (5623), which could be handy if you ever decide to re-upgrade to 6.51+.
When back-reving from 6.51+ to pre-6.51; first clear the majority of the configuration ('clear config', 5628), then use the standard procedure (5605).
After the back-rev, as desired and as applicable reload a saved pre-6.51 configuration (5623).

Ensure that any switches to be added to a stack (7086) already match the stack in their pre-6.51 vs 6.51+ firmware status, before being added to the stack. Otherwise, the condition will result in a "Code Version Mismatch" error (7326) that cannot be corrected by an attempted direct copy operation ("set switch copy-fw...') from the manager. Note that the I/G-Series are not stackable products.

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I/G/C/B/A-Series f/w 6.51/6.61 Upgrade considerations