FN-2023-491 - Removal of Switch Engine and Summit EXOS software releases from Extreme Portal

[Habib26]

I currently have switches with images running image 32.5.1.5.exos.

How often do we need to upgrade the 5420 EXOS  switches in light of this field notice below ?

@https://extreme-networks.my.site.com/ExtrArticleDetail?an=000114991

[FredrikB-NN2 · Accepted solution]

Upgrades need to be decided based on your security exposure and the sensitivity of your data. Many customers (I am a consultant) upgrade 2-4 times per year scheduled and sometimes do additional upgrades if a severe bug has been fixed. If you have a network where your switches are protected by access lists for SNMP, SSH, BGP, OSPF etc. and do not use telnet and HTTP, you can rely in part on that, but beware that some bugs are such in nature that they work regardless of those protections.

As you refer to the upgrade frequency based on the April 2:nd withdrawal, that has no impact on how often you need to upgrade. It's just that releases with old licenses (or whatever the issue is) cannot be distributed to customers any more. As soon as you upgrade to a release not listed here, you're fine:

All 32.x software releases 32.6.2 and earlier.
All 31.x software releases 31.7.2 and earlier.

At this point in time, for the 5420 I would choose this: ExtremeXOS 31.7.3.37

[Stefan_K_]

Hi,

I don't really understand what you are asking... They make older releases unavailable to download, but this has nothing to do with how often you have to upgrade your switches.

If you don't need features from newer releases, don't encounter bugs and there are no security fixes, you can keep the switches on 32.5.1.5. But an upgrade to the latest version is possible directly, without any upgrade in between and is usually without any complications.

Personally I wait for LTS Branches (30.7, 31.7, 32.7...) and install the patches in this branch from time to time 🙂 

[Nicolas_Melay]

I'm under the impression Habib26 assumed this software removal notice is just an ordinary notice, and it's a routine thing for Extreme Networks to quickly deprecate old software.
Well, we know it's not what's happening here.