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Cisco Catalyst 2900 XL Series Switches

Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Switches, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC9

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Table Of Contents

Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Switches, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC9

Contents

Hardware Requirements

Software Requirements

System Requirements

Browser and Java Plug-In Requirements

Cluster Requirements and Guidelines

New Features

Minimum Cisco IOS Release for Major Features

Initial Switch Configuration

Using the Setup Program

Installing the Required Plug-In

Displaying the CMS Access Page

Downloading Software

Guidelines for Upgrading Switch Software

Overview of the Switch Upgrade Process

Determining the Switch Software Version

Which Software Files to Download from Cisco.com

Downloading the New Software and TFTP Server Application to Your

Copying the Current Startup Configuration from the Switch to a PC or Server

Upgrading the Switch

Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches

Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade

Using the CLI to Upgrade a Catalyst 2900 LRE XL Switch

Upgrading LRE Firmware

Configuring for an LRE Upgrade

Performing an LRE Upgrade

Global Configuration of LRE Upgrades

Controller Configuration of LRE Upgrades

LRE Upgrade Behavior Details

LRE Upgrade Example

Using the CLI to Upgrade an 8-MB Catalyst 2900 XL Switch

Using the CLI to Upgrade a Catalyst 3500 XL Switch

Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches

Limitations and Restrictions

Cisco IOS Restrictions

CMS Restrictions

LRE Restrictions

Important Notes

Open Caveats

Resolved Caveats

Documentation Updates

Corrections to Software Configuration Guide

Correction to Command Reference

Corrections to Catalyst 2900 XL Hardware Installation Guide

Attaching the Cisco RPS (model PWR300-AC-RPS-N1)

Overtemperature Warning

Chassis Power Connection

Related Documentation

Obtaining Documentation

Cisco.com

Documentation CD-ROM

Ordering Documentation

Documentation Feedback

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco TAC Website

Opening a TAC Case

TAC Case Priority Definitions

Obtaining Additional Publications and Information


Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Switches, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC9

October 2003

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC9 runs on Catalyst 2900 series XL and Catalyst 3500 series XL switches with 8-MB CPU DRAM. This release also runs on Catalyst 2900 series Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE) XL switches with 16-MB CPU DRAM. This release does not run on Catalyst 2900 series XL switches with 4-MB CPU DRAM.

Note Throughout this document, "Catalyst 2900 XL switch" refers to both the Catalyst 2900 XL switches and Catalyst 2900 LRE XL switches, unless otherwise noted.

These release notes include important information about this Cisco IOS release and any limitations, restrictions, and caveats that apply to it. See the "Related Documentation" section for the complete list of Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL documentation.

Note This release is not for the Catalyst 2900 XL switches with 4-MB CPU DRAM. For information about these switches, refer to Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.10)SA6 or earlier.

These release notes include important information about this release and any limitations, restrictions, and caveats that apply to it. To verify that these are the correct release notes for your switch:

•If you are installing a new switch, refer to the Cisco IOS release label on the rear panel of your switch.

•If your switch is on and running, use the show version user EXEC command. See the "Determining the Switch Software Version" section.

•If you are upgrading to a new release, refer to the software upgrade filename for the Cisco IOS version. Before upgrading your switch to this release, read the "Downloading Software" section.

You can download the switch software from these sites:

•http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-lan.shtml
(for registered Cisco.com users with a login password)

•http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-lan.shtml
(for nonregistered Cisco.com users)

This release is part of a special release of Cisco IOS software that is not released on the same 8-week maintenance cycle that is used for other platforms. As maintenance releases and future releases become available, they will be posted to Cisco.com in the Cisco IOS software area.

Contents

This document has the following sections:

•"Hardware Requirements" section

•"Software Requirements" section

•"Cluster Requirements and Guidelines" section

•"Minimum Cisco IOS Release for Major Features" section

•"Initial Switch Configuration" section

•"Downloading Software" section

•"Limitations and Restrictions" section

•"Open Caveats" section

•"Resolved Caveats" section

•"Important Notes" section

•"Documentation Updates" section

•"Related Documentation" section

•"Obtaining Documentation" section

•"Obtaining Technical Assistance" section

•"Obtaining Additional Publications and Information" section

Hardware Requirements

This release supports the 8-MB Catalyst 2900 XL switches (see Table 1), 16-MB Catalyst 2900 LRE XL switches, (see Table 2) and Catalyst 3500 XL switches (see Table 3).

Note Catalyst 2900 XL 4-MB switches run original edition software and do not support this release. The 4-MB models are WS-C2908-XL, WS-C2916M-XL, WS-C2924C-XL, and WS-C2924-XL. These switches can only be upgraded up to Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.10)SA6. To be cluster members, these switches must run Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.x)SA6 original edition software. To determine the switch DRAM size, enter the show version user EXEC command.

Table 1 Catalyst 2900 XL Switches with 8-MB CPU DRAM  

Switch
Description

Catalyst 2912MF XL

12 100BASE-FX ports and 2 high-speed expansion slots

Catalyst 2912 XL

12 autosensing 10/100 ports

Catalyst 2924M XL

24 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 high-speed expansion slots

Catalyst 2924M DC XL

24 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 high-speed expansion slots (DC power)

Catalyst 2924 XL

24 autosensing 10/100 ports

Catalyst 2924C XL

22 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 100BASE-FX ports


Table 2 Catalyst 2900 LRE XL Switches with 16-MB CPU DRAM

Switch
Description

Catalyst 2912 LRE XL

4 autosensing 10/100 ports and 12 Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE) ports

Catalyst 2924 LRE XL

4 autosensing 10/100 ports and 24 LRE ports



Table 3 Catalyst 3500 XL Switches

Switch
Description

Catalyst 3508G XL

8 Gigabit module slots

Catalyst 3512 XL

12 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 Gigabit module slots

Catalyst 3524 XL

24 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 Gigabit module slots

Catalyst 3524-PWR XL

24 autosensing 10/100 inline-power ports and 2 Gigabit module slots

Catalyst 3548 XL

48 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 Gigabit module slots


Software Requirements

This section describes the requirements for the system and for the Cluster Management Suite (CMS) software.

System Requirements

These operating systems are supported for CMS management:

•Microsoft Windows 95 (Service Pack 1 required)

•Microsoft Windows 98, second edition

•Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 (Service Pack 3 or higher required)

•Microsoft Windows 2000

•Solaris 2.5.1 or higher, with the Sun-recommended patch cluster for that operating system and Motif library patch 103461-24

The minimum PC requirement is a Pentium processor running at 233 MHz with 64 MB of DRAM. The minimum UNIX workstation requirement is a Sun Ultra 1 running at 143 MHz with 64 MB of DRAM. Table 4 lists the recommended platforms for using CMS.

Table 4 Recommended Minimum Platform Configuration for Web-Based Management

OS
Processor Speed
DRAM
Number of Colors
Resolution
Font Size

Windows NT 4.01

Pentium 300 MHz

128 MB

65,536

1024 x 768

Small

Solaris 2.5.1

SPARC 333 MHz

128 MB

Most colors for applications

-

Small (3)

1 Service Pack 3 or higher required


Browser and Java Plug-In Requirements

When starting a CMS session, the switch verifies the browser version to ensure that the browser is supported. If the browser is not supported, an error message appears, and the session does not start. Table 5 lists the browsers supported by CMS.

CMS requires the Java plug-ins described in the "Installing the Required Plug-In" section.

Table 5 Browser Requirements

Operating System
Netscape Communicator1
Microsoft Internet Explorer

Windows 95

4.61, 4.7

5.0, or 5.5

Windows 98

-2

5.0, or 5.5

Windows NT 4.0

4.61, 4.7

5.0, or 5.5

Windows 2000

4.61, 4.7

5.0, or 5.5

Solaris 2.5.1 or higher

4.61, 4.7

-3

1 Netscape Communicator version 4.60 and 6.0 are not supported. (CSCdx34982)

2 CMS is not supported on machines running Windows 98 and Netscape Navigator. The workaround is to use Microsoft Internet Explorer if your operating system is Windows 98. (CSCdx4997)

3 Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported on Solaris 2.5.1 or higher.


Note If you receive an Internet Explorer error message that the page might not display correctly because your security settings prohibit the ActiveX controls, your security settings are set too high. To lower security settings, go to Tools > Internet Options, and select the Security tab. Select the indicated Zone, and move the Security Level for this Zone slider from High to Medium (the default).

To access CMS, follow the procedures in the "Initial Switch Configuration" section.

Cluster Requirements and Guidelines

When creating a switch cluster, we recommend that the highest-end, command-capable switch in the cluster be the command switch and that the command switch has the latest software version installed. If there are switches in the cluster with older software versions, they should all be upgraded to the latest software version. All switches in the same platform should be upgraded to the latest software version.

Table 6 lists the cluster capabilities and minimum software versions for the switches. The switches are listed in the order of highest- to lowest-end switch. A lower-end switch cannot be the command switch of a switch listed above it in the table (for example, a Catalyst 2900 XL switch cannot be the command switch of a cluster that has Catalyst 3550 switches.)

Table 6 Switch Software and Cluster Capability 

Switch
Cisco IOS Release
Cluster Capability

Catalyst 3750

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(11)AX

Member or command switch

Catalyst 3550

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(4)EA1 or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2970

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(11)AX

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2950

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5.2)WC(1) or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2955

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(12c)EA1 or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2950-LRE

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(11)YJ

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2940

Cisco IOS Release 12.1(13)AY

Member or command switch

Catalyst 3500 XL

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5.1)XU or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2900 LRE XL (16-MB switches)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5.1)WC1 or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2900 XL (8-MB switches)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5.1)XU or later

Member or command switch

Catalyst 2900 XL (4-MB switches)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.5)SA6 (recommended)

Member switch only1

Catalyst 1900 and 2820

Cisco IOS Release 9.00(-A or -EN)

Member switch only

1 Catalyst 2900 XL (4-MB) switches appear in the front-panel and topology views of CMS. However, CMS does not support configuration or monitoring of these switches.


Some versions of the Catalyst 2900 XL software do not support clustering, and if you have a cluster with switches that are running different versions of Cisco IOS software, software features added on the latest release might not be reflected on switches running the older versions. For example, if you start Visual Switch Manager (VSM) on a Catalyst 2900 XL switch running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6, the windows and functionality can be different from a switch running Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC(1) or later.

Note The Cluster Management Suite (CMS) is not forward-compatible, which means that if a member switch is running a software version that is newer than the release running on the command switch, the new features are not available on the member switch. If the member switch is a new device supported by a software release that is later than the software release on the command switch, the command switch cannot recognize the member switch and it is displayed as an unknown device in the Front Panel view. You cannot configure any parameters or generate a report through CMS for that member; instead, you must launch the Device Manager application to perform configuration and obtain reports for that member.

New Features

There are no new hardware or software features for this release.

Minimum Cisco IOS Release for Major Features

Table 7 lists the minimum software release required to support the major features of the Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches.

Table 7 Catalyst 2900 XL (including 2900 LRE XL) and Catalyst 3500 XL Features and the Minimum Cisco IOS Release Required  

Feature
Minimum Cisco IOS Release Required

Bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) filtering

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC7

Port security MAC address aging

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC5

Bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) guard

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC5

Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC5

UniDirectional Link Detection (UDLD) recovery

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC5

Support for the Cisco Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing (CWDM) Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) modules

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC5

Enhanced web-based switch management (CMS)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC3

MAC address notification

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC3

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) filtering

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC3

Extended cluster member compatibility with the Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 3550 switches

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC(1)

Multicast VLAN Registration (MVR)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC(1)

Cross-stack UplinkFast

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XW

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)-based autoconfiguration

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XW

Support for the single-port 1000BASE-T GBIC module (WS-G5482)

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XW

WS-C3524-PWR XL switch with 10/100 inline-power ports

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

WS-C2924M-XL-EN-DC switch with DC power connector

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

WS-X2932-XL Catalyst 2900 XL 1-port 1000BASE-T module

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) for clustering

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Extended discovery of cluster candidates up to 7 hops from the command switch

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Support for up to 16 switches in a cluster

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) pruning

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Change management Virtual LAN (VLAN) for a cluster

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Private VLAN edge support

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

UDLD for detecting unidirectional links

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XU

Extended cluster member functionality for Catalyst 1900 and 2820 switches

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

Remote monitoring (RMON) support through the command-line interface (CLI) or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Cisco IOS Release Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

Change management VLAN

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

Quality of service (QoS) based on IEEE 802.1P class of service (CoS) values

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

WS-C3548-XL switch with 48 10/100 ports

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

WS-X2931-XL Catalyst GigaStack GBIC module

Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP

Catalyst 3500 series XL switches (except WS-C3548-XL)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Cluster management

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Terminal Access Control Access System Plus (TACACS+)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6 (Enterprise Edition Software)

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) UplinkFast

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6
(Enterprise Edition Software)

250 VLANs (some models: see the "Limitations and Restrictions" section)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Catalyst 2900 series XL 1000BASE-X modules

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Catalyst 2900 series XL asynchronous transmission mode (ATM) modules

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

IEEE 802.1Q trunking

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5
(Enterprise Edition Software)

Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunking

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4
(Enterprise Edition Software)

VLAN Membership Policy Server (VMPS)

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4 (Enterprise Edition Software)

8192 media access control (MAC) addresses on modular switches

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4

Switch Network View stack management

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA3

Web-based switch management

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA

Fast EtherChannel port groups

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA


Initial Switch Configuration

This section provides these procedures:

•"Using the Setup Program" section

•"Installing the Required Plug-In" section

•"Displaying the CMS Access Page" section

This section assumes that you have already installed the switch and connected devices to it, as described in the switch hardware installation guide.

Using the Setup Program

You can use an automatic setup program to assign switch IP information, host and cluster names, and passwords and to create a default configuration for continued operation. Later, you can use CMS or the command-line interface (CLI) to customize your configuration. To run the setup program, access the switch from the PC terminal that you connected to the console port. For information about connecting a PC or terminal to the switch console port, refer to the switch hardware installation guide.

Note If the switch will be a cluster member, you do not always need to assign IP information or a password, as the switch will be managed through the IP address of the command switch. If you are configuring a command switch or standalone switch, you need to assign IP information. Refer to the switch software configuration guide for more information.

The first time that you access the switch, it runs a setup program that prompts you for IP and other configuration information necessary for the switch to communicate with local routers and the Internet. This information is also required if you plan to use CMS to configure and manage the switch.

You will need the following information from your system administrator:

Switch IP address

___________.___________.___________._________

Subnet mask (netmask)

___________.___________.___________._________

Default gateway (router)

___________.___________.___________._________

Enable secret password

___________________________________________


Use this procedure to create an initial configuration for the switch:

Note Be sure that the rollover cable is connecting a PC serial port to the switch console port. The data characteristics are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity. Use the supplied rollover cable and DB-9 adapter to connect a PC to the switch console port. You need to provide a RJ-45-to-DB-25 female DTE adapter if you want to connect the switch console port to a terminal. You can order a kit (part number ACS-DSBUASYN=) containing that adapter from Cisco. For console port and adapter pinout information, refer to the "Cable and Connector Specifications" appendix in the switch hardware installation guide.

At any point you can enter a question mark for help. Use Ctrl-C to stop the configuration dialog at any prompt. The default settings are in square brackets.

Step 1 Enter Y at the first prompt. 

Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: y

Step 2 Enter the switch IP address, and press Return: 

Enter IP address: ip_address

Step 3 Enter the subnet mask, and press Return: 

Enter IP netmask: ip_netmask

Step 4 Enter Y at the next prompt to specify a default gateway (router): 

Would you like to enter a default gateway address? [yes]: y

Step 5 Enter the IP address of the default gateway, and press Return. 

IP address of the default gateway: ip_address

Note Enter a host name for the switch, and press Return.

Note On a command switch, the host name is limited to 28 characters; on a member switch to 31 characters. Do not use -n, where n is a number, as the last character in a host name for any switch.

Step 6 Enter a secret password, and press Return.

Note The password can be from 1 to 25 alphanumeric characters, can start with a number, is case sensitive, allows spaces, but ignores leading spaces. 

Enter enable secret: secret_password

Step 7 Enter Y to enter a Telnet password: 

Would you like to configure a Telnet password? [yes] y

Note The password can be from 1 to 25 alphanumeric characters, is case sensitive, allows spaces, but ignores leading spaces.

Step 8 Enter the Telnet password, and press Return: 

Enter Telnet password: telnet_password

Step 9 Enter Y to configure the switch as the cluster command switch. Enter N to configure it as a member switch or as a standalone switch.

Note If you enter N, the switch appears as a candidate switch in Cluster Builder. In this case, the message in Step 10 is not displayed. 

Would you like to enable as a cluster command switch? y

Step 10 Assign a name to the cluster, and press Return. 

Enter cluster name: cls_name

Note The cluster name can be 1 to 31 alphanumeric characters, dashes, or underscores.

Step 11 The initial configuration is displayed: 

The following configuration command script was created: 
 
ip subnet-zero 
interface VLAN1 
ip address 172.20.153.36 255.255.255.0 
ip default-gateway 172.20.153.01 
hostname host_name 
enable secret 5 $1$M3pS$cXtAlkyR3/6Cn8/ 
line vty 0 15 
password telnet_password 
snmp community private rw 
snmp community public ro 
cluster enable cls_name 
 
end

Step 12 Verify that the information is correct.

•If the information is correct, enter Y at the prompt, and press Return.

•If the information is not correct, enter N at the prompt, press Return, and begin again at Step 1. 

Use this configuration? [yes/no]: y

After you complete the setup program, the switch can use the created default configuration. If you want to change this configuration or want to perform other management tasks, use one of these tools:

•CMS from your browser (See the "Installing the Required Plug-In" section and the "Displaying the CMS Access Page" section.)

•Command-line interface (CLI) (Refer to the switch software configuration guide.)

The switch software configuration guide provides more information about how to set a password to protect the switch against unauthorized Telnet access and how to access the switch if you forget the password.

Installing the Required Plug-In

A Java plug-in is required for the browser to access CMS. Download and install the plug-in before you start CMS. Each platform, Windows and Solaris, supports three plug-in versions. For information on the supported plug-ins, see the "Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000 Users" section and the "Solaris Platforms" section.

You can download the recommended plug-ins from this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java

Note Uninstall older versions of Java plug-ins before installing the Java plug-in.

If the Java applet does not initialize after you have installed the plug-in, open the Java Plug-in Control Panel (Start > Programs > Java Plug-in Control Panel), and verify these settings:

In the Proxies tab, verify that the Use browser settings is checked and that no proxies are enabled.

Note If you are running McAfee VirusScan on Windows 2000 and the plug-in takes a long time to load, you can speed up CMS operation by disabling the VirusScan Internet Filter option, the Download Scan option, or both.

From the Start menu, disable the options by selecting Start > Programs > Network Associates > Virus Scan Console > Configure.

or

From the taskbar, right-click the Virus Shield icon, and in the Quick Enable menu, disable the options by deselecting Internet Filter or Download Scan.

Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 2000 Users

These Java plug-ins are supported on the Windows platform:

•Java plug-in 1.3.1

•Java plug-in 1.3.0

•Java plug-in 1.2.2_05

You can download these plug-ins from this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java

Note If you start CMS without having installed the required Java plug-in, the browser automatically detects this. If you are using a supported Internet Explorer browser, it automatically downloads and installs the Java plug-in 1.3.1 (default). If you are using a supported Netscape browser, the browser displays a Cisco.com page that contains the Java plug-in and installation instructions. If you are using Windows 2000, Netscape Communicator might not detect the missing Java plug-in.

Solaris Platforms

These Java plug-ins are supported on the Solaris platform:

Caution To avoid performance and compatibility issues, do not use Java plug-ins later than Java plug-in 1.3.1.

•Java plug-in 1.3.1

•Java plug-in 1.3.0

•Java plug-in 1.2.2_07

If you have a SmartNet contract, you can download these plug-ins and instructions from this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java

To install the Java plug-in, follow the instructions in the README_FIRST.txt file.

If you do not have a SmartNet contract, download the plug-in from this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/java

Note Uninstall older versions of the Java plug-in before installing Java plug-in JRE 1.3.1.

Displaying the CMS Access Page

After the browser is configured, display the CMS access page:

Step 1 Enter the switch IP address and your privilege level in the browser Location field (Netscape Communicator) or Address field (Microsoft Internet Explorer). For example: 

http://10.1.126.45:184/level/14/

where 10.1.126.45 is the switch IP address, 184 is the HTTP port, and level/14 is the privilege level. You do not need to enter the HTTP port if the switch is using HTTP port 80 (the default) or enter the privilege level if you have read-write access to the switch (privilege level is 15).

For information about the HTTP port and privilege levels, refer to the switch software configuration guide.

Step 2 When prompted for a username and password, enter only the switch enable password. CMS prompts you a second time for a username and password. Enter only the enable password again.

If you configure a local username and password, make sure you enable it by using the ip http authentication global configuration command. Enter your username and password when prompted.

Step 3 Click Cluster Management Suite.

If you access CMS from a standalone or member switch, Device Manager appears. If you access CMS from a command switch, you can display the Front Panel and Topology views.

For complete information about CMS, refer to the switch software configuration guide.

Downloading Software

This section provides these topics about downloading the switch software:

•"Guidelines for Upgrading Switch Software" section

•"Overview of the Switch Upgrade Process" section

•"Determining the Switch Software Version" section

•"Which Software Files to Download from Cisco.com" section

•"Copying the Current Startup Configuration from the Switch to a PC or Server" section

Note Before upgrading your switch to Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)WC9, read the "Guidelines for Upgrading Switch Software" section for important information.

Guidelines for Upgrading Switch Software

When upgrading the switch software, follow these rules:

•To upgrade the switch software, use the CMS procedure described in the "Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches" section or use the CLI procedures described in the "Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade" section, or the "Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches" section.

•If your switch is running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA3, SA4, or SA5 (Catalyst 2900 XL only), we recommend that you upgrade the switch software by using VSM. If you are upgrading a switch running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6 or later to this release, we recommend that you use Cluster Manager. For CMS instructions for upgrading switch software, refer to the switch software configuration guide or the online help for that release.

•When using CMS, you cannot upgrade Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches at the same time. However, you can group together and upgrade Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches at the same time.

–For Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches, enter the image_name.tar filename in the New File Name field. The .tar file contains both the Cisco IOS image and the web-management code.

–For Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches, enter the image_name.bin filename in the New File Name field. The .bin file contains the software image and the web-management code.

•Upgrade Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches last. To function efficiently, these switches need to be rebooted shortly after the upgrade occurs. If you do not click Reboot Cluster in 30 seconds after the upgrade, the Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches automatically reboot.

•When using CMS to upgrade multiple switches from the Cisco TFTP server, the Cisco TFTP server application can process multiple requests and sessions. When using CMS to upgrade multiple switches from the Cisco TFTP server, you must first disable the TFTP Show File Transfer Progress and the Enable Logging options to avoid TFTP server failures. If you are performing multiple-switch upgrades with a different TFTP server, it must be capable of managing multiple requests and sessions at the same time.

•If you are using VSM to upgrade a specific switch, follow the steps in the "Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches" section.

Overview of the Switch Upgrade Process

The software upgrade procedure has these major steps:

•Deciding which software files to download from Cisco.com, as described in the "Which Software Files to Download from Cisco.com" section.

•Downloading the .tar file from Cisco.com, as described in the "Downloading the New Software and TFTP Server Application to Your" section. This file contains the Cisco IOS image file and the CMS files. From Cisco.com, you can also download a TFTP server application to copy the switch software from your PC to the switch, if necessary.

The tar command extracts the Cisco IOS image and the CMS files from the .tar file during the TFTP copy to the switch.

•Copying the current startup configuration file, as described in the "Copying the Current Startup Configuration from the Switch to a PC or Server" section.

When you upgrade a switch, the switch continues to operate while the new software is copied to Flash memory. If Flash memory has enough space, the new image is copied to the selected switch but does not replace the running image until you reboot the switch.

Note If a failure occurs during the copy process, you can still reboot your switch by using the old image that is still on the switch.

If Flash memory does not have enough space for two images, your new image is copied over the existing one.

Note If a failure occurs while copying a new image to the switch, and the old image has already been deleted, you will need to use the XMODEM protocol to recover an image for the switch. For more information, refer to the "Recovering from Corrupted Software" section in the "Troubleshooting" chapter of the switch software configuration guide.

•Using CMS or the CLI to upgrade the software on your switch or switch cluster:

–If you are using CMS to upgrade a switch, follow the steps in the "Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches" section.

–If you are using the CLI to upgrade a switch, follow the steps in the "Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade" section, the "Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade" section, or the "Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches" section.

Features provided by the new software are not available until you reload the switch.

Determining the Switch Software Version

The Cisco IOS image is stored as a .bin file in a directory that is named with the Cisco IOS release. A subdirectory contains the CMS files needed for web management. The image is stored on the system board Flash device (flash:).

You can use the show version user EXEC command to see the software version that is running on your switch. For example: 

Switch> show version

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 

IOS (tm) C3500xl Software (C3500xl-C3H2S-M), Version 12.0(0.0.2)WC5, RELEASE SOFT)

Copyright (c) 1986-2002 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Tue 14-May-02 12:57 by userame

Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x0034A3B8

You can also use the dir filesystem: privileged EXEC command to see the directory names of other software images that might be stored in Flash memory.

Note You can use CMS to see the software versions that are running on all the switches in a cluster. Launch CMS, and select Reports > Inventory. CMS displays a window that shows the software versions for all the switches in the cluster.

Which Software Files to Download from Cisco.com

New software releases are posted on Cisco.com and are also available through authorized resellers. From Cisco.com, you can also download a TFTP server application to copy the switch software from your PC to the switch.

Table 8 describes the file extensions and what they mean for the upgrade procedure. Table 9 lists the software files that you need from Cisco.com.

Table 8 Possible Extensions for Cisco IOS Software Files 

Extension
Description

.bin

The Cisco IOS image file that you can copy to the switch through TFTP.

.tar

A compacted file from which you can extract files by using the tar privileged EXEC command. The .tar file that you download from Cisco.com contains both the image .bin, the LRE firmware (LRE switches only), and the CMS files.

Note The CMS files are only available in the .tar file.


Table 9 Switch Cisco IOS Software Files

Switch
Filename
Description

Catalyst 2900 XL

c2900xl-c3h2s-tar.120-5.WC9.tar

Cisco IOS image file and CMS files

Catalyst 2900 LRE XL

c2900xl-c3h2l9s-tar.120-5.WC9.tar

Cisco IOS image file and CMS files

Catalyst 3500 XL

c3500xl-c3h2s-tar.120-5.WC9.tar

Cisco IOS image file and CMS files


Downloading the New Software and TFTP Server Application to Your

This procedure is for copying the combined .tar file to the Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL switch. You copy the file to the switch from a TFTP server and extract the files. You can download an image file and replace or keep the current image.

Note For information about downloading a TFTP server, refer to the URLs in Step 2.

Follow these steps to download the software and, if necessary, the TFTP server application, from Cisco.com to your management station:

Step 1 Use Table 9 to identify the files that you want to download.

Step 2 Download the files from one of these locations:

•If you have a SmartNet support contract, go to this URL, and log in to download the appropriate files:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-lan.shtml

•If you do not have a SmartNet contract, go to this URL, follow the instructions to register on Cisco.com, and download the appropriate files:

http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/sw-lan.shtml

To download the files, select Catalyst 2900XL Software, Catalyst 2900 LRE XL Software, or Catalyst 3500XL Software.

Step 3 Use the CLI or web-based interface to perform a TFTP transfer of the file or files to the switch after you have downloaded them to your PC or workstation.

The readme.txt file describes how to download the TFTP server application. New features provided by the software are not available until you reload the software.

Copying the Current Startup Configuration from the Switch to a PC or Server

When you make changes to a switch configuration, your changes become part of the running configuration. When you enter the command to save those changes to the startup configuration, the switch copies the configuration to the config.text file in Flash memory. To ensure that you can recreate the configuration if a switch fails, you might want to copy the config.text file from the switch to a PC or server.

The following procedure requires a configured TFTP server such as the Cisco TFTP server available on Cisco.com.

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to copy a switch configuration file to the PC or server that has the TFTP server application:

Step 1 Copy the file in Flash memory to the root directory of the TFTP server: 

switch# copy flash:config.text tftp

Step 2 Enter the IP address of the device where the TFTP server resides: 

Address or name of remote host []? ip_address

Step 3 Enter the name of the destination file (for example, config.text): 

Destination filename [config.text]? yes/no

Step 4 Verify the copy by displaying the contents of the root directory on the PC or server.

Upgrading the Switch

This section provides these topics about upgrading the switch:

•"Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches" section

•"Using the CLI to Upgrade a Catalyst 2900 LRE XL Switch" section

•"Using the CLI to Upgrade an 8-MB Catalyst 2900 XL Switch" section

•"Using the CLI to Upgrade a Catalyst 3500 XL Switch" section

•"Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches" section

Using CMS to Upgrade One or More Switches

You can use the Software Upgrade window in Cluster Manager to upgrade all or some of the switches in a cluster at once. Consider these conditions when doing an upgrade:

•When using CMS, you cannot upgrade Catalyst 2900 XL, Catalyst 2900 LRE XL, or Catalyst 3500 XL switches at the same time. However, you can group together and upgrade Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches at the same time.

–For Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches, enter the image_name.tar filename in the New File Name field. The .tar file contains both the Cisco IOS image and the web-management code.

–For Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches, enter the image_name.bin filename in the New File Name field. The .bin file contains the switch software image and the web-management code.

•Upgrade Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches last. To function efficiently, these switches need to be rebooted shortly after the upgrade occurs. If you do not click Reboot Cluster in 30 seconds after the upgrade, the Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches automatically reboot.

Follow these steps to use CMS to upgrade switch software. Refer to the online help for more details.

Step 1 In Cluster Manager, select System > Software Upgrade to display the Software Upgrade window.

Step 2 Enter the .tar filename (for Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches) or the .bin filename (for Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches) that contains the Cisco IOS image and the web-management code.

You can enter just the filename or a pathname into the New Image File Names field. You do not need to enter a pathname if the image file is in the directory that you have defined as the TFTP root directory.

Note You can also use Cluster Manager to upgrade a single switch by following the same upgrade procedure.

Note Close your browser after the upgrade process is complete.

On the Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL switches, new images are copied to Flash memory and do not affect operation. The switch checks Flash memory to ensure that there is sufficient space before the upgrade takes place. If there is enough space, the new image is copied to the switch without replacing the old image, and after the new image is completely downloaded, the old one is erased. In this case, you can still reboot your switch by using the old image if a failure occurs during the copy process.

If there is not enough space in Flash memory for the new and old images, the old image is deleted, and the new image is downloaded.

On the Catalyst 1900 and Catalyst 2820 switches, the new image overwrites the current image during the upgrade.

Note If a failure occurs while copying a new image to the switch, and the old image has already been deleted, you need to use the XMODEM protocol to recover an image for the switch. For more information, refer to the "Recovering from Corrupted Software" section in the "Troubleshooting" chapter of the switch software configuration guide.

Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade

An upgrade failure can create multiple copies of Cisco IOS images and other files in Flash memory. This would not leave enough space for the CMS files to also be copied to Flash memory; thus, you will not be able to access the switch through CMS.

If a failure occurs, ensure that the image file in Flash memory has the same name as the contents of the boot variable:

•See Step 5 and Step 8 in the "Using the CLI to Upgrade an 8-MB Catalyst 2900 XL Switch" section

•See Step 4 and Step 10 in the "Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches" section

If the contents of the boot variable and the image file name are the same, the switch can reset successfully. If they are different, rename the image file, or reset the boot variable by entering the system boot name global configuration command. The boot variable and the image file name should be the same.

To recover from the incomplete download of the CMS files, log in to the switch, and upgrade the software as described in the "Upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL or Catalyst 3500 XL Member Switches" section.

Using the CLI to Upgrade a Catalyst 2900 LRE XL Switch

If you are upgrading a Catalyst 2900 XL switch that is not an LRE switch, see the "Recovering from an Incomplete CMS Software Upgrade" section.

Follow these steps to upgrade the LRE switch software:

Step 1 If your PC or workstation cannot act as a TFTP server, copy the file to a TFTP server to which you have access.

Step 2 Access the CLI by starting a Telnet session or by connecting to the switch console port through the RS-232 connector.

To start a Telnet session on your PC or workstation, enter this command: 

server% telnet switch_ip_address

Enter the Telnet password if you are prompted to do so.

Step 3 Enter privileged EXEC mode: 

switch> enable

switch#

Enter a password if you are prompted to do so.

Step 4 Display the name of the running (default) image file (BOOT path-list). This example shows the name in italic: 

switch# show boot

BOOT path-list:    flash:current_image

Config file:       flash:config.text

Enable Break:      1

Manual Boot:       no

HELPER path-list: 

NVRAM/Config file

buffer size: 32768

If there is no file defined in the BOOT path-list, enter the dir flash: privileged EXEC command to display the contents of Flash memory. The file named c2900XL-c3h2-mz-120-5.1.WC.1.bin is your previous image file. 

switch# dir flash:

Directory of flash:/


175  -rwx         111   May 17 2001 13:25:53  info.ver

165  -rwx        8192   May 17 2001 13:22:13  e2rb.bin

  4  drwx       10240   May 17 2001 13:25:52  html

167  -rwx        1496   May 17 2001 13:21:46  config.text

  6  -rwx         111   May 17 2001 13:23:41  info

176  -rwx        1422   Jan 01 1970 00:14:43  env_vars

  7  -rwx     1750311   May 17 2001 13:24:58  c2900XL-c3h2s-mz.120-5.1.WC.1.bin


7741440 bytes total (4692992 bytes free)

Step 5 global configuration mode: 

switch# config terminal

Step 6 Disable access to the switch HTML pages: 

switch(config)# no IP http server

Step 7 If you entered the boot global configuration command with the name of the image file, enter this command to change it to the new name:

Note You do not need to perform this step if the show boot privileged EXEC command entered in Step 4 displays no image name; the switch automatically finds the correct file to use when it resets. 

switch(config)# boot system flash:new_image

For example: 

switch(config)# boot system flash:c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-120-5.3.WC.1.bin

Step 8 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 9 Remove the HTML files: 

switch# delete flash:html/*

Step 10 Press Enter to confirm the deletion of each file. Do not press any other keys during this process.

Step 11 If upgrading from Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5 or earlier, remove the files in the Snmp directory: 

switch# delete flash:html/Snmp/*

Note Make sure the S in Snmp is uppercase.

Step 12 Press Enter to confirm the deletion of each file. Do not press any other keys during this process.

Step 13 Enter the following command to copy the new image and HTML files to the switch Flash memory:

Caution In this step, the tar privileged EXEC command copies the combined .tar file that contains the Cisco IOS image file and the HTML files. You do not need to copy an HTML .tar file in this procedure. 
switch# tar /x tftp://server_ip_address/path/filename.tar flash:    

Loading /path/filename.tar from server_ip_address (via VLAN1): !

extracting info (111 bytes)

extracting c2900XL-c3h2s-mz.120-5.3.WC.1.bin (1750311 
bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

html/ (directory)

extracting html/ClusterBuilder.html.gz (670 bytes)

extracting html/ClusterManager.html.gz (624 bytes)

extracting html/back.html.gz (211 bytes)!

. . .

Depending on the TFTP server being used, you might need to enter only one slash (/) after the server_ip_address in the tar privileged EXEC command. The tar privileged EXEC command extracts the Cisco IOS image and the HTML files from the combined .tar file during the TFTP copy to the switch.


Step 14 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 15 Re-enable access to the switch HTTP pages: 

switch(config)# IP http server

Step 16 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 17 Reload the new software with this command: 

switch# reload

System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: y

Proceed with reload? [confirm]

Step 18 Press Return to confirm the reload.

Your Telnet session ends when the switch resets.

Step 19 After the switch reboots, use Telnet to return to the switch, and enter the privileged EXEC show version command to verify the upgrade procedure.

If you have a previously opened browser session to the upgraded switch, close the browser, and restart it to ensure that you are using the latest HTML files.

Upgrading LRE Firmware

The 2900 LRE XL switch can store and properly apply LRE binaries if there are updates required to the firmware on the switch local LRE controllers or connected CPE devices.

Other upgrade-related features include:

•Access to an earlier version of the LRE software if required.

•Simplifying the upgrade process as much as possible, especially in cases where you want to upgrade multiple CPE devices by entering a single command.

Note Whether upgrading a single CPE device or all CPE devices connected to an LRE switch, the expected duration of an LRE upgrade is 3 to 6 minutes (CPE devices connected to marginal links might take longer than this to upgrade).

You perform an upgrade with this command:

hw-module slot x upgrade lre [force][local lo n | remote lo x/y]

Automatic upgrading is not supported. You can upgrade in one of these ways:

•