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Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL Series Switches

Release Notes for Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6

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Table Of Contents

Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6

Contents

Important Notes

Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer

Hardware and Supporting Software

Changes Since the Last Release

Increased number of VLANs

TACACS+

STP UplinkFast

Network Time Protocol

Catalyst 3500 Series XL Switch Support

Changes to the Documentation Set

Minimum IOS Release for Major Features

Limitations and Restrictions

Connecting to the Cisco 600W Redundant Power System

Cluster Management Link Report

TACACS+ and CVSM

Hot-Swapping Not Supported For ATM and Gigabit Ethernet Modules

Port Configuration Conflicts

IEEE 802.1Q Configuration Considerations

Spanning-Tree Maximum Age Command

Upgrading to a New Software Release

Which Files to Use

Downloading the New Software

Upgrading Catalyst 3500 Series XL Switches

Upgrading 4-MB Catalyst 2900 Series XL Switches

Upgrading 8-MB Catalyst 2900 Series XL Switches

Current Caveats

Related Documentation

Cisco Connection Online

Documentation CD-ROM


Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6

May 27, 1999

Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6 runs on Catalyst 2900 series XL and Catalyst 3500 series XL switches.

Note   IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6 and IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6 refer to the same software. The difference between the two releases is transparent to the user and has no effect on switch operation.

These release notes describe the changes that have been made for this release and any limitations, restrictions, and caveats that apply to it. See the "Related Documentation" section for the complete list of Catalyst 2900 series XL and Catalyst 3500 series XL documentation.

This IOS 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 IOS releases become available, they will be posted to CCO in the Cisco IOS software area.

These release notes apply to the Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6 Enterprise Edition Software (-EN) and the standard edition software (-A). Those sections that make no reference to the
Enterprise Edition Software or the standard edition software apply to both editions.

Contents

These release notes have the following sections:

•"Important Notes" section

•"Hardware and Supporting Software" section

•"Changes Since the Last Release" section

•"Minimum IOS Release for Major Features" section

•"Limitations and Restrictions" section

•"Upgrading to a New Software Release" section

•"Current Caveats" section

•"Related Documentation" section

•"Cisco Connection Online" section

•"Documentation CD-ROM" section

Important Notes

This section describes important recent changes in this IOS release.

Configuring Microsoft Internet Explorer

The instructions in the Quick Start: Catalyst 2900 Series XL Cabling and Setup and Quick Start: Catalyst 3500 Series XL Cabling and Setup explain the basic configuration for Internet
Explorer 4.01. To use Cluster Management or Switch Network View, you need to complete the browser configuration as described in the Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Software Configuration Guide.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 has been added to the list of browsers that support Cisco Visual Switch Manager (CVSM), Cluster Management, and Switch Network View. Follow these steps to configure Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for use with these products:

Step 1 Start Internet Explorer 5.0.

Step 2 From the menu bar, select Tools>Internet Options.

Step 3 In the Internet Options window, click Security.

Step 4 Select the Trusted Sites icon, and click Sites....

Step 5 Deselect the Require server verification checkbox, and click Add.

Step 6 Add the switches that you want to manage by entering their URLs in the Add this web site to the zone field. A URL is the switch IP address preceded by http://.

Step 7 After you have finished entering the URLs for your switches, click OK.

Step 8 While still in the Security tab of Internet Options, click Custom Level...

Step 9 In the Security Settings dialog box, scroll down to the Java>Java permissions section.

Step 10 Select Custom. This enables the Java Custom Settings button.

Step 11 Click Java Custom Settings, and then select Edit Permissions.

Step 12 Under Run Unsigned Content, click Enable, and click OK.

Step 13 Click OK to close the Security Settings dialog box.

Hardware and Supporting Software

lists the Catalyst 3500 series XL switches for this IOS release, lists the 8-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL switches for this IOS release, and lists the 4-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL switches for this IOS release. The 4-MB switches are supported by the original edition software of this IOS release. lists the Catalyst 2900 series XL modules and their required IOS release.

Table 1

Model
Description
Number of VLANs
Standard Edition?
Enterprise Edition?
Command Capable?

WS-C3512-XL-EN

WS-C3512-XL-A

12 autosensing 10/100 ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports

250

Yes

Yes

Yes

WS-C3524-XL-EN

WS-C3524-XL-A

24 autosensing 10/100 ports and two Gigabit Ethernet ports

250

Yes

Yes

Yes

WS-C3508G-XL-A

WS-C3508G-XL-EN

8 Gigabit Ethernet ports

250

Yes

Yes

Yes


Catalyst 3500 XL Switches

Table 2

Model
Description
Number of VLANs
Standard Edition?
Enterprise Edition?
Command Capable?

WS-C2912MF-XL

12 100BaseFX ports and 2 high-speed expansion slots

250

No

Yes

With upgrade

WS-C 2912-XL-A

WS-C2912-XL-EN

12 autosensing 10/100 ports

64

Yes

Yes

With upgrade

WS-C2924M-XL-A

WS-C2924M-XL-EN

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

250

Yes

Yes

With upgrade

WS-C2924-XL-A

WS-C2924-XL-EN

24 autosensing 10/100 ports

64

Yes

Yes

With upgrade

WS-C2924C-XL-A

WS-C2924C-XL-EN

22 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 100BaseFX ports

64

Yes

Yes

With upgrade


8-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL Switches

Table 3

Model
Description
Number of VLANs
Enterprise Edition Software for 4-MB Switches?
Command Capable?

WS-C2908-XL

8 autosensing 10/100 ports

64

Yes

No

WS-C2924-XL

24 autosensing 10/100 ports

64

Yes

No

WS-C2924C-XL

22 autosensing 10/100 ports and 2 100BaseFX ports

64

Yes

No

WS-C2916M-XL

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

64

Yes

No


4-MB Catalyst 2900 Series XL

Table 4

Model
Description
Minimum Release Required
VLAN Trunking Ports?

WS-X3500-XL=

1 GigaStack GBIC

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Yes, with a point-to-point connection (-EN only)1

WS-X2972-XL

1 ATM 155 SM-LR fiber port

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Yes (-EN only)

WS-X2971-XL

1 ATM 155 SM-MR fiber port

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Yes (-EN only)

WS-X2961-XL

1 ATM 155 MM fiber port

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Yes (-EN only)

WS-X2951-XL

1 ATM 155 UTP port

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Yes (-EN only)

WS-X2931-XL

1 1000BaseX port

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Yes (-EN only)

WS-X2924-XL-V

4 100BaseFX ports

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4

Yes, with minimum release of 11.2(8)SA5-EN

WS-X2922-XL-V

2 100BaseFX ports

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4

Yes, with minimum release of 11.2(8)SA5-EN

WS-X2914-XL-V

4 autosensing 10/100 UTP ports

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4

Yes, with minimum release of 11.2(8)SA5-EN

WS-X2922-XL

2 100BaseFX ports

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA

No

WS-X2914-XL

4 autosensing 10/100 UTP ports

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA

No

1 GigaStack GBICs can operate in full-duplex point-to-point mode or in half-duplex stacking mode.


Catalyst 2900 Series XL Modules and GBICs

Changes Since the Last Release

This IOS release supports the creation of a cluster of up to 16 switches through the HTML-based Cluster Management tools. You create a cluster by assigning an IP address to a command switch, which can then connect to up to 15 member switches. The command switch can then manage communication between the member switches and the management interfaces. Cluster members must be running IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6.

Cluster Management features include a map of the cluster devices and links, single- and multiple-port configuration, and device reports. In addition, you can use the command switch to upgrade multiple switches to new software releases.

All Catalyst 3500 series XL switches can be command switches. The 8-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL switches can be upgraded to act as command switches. The 4-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL switches cannot be upgraded to be command switches.

Increased number of VLANs

On some switches, the maximum number of supported VLANs has increased from 64 to 250. See the "Important Notes" section for the list of these platforms.

TACACS+

TACACS+, an Enterprise Edition Software feature, provides the means to manage network security from a server. You can configure the TACACS+ server to perform switch authentication, authorization, and accounting. Authentication is the action of determining who the user is and whether he or she is allowed to access the switch. Authorization is the action of determining what the user is allowed to do on the system, and accounting is the action of collecting data related to resource usage.

Note   TACACS+ does not manage access authentication for CVSM. The switch enable password is used.

STP UplinkFast

STP UplinkFast, an Enterprise Edition Software feature, is an enhancement to Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP) that accelerates the choice of a new root port when a link or switch fails or when STP reconfigures itself. When UplinkFast is enabled, the status of the root port changes to forwarding immediately without going through the listening and learning states.

Network Time Protocol

The Network Time Protocol (NTP) controls how a switch receives time information from an external source. This IOS release supports the configuration of switches to act as an NTP client—requesting timing information from an NTP server—or as an NTP broadcast client—receiving time broadcasts from an NTP broadcast server, such as a router.

Catalyst 3500 Series XL Switch Support

IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6 supports three new Catalyst 3500 series XL switches. As with the Catalyst 2900 series XL, you can order these switches with either the standard edition software or the Enterprise Edition Software.

lists the different port densities of the Catalyst 3500 series XL models. See the "Related Documentation" section for the complete list of Catalyst 3500 series XL documentation.

Changes to the Documentation Set

Because of the addition of the Catalyst 3500 series XL switches, the documentation set for this release has changed substantially. In general, the hardware documentation has been separated from the software documentation, and the online help system for the HTML interfaces has been expanded to include all the how-to procedures for network and device management.

Minimum IOS Release for Major Features

lists the minimum IOS release required for the major features of the Catalyst 2900 series XL and Catalyst 3500 series XL switches.

Table 5 Major Catalyst 2900 XL and Catalyst 3500 XL Features and the Minimum IOS Release that Supports Them

Feature
Minimum Release Required

Catalyst 3500 Series XL switches

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Cluster Management

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Terminal Access Control Access Server+ (TACACS+)

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

Network Time Protocol (NTP)

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP) UplinkFast

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

250 VLANs (See the "Hardware and Supporting Software" section for the models that can support this number of VLANs.)

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA6

Catalyst 2900 series XL 1000BaseX modules

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

Catalyst 2900 series XL ATM modules

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA5

VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS)

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

8192 MAC addresses on modular switches

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4

Inter-Switch Link (ISL) trunking

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

IEEE 802.1Q trunking

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

Switch Network View stack management

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA3

Web-based switch management

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA

Fast EtherChannel port groups

IOS Release 11.2(8)SA


Limitations and Restrictions

This section should be reviewed before you begin working with the switches. Some features might not work as documented, and some features could be affected by recent changes to the switch hardware or software.

Connecting to the Cisco 600W Redundant Power System

The following restrictions apply to using the Cisco 600W Redundant Power System (RPS) with a Catalyst 2900 series XL or Catalyst 3500 series XL switch:

•Do not connect a switch power cord to an AC outlet if the switch is also connected to a powered-up RPS.

•The switches do not support the fully-redundant or redundant-with-reboot configurations that are described in the Cisco RPS Hardware Installation Guide. These configurations should not be used with Catalyst 2900 series XL or Catalyst 3500 series XL switches.

The RPS can provide a quasi-redundant power source for four external devices that use up to 150W DC each. You can use a one-to-one cable (one connector at each cable end) to connect four external devices to the four DC output power modules. The power source is quasi-redundant because there are two AC input power modules for the Cisco RPS and one DC output power module for each external device. The AC input to the Cisco RPS is fully redundant, but the DC output to the external devices is not.

Cluster Management Link Report

The link report in Cluster Management is no longer supported. The documentation and help might refer to the link report, but it is no longer part of the product.

TACACS+ and CVSM

TACACS+ does not manage access authentication for CVSM. The switch enable password is used.

Hot-Swapping Not Supported For ATM and Gigabit Ethernet Modules

A Catalyst 2900 series XL switch must be turned off before you can insert one of the following modules:

•Catalyst 2900 series XL 1000BaseX modules

•Catalyst 2900 series XL ATM modules

Port Configuration Conflicts

Certain combinations of port features create configuration conflicts (see ). For example, the network port floods all unknown unicast and multicast packets to a port; therefore, port security, which limits traffic on a port, cannot be enabled on the network port. If you try to enable incompatible features, CVSM issues a warning message and prevents you from making the change. Reload the page to refresh cvsm. In , no means that the two referenced features are not compatible.

Table 6 Port Configuration Conflicts

 
ATM Port1
Port Group
Port Security
Monitor Port
Multi-VLAN Port
Network Port2
Connect to Cluster?
ATM port

-

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Port group

No

-

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Port security

No

No

-

No

No

No

Yes

Monitor port

No

No

No

-

No

No

Yes

Multi-VLAN port

No

Yes

No

No

-

Yes

Yes

Network port

No

Yes (only source-based group)

No

No

Yes

-

No

Connect to cluster

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

-

1 Catalyst 2900 series XL only

2 A network port cannot connect cluster members to the command switch.


IEEE 802.1Q Configuration Considerations

IEEE 802.Q trunks impose some limitations on the trunking strategy for a network. The following restrictions apply when using 802.1Q trunks:

•Make sure the native VLAN for an 802.1Q trunk is the same on both ends of the trunk link. If the native VLAN on one end of the trunk is different from the native VLAN on the other end, spanning-tree loops might result.

•Disabling STP on the native VLAN of an IEEE 802.1Q trunk without disabling STP on every VLAN in the network can potentially cause STP loops. We recommend that you either leave STP enabled on the native VLAN of an 802.1Q trunk or disable STP on every VLAN in the network. Make sure your network is loop-free before disabling STP.

Spanning-Tree Maximum Age Command

The range of seconds for the span-tree max-age command is now 6 to 200 seconds. If you use this command in a previous release to set a value greater than this new range and then upgrade your software to version Cisco IOS 11.2(8.1)SA6, the switch sets this value to the default: 20 seconds for IEEE STP, 15 seconds for DEC STP, and 10 seconds for IBM STP.

Upgrading to a New Software Release

This section describes the procedure for upgrading your switch software by using the Cisco IOS command-line interface (CLI).

Caution   There are separate procedures for upgrading 4-MB and 8-MB Catalyst 2900 series XL switches. Please review the two procedures before starting the upgrade. Both procedures include a step for determining the amount of memory that a switch has.

If you are running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA3 or later, we recommend that you upgrade the switch by using the web-based Cisco Visual Switch Manager software (CVSM). Instructions for upgrading via CVSM are in the Catalyst 2900 Series XL Installation and Configuration Guide, or, for this IOS release, the Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Software Configuration Guide.

Note   You cannot use the web-based interface to upgrade a switch running Cisco IOS 11.2(8)SA2 or earlier. Use the CLI to perform the upgrade in such cases.

The CLI upgrade procedure consists of the following major steps:

Step 1 Downloading the combined .tar file from CCO. This file contains the IOS image and the HTML files. The tar command extracts the IOS image and the HTML files from the combined .tar file during the TFTP copy to the switch.

Step 2 If necessary, downloading the TFTP server application to copy the switch software from your PC to the switch.

Step 3 Using the CLI or CVSM to upgrade your switch to the new software.

Which Files to Use

Review and before you download the software. describes the file extensions and what they mean for the upgrade procedure. In general, it is easier to upgrade the switch software by using a combined .tar file that contains the HTML files and the IOS image. The upgrade procedures in these release notes describe how to use a combined .tar file, and you must use a combined .tar file to upgrade a switch via the switch HTML interfaces.

describes the various versions of the software that can be downloaded. Each IOS version can support command-switch or member-switch capabilities.The software files for this IOS release are listed by switch in and .

Table 7 Possible Extensions for IOS Software Files

Extension
Description

.tar

A compacted file from which you can extract files by using the tar command. There are two types of .tar files:

•A combined .tar file that contains both the IOS image file and the HTML files. You can upgrade the switch software with this one file from the CLI or from the CVSM System page.

•An HTML .tar file that has the letters HTML in its name and contains just the HTML files for an IOS release. You can upgrade the switch software from the CLI with this HTML file and the IOS image file.

.bin

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


Table 8 Possible Versions of IOS Software Files

IOS Version
Description
 

Standard edition software

The set of features that is available on all switches

 

Enterprise Edition Software

The advanced set of features that is in addition to the standard edition software

 

Original edition software

Enterprise Edition Software that runs on the following 4-MB switch models: WS-C2908-XL, WS-C2924-XL, WS-C2924C-XL, or WS-C2916M-XL

Cluster Management Capabilities
 
 

Command switch

Software that enables the switch to act as a cluster command switch

 

Member switch

Software that enables the switch to act as a cluster member switch


Table 9 Catalyst 3500 Series Cisco IOS XL Software Files

Filename
Description
CCO Location1

c3500XL-c3h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Standard edition IOS image file

Registered and public

c3500XL-c3h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Standard edition IOS image file and HTML files

Registered and public

c3500XL-html-plus.112.8.1-SA6.tar

Standard and Enterprise Edition HTML files

Registered and public

c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image file

Registered only

c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image file and HTML files

Registered only

1 Software files are available through both a registered site, for which you must register to have access, and a public site for which there are no restrictions.


Table 10

Filename
Description
CCO Location 1

c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Original edition IOS image-only file

Registered and public

c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Original edition IOS image and HTML files

Registered and public

c2900XL-html.112.8.1-SA6.tar

Original, standard, and Enterprise Edition Software HTML files (member switch)

Registered and public

c2900XL-h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Standard edition IOS image-only file (member switch)

Registered and public

c2900XL-h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Standard edition IOS image and HTML files (member switch)

Registered and public

c2900XL-c3h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Standard edition IOS image-only file (command switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-c3h2-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Standard edition IOS image and HTML files (command switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-html-plus.112.8.1-SA6.tar

Standard and Enterprise Edition Software HTML files (command switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image-only file (member switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image and HTML files (member switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image-only file (command switch)

Registered only

c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.tar

Enterprise Edition Software IOS image and HTML files (command switch)

Registered only

1 Software files are available through both a registered site, for which you must register to have access, and a public site for which there are no restrictions.


Catalyst 2900 Series XL Cisco IOS Software Files

Downloading the New Software

Follow these steps to download a new version of IOS 11.2(8.1)SA6 software and, if necessary, the TFTP server application.

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

Note   It is recommended that you download the combined .tar file that contains the image file and the HTML files. The procedures in these release notes are for upgrading a switch by using a combined .tar file, and the web-based CVSM interface is designed to upgrade a switch by using this combined file.

Step 2 Registered users can download files from the following locations:

For Catalyst 2900 series XL switches, enter the following URL in your browser Go To or Location field:

http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cat2900XL

For Catalyst 3500 series XL switches, enter the following URL in your browser or Go To Location field:

http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cat3500XL

Non-registered users can download files from the following locations:

For Catalyst 3500 series XL switches:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cat3500XL

For Catalyst 2900 series XL switches:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cat2900XL

Step 3 Download the IOS file or files.

Step 4 Download the TFTP server from this URL, if necessary. The readme.txt file describes how to download the TFTP server.

After you have downloaded the correct file to your PC or workstation, you can use the CLI to perform a TFTP transfer of the file or files to the switch.

Upgrading Catalyst 3500 Series XL Switches

This procedure is only for upgrading Catalyst 3500 XL switches by copying the combined .tar file to the switch. You copy the files to the switch from a TFTP server and extract the files by entering the tar command.

Note   If you want to copy the IOS image file or HTML files separately to the switch, follow the upgrade procedure in the release notes that came with your switch, or refer to the Catalyst 2900 series XL documentation for IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4 on CCO.

Follow these steps to upgrade the switch software by using a TFTP transfer:

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 console port via the RS-232 connector.

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

server% telnet switch_ip_address

Step 3 Enter privileged EXEC mode: 

switch> enable 
switch#

Step 4 Display the name of the current (default) image file. The following example shows the current 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

Step 5 If there is no file defined in the BOOT path-list, enter dir flash: to display the contents of Flash memory.

Step 6 Using the name of the combined .tar file that you downloaded, rename the current image file to that name, and replace the .tar extension with .bin. The current image file name is then the same as the downloaded file name but with a .bin extension. This step does not affect the operation of the switch. 

switch# rename flash:current_image flash:new_image.bin 
Source filename [current_image]?  
Destination filename [new_image]?

For example: 

switch# rename c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin

Step 7 Display the contents of Flash memory to verify the renaming of the file: 

switch# dir flash: 
Directory of flash: 
-rwx      910426 Mar 06 1993 23:47:28  new_image.bin

-rwx       80971   Sep 14 1998 03:10:38  c3500XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA6 
-rwx        4800   Mar 01 1993 00:04:14  html 
-rwx         159   Jan 01 1970 00:00:34  env_vars 
-rwx        1121   Mar 01 1993 18:46:01  config.text

Step 8 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# config terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 9 Disable access to the switch HTML pages: 

switch(config)# no IP http server

Step 10 If you entered the boot command with the name of the image file, enter this command to change it to the new name. 

switch(config)# boot system flash:new_image.bin

Note   If you have not entered the boot command with the name of the image, you do not need to enter this command; the switch automatically finds the correct file to use when it resets.

Step 11 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 12 Remove the CVSM HTML files: 

switch# delete flash:html/*

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

Step 13 Remove the files in the Snmp directory: 

switch# delete flash:html/Snmp/*

Make sure the "S" in "Snmp" is uppercase.

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

Caution   In the following step, the tar command copies the combined .tar file that contains both the image and the HTML files. You do not need to copy an HTML.tar file in this procedure.

Step 14 Enter the following command to copy the new image and HTML files to the switch Flash memory: 

switch# tar /x tftp://server_ip_address//path/filename.tar flash: 
Loading /path/filename.tar from server_ip_address (via VLAN1):!) 
extracting info (110 bytes)

extracting c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-112.0.66-SA6.bin (1271095 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

html/ (directory)

extracting html/Detective.html.gz (1134 bytes)!

extracting html/ieGraph.html.gz (553 bytes)

extracting html/DrawGraph.html.gz (760 bytes)

extracting html/GraphFrame.html.gz (774 bytes)!

. . .

Depending on the TFTP server being used, you might need to enter only one slash (/) after the server_ip_address in the tar command.

Step 15 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# config terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 16 Re-enable access to the switch HTTP pages: 

switch(config)# IP http server

Step 17 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 18 Reload the new software with the following command: 

switch# reload 
System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]:y 
Proceed with reload? [confirm]

Step 19 Press Return to confirm the reload.

Your Telnet session ends when the switch resets.

Step 20 After the switch reboots, you can Telnet back into the switch and enter the show version command in privileged EXEC mode to verify the upgrade procedure.

Upgrading 4-MB Catalyst 2900 Series XL Switches

This procedure is for upgrading the 4-MB switches that run the original edition of IOS
Release 11.2(8.1)SA6. The 4-MB models that run the original edition software are WS-C2908-XL, WS-C2924-XL, WS-C2924C-XL, and WS-C2916M-XL. You upgrade the switches by extracting the IOS image file and the HTML files from a combined .tar file. You copy the files to the switch from a TFTP server and extract the files by entering the tar command.

Note   If you want to copy the IOS image file or HTML files separately to the switch, follow the upgrade procedure in the release notes that came with your switch, or refer to the Catalyst 2900 series XL release notes for IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4 on CCO.

If you are unsure whether your switch has 4 MB or 8 MB of memory, go to Step 4.

Follow these steps to upgrade the switch software by using the tar command and a TFTP transfer:

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 console port via the RS-232 connector.

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

server% telnet switch_ip_address

Step 3 Enter privileged EXEC mode: 

switch> enable 
switch#

Step 4 Confirm that you have a 4-MB switch: 

switch# show version

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software 

IOS (tm) C2900XL Software (C2900XL-HS-M), Version 11.2(0.0.65)SA2, 

Copyright (c) 1986-1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Fri 09-Apr-98 13:55 by jchristy

Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x0020C740


ROM: Bootstrap program is C2900XL boot loader


pacifica-165 uptime is 1 day, 20 hours, 5 minutes

System restarted by reload

System image file is "flash:c2900XL-hs-mz-112.0.0.65-SA6.bin", booted via 


cisco WS-C2924C-XL (PowerPC403GA) processor (revision 0x11) with 4096K/640K 
bytes of memory.

Processor board ID 0x09, with hardware revision 0x00

Step 5 Display the name of the current (default) image file. The following example shows the current 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

Step 6 If there is no file defined in the BOOT path-list, enter dir flash: to display the contents of Flash memory. The file named c2900XL-h-mz_current_version is your current image file.

Step 7 Using the name of the combined .tar file that you downloaded, rename the current image file to that name, and replace the .tar extension with a .bin extension. The current image file name is then the same as the downloaded file name but with a .bin extension. This step does not affect the operation of the switch. 

switch# rename flash:current_image flash:new_image.bin 
Source filename [current_image]?  
Destination filename [new_image]?

For example: 

switch# rename flash:c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin flash:c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin 
Source filename [c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin]?

Destination filename [c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin]? 
switch#

Step 8 Display the contents of Flash memory to verify the renaming of the file: 

switch# dir flash: 
Directory of flash: 
-rwx      910426 Mar 06 1993 23:47:28  new_image.bin

-rwx       80971   Sep 14 1998 03:10:38  c2900XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA2 
-rwx        4800   Mar 01 1993 00:04:14  html 
-rwx         159   Jan 01 1970 00:00:34  env_vars 
-rwx        1121   Mar 01 1993 18:46:01  config.text

Step 9 If a file starting with the character string c2900XL-diag-mz appears in the Flash directory, you should remove it. This diagnostics file has a name in the following format: c2900XL-diag-mz-version_name. The string version_name depends on the switch and software you are running.

Display the diagnostics file: 

switch# dir flash:c2900XL-diag-mz* 
Directory of flash:

-rwx 80971 Sep 14 1998 03:10:38 c2900XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA2

Delete the diagnostics file: 

Switch# delete flash:c2900XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA2

Delete filename [c2900XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA2]?

Delete flash:c2900XL-diag-mz-112.0.0.11-SA2? [confirm]

Switch#

Step 10 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# configure terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 11 Disable access to the switch HTML pages: 

switch(config)# no IP http server

Step 12 Change the name of the default image file: 

switch(config)# boot system flash:new_image.bin

Step 13 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 14 Verify that the name of the default image file is correct: 

switch# show boot 
BOOT path-list:    flash:new_image 
Config file:       flash:config.text 
Enable Break:      1 
Manual Boot:       no 
HELPER path-list:  
NVRAM/Config file 
buffer size: 32768

Step 15 Remove the CVSM HTML files: 

switch# delete flash:html/*

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

Step 16 If you are running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA3 or later, remove the files in the Snmp directory: 

switch# delete flash:html/Snmp/*

Make sure the "S" in "Snmp" is uppercase.

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

Step 17 If you are running Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8)SA2 or earlier, create a directory on the switch Flash memory to be used for the HTML files: 

switch# mkdir flash:html/Snmp

Make sure the "S" in "Snmp" is uppercase.

Caution   In the following step, the tar command copies to the switch the combined .tar file that contains both the image and the HTML files. You do not need to copy an HTML .tar file in this procedure.

Step 18 Enter the following command to copy the new image and HTML files to the switch Flash memory: 

switch# tar /x tftp://server_ip_address//path/filename.tar flash: 
Loading /path/filename.tar from server_ip_address (via VLAN1):!) 
extracting info (110 bytes)

extracting c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.0.66-SA6.bin (1271095 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

html/ (directory)

extracting html/Detective.html.gz (1134 bytes)!

extracting html/ieGraph.html.gz (553 bytes)

extracting html/DrawGraph.html.gz (760 bytes)!

. . .

Depending on the TFTP server being used, you might need to enter only one slash (/) after the server_ip_address in the tar command.

Step 19 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# config terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 20 Re-enable access to the switch HTTP pages: 

switch(config)# IP http server

Step 21 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 22 Reload the new software with the following command: 

switch# reload 
System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]:y 
Proceed with reload? [confirm]

Step 23 Press Return to confirm the reload.

Your Telnet session ends when the switch resets.

Step 24 After the switch reboots, you can Telnet back into the switch and enter the show version command in privileged EXEC mode to verify the upgrade procedure.

Upgrading 8-MB Catalyst 2900 Series XL Switches

This procedure is for upgrading Catalyst 2900 XL switches with 8 MB of DRAM. You upgrade a switch by extracting the IOS image file and the HTML files from a combined .tar file. You copy the files to the switch from a TFTP server and extract the files by entering the tar command.

Note   If you want to copy the IOS image file or HTML files separately to the switch, follow the upgrade procedure in the release notes that came with your switch, or refer to the Catalyst 2900 series XL release notes for IOS Release 11.2(8)SA4 on CCO.

If you are unsure whether your switch has 4 MB or 8 MB of memory, go to Step 4.

Follow these steps to upgrade the switch software by using the tar command to start a TFTP transfer:

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 console port via the RS-232 connector.

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

server% telnet switch_ip_address

Step 3 Enter privileged EXEC mode: 

switch> enable 
switch#

Step 4 Confirm that you have an 8-MB switch: 

2900XL-EN-84.3# show version

Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software IOS (tm) 

C2900XL Software (C2900XL-HS-M), Version 11.2(8)SA4, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Copyright (c) 1986-1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Mon 23-Nov-98 20:59 by paulines

Image text-base: 0x00003000, data-base: 0x00202144


ROM: Bootstrap program is C2900XL boot loader


2900XL-EN-84.3 uptime is 1 day, 22 hours, 23 minutes

System restarted by power-on

Running default software



cisco WS-C2924-XL (PowerPC403GA) processor (revision 0x11) 

with 8192K/1024K bytes of memory.

Processor board ID 0x0E, with hardware revision 0x01

Last reset from power-on


Processor is running Enterprise Edition Software

24 Ethernet/IEEE 802.3 interface(s)


32K bytes of flash-simulated non-volatile configuration memory.

Base ethernet MAC Address: 00:50:80:39:EC:40

Motherboard assembly number: 73-3382-04

Power supply part number: 34-0834-01

Motherboard serial number: FAA02499G7X

Model number: WS-C2924-XL-EN

System serial number: FAA0250U03P

Configuration register is 0xF

Step 5 Display the name of the current (default) image file. The following example shows the current 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

Step 6 If there is no file defined in the BOOT path-list, enter dir flash: to display the contents of Flash memory. The file named c2900XL-h-mz_current_version is your current image file. 

2900XL-EN-84.3# dir flash:

Directory of flash:


  2  -rwx        1707   Mar 05 1993 01:18:21  config.text

  4  drwx         256   Mar 01 1993 00:13:43  html

 27  -rwx         270   Mar 01 1993 00:04:44  env_vars

214  -rwx        4424   Mar 01 1993 23:52:06  vlan.dat

215  -rwx     1047019   Mar 01 1993 00:11:11  c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin


3612672 bytes total (1232384 bytes free)

2900XL-EN-84.3#

Step 7 Using the name of the combined .tar file that you downloaded, rename the current image file to that name, and replace the .tar extension with a .bin extension. The current image file name is then the same as the downloaded file name but with a .bin extension. This step does not affect the operation of the switch. 

switch# rename flash:current_image flash:new_image.bin 
Source filename [current_image]?  
Destination filename [new_image]?

For example: 

switch# rename flash:c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin flash:c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin 
Source filename [c2900XL-hs-mz-112.8-SA4.bin]?

Destination filename [c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.8.1-SA6.bin]?

switch#

Step 8 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# config terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 9 Disable access to the switch HTML pages: 

switch(config)# no IP http server

Step 10 If you entered the boot command with the name of the image file, enter this command to change it to the new name. 

switch(config)# boot system flash:new_image.bin

Note   If you did not previously enter the boot command with the name of the image, you do not need to enter this command; the switch automatically finds the correct file to use when it resets.

Step 11 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 12 Remove the HTML files: 

switch# delete flash:html/*

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

Step 13 Remove the files in the Snmp directory: 

switch# delete flash:html/Snmp/*

Make sure the "S" in "Snmp" is uppercase.

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

Caution   In the following step, the tar command copies the combined .tar file that contains both the image and the HTML files. You do not need to copy an HTML.tar file in this procedure.

Step 14 Enter the following command to copy the new image and HTML files to the switch Flash memory: 

switch# tar /x tftp://server_ip_address//path/filename.tar flash: 
Loading /path/filename.tar from server_ip_address (via VLAN1):!) 
extracting info (110 bytes)

extracting c2900XL-c3h2s-mz-112.0.66-SA6.bin (1271095 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

html/ (directory)

extracting html/Detective.html.gz (1134 bytes)!

extracting html/ieGraph.html.gz (553 bytes)

extracting html/DrawGraph.html.gz (760 bytes)!

. . .

Depending on the TFTP server being used, you might need to enter only one slash (/) after the server_ip_address in the tar command.

Step 15 Enter global configuration mode: 

switch# configure terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Step 16 Re-enable access to the switch HTTP pages: 

switch(config)# IP http server

Step 17 Return to privileged EXEC mode: 

switch(config)# end

Step 18 Reload the new software with the following command: 

switch# reload 
System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]:y 
Proceed with reload? [confirm]

Step 19 Press Return to confirm the reload.

Your Telnet session ends when the switch resets.

Step 20 After the switch reboots, you can Telnet back into the switch and enter the show version command in privileged EXEC mode to verify the upgrade procedure.

Current Caveats

This section describes possibly unexpected behavior by Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.1)SA6.

•When you try to access a switch by entering the IP address in the location field while using CVSM, the switch displays the Cisco Access page for the new switch. However, you cannot access CVSM for the new switch from this page. The switch refreshes the Cisco Access page without displaying the switch home page.

The workaround is to start a new browser session and enter the IP address of the new switch in the Location field of the new browser session. (CSCdm27401)

•When upgrading a switch from the CVSM System page, the switch renames the existing filename even if Retain Current IOS Image File Name field is selected. After the upgrade, the image is not changed to the current image name.

The workaround is to delete the current IOS image before the upgrade so that the new image file can be renamed correctly. (CSCdm32685)

•If you use Telnet or a browser to access a member switch without an IP address from the CVSM CDP page, the switch starts a session with the command switch.

The workaround for Telnet is to first display the cluster-member number by entering the privileged EXEC command show cluster member. Note the number of the member you want to access, and then Telnet to the switch by entering the following command: rcommand switch_number.

The workaround for the browser is to start Cluster Management from the switch home page and start Cluster Manager. Right-click on the chassis of the switch that you want to access, and select Switch Manager. (CSCdm34868)

•The Device Report and Bandwidth Graph menu items for candidate switches without IP addresses do not work.

The workaround is to add candidates to the cluster and then right-click the device and select Device Report or Bandwidth Graph from the pop-up menu. (CSCdm31724)

•The Link Graph between members and non-members does not work.

The workaround is to display the Device Report for the member switch, select Port Information from the drop-down menu in the right corner of the page, and click the appropriate port. Click Graph. (CSCdm32226)

•Adding trap managers using the SNMP Manager dialog box in Cluster Manager only adds the trap managers to the command switch, and it does not propagate them to cluster members. As a result, only traps that are generated by the command switch are received by the trap managers.

The workaround is to add the trap managers for the member switches by using the CVSM SNMP Configuration page. This must be done for every member in the cluster. Note that if the member switches do not have assigned IP addresses, you need to assign unique community strings for each trap manager. The community strings are the only means for determining which switch generated the trap. (CSCdm32763)

•Device reports and graphs give "SNMP Unavailable" messages.

First make sure that the switch is reachable via the network and that the SNMP agent is enabled. Also verify that you are using the correct community string. There should be only one read-only SNMP community string. If you change the community string while using cluster manager or CVSM, you must reload your browser to display the changes. (CSCdm32367)

•Links between members sometimes do not display in Cluster Builder or Cluster View.

The workaround is to display the Device Links Report from the Cluster Builder window. (CSCdm27668)

•Link Graphs for the Catalyst 3512 XL and Catalyst 3524 XL do not work.

The workaround is to right-click the switch icon, select Device Report from the pop-up menu, and select Port Information from the drop-down menu. Click the appropriate port, and click Graph. (CSCdm35346)

•Some dialog boxes in the Cluster Management application do not appear properly formatted in Solaris.

Use Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT to avoid this problem. (CSCdm23953)

•In Internet Explorer 5.0, the tab key does not work properly. It does not highlight the editable fields as it should.

Use the mouse to click on the field, or use Netscape 4.5, Netscape 4.5.1, or Internet Explorer 4.01. (CSCdm24761)

•When using Internet Explorer 5.0 and CVSM to change the configuration, the changes are not updated by the browser but are applied to the switch.

The workaround is to click the browser Refresh button to display the new settings. (CSCdm27546)

•IP access lists can interfere with creating clusters. If you filter VTY connections based on an IP access list, clustering can fail, and users cannot use the privileged EXEC mode rcommand to access a member switch CLI.

The workaround is to not use access lists if you want to cluster switches. The access class 199 that is created when a device is configured as the command switch is an exception. (CSCdm39364)

•If you enter the interface configuration mode no ip address command to remove the IP address from a member switch, it disables the switch IP protocol stack.

The workaround is to enter the EXEC mode clear ip address vlan 1 command instead. (CSCdm39373)

•Network Address Translation (NAT) commands are added to the configuration file of a command switch when a cluster is created.

No workaround is necessary, but the commands should not be removed. (CSCdm39380)

•A laptop computer that goes to sleep while it has an open serial port session to a Catalyst 3500 series XL switch can cause the switch to reset when the laptop wakes up.

The workaround is to disconnect the serial cable from the console port when it is not in use. (CSCdm37220)

•When you configure more than 64 VLANs and you do not save the running configuration, the switch can assign STP instances to the wrong VLANs the next time it reloads.

If you configure more than 64 VLANs on a Catalyst 2900 series XL or Catalyst 3500 series XL switch, enter a privileged EXEC save running-config command after exiting VLAN configuration mode. (CSCdm33358)

Related Documentation

The product documentation for the Catalyst 3500 series XL and Catalyst 2900 series XL switches and modules is as follows:

Catalyst 2900 Series XL Installation Guide

Quick Start: Catalyst 2900 Series XL Cabling and Setup

Catalyst 3500 Series XL Installation Guide

Quick Start: Catalyst 3500 Series XL Cabling and Setup

Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Enterprise Edition Software Configuration Guide

Cisco IOS Desktop Switching Software Configuration Guide

Cisco IOS Desktop Command Reference (online only)

Catalyst 2900 Series XL Modules Installation Guide

Catalyst 2900 Series XL Gigabit Ethernet Module Installation Guide

Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL Modules

Catalyst 2900 Series XL ATM Modules Installation and Configuration Guide

Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL ATM Modules

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