Field Notice: Cisco 12000 Series ROM Monitor Cache Error Exception

September 3, 1999

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Products Affected

Product	Description
GRP(=)	The Gigabit Route Processor (GRP) is used in Cisco 12000 series Gigabit Switch Routers (GSRs) and serves as the main system processor for the GSRs.

Problem Description

An error in the ROM Monitor (ROMMON) code bundled with the 12000 series Cisco IOS images may prevent the router from reloading correctly after the ROMMON is upgraded. This ROMMON error is tracked with Cisco software defect CSCdm89160.

The problem can only occur if the Cisco 12000 series router is operating with one of the affected Cisco IOS maintenances and the ROMMON is manually upgraded. If these conditions are met, a Cache Error Exception error will display causing the Cisco 12000 series router to fail the boot process.

Cisco will defer the affected images.

Background

CSCdm70130 introduced the ROMMON software defect. See the Cisco IOS Versions Affected section for a listing of Cisco IOS trains, maintenances, and images affected.

Problem Symptoms

After upgrade rom slot rp-slot# or upgrade all, the Cisco 12000 series router will experience a Cache Error Exception error due to uninitialized memory. If the GRP is in autoboot mode, it appears to keep crashing with this Cache Error Exception error.

*** Cache Error Exception ***
Cache Err Reg = 0xa4240560
data reference, primary cache, data field error , error on SysAD Bus
PC = 0xbfc00e04, Cause = 0x8000, Status Reg = 0x30408404
Tiger Masked Interrupt Register = 0x000000ff
Tiger Interrupt Value Register = 0x0000000c

This error will prevent the router from booting correctly. If this error occurs, use the recovery procedure documented in the Workaround/Solution section.

Workaround/Solution

To Avoid the "Cache Error Exception" Error

• Do not manually upgrade the ROMMON.

• Downgrade to an older Cisco IOS 12000 series image until a solution is available.

Routers configured with the service upgrade all command will not be affected by this software defect since this command does not upgrade the GRP ROMMON.

Workaround

If a Cache Error Exception error occurs after meeting the conditions described in the Problem Description section:

• Contact Cisco Technical Support (see the For More Information section below) and request the recovery procedure documented in CSCdm89160.

Solution

• Upgrade to Cisco IOS Software Release 11.2(18)GS2 or 12.0(6)S.

Cisco IOS Solution

Cisco IOS Trains	Cisco IOS Maintenances	Cisco IOS Images	Date Available
11.2GS	11.2(18)GS2 or later 11.2GS images	all gsr images (gsr-*-mz)	Forecast to CCO: September 6, 1999
12.0S	12.0(6)S or later 12.0S images	all gsr images (gsr-*-mz)	Forecast to CCO: September 7, 1999

DDTS

This defect has Cisco bug ID CSCdm89160. If you are a registered CCO user and you have logged in, you can view the bug details.

DDTS	Description
CSCdm89160	GSR: cache error exception after upgrading to 11.2(17)GS1 rommon

Cisco IOS Versions Affected

The affected images will be removed from Cisco.com and will not be shipped with new products.

Cisco IOS Trains Affected	Cisco IOS Maintenances Affected	Cisco IOS Images Affected
11.2GS	11.2(17)GS1 11.2(18)GS1	all gsr images (gsr-*-mz)
12.0S	12.0(5.5)S1 12.0(5.6)S 12.0(6.0.2)S	all gsr images (gsr-*-mz)

How To Upgrade Software

For more information, refer to the IOS Downloads (registered customers only) page.

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

• Open a service request on Cisco.com
• By email
• By telephone

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