Field Notice: FN - 62725 - 7300-NSE-100, 7304-NPE-G100, C7200-I/O, C7200-I/O-2FE/E, C7200-I/O-GE+E, CISCO7301, NPE-G2, NPE-G1, uBR7200-NPE-G1 - Unable To Read CF or PCMCIA ATA Flash Disk - Data Loss or System Boot Hang - Replace Flash Card - RMA Required

Revised October 10, 2008
April 26, 2007

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NOTICE:

THIS FIELD NOTICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FIELD NOTICE OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE FIELD NOTICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS FIELD NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

Revision History

   

Revision	Date	Comment
1.1	10-OCT-2008	Removed Upgrade Form and references to the form, changed Workaround/Solution to reflect RMA.
1.0	26-APR-2007	Initial Public Release

Products Affected

Products Affected	Top Assembly		Printed Circuit Assembly		Comments
	Part Number	Revision	Part Number	Revision
MEM-I/O-FLD128M	16-2117-02	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-I/O-FLD64M	16-2733-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-NPE-G1-FLD128	16-3271-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-NPE-G1-FLD256	16-3273-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-NPE-G1-FLD64	16-3261-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-NPE-G2-FLD256	16-3273-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-7301-FLD128	16-3271-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-7301-FLD256	16-3273-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
MEM-7301-FLD64	16-3261-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier
7304-I/O-CFM-256M	16-2768-01	-A0	NA	NA	-A0 or earlier

Problem Description

The PCMCIA ATA Flash Disks and Compact Flash (CF) modules used in specific Cisco products may contain a Manufacturing defect which reduces reliability of the Flash device. Some Cisco 7200, Cisco uBR7200 and Cisco 7300 series network processing engines and I/O cards may contain a suspect Flash device that may not be able to access stored files on the Flash disk. Some Cisco 7301 routers may also contain a suspect Flash device. The router may fail to reboot if it relies on an IOS image stored on the Flash device.

A portion of the Network Processing Engines and routers manufactured between May 2005 and October 2006 may have shipped with an affected PCMCIA ATA Flash disk or Compact Flash (CF) module from the specific component lots. Refer to the How to Identify Hardware Levels section for Flash disk identification information. Refer to the Serial Number Range section for serial number bounding information.

The failure condition would be observed during a power cycle, reload event or during a write event such as a crash file dump. Systems will be unable to pass traffic in the failed state.

The affected Network Processing Engines and Routers do not allow ROMMON upgrades via software and therefore the affected Flash devices are recommended for replacement.

NOTE 1 - The Network Processing Engine or Router itself is not defective; this issue is only related to the removable Flash Disk cards.

NOTE 2 - As customers may remove and re-use Flash Cards, the affected cards shipped with these products may have been re-used in different Cisco products. Please exercise caution when re-using Flash cards and visually check them against the Identification Section data provided.

Background

This issue affects a specific subset of the PCMCIA ATA Disks and Compact Flash cards that were installed in specific Cisco routers manufactured between May 2005 and October 2006. Cards shipped individually as spares over that same time span may also contain one of the affected units.

This issue has been linked to a component manufacturing problem. The root cause was identified and appropriate steps taken to resolve the problem.

Product impact varies due to different flash memory access methodologies and use patterns. Some products may be able to mitigate the potential effect by re-writing affected memory areas at specific intervals. This feature does not work with all products, so please check the workaround section for availability and specific instructions.

Problem Symptoms

The problem symptom is typically seen during a system reload or cold start. Under normal circumstances a router's PCMCIA card or Compact Flash card could contain Cisco IOS software, configurations or other files necessary for system boot or operation. These files are accessed by the router during the boot sequence to reach an operating state.

In the problem state, the router is unable to access the contents of the Flash disk. When the problem occurs, the system is prevented from accessing directory information stored on the Flash disk. This type of error occurs in the controller of the Flash disk. Data stored on the Flash disk should be intact but may not be accessible. The router may indicate the state with a message log below. The router will be unable to read the contents of the Flash disk that were previously read or written to.

The output below shows the system log or terminal monitor message when the router is unable to read the Flash disk contents.

%Error opening slot0:/ (No device available)

The router may stop the boot sequence and remain at a ROM Monitor (ROMmon) prompt as seen below.

Readonly ROMMON initialized
boot: cannot open "flash:"
boot: cannot determine first executable file name on device "flash:"
cxxxx processor with xxxxxx Kbytes of main memory Main memory is configured to 64 bit mode with ECC enabled
Readonly ROMMON initialized
rommon 1 >
NOTE 3 - The Router will be unaffected and continue to run with a failed Flash disk. Only read/write access such as a logfile write to the flash disk or a router reboot will cause the problem symptom to become evident.

Workaround/Solution

Workaround
There is no workaround available for Flash disks used in the affected network processing engines or routers.

Solution
Customers owning products which are affected by the problem described in this field notice should replace the product with a like product using the standard RMA process.

Exchange a failed PCMCIA Flash disk or Compact Flash (CF) module with a known good disk and IOS image. Replacement of the Flash card at the next scheduled maintenance window is recommended to prevent a possible reboot hang on router restart.

Although an upgrade program had previously been provided to replace potentially affected but otherwise working product, the upgrade program is now over and Cisco will only replace product still fall into the parameters defined below. The standard RMA process should be used to replace failed product.  

For the 7300-NSE-100 and 7304-NPE-G100, both internal and external Compact Flash (CF) modules should be checked using the process described in the How to Identify Hardware Levels section.

Installation Instructions

PCMCIA ATA Flash Disk or Compact Flash (CF) module installation in a Cisco 7200 Series and uBR7200 Series products

   

Compact Flash (CF) module installation in a Cisco 7301 router

   

Compact Flash (CF) module installation in a Cisco 7304 Series product

   

The following diagram shows the locations of the internal Compact Flash (CF) module on the 7300-NSE-100 and 7304-NPE-G100.

How To Identify Hardware Levels

Identifying affected PCMCIA ATA Flash disks and Compact Flash (CF) Modules

   

Please use the following flow chart as a trouble resolution guide for PCMCIA and CF disks.

NOTE #4 - Suspect boards were manufactured between May 2005 and October 2006. Refer to How to Identify Serial Numbers section for information on serial number range boundaries.
NOTE #5 - See individual card sections [64 MB, 128 MB, and 256MB] for command information and disk information.
NOTE #6 - See individual identification card sections [64 MB, 128 MB, and 256MB] for pictures and code locations.

NOTE #7 - If removal of a system processor board to check serial number or Flash disk is required use ESD procedures noted in the installation link.

***64 MB PCMCIA Flash Disks (MEM-I/O-FLD64M)****************

Remote Identification of 64 MB PCMCIA Flash disks

For units inserted into operational systems:

Enter the CLI command: show disk[0,1]: filesys

(If the Disk is unable to be read, prioritize this system for card replacement at the next service window as the disk has failed. The router will continue to run until it reboots and cannot access the failed disk. Operation should be unaffected until a reboot or logfile write event to the failed disk.)

Look for the line: Number of Cylinders 490
If the number is 490, it may be an affected unit. Inspect visually and confirm card vendor type and date range at the next service window.

Visual Identification of 64 MB PCMCIA Flash disks

An affected unit is shown in the following figure:

Look for
1) Date code is earlier than 060728 (7/28/06)
2) Vendor Part Number starts with "CPC"
3) Cisco Part Number is 16-2733-01

***128 MB PCMCIA Flash Disks (MEM-I/O-FLD128M)****************

Remote Identification of 128 MB PCMCIA disks

For units inserted into operational systems:

Enter the CLI command: show disk[0,1]: filesys

(If the Disk is unable to be read, prioritize this system for card replacement at the next service window as the disk has failed. The router will continue to run until it reboots and cannot access the failed disk. Operation should be unaffected until a reboot or logfile write event to the failed disk.)

Look for the line: Number of Cylinders 980
If the number is 980, it may be an affected unit. Inspect visually and confirm card vendor type and date range at the next service window.

Visual Identification of 128 MB PCMCIA disks

An affected unit is shown in the following figure:

Look for
1) Date code is earlier than 060728 (7/28/06)
2) Vendor Part Number starts with "CPC"
3) Cisco Part Number is 16-2117-01

***64 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules (MEM-NPE-G1-FLD64 and MEM-7301-FLD64)***

Remote Identification of 64 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

For units inserted into operational systems:

Enter the CLI command: show disk[0,1]: filesys

(If the Disk is unable to be read, prioritize this system for card replacement at the next service window as the disk has failed. The router will continue to run until it reboots and cannot access the failed disk. Operation should be unaffected until a reboot or logfile write event to the failed disk.)

Look for the line: Number of Cylinders 490
If the number is 490, it may be an affected unit. Inspect visually and confirm card vendor type and date range at the next service window.

Visual Identification of 64 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

An affected unit is shown in the following figure:

Look for
1) Date code is earlier than 060728 (7/28/06)
2) Vendor Part Number starts with "CCF"
3) Cisco Part Number is 16-3261-01

   

***128 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules (MEM-NPE-G1-FLD128 and MEM-7301-FLD128)***

Remote Identification of 128 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

For units inserted into operational systems:

Enter the CLI command: show disk[0,1]: filesys

(If the Disk is unable to be read, prioritize this system for card replacement at the next service window as the disk has failed. The router will continue to run until it reboots and cannot access the failed disk. Operation should be unaffected until a reboot or logfile write event to the failed disk.)

Look for the line: Number of Cylinders 980
If the number is 980, it may be an affected unit. Inspect visually and confirm card vendor type and date range at the next service window.

Visual Identification of 128 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

An affected unit is shown in the following figure:

Look for
1) Date code is earlier than 060728 (7/28/06)
2) Vendor Part Number starts with "CCF"
3) Cisco Part Number is 16-3271-01

   

***256 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules (MEM-NPE-G1-FLD256, MEM-7301-FLD256, MEM-NPE-G2-FLD256, and 7304-I/O-CFM-256M)***

Remote Identification of 256 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

For units inserted into operational systems:

Enter the CLI command: show disk[0,1]: filesys

(If the Disk is unable to be read, prioritize this system for card replacement at the next service window as the disk has failed. The router will continue to run until it reboots and cannot access the failed disk. Operation should be unaffected until a reboot or logfile write event to the failed disk.)

Look for the line: Number of Cylinders 980
If the number is 980, it may be an affected unit. Inspect visually and confirm card vendor type and date range at the next service window.

Visual Identification of 256 MB Compact Flash (CF) Modules

An affected unit is shown in the following figure:

Look for
1) Date code is earlier than 060728 (7/28/06)
2) Vendor Part Number starts with "CCF"
3) Cisco Part Number is 16-3273-01 or 16-2768-01.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 - Will formatting the Flash disk resolve this issue?

A1 - No, attempts to format the Flash disk will not resolve the problem. When the problem occurs data should be intact and re-formatting after applying the solution should not be necessary.

Q2 - I've applied the solution, but my router does not boot. What do I do?

A2 - There may be a separate issue preventing the router from booting. Further troubleshooting may be necessary.

Q3 - What do I do if my router is currently in ROMMON mode?

A3 - Reference the Cisco Tech Tip for instructions on booting the router using TFTP or use another Flash disk with a known good boot image.

How to Identify Serial Numbers

Product ID and Serial Number Matrix

The following table details the specific Cisco7200, 7300, and uBR series products that may have shipped with suspect Flash disks between May 2005 and October 2006. The "S/N Location (Quadrant)" heading refers to the physical location of the serial number decal on the specific product as referenced on the "Serial Number Locations Diagram" below. The Cisco7301 router's serial number can be located on the rear of the system chassis.

   

S/N Location (Quadrant)	Product ID	Serial Number Range
2	7300-NSE-100	CAT09370Q81 Through CAT10385CUZ
2	7304-NPE-G100	CAT09370Q9T Through CAT10345CBW
2	C7200-I/O	34138598 Through 35274625
2	C7200-I/O-2FE/E	34139623 Through 35274825
2	C7200-I/O-GE+E	34138224 Through 35274573
See Image Below	CISCO7301	74823980 Through 74836682
4	NPE-G2	JAB102305LT Through JAB104203VW
4	NPE-G1	33749599 Through 35274848
4	uBR7200-NPE-G1	33749599 Through 35274848

Serial Number Locations Diagram

The diagram below is a generic representation of the affected network processing engines and I/O cards that can be used to aid in the physical identification of suspect units. The top of the card representation is divided into four (4) quadrants. The above "Product ID and Serial Number Matrix" table should be referenced to determine the quadrant location of the serial number decal.

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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