Field Notice: FN - 70391 - ASR-920-12SZ-IM Routers Might Not Boot Up Due to an Incorrect Autoboot Configuration in Cisco IOS - Software Upgrade Recommended

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Updated:April 11, 2019
Document ID:FN70391

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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 Publish Date Comments
1.0
03-Apr-19
Initial Release

Products Affected

Affected Product ID Comments
ASR-920-12SZ-IM
ASR-920-12SZ-IM-CC

Defect Information

Defect ID Headline
CSCvn43410 Router enters boot-loop on reload with asr920igp-universalk9_npe.16.06.04.SPA.bin image

Problem Description

ASR-920-12SZ-IM routers that run on certain Cisco IOS® versions might not boot up, due to an incorrect autoboot variable setup, after a Cisco IOS image upgrade/downgrade is performed. This only impacts routers that run on FPGA version 0x00010012.

Background

The router has an FPGA-based timer to monitor the boot time for auto recovery. The autoboot variable is updated during a Cisco IOS image upgrade/downgrade.

If the autoboot variable is correct, the timer is stopped by the Read Only Memory Monitor (ROMMON) boot loader. The router boots successfully and there is no functional impact.

When the autoboot variable is incorrect, the ROMMON boot loader takes more time and the timer expires before it is stopped. This causes the router to reset and go into a continuous ROMMON loop. It cannot boot to Cisco IOS.

Routers that run on FPGA version 0x00010012 are found to be impacted as they have an incorrect boot monitor timer.

Problem Symptom

The impacted router fails to boot if the changes to the autoboot variable are completed incorrectly. The router will continuously reset in ROMMON stage. This error message is displayed.

Last reset cause: BootFromUpgradeRegFail

UEA platform with 1234567 Kbytes of main memory

boot: unspported boot device "bootflahs"

autoboot: boot failed, restarting...

Workaround/Solution

Refer to the How to Identify Affected Products section for information on how to determine if your product is impacted before you proceed. Cisco recommends that you upgrade to any of these fixed versions.

Cisco IOS XE

  • Cisco IOS XE 3.18SP.4 or later

Cisco IOS XE Polaris

  • Cisco IOS XE 16.8.1b or later
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.9.1a or later
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.10 or later

When you upgrade/downgrade the Cisco IOS version, display caution as you change the autoboot variable. In order to update and verify the autoboot variable, complete these steps:

  1. Determine the boot variable with the show bootvar command. 
    ASR920-Node5#show bootvar

BOOT variable = bootflash:asr920-universalk9_npe.03.18.04.SP.156-2.SP4-ext.bin,12;

CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist

BOOTLDR variable does not exist

Configuration register is 0x2102 [ or 0002 ]
  2. Determine whether the new image to be upgraded is present in bootflash. 
    ASR920-Node5#cd bootflash:

ASR920-Node5#dir | i bin

   12  -rw-        402185811  Dec 10 2018 23:37:02 +00:00  asr920-universalk9_npe.V166_2_CSCVH69118_4.SPA.bin

   17  -rw-        334130172  May 21 2018 23:22:29 +00:00  asr920-universalk9_npe.03.18.04.SP.156-2.SP4-ext.bin

   19  -rw-        402185489  Sep 21 2018 21:10:11 +00:00  asr920-universalk9_npe.V166_2_CSCVH69118_3.SPA.bin à Image Upgrade

ASR920-Node5#
  3. Set up the image in bootvar. 
    ASR920-Node5#conf t

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

ASR920-Node5(config)#no boot system

ASR920-Node5(config)#end

ASR920-Node5#wr



ASR920-Node5#sh bootvar

BOOT variable =    -> No image is present now

CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist

BOOTLDR variable does not exist

Configuration register is 0x2102

ASR920-Node5#conf t

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

ASR920-Node5(config)#boot sys

ASR920-Node5(config)#boot system bootflash:asr920-universalk9_npe.V166_2_CSCVH69118_3.SPA.bin

ASR920-Node5(config)#end

ASR920-Node5#wr

If you require assistance or if you have any further questions, contact the Technical Assistance Center (TAC).

How To Identify Affected Products

If your router runs any of these Cisco IOS versions and your FPGA version is 0X00010012, then your router is impacted.

Cisco IOS XE

  • Cisco IOS XE 3.16
  • Cisco IOS XE 3.18SP.3

Cisco IOS Polaris

  • Cisco IOS XE 16.5.x
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.6.1
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.6.2
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.6.3
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.6.4
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.6.5a
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.7.1
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.7.2
  • Cisco IOS XE 16.7.3

In order to find the Cisco IOS version, enter the show version command.

In order to find the FPGA version, enter the show plat hardware pp active fpga version command.

These scenarios are non-impacting and the router works normally for power on/off and reloads.

Scenario 1

  • With a correct autoboot variable, Cisco IOS works normally with FPGA version 0x00010012.
  • There is no functional impact when the router power cycles or reloads.

Scenario 2

  • When the Upgrade ROMMON action is performed and the router is reloaded to upgrade ROMMON, it fails to boot the upgraded ROMMON.
  • Boots with previous ROMMON and Cisco IOS boots normally. There is no functional impact.

Additional Information

This section shows examples of incorrect autoboot variables. The examples show a boot variable with multiple files, no matching image, an incorrect boot device, and a typographical error.

  • BOOT variable = bootflash:asr920-universalk9_npe.03.18.04.SP.156-2.SP4-ext.bin,12;bootflash:asr920-universalk9_npe.V166_2_CSCVH69118_3.SPA.bin,12;

    Issue - There is more than one file in the boot variable. When configured more than one time, the boot variable has multiple images.

  • BOOT variable = bootflash:asr920-ffd66_2_CSCVH69118_3.SPA.bin,12;

    Issue - There is no such image in bootflash or there is not a matching image name in bootflash.

  • BOOT variable = flash:asr920-ffd66_2_CSCVH69118_3.SPA.bin,12;

    Issue - flash is not a correct boot device. It should be bootflash.

  • BOOT variable = bootfalsh:imagename

    Issue - There is a spelling error. bootfalsh is not a correct target device. It should be bootflash.

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:

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