Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

Conditions to recover or install the Cisco APIC software image

Updated: July 12, 2026

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This topic explains the conditions and methods for recovering or installing a Cisco APIC software image on a server, including when to perform recovery and the available installation methods.

Recovering or installing a Cisco APIC software image is required when the existing image is unresponsive and a new image must be installed on the server.

Erases existing data on the disks.
Reformats the disks.
Installs a new software image.

Methods and considerations for installation or recovery

You can use one of the following methods to install your Cisco APIC software in a server:

Using a PXE server
Using virtual media

Note

If you have an existing UCS server, skip to the Installing Cisco APIC Software section.

Note

You can use the Cisco APIC ISO image files for installation just as you perform any other virtual media installation. The detailed steps are not described in this document.

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