Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

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Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

Install the Cisco APIC Software on an APIC Server Using a PXE Server

Updated: July 12, 2026

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Learn how to install the Cisco APIC software on an APIC server M1/L1, M2/L2, or M3/L3 using a PXE server. This procedure guides you through configuring the PXE server and deploying the software image.

This procedure installs the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller ( APIC ) software on an APIC server M1/L1, M2/L2, or M3/L3 using a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) server.

Procedure

1.

Configure the PXE server with a standard configuration for Linux.

2.

Verify that the PXE configuration file has an entry similar to the following for installing a Cisco APIC software image for release 4.0 or later. 


                        label 25
                        kernel 
                        
                            <varname>vmlinuz</varname>
                         
                        dd blacklist=isci blacklist=ahci nodmraid noprobe=ata1 noprobe=ata2 noprobe=ata3 noprobe=ata4
                        append initrd=
                        
                            <varname>initrd</varname>
                         
                        root=live:
                        
                            <varname>squashfs.img_URL</varname>
                         
                        rd.live.img rd.live.debug=1 rd.live.ram=1 rd.debug atomix.isourl=
                        
                            <varname>iso_URL</varname>

Example:


                        label 25
                        kernel 
                        
                            ifcimages/vmlinuz
                         
                        dd blacklist=isci blacklist=ahci nodmraid noprobe=ata1 noprobe=ata2 noprobe=ata3 noprobe=ata4
                        append initrd=
                        
                            ifcimages/initrd.img
                         
                        root=live:
                        
                            http://192.0.2.10/myisomount/LiveOS/squashfs.img
                         
                        rd.live.img rd.live.debug=1 rd.live.ram=1 rd.debug atomix.isourl=
                        
                            http://192.0.2.10/aci-apic-dk9.4.0.0.iso
3.

Download the Cisco APIC .iso image from Cisco.com.

4.

Create the mount folder and mount the Cisco APIC .iso image. 


                        $ 
                        
                            mkdir -p 
                            mount_folder
                        
                        $ 
                        
                            mount –t iso9660 –o loop 
                            iso_image
                            mount_folder

Example:


                        $ 
                        cd /home/user
                        $ 
                        mkdir -p myisomount
                        $ 
                        mount –t iso9660 –o loop /local/aci-apic-dk9.4.0.0.iso myisomount
5.

Verify that the initrd.img and vmlinuz files are in the mount folder location.

Example:


                        $ 
                        ls /home/user/myisomount/images/pxeboot/
                        initrd.img  vmlinuz
6.

Copy vmlinuz and intird from the mounted Cisco APIC .iso image to your tftpboot path.

Example:


                        $ 
                        mkdir –p /var/lib/tftpboot/ifcimages
                        $ 
                        cp –f /home/user/myisomount/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz /var/lib/tftpboot/ifcimages/
                        $ 
                        cp –f /home/user/myisomount/images/pxeboot/initrd.img /var/lib/tftpboot/ifcimages/
7.

Copy the Cisco APIC .iso image and the mount folder to your HTTP root directory.

Example:


                        $ 
                        cp –R /local/aci-apic-dk9.4.0.0.iso /var/www/html
                        $ 
                        cp –R /home/user/myisomount /var/www/html
8.

Add an entry to the PXE configuration ( /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default ) so that it points to the kickstart file for the Cisco APIC .iso image.

Example:


                        [root@pxeserver ~]# 
                        cat /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default
                        label 25
                        kernel 
                        
                            ifcimages/vmlinuz
                         
                        dd blacklist=isci blacklist=ahci nodmraid noprobe=ata1 noprobe=ata2 noprobe=ata3 noprobe=ata4
                        append initrd=
                        
                            ifcimages/initrd.img
                         
                        root=live:
                        
                            http://192.0.2.10/myisomount/LiveOS/squashfs.img
                         
                        rd.live.img rd.live.debug=1 rd.live.ram=1 rd.debug atomix.isourl=
                        
                            http://192.0.2.10/aci-apic-dk9.4.0.0.iso

You use this information to verify that your PXE menu entry images set up correctly.

9.

Restart the PXE servers.
10.

Reboot the Cisco APIC and press F12 for network boot.

11.

Choose the options configured on the PXE server to boot the Cisco APIC image.