Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

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Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

Upgrade or downgrade the Cisco APIC from releases prior to release 4.x

Updated: July 12, 2026

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Configure the Cisco APIC software upgrade or downgrade using GUI-based procedures for releases prior to 4.x.

Note

If you are upgrading to the release 4.0 or later, make sure to delete all existing switch firmware and maintenance group prior to performing Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) upgrades.

See Pre-Upgrade/Downgrade Checklists for details.

Use these GUI-based procedures to upgrade or downgrade the software on the Cisco APICs in your fabric.

If you are not able to upgrade or downgrade the software on the Cisco APICs in your fabric using these GUI-based upgrade procedures for some reason (such as if you received a Cisco APIC through a new order or Product Returns & Replacements (RMA), and the version is old and not able to join the fabric to perform an upgrade using the GUI), you can perform a clean installation of the software on the Cisco APICs through the CIMC instead to upgrade or downgrade your Cisco APIC software. See Install the Cisco APIC software using virtual media for those procedures.

If you are downgrading the software on the Cisco APICs, the process is identical to the process for upgrading the software, except that the target release that you choose will be earlier than the currently installed release. The text for dialogs, fields, buttons, and other controls in the Cisco APIC GUI specify "upgrade" even though you are downgrading the software.

Before you begin

Ensure that you check and follow these guidelines:

Follow these steps to upgrade or downgrade the Cisco APIC software from releases prior to release 4.x:

Procedure

1.

In the Navigation pane, click Controller Firmware. In the Work pane, choose Actions > Upgrade Controller Firmware Policy. In the Upgrade Controller Firmware Policy dialog box, perform the following actions:

  1. In the Target Firmware Version field, from the drop-down list, choose the image version to which you want to upgrade or downgrade.

  2. In the Apply Policy field, click the radio button for Apply now. Click Submit.

The Status dialog box displays the Changes Saved Successfully message, and the upgrade or downgrade process begins. The Cisco APICs are upgraded or downgraded serially so that the controller cluster is available during the upgrade or downgrade.
2.

Verify the status of the upgrade or downgrade in the Work pane by clicking Controller Firmware in the Navigation pane.

The controllers upgrade or downgrade in random order. After a controller image is upgraded or downgraded, it drops from the cluster and it reboots with the newer version while the other Cisco APICs in the cluster are still operational. After the controller reboots, it joins the cluster again. Then the cluster converges, and the next controller image starts to upgrade or downgrade. If the cluster does not immediately converge and is not fully fit, the upgrade or downgrade will wait until the cluster converges and is fully fit. During this period, a Waiting for Cluster Convergence message is displayed in the Status column for each Cisco APIC as it upgrades or downgrades.

When the Cisco APIC that the browser is connected to is upgraded or downgraded and it reboots, the browser displays an error message.
3.

In the browser URL field, enter the URL for the Cisco APIC that has already been upgraded or downgraded, and sign in to the Cisco APIC as prompted.