Upgrade the Cisco NX-OS Software

This section contains the following details:

Software upgrade on 3550-T platform

A software upgrade is a network maintenance process on the 3550-T switch that

  • updates the operating system (OS)

  • enhances the security and performance of the network infrastructure, and

  • ensures compatibility with newer features.

In general, the 3550-T switch software upgrade involves downloading the new software image, installing it on the switch, and reloading the device to activate the new version.

Select the required NX-OS release image from the Software Download website.

Upgrade from releases before NX-OS Release 10.2(x)

If you are on any of the Exa-OS releases and want to upgrade to any NX-OS Release, first upgrade to 10.2(x) and then upgrade to the later releases. For more information, refer to the Upgrade to NX-OS Release 10.2(x) section

Upgrade from earlier NX-OS Releases to 10.6(x)

Use this procedure to perform a standard upgrade from any NX-OS release post 10.3(x) to any 10.6(x) releases. Use the same procedure to upgrade from NX-OS Release 10.6(1)F or 10.6(2)F to 10.6(3)F.

When upgrading from an earlier release to the latest release, use the show install all impact compatibility check.


Note

  • The 3550-T platform supports only disruptive upgrades.

  • When upgrading from pre-10.6(3)F images, the BIOS remains at the current version as the older image lacks the capability to trigger the new BIOS update process.

  • To downgrade to earlier releases, use the install all command.

Perform these steps to upgrade to the required release.

Procedure

Step 1

Copy the required software image, for example, 10.6.3 image to bootflash: .

Step 2

Execute the install all nxos bootflash:<version_image> command.

Example:

install all nxos bootflash:nxos64-msll.10.6.3.F.bin

Note

 

Ensure that you set the NX-OS boot variable to the correct image and save the configuration before reloading.

Step 3

Allow the system to complete the reload.

Step 4

Run the show version command to verify the installed release version.

Upgrade BIOS

Beginning with NX-OS Release 10.6(3)F, the 3550-T platform adopts the standard NX-OS install all workflow for BIOS upgrades. The BIOS version is upgraded from 3.5 to 3.6. This transition replaces the legacy way of upgrading BIOS using manual internal commands, streamlining the maintenance process.


Note

  • BIOS upgrade requires a system reload.

  • BIOS downgrade requires you to use the bios-force option to initiate the downgrade.

After upgrading to NX-OS Release 10.6(3)F, to apply the latest 3.6 BIOS use these commands:

Procedure

Step 1

Execute the install all nxos bootflash:<version_image> bios-force command.

Example:

install all nxos bootflash:nxos64-msll.10.6.3.F.bin bios-force

Step 2

The system triggers the BIOS update process followed by a reload.

Step 3

Run the show version command to verify the installed release version. 

Software
  BIOS: version 3.6
 ...

Verification commands for upgrade

Use any of the commands listed in the table for software and BIOS upgrade.

Table 1. Verification commands for upgrade

Command

Purpose

show install all impact nxos <image>

Pre-check for BIOS upgrade impact and version compatibility.

show version

Displays image and BIOS version.

Upgrade to NX-OS Release 10.2(x)

You can upgrade the Nexus 3550-T switch to NX-OS Release 10.2(x) from:

  • Exablaze ExaOS

  • NX-OS Release 10.1(2t)

Upgrade from ExaOS to NX-OS Release 10.2(x)

Use this procedure to upgrade 3550-T platform from ExaOS to NX-OS release 10.2(x).

Procedure

Step 1

Migrate from ExaOS to NX-OS release 10.1(2t).

For the detailed procedure, refer to the Cisco Nexus 3550-T NX-OS Software Installation and Upgrade Guide. You can get the NX-OS Release 10.1(2t) from the Software Downloads website.

Step 2

Upgrade from NX-OS release 10.1(2t) to NX-OS release 10.2(x).

For the detailed procedure, refer to Upgrade from NX-OS Release 10.1(2t) to NX-OS Release 10.2(x)

Upgrade from NX-OS Release 10.1(2t) to NX-OS Release 10.2(x)

Use this procedure to upgrade 3550-T from NX-OS release 10.1(2t) to NX-OS release 10.2(3t) or to 10.2(3v).

Before you begin

You need to be running the NX-OS release 10.1(2t) or 10.2(3t).

Procedure

Step 1

Run the boot nxos command, as shown below.

for 10.2(3t)


switch(config)# boot nxos bootflash:nxos64-msll.10.2.3t.F.bin
switch(config)# copy r s 
switch(config)# reload

for 10.2(3v)


switch(config)# boot nxos bootflash:nxos64-msll.10.2.3v.F.bin
switch(config)# copy r s 
switch(config)# reload

You can get the NX-OS release 10.2(x) image from the Software Downloads website.

Note

 

Ensure to set the NX-OS boot variable to the correct image, and save the configuration before reloading.

Step 2

Run the show version command to check the installed release version.

Sample output for 10.2(3t): 

Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (C) 2002-2022, Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
The copyrights to certain works contained in this software are
owned by other third parties and used and distributed under their own licenses, such as open source. This software is provided "as is," and unless otherwise stated, there is no warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Certain components of this software are licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or
GNU General Public License (GPL) version 3.0 or the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.1 or Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.0.
A copy of each such license is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php and http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html and http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php and http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/library.txt.

Software
BIOS: version 3.5
NXOS: version 10.2(3t) [Feature Release] BIOS compile time: 11/23/2021
NXOS image file is: bootflash:///nxos64-msll.10.2.3t.F.bin NXOS compile time: 9/6/2022 2:00:00 [09/06/2022 12:48:07]

Hardware
Exablaze Triton TOR 48X10G Chassis
Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU C3708 @ 1.70GHz with 16369376 kB of memory. Processor Board ID EXATRI-A-01362
Device name: switch bootflash:	41943040 kB

Kernel uptime is 0 day(s), 0 hour(s), 10 minute(s), 37 second(s)

Last reset at 1879 usecs after Tue Sep 6 18:44:05 2022 Reason: Reset Requested by CLI command reload
System version: 10.2(3) Service:
plugin
 



Core Plugin, Ethernet Plugin Active Package(s):

Sample output for 10.2(3v): 

Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (C) 2002-2023, Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
The copyrights to certain works contained in this software are
owned by other third parties and used and distributed under their own licenses, such as open source. This software is provided "as is," and unless otherwise stated, there is no warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
Certain components of this software are licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or
GNU General Public License (GPL) version 3.0 or the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.1 or Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.0.
A copy of each such license is available at http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php and http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html and http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php and http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/library.txt.

Software
BIOS: version 3.2
NXOS: version 10.2(3v) [Feature Release] BIOS compile time: 06/02/2021
NXOS image file is: bootflash:///nxos64-msll.10.2.3v.F.bin NXOS compile time: 7/5/2023 18:00:00 [07/05/2023 22:51:04]

Hardware
Exablaze Triton TOR 48X10G Chassis
Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU C3708 @ 1.70GHz with 16369376 kB of memory. Processor Board ID EXATRI-A-01427
Device name: FF20-Solution-EX1 bootflash:	41943040 kB

Kernel uptime is 2 day(s), 15 hour(s), 52 minute(s), 26 second(s)

Last reset at 206676 usecs after Tue Jul 11 16:07:55 2023 Reason: Reset Requested by CLI command reload
System version: 10.2(3v) Service:

plugin
Core Plugin, Ethernet Plugin Active Package(s):