Cisco Optical Network Planner Configuration Guide, Releases 26.x.x

Upgrade the analyzed network

Updated: March 10, 2026

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Overview

Upgrade LNI network
Possible error scenarios and the workarounds
Upgrade the software release of a network
Supported upgrade paths for network system releases

Overview

Teaches you how to upgrade the analyzed network. Instructs you on the necessary steps to perform this task effectively and ensure proper network configuration.

Table 1. Feature History
Feature Name	Release Information	Description
NCS 1010 Network Upgrade Flexibility	Cisco ONP Release 5.0	After a network is analyzed, all the network elements get locked. With this feature, you can selectively unlock certain network elements to upgrade the network further. This helps in preventing accidental updates to the part of the network that does not need any modification.

Use this procedure to upgrade an existing network that is in analyzed mode. You can change specific properties of a network element while keeping the network layout and design locked.

Upgrade is supported for NCS2K, NCS4K-2K, NCS4K-1K-2K, and NCS1010 networks.

Before you begin

Log in to the Cisco ONP web interface
Create a user profile, if you want to apply the profile that contains predefined configurations, on a network that was designed in releases prior to 26.1.1.

Procedure

	1.	Open the network that you want to upgrade.
	2.	Upgrade the network: Choose Network > Upgrade. Click Yes . The message “Network Upgraded Successfully” appears. The network goes into upgrade mode and network elements such as sites, fiber, waves (for non-SSON), media channel (for SSON), and circuits (for NCS 1010) are locked.
	3.	To modify a network element in the network tree panel, click the Ellipsis icon next to element, and choose Unlock. Unlock individual elements at the node, side, add/drop card, or amplifier level in the network tree hierarchy. If you want to change only the add/drop between MD-32-ODD/Even or BRK_24/16/8 in the NCS 1010 network, you can unlock the add/drop without unlocking the network elements that are higher in the hierarchy. Make these modifications: Edit properties of network elements. Delete elements from the network. Add a new site, wave, service, demand, optical subnet, or fiber into the network map.
	4.	Choose File > Save. The newly added elements are automatically displayed in the network tree panel, and by default, remain unlocked. Note To insert a node in upgrade mode, unlock the fibers connected to that node, then add the node to the network.
	5.	Choose Network > Analyze. After the analysis is completed, the newly added elements are locked, and the optical reports and installation parameters of the upgraded network are updated. When you add services or fibers while upgrading a network with an applied layout template, the template updates to include the new service or fiber. You can export the template, make changes, and reapply it to another network.
	6.	Choose Network > Design to further upgrade the newly upgraded network design. Each time you upgrade the network, Cisco ONP saves the new version as a child network and maintains the parent-child relationship.

Upgrade LNI network

Use this procedure to correct errors in your LNI network, modify ,and reanalyze it, and view updated BOM, layout, connections, and optical results.

Table 2. Feature History
Feature Name	Release Information	Feature Description
Upgrade LNI Network	Cisco ONP Release 4.1	This feature allows you to upgrade and modify the imported LNI (Live Network Import) network as required. You can also correct LNI errors, reanalyze the network, and view the updated parameters such as BOM, layout, connections, and optical results.

Before you begin

Procedure

	1.	Open the network imported through LNI that you want to upgrade.
	2.	Upgrade the network: Choose Network > Upgrade. Click Yes . The message “Network Upgraded Successfully” appears. After you upgrade the network, it enters upgrade mode, which locks elements such as sites, fiber, OTN services, and media channels.
	3.	To modify a network element in the network tree panel, click the Ellipsis icon next to element, and choose Unlock. Unlock individual elements at the node, side, add/drop card, or amplifier level in the network tree hierarchy. Make these modifications: Edit the properties of network elements. Delete elements from the network. Add a new site, wave, service, demand, optical subnet, or fiber into the network map.
	4.	Choose File > Save. Each time that you upgrade the network, Cisco ONP saves the new version as a child network and maintains the parent-child relationship.
	5.	Choose Network > Analyze. Analysis succeeds only if the imported network is consistent and valid. For instance, in an NCS 2000 network imported from Cisco ONC, if the device connections do not match with Cisco ONP rules, the upgrade analysis may fail with a connection error. If the analysis fails, perform the listed steps: Check the reports under Elements Messages for failure reasons. Unlock the specific site to allow Cisco ONP to rebuild the connections according to its rules. Alternatively, correct the connections on the device and re-import the network. Reanalyze the network.
	6.	After analyzing the network: Click the Layout tab and edit the layout manually to adjust chassis or card position for NCS 4000 and NCS 1004 platforms. See Click the BOM tab and the Results tab to view the BOM and optical results.

Possible error scenarios and the workarounds

This table provides the workarounds for the errors that are shown under the Elements > Messages tab.

Table 3. Error scenarios and the workarounds
Error message	Workarounds
In Site4.A, output power setting is not supported by the amplifier.	Unlock C-Band amplifiers for side A within Site4 in the Network tree, and set the correct output power. If you are unsure, choose Auto and analyze the result. Cisco ONP chooses the best value based on the configuration.
Cannot Route demand! Did not find any valid Omnidirectional Side.	For protected OTN or SSON services, ensure that at least two contentionless sides are present on both the source and destination sites. Add contentionless sides where necessary, then analyze the network configuration.
Cannot complete mesh connections at Site3.	Unlock the site and reanalyze.
Fiber between Node1.A and Node2.B has an invalid value in connector loss value	Unlock the corresponding fiber couple and update the connector loss value so that it is greater than zero. The typical value is 0.2.
Fiber between Nod1.C and Node2.C has an invalid value in Tot SOL Loss w/o Connectors.	Unlock the corresponding fiber couple and update the Tot SOL Loss w/o Connectors value so that it is greater than zero.
Span Fiber-2 is forced as Raman but no traffic is present.	Remove Raman forcing on the fiber, or force the path for a service to ensure it travels through a Raman-enabled span.
Couple Fiber-2 has Raman enabled on the duct but corresponding Raman Forcing is missing.	Force RAMAN-CTP or COP on the Fiber-2 connecting node interface, or remove RAMAN forcing on the Fiber-2.
Circuit [onc_BH-2_1002/1/PORT-3_BH-4_1002/5/PORT-2] imported with default optical source card type	Verify the optical source card type configured at the Circuit or Media Channel Trail level. If it differs from the expected type, perform a network upgrade of the imported network and force the required card type at the Circuit or Media Channel Trail level.
Error: Spectrum could not be assigned for the demand/group.	Forced/Locked wavelength is not feasible for spectrum allocation for the demand. Choose an adjacent central wavelength or frequency separated by 6.25 GHz. Set Wavelength is not feasible for the card type or in the 3.125 GHz grid. In NCS2K, only 6.25 GHz width is supported. Try setting the adjacent wavelength or Set Wavelength to Auto.
Duct ots_Site-2-1_SIte-1-1 is a Raman amplified span using RAMAN-COP: all circuits must be terminated in Site-1.A and Site-2.A	Enable Ignore Raman Span Checks property at network level or create P2P circuits on RAMAN-COP span.

Note

No specific action is required for noncritical messages. These are just information messages to the user.

Upgrade the software release of a network

Table 4. Feature History
Feature Name	Release Information	Feature Description
Release Upgrade	Cisco ONP Release 4.1	This feature allows you to choose the NCS 2000 system release to the desired release (11.1.0, 12.0.1, or 12.1.0), while performing the release upgrade of CTP network, Cisco ONP network, network imported through Excel, and LNI network.

You can upgrade the software version of networks that are imported from CTP, created in Cisco ONP, LNI Network, or imported from Excel to any desired release version. The release upgrade is supported for both SSON and non-SSON networks that have NCS 2000 nodes with ROADM, OLA, Traffic, or Passthrough functionality, and NCS 1010 networks.

Release upgrade is supported starting with NCS 2000 Release 11.1.0.

Note

NCS 2000 supports Cisco Optical Site Manager from 25.1.1.

See Supported upgrade paths for network system releasesfor the available upgrade releases for each network type.

Before you begin

Procedure

Open the network in which you want to perform the system release upgrade.

Upgrade the software release of the network:

Choose Network > Release Upgrade.
From the New System Release drop-down list, choose the system release of NCS 2000 or NCS 1010, to which you want to upgrade.
Click Submit.

The upgraded network is saved as a child network.

Note

If the PMD coefficient does not get updated with the expected value, update the fiber type first, followed by the PMD value when you edit the fiber properties.

What to do next

Unlock and modify network elements as needed.

Supported upgrade paths for network system releases

This table shows the available upgrade releases for each network type.

Table 5. Supported upgrade paths for network system releases
Network	Upgrade Release
CTP network (.mpz)	From 11.0.0 to 11.1.0, 25.1.1, and 26.11 From 11.1.0 to 25.1.1 and 26.11
Cisco ONP network	From 11.0.0 to 11.1.0, and 26.11 From 11.1.0 to 26.1.1
LNI network	Note Release upgrade is not supported for the LNI networks in Release 25.1.1.
NCS 1010 Network	7.10.1 to 7.11.1, 24.31, 25.1.1, and 26.1.1 7.11.1 to 24.31, 25.1.1, and 26.1.1
NCS 1001 Network	7.10.1 to 25.4.1
NCS 1014 Network	25.1.1 to 26.1.1

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