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You can archive (download and upload) software image files, which contain the system software, the Cisco IOS code, and the embedded Device Manager software.
You can download a switch image file from a TFTP, FTP, or RCP server to upgrade the switch software. If you do not have access to a TFTP server, you can download a software image file directly to your PC or workstation by using a web browser (HTTP) and then by using Device Manager or Cisco Network Assistant to upgrade your switch. For information about upgrading your switch by using a TFTP server or a web browser (HTTP), see the release notes.
You can replace the current image with the new one or keep the current image in flash memory after a download.
You can use the archive download-sw /allow-feature-upgrade privileged EXEC command to allow installation of an image with a different feature set, for example, upgrading from the universal image to the IP services feature set. You can also use the boot auto-download-sw global configuration command to specify a URL to use to get an image for automatic software upgrades. When you enter this command, the master switch uses this URL in case of a version mismatch.
You upload a switch image file to a TFTP, FTP, or RCP server for backup purposes. You can use this uploaded image for future downloads to the same switch or to another of the same type.
The protocol that you use depends on which type of server you are using. The FTP and RCP transport methods provide faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP. These improvements are possible because FTP and RCP are built on and use the TCP/IP stack, which is connection-oriented.
These sections contain this configuration information:
Note For a list of software images and the supported upgrade paths, see the release notes.
The Cisco IOS image is stored as a .bin file in a directory that shows the version number. A subdirectory contains the files needed for web management. The image is stored on the system board flash memory (flash:).
You can use the show version privileged EXEC command to see the software version that is currently running on your switch. In the display, check the line that begins with System image file is.... It shows the directory name in flash memory where the image is stored.
You can also use the dir filesystem : privileged EXEC command to see the directory names of other software images that you might have stored in flash memory. You can use the archive download-sw /directory privileged EXEC command to specify a directory once followed by a tar file or list of tar files to be downloaded instead of specifying complete paths with each tar file.
Software images on a server or downloaded from Cisco.com are in a file format, which contains these files:
You can download a switch image from a TFTP server or upload the image from the switch to a TFTP server.
You download a switch image file from a server to upgrade the switch software. You can overwrite the current image with the new one or keep the current image after a download.
You upload a switch image file to a server for backup purposes; this uploaded image can be used for future downloads to the same or another switch of the same type.
Note Instead of using the copy privileged EXEC command or the archive tar privileged EXEC command, we recommend using the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands to download and upload software image files. For switch stacks, the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands can only be used through the stack master. Software images downloaded to the stack master are automatically downloaded to the rest of the stack members.
Before you begin downloading or uploading an image file by using TFTP, do these tasks:
Make sure that the /etc/services file contains this line:
Note You must restart the inetd daemon after modifying the /etc/inetd.conf and /etc/services files. To restart the daemon, either stop the inetd process and restart it, or enter a fastboot command (on the SunOS 4.x) or a reboot command (on Solaris 2.x or SunOS 5.x). For more information on the TFTP daemon, see the documentation for your workstation.
You can download a new image file and replace the current image or keep the current image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow Step 1 to download a new image from a TFTP server and to overwrite the existing image. To keep the current image, follow Step 2.
The download algorithm verifies that the image is appropriate for the switch model and that enough DRAM is present, or it aborts the process and reports an error. If you specify the /overwrite option, the download algorithm removes the existing image on the flash device whether or not it is the same as the new one, downloads the new image, and then reloads the software.
Note If the flash device has sufficient space to hold two images and you want to overwrite one of these images with the same version, you must specify the /overwrite option.
If you specify the /leave-old-sw, the existing files are not removed. If there is not enough space to install the new image and keep the current running image, the download process stops, and an error message is displayed.
The algorithm installs the downloaded image on the system board flash device (flash:). The image is placed into a new directory named with the software version string, and the BOOT environment variable is updated to point to the newly installed image.
If you kept the old image during the download process (you specified the /leave-old-sw keyword), you can remove it by entering the delete /force /recursive filesystem :/ file-url privileged EXEC command. For filesystem, use flash: for the system board flash device. For file-url, enter the directory name of the old image. All the files in the directory and the directory are removed.
You can upload an image from the switch to a TFTP server. You can later download this image to the switch or to another switch of the same type.
Use the upload feature only if the web management pages associated with Device Manager have been installed with the existing image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow this step to upload an image to a TFTP server:
The archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command builds an image file on the server by uploading these files in order: info, the Cisco IOS image, and the web management files. After these files are uploaded, the upload algorithm creates the file format.
You can download a switch image from an FTP server or upload the image from the switch to an FTP server.
You download a switch image file from a server to upgrade the switch software. You can overwrite the current image with the new one or keep the current image after a download.
You upload a switch image file to a server for backup purposes. You can use this uploaded image for future downloads to the switch or another switch of the same type.
Note Instead of using the copy privileged EXEC command or the archive tar privileged EXEC command, we recommend using the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands to download and upload software image files. For switch stacks, the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands can only be used through the stack master. Software images downloaded to the stack master are automatically downloaded to the rest of the stack members.
These sections contain this configuration information:
You can copy images files to or from an FTP server.
The FTP protocol requires a client to send a remote username and password on each FTP request to a server. When you copy an image file from the switch to a server by using FTP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in this list:
The switch sends the first valid password in this list:
The username and password must be associated with an account on the FTP server. If you are writing to the server, the FTP server must be properly configured to accept the FTP write request from you.
Use the ip ftp username and ip ftp password commands to specify a username and password for all copies. Include the username in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if you want to specify a username only for that operation.
If the server has a directory structure, the image file is written to or copied from the directory associated with the username on the server. For example, if the image file resides in the home directory of a user on the server, specify that user's name as the remote username.
Before you begin downloading or uploading an image file by using FTP, complete these tasks:
For more information, see the documentation for your FTP server.
You can download a new image file and overwrite the current image or keep the current image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow Steps 1 through 7 to download a new image from an FTP server and to overwrite the existing image. To keep the current image, follow Steps 1 to 6 and Step 8.
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(Optional) Enters global configuration mode on the switch. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password. |
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archive download-sw [ /directory ] /overwrite /reload ftp: [[ // username[:password ] @location ]/ directory ] / image-name1 .tar [ image-name2 .tar image-name3 .tar image-name4 .tar ] |
(Optional) Downloads the image files from the FTP server to the switch, and overwrites the current image.
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archive download-sw [ /directory ] /leave-old-sw /reload ftp: [[ // username[:password ] @location ]/ directory ] / image-name1 .tar [ image-name2 .tar image-name3 .tar image-name4 .tar ] |
(Optional) Downloads the image files from the FTP server to the switch, and saves the current image.
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The download algorithm verifies that the image is appropriate for the switch model and that enough DRAM is present, or it aborts the process and reports an error. If you specify the /overwrite option, the download algorithm removes the existing image on the flash device, whether or not it is the same as the new one, downloads the new image, and then reloads the software.
Note If the flash device has sufficient space to hold two images and you want to overwrite one of these images with the same version, you must specify the /overwrite option.
If you specify the /leave-old-sw option, the existing files are not removed. If there is not enough space to install the new image and keep the running image, the download process stops, and an error message is displayed.
The algorithm installs the downloaded image onto the system board flash device (flash:). The image is placed into a new directory named with the software version string, and the BOOT environment variable is updated to point to the newly installed image.
If you kept the old image during the download process (you specified the /leave-old-sw keyword), you can remove it by entering the delete /force /recursive filesystem :/ file-url privileged EXEC command. For filesystem, use flash: for the system board flash device. For file-url, enter the directory name of the old software image. All the files in the directory and the directory are removed.
You can upload an image from the switch to an FTP server. You can later download this image to the same switch or to another switch of the same type.
Use the upload feature only if the web management pages associated with Device Manager have been installed with the existing image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to upload an image to an FTP server:
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(Optional) Enters global configuration mode on the switch. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password. |
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archive upload-sw ftp: [[ // [ username [ : password ] @ ] location ] / directory ] / image-name .tar . |
Uploads the currently running switch image to the FTP server.
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The archive upload-sw command builds an image file on the server by uploading these files in order: info, the Cisco IOS image, and the web management files. After these files are uploaded, the upload algorithm creates the file format.
You can download a switch image from an RCP server or upload the image from the switch to an RCP server.
You download a switch image file from a server to upgrade the switch software. You can overwrite the current image with the new one or keep the current image after a download.
You upload a switch image file to a server for backup purposes. You can use this uploaded image for future downloads to the same switch or another of the same type.
Note Instead of using the copy privileged EXEC command or the archive tar privileged EXEC command, we recommend using the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands to download and upload software image files. For switch stacks, the archive download-sw and archive upload-sw privileged EXEC commands can only be used through the stack master. Software images downloaded to the stack master are automatically downloaded to the rest of the stack members.
These sections contain this configuration information:
RCP provides another method of downloading and uploading image files between remote hosts and the switch. Unlike TFTP, which uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP), a connectionless protocol, RCP uses TCP, which is connection-oriented.
To use RCP to copy files, the server from or to which you will be copying files must support RCP. The RCP copy commands rely on the rsh server (or daemon) on the remote system. To copy files by using RCP, you do not need to create a server for file distribution as you do with TFTP. You only need to have access to a server that supports the remote shell (rsh). (Most UNIX systems support rsh.) Because you are copying a file from one place to another, you must have read permission on the source file and write permission on the destination file. If the destination file does not exist, RCP creates it for you.
RCP requires a client to send a remote username on each RCP request to a server. When you copy an image from the switch to a server by using RCP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in this list:
For the RCP copy request to execute successfully, an account must be defined on the network server for the remote username. If the server has a directory structure, the image file is written to or copied from the directory associated with the remote username on the server. For example, if the image file resides in the home directory of a user on the server, specify that user’s name as the remote username.
Before you begin downloading or uploading an image file by using RCP, do these tasks:
If the switch IP address translates to Switch1.company.com, the.rhosts file for User0 on the RCP server should contain this line:
For more information, see the documentation for your RCP server.
You can download a new image file and replace or keep the current image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow Steps 1 through 6 to download a new image from an RCP server and overwrite the existing image. To keep the current image, go to Step 6.
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Enters global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username (see Steps 4 and 5). |
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ip rcmd remote-username username |
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archive download-sw /overwrite /reload rcp: [[ // [username@location ] / directory ] / image-name1 .tar [ image-name2 .tar image-name3 .tar image-name4 .tar ] |
Downloads the images file from the RCP server to the switch and overwrites the current image.
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archive download-sw /leave-old-sw /reload rcp: [[ // [username@location ] / directory ] / image-name1 .tar [ image-name2 .tar image-name3 .tar image-name4 .tar ] |
Downloads the images file from the RCP server to the switch and saves the current image.
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The download algorithm verifies that the image is appropriate for the switch model and that enough DRAM is present, or it aborts the process and reports an error. If you specify the /overwrite option, the download algorithm removes the existing image on the flash device whether or not it is the same as the new one, downloads the new image, and then reloads the software.
Note If the flash device has sufficient space to hold two images and you want to overwrite one of these images with the same version, you must specify the /overwrite option.
If you specify the /leave-old-sw, the existing files are not removed. If there is not enough room to install the new image and keep the running image, the download process stops, and an error message is displayed.
The algorithm installs the downloaded image onto the system board flash device (flash:). The image is placed into a new directory named with the software version string, and the BOOT environment variable is updated to point to the newly installed image.
If you kept the old software during the download process (you specified the /leave-old-sw keyword), you can remove it by entering the delete /force /recursive filesystem :/ file-url privileged EXEC command. For filesystem, use flash: for the system board flash device. For file-url, enter the directory name of the old software image. All the files in the directory and the directory are removed.
You can upload an image from the switch to an RCP server. You can later download this image to the same switch or to another switch of the same type.
The upload feature should be used only if the web management pages associated with Device Manager have been installed with the existing image.
Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to upload an image to an RCP server:
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Enters global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username (see Steps 4 and 5). |
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ip rcmd remote-username username |
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archive upload-sw rcp: [[[ // [ username @ location ] / directory ] / image-name .tar ] |
Uploads the currently running switch image to the network server.
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The archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command builds an image file on the server by uploading these files in order: info, the Cisco IOS image, and the web management files. After these files are uploaded, the upload algorithm creates the file format.