Simple Hybrid To Native 6500 Conversion
Pre-notes: Snippets are taken out of a hybrid upgrade done over a year or two ago on Sartan's routers. Some things may be different - disk0: maybe slot0:, vice-versa, etc. I'm not completely sure and will need some validation in the future. Much of this document is copied from cisco.com documentation. Citations are required.
There is a lot of documentation on the procedure(s) used to upgrade from hybrid IOS out on the internet, and all of it is very verbose, much of the steps unneccessary. Some cisco.com documents have over 110 steps on this procedure! It's a 10 step or less operation, requiring about an hour or two of time - much less if you have done it before.
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[edit] Native and Hybrid IOS
CatOS on the Supervisor Engine and Cisco IOS Software on the MSFC (Hybrid): a CatOS image can be used as the system software to run the Supervisor Engine on the Catalyst 6500/6000 switches. If the optional MSFC is installed, a separate Cisco IOS® Software image is used in order to run the MSFC. CatOS provides the Layer 2 (L2) switching functionality. The Cisco IOS on the MSFC provides the Layer 3 (L3) routing functionality.
Cisco IOS Software on both the Supervisor Engine and MSFC (Native): a single Cisco IOS Software image can be used as the system software to run both the Supervisor Engine and MSFC on the Catalyst 6500/6000 switches.
- http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_tech_note09186a008070f124.shtml#diff
- http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps708/products_tech_note09186a008015bfa6.shtml
Ciscos' documentation (link above) can be considered long-winded and complicated. The actual requirements for an IOS Hybrid->Native conversion consists of less than a few steps.
Some of the terminology used on the internet is misguided - replace any readings of "RP" (Route processor) with MSFC, and "SP" (Switch processor) with the supervisor engine. The supervisor engine will run CatOS, and the MSFC will run Cisco IOS. Both modules communicate to each other internally and there is nothing for the administrator to configure. #cisco seeks to discourage usage of the RP and SP terminology, especially when working on Native IOS.
CatOS is a dated and unsupported technology, and it can be inefficient to manage two management domains (MSFC/Supervisor) with two software verions (Cisco IOS/CatOS) for a few reasons - training, time, management workstation licensing, convienence etc. This compels many administrators to upgrade to a single management domain - Native IOS.
You will have to research your own ram, flash, and module compatibility requirements - This example describes the procedure for an MSFC2 and Sup1a, but the instructions are interchangable with other Supervisr and MSFC modules.
[edit] Procedure
[edit] Download the boot image onto the MSFC (RP)
We want to copy both the IOS and boot image to the MSFC, because when we reboot the MSFC to the boot loader it will have no networking ability, making it impossible to copy via TFTP. This reduces the requirement of a long xmodem upload or PCMCIA flash copy. Free up any space on the bootflash (or pcmcia card) with the squeeze, delete, and format commands as appropriate. Save the downloaded files onto your management workstation running a tftp server. Sartan recommends Solarwinds TFTP server http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/free_tftp_server.aspx which is capable of TFTP transfers larger than 32 MB. (Note: it's possible to copy the image onto a CatOS formatted disk but it is not writable until it is formatted)
Navigate to cisco.com support downloads.
Switches > Cisco Catalyst 6509 Switch > Cisco Catalyst 6000 Multilayer Switch Feature Card MSFC2 > IOS Boot Images > 12.1.27bE4
BOOT IMAGE c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin Release Date: 04/Mar/2008 BOOT IMAGE Size: 1842.47 KB (1886688 bytes) Minimum Memory: DRAM:128 MB Flash:16 MB
Copy the boot image onto the MSFC bootflash: and the IOS image onto a PCMCIA card large enough to hold the image. The Sup1A only has 16MB of onboard flash, so the IOS and Bootflash cannot fit at the same time.
Router#copy tftp://MGMTWORKSTATION/c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin bootflash:
Address or name of remote host []? MGMTWORKSTATION
Source filename []? c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin
Destination filename [c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin]?
Accessing tftp://MGMTWORKSTATION/c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin...
Loading c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin from MGMTWORKSTATION(via Vlan1):
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!--- Output Suppressed.
[OK - 25205200 bytes]
25205200 bytes copied in 145.840 secs (172828 bytes/sec)
Verifying compressed IOS image checksum...
Verified compressed IOS image checksum for sup-bootflash:c6sup22-dsv-mz.121-26.E6.bin
Router#
Check that the boot loader was downloaded correctly, using the /md5 switch if available to compare the resulting hash to the one returned from cisco.com
<pre>
Router#verify /md5 slot0:c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
.......................................................
.............................Done!
verify /md5 (slot0:c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin) = 60560179a80e0403120dae48151f7e49
Router#dir bootflash:
Directory of bootflash:/
2 -rw- 1886688 May 21 2008 16:33:19 -06:00 c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin
[edit] Download the IOS software onto the Supervisor (SP)
We will be downloading IOS onto the supervisor slot0: card. Again, ensure that your destination filesystem has enough space for the IOS image. In this case, the Supervisors bootflash did not so we are utilizing an external PCMCIA card. Keep in mind that IOS can only read CatOS file systems, and not write to them, so make sure this image is correct.
From cisco.com Support\Download Software\Switch software, navigate to:
Switches > Cisco Catalyst 6509 Switch > Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Supervisor Engine 1A / MSFC2 > IOS Software > 12.1.27bE1
ENTERPRISE SSH 3DES LAN ONLY c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin Release Date: 15/Oct/2006 ENTERPRISE SSH 3DES LAN ONLY Size: 16175.93 KB (16564148 bytes) Minimum Memory: DRAM:64 MB Flash:20 MB
Copy this image onto the Supervisor
Console> (enable) copy tftp slot0: IP address or name of remote host []? MGMTWORKSTATION Name of file to copy from []? c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin 24772608 bytes available on device slot0, proceed (y/n) [n]? y CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC File has been copied successfully. Console> (enable)
Console> (enable) dir slot0: -#- -length- -----date/time------ name 1 16564148 May 21 2008 00:53:41 c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin 8208332 bytes available (16564148 bytes used) Console> (enable)
[edit] Set environment variables on MSFC (RP)
We need to instruct the MSFC to boot to the new BOOTLDR path, and the MSFC then instructs the Supervisor to boot to the BOOT image. Remote any preexisting boot: paths from the running configuration prior to this.
Configure the new paths, and write memory in order to commit the bootloader changes to nvram.
Router# configure terminal Router(config)# Router(config)# boot system flash slot0:c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin Router(config)# boot bootldr bootflash:c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin Router(config)# end Router# write memory Router# show boot BOOT variable = slot0:c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin,1 CONFIG_FILE variable does not exist BOOTLDR variable = bootflash:c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin Configuration register is 0x2102
[edit] Erase nvram from MSFC (RP)
We'll erase the nvram, because we don't want an MSFC-only configuration tainting our future Native configuration. Erase the nvram.
Router# write erase Erasing the nvram filesystem will remove all configuration files! Continue? [confirm] confirm
We will be reloading the switch in the next step.
[edit] Reload Supervisor (SP) into rommon
[edit] Remove config register and reload Supervisor (SP)
Since we'll be doing a manual boot, we need to prevent the supervisor from trying to boot to its previous image. We're going to instruct the supervisor to not try to load any image:
Console> (enable) set boot config-register 0x0 Configuration register is 0x0 ignore-config: disabled auto-config: non-recurring, overwrite, sync disabled console baud: 9600 boot: the ROM monitor Console> (enable)
Once we change the config-register on the supervisor, we'll need to reboot.
Console> (enable) reset This command will reset the system. Do you want to continue (y/n) [n]? y 2008 May 21 02:00:26 %SYS-5-SYS_RESET:System reset from Console Powering OFF all existing linecards
[edit] Reconfigure supervisor NVRAM variables in rommon mode and reload
We are now in ROMMON mode for the supervisor. I've copied output here from a Cisco example so it may not be entirely accurate. The supervisor is trying to boot to its previous config file and boot file. We need to erase these variables, and configure the router to boot again.
rommon 1> set PS1=rommon ! BOOTLDR= SLOTCACHE=cards; RET_2_RTS=22:54:02 UTC Sun Nov 2 2003 RET_2_RUTC=1067813642 ?=0 CONFIG_FILE=bootflash:switch.cfg BOOT=bootflash:cat6000-supk8.8-1-1.bin,1; rommon 2 > CONFIG_FILE= rommon 3 > BOOT= rommon 4 > confreg 0x2102 rommon 5 > sync rommon 6 > reset ==Manually boot to the new Native IOS on the Supervisor (SP)== The first boot will fail, because the switch has no image or path to boot from - no point of reference. We will manually boot the new image from the PCMCIA slot. <pre> rommon 2 > boot c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin
You will watch the device boot from the supervisor to the MSFC in the next few steps.
Self decompressing the image : ################################################# ################################################################################ ################################################################################ ################################################################################ ################################################################################ ############################### [OK] 00:00:02: %PFREDUN-6-ACTIVE: Initializing as ACTIVE processor 00:00:05: %OIR-SP-6-CONSOLE: Changing console ownership to route processor System Bootstrap, Version 12.0(3)XE, RELEASE SOFTWARE Copyright (c) 1998 by cisco Systems, Inc. Cat6k-MSFC platform with 131072 Kbytes of main memory Download Start Download Completed! Booting the image. Self decompressing the image : ################################################# ########################################## [OK] Press RETURN to get started! Router>
[edit] Format flash and re-load IOS onto PCMCIA slot
Since IOS can read, but not write to CatOS disks, we need to reformat the slot0 card once the device has started.
Router# format slot0: Format operation may take a while. Continue? [confirm] Format operation will destroy all data in "slot0:". Continue? [confirm] Enter volume ID (up to 64 chars)[default slot0]: Format of slot0 complete Router# Router#copy tftp://MGMTWORKSTATION/c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin: Address or name of remote host []? MGMTWORKSTATION Source filename []? c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin Destination filename [c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin]? Accessing tftp://MGMTWORKSTATION/c6msfc2-boot-mz.121-27b.E4.bin... Loading c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin from MGMTWORKSTATION(via Vlan1): !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !snip ==Reconfigure boot variables== Since we erased the boot variables in rommon previously we need to reconfigure them. <pre> Router#configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router(config)#boot system flash slot0:c6sup12-jk2s-mz.121-27b.E1.bin Router(config)#end Router# wr mem
[edit] Final checks
Make sure you're booting the boot image on the MSFC and the IOS image on the Supervisor. Do a test reload to make sure everything is OK. Enjoy native IOS!
