# Nexus 5000 upgrade and downgrade procedure

Topology (Dual-Homed)

[N5k1]---PK---[N5k2]
[N5k1]---PL---[N5k2]
[N5k1]---vPC1---[N2k-fex101]
[N5k1]---vPC2---[N2k-fex102]
[N5k1]---vPC3---[N2k-fex103]
[N5k2]---vPC1---[N2k-fex101]
[N5k2]---vPC2---[N2k-fex102]
[N5k2]---vPC3---[N2k-fex103]


Determining the upgrade impact

If you are upgrading from a NX-OS release 4.2.(1)N1(1) or later releases, you are able to do an ISSU (In-Service Software Upgrade).
If the following commands pass the test, you can do a non-disruptive upgrade (ISSU), if not, you will have a disruptive upgrade:

N5k# show incompatibility system bootflash:n5000.bin
N5k# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin
N5k# show spanning-tree issu-impact
N5k# show lacp issu-impact

Disruptive upgrade

1. Verify the required space to upload the kickstart and system images in the primary and secondary switches (N5k):

N5k1# dir bootflash:
N5k2# dir bootflash:

2. If necessary, delete unneeded files to make space available.
3. Copy the new kickstart and system images to the switches bootflash.
4. Display the impact of the upgrade:

N5k1# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin
N5k2# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin

5. Upgrade the primary switch:

N5k1# install all kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin

6. After the primary switch has been reloaded, change the boot variables on the secondary switch and save the configuration:

N5k2(config)# boot system bootflash:n5000.bin
N5k2(config)# boot kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin
N5k2# copy running-configuration startup-configuration

7. Once done, reload from the secondary switch each FEX sequencially, one after the other:

N5k2# reload fex 101
N5k2# reload fex 102
N5k2# reload fex 103

8. Finally, reload the secondary switch without saving the current configuration:

N5k2# reload

NonDisruptive upgrade

1. Verify the required space to upload the kickstart and system images in the primary and secondary switches (N5k):

N5k1# dir bootflash:
N5k2# dir bootflash:

2. If necessary, delete unneeded files to make space available.
3. Copy the new kickstart and system images to the switches bootflash.
4. Display the impact of the upgrade:

N5k1# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin
N5k2# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin

5. Upgrade the primary switch:

N5k1# install all kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin

6. After the primary switch has been reloaded, all FEX begin a rolling upgrade (automatic).
7. Once done, upgrade the secondary switch:

N5k2# install all kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart.bin system bootflash:n5000.bin

Downgrade

1. Verify the required space to upload the kickstart-old and system-old images in the switch (N5k):

N5k# dir bootflash:

2. If necessary, delete unneeded files to make space available.
3. Copy the kickstart-old and system-old images to the switch bootflash.
4. Display the impact of the upgrade:

N5k# show install all impact kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart-old.bin system bootflash:n5000-old.bin

5. Downgrade the switch:

N5k# install all kickstart bootflash:n5000-kickstart-old.bin system bootflash:n5000-old.bin

Notes

- An ISSU is a nondisruptive upgrade. The control plane is reloaded, but the data plane does not stop forwarding packets.
- The kickstart.bin contains the kickstart image.
- The system.bin contains the image, bios and fex images.