Scribd
Upload
240 views

7 Steps To Upgrade IOS Image On Cisco Catalyst Switch or Router

The 7 steps to upgrade the IOS image on a Cisco Catalyst switch or router are: 1. Verify the current IOS version. 2. Download the latest IOS image from the Cisco website. 3. Delete the old IOS software image from the flash memory to make space. 4. Copy the new IOS image file to the switch using TFTP. 5. Modify the boot path-list to use the new IOS image. 6. Save the running configuration and restart the switch. 7. Verify after restart that the switch is running the new IOS version.

Uploaded by

Valter Duvall
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
240 views

7 Steps To Upgrade IOS Image On Cisco Catalyst Switch or Router

The 7 steps to upgrade the IOS image on a Cisco Catalyst switch or router are: 1. Verify the current IOS version. 2. Download the latest IOS image from the Cisco website. 3. Delete the old IOS software image from the flash memory to make space. 4. Copy the new IOS image file to the switch using TFTP. 5. Modify the boot path-list to use the new IOS image. 6. Save the running configuration and restart the switch. 7. Verify after restart that the switch is running the new IOS version.

Uploaded by

Valter Duvall
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

7 Steps to Upgrade IOS Image on

Cisco Catalyst Switch or Router

Anytime Cisco releases a new IOS image for its network switch (or
router), it is recommended that you upgrade it.

This article explains 7 easy steps to upgrade IOS image on a cisco


switch or router.

Since you’ll be upgrading the IOS image, make sure you have physical
access to the switch and you are in front of it. Use a console cable to
connect to the switch.

Please note that the steps given below will be similar to both switches
and routers. However this examples shows how to upgrade ios image
on a cisco catalyst switch.

1. Verify Current IOS Version


After you login, go to enable mode, by entering the enable password.
This example uses two cisco catalyst 3750 switches configured in
stack mode as shown below. So, while upgrading you should upgrade
the image on both the flash cards.
If you have only one cisco catalyst switch (non stack mode), follow all
the steps mentioned in this document, but you’ll be doing it only on one
flash card.

First, verify the content of the flash cards, using “dir flash1:” command.

As you see above, both the flash cards contains the current IOS image
file, which is version “122.35.SE5″
Verify what version of IOS image your switch is currently running. Most
likely this will be same as the current IOS image file that you see in
your flash card. As you see below, it is using “12.3(35)SE5″

2. Download Latest IOS Image from Cisco Website


Download the latest IOS image for your cisco website
Go to cisco.com -> IOS Software -> Select your Siwtch (for example:
Cisco Catalyst Switch 3750G-24T) -> Click on “Download IP BASE” -
> Select the latest version that you want to download (for example: 12-
2.55.SE1).
While you are on this download page, copy/paste the MD5 given to
your system. After we download the IOS image and move it to the
switch, we’ll verify the MD5 checksum before installing the image.
3. Delete Old IOS Software Image from Flash
Since we’ll be downloading the new ISO image and moving it to the
flash card, we need some space. So, delete the current old image from
the flash card.

In the above delete command, /f stands for force, and /r stands for
recursive.

On a side note, you should be using some software to monitor your


switch status. If you are not doing it install Nagios, and monitor your
switches

4. Copy the IOS image to Cisco Switch


To transfer the IOS image from your laptop to Cisco Switch, you should
run a TFTPserver on your laptop (or on the system where you’ve
downloaded the IOS image).

If you are running a TFTPserver on your laptop, and connected to the


switch using a console cable, assign a ip-address to your laptop, and
put your laptop on the same network as the switch.
Copy the ISO image to the flash as shown below using the “copy
command”. This will ask you to enter the address of the remote host
(which is your laptop in this case), and the source filename that needs
to be transferred (which is the ISO image you downloaded from cisco
website).

Once you’ve copied it, make sure the file is there on the flash card.

Just to make sure nothing went wrong during the copy, do a MD5
check-sum on this, and compare with the MD5 that you noted down
from cisco website while downloading the IOS image. To create MD5
checksum of a file in Cisco catalyst switch, use the “verify” command
as shown below.

If you are running two switches in stack configuration, do the same on


the second flash card.
5. Modify Switch Boot path-list
Now it is time to tell switch cisco to use the new ISO image to boot
from. Before changing the boot information, verify the current
configuration, and change it using the “boot system” command as
shown below.

6. Save Config and Restart the Switch


Verify the current boot information, save the current configuration, and
reboot the cisco switch as shown below.

7. Final Verification after IOS Upgrade


Finally verify the current IOS version of the switch, after the upgrade,
it should display the new version as shown below.

Make sure to verify your interface and vlan status, to make sure
everything is running properly without any issues.

You might also like