Downloading images to new units before converting them to PEs with SPX interactive-setup or zero-touch provisioning

Zero-touch provisioning and SPX interactive-setup can detect standalones running different software images before they reload them as PEs. However, the PEs with mismatched software images are put into non-operational state when they join the SPX system. If the tftp-server command is configured, the CB copies new images to non-operational PEs. You also have the option to copy the images manually to all PEs using the copy tftp flash command. After the new image has been copied, the new PEs can be reloaded so that they run the correct image. There are a few drawbacks to the overall process:

  1. The process requires two reloads. First, the standalone must be reloaded as a PE. Then, after any PE with a mismatched image has joined the SPX system and the correct image has been copied to it, it must be reloaded to run the correct image.
  2. Due to the difference in IPC version, a PE running a different major image (for example, a release 08.0.61 image instead of an 08.0.70 image) may not join the SPX system. In this case, you cannot use SPX system capabilities to copy images from the CB to the PE unit.
  3. Any PE running a different image is put into non-operational state and has very limited function. For example, all data ports are in the down state.

From release 08.0.70, if new units are running a different software image, zero-touch provisioning and SPX interactive-setup downloads the correct image to the new units before reloading them as PEs.

Note: A new unit is one that does not have startup-config flash. You can create a new unit by removing startup-config with the erase startup-config command followed by the reload command.

For zero-touch provisioning or SPX interactive-setup to download images, you must first configure the tftp-server command with the location of the correct images. When the tftp-server command is not configured or image-auto-copy is disabled, zero-touch provisioning and SPX interactive-setup respond differently. The following table summarizes the differences in behavior.

Differences in SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch image download behavior

Utility tftp-server configured image-auto-copy disabled or tftp-server not configured
SPX interactive-setup download image Asks for user confirmation to abort or reload new units as PEs without downloading images
Zero-touch provisioning download image Prints a messages, generates a syslog entry, and aborts

Here are some additional key points about how SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch provisioning handle image downloads.

  1. Zero-touch provisioning discovers only new units. SPX interactive-setup detects new units as well as other units with configuration. However, SPX interactive-setup does not copy images to any units that are not new, even if they are running a different image. Instead, it prints a message similar to the following example asking you to indicate whether to abort or to convert all units to PEs without downloading images. 
    Proceeding will produce the above topology. Do you accept it? (enter 'y' or 'n'): y
spx interactive-setup discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1, selected#= 1)
Detects 4 units running different images but 1 unit (17) are not clean units.
You can abort (y) or proceed (n) without downloading images: (enter 'y' or 'n'): n
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 14 11:48:38 INTERACTIVE SETUP: Send reload to chain 0
  2. SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch provisioning print a message and abort when any image download to a unit fails, even if some unit downloads were successful.
  3. SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch provisioning do not download images to new units that are running the same image as the SPX system.
  4. SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch provisioning must wait for all image downloads to complete before reloading any unit as a PE.

From 08.0.91: Samples must be replaced so that they are based on ICX 7650 CB stacks.
The following example shows an image download using SPX interactive-setup. 
ICX7750-26Q Router# spx interactive-setup
You can abort spx interactive-setup at any stage by <ctrl-c>
0: quit
1: change PE IDs
2: discover and convert new units (no startup-config flash) to PEs
3: discover and convert existing/new standalone units to PEs
2&3 can also find new links and convert chain(s) to ring.

Please type your selection: 2
Probing topology to find new units...
Horizontal bars link to discovered units. Vertical bars link to CB or PEs.
#1: icx7450-48p-poe-management 609C.9F2A.D460 (image mismatch: SPR08070b1TEST)
#2: icx7450-48p-poe-management 609C.9F2A.97E0
#3: icx7250-24-port-management 609C.9F04.6F90 (image mismatch: SPR08070b1TEST)
#4: icx7250-24-port-management 609C.9F04.68AC (image mismatch: SPR08070b1TEST)
#5: icx7250-24-port-management 609C.9F04.5E68
#6: icx7450-48f-sf-port-management CC4E.246C.F190
1/1/5
 ||
 ||
 3/1
+----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+
| 1  |2/1==2/1| 2  |2/3==2/1| 3  |2/5==2/5| 4  |2/1==2/5| 5  |2/1=
+----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+   |
                                                                 |
                                                        +----+   |
                                                        | 6  |2/1=
                                                        +----+
                                                         4/1
                                                          |
                                                          |
                                                        2/1/9
Discovered 1 chain/ring
Chain #0: Do you want to select this chain? (enter 'y' or 'n'): y
#1: icx7450-48p-poe 609C.9F2A.D460, *** image mismatch, type an ID (No: 0, default: 17):
#2: icx7450-48p-poe 609C.9F2A.97E0, type an ID (No: 0, default: 18):
#3: icx7250-24-port 609C.9F04.6F90, *** image mismatch, type an ID (No: 0, default: 21):
#4: icx7250-24-port 609C.9F04.68AC, *** image mismatch, type an ID (No: 0, default: 28):
#5: icx7250-24-port 609C.9F04.5E68, type an ID (No: 0, default: 29):
#6: icx7450-48f-sf-port CC4E.246C.F190, type an ID (No: 0, default: 32):
You selected 6 unit(s): #1: ID=17, #2: ID=18, #3: ID=21, #4: ID=28, #5: ID=29, #6: ID=32,
            #1            #2            #3            #4            #5
          +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+
1/1/5==3/1| 17 |2/1==2/1| 18 |2/3==2/1| 21 |2/5==2/5| 28 |2/1==2/5| 29 |2/1=
          +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+   |
                                                                    #6     |
                                                                  +----+   |
                                                        2/1/9--4/1| 32 |2/1=
                                                                  +----+
Proceeding will produce the above topology. (*** NOTE: #1 #3 #4 will download image) Do you accept it? (enter 'y' or 'n'): y
spx interactive-setup discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1, selected#= 1)
Note: must download images to 3 new unit(s): #17,21,28
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 13 19:42:19 INTERACTIVE SETUP: spx interactive-setup discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1, selected#= 1)
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 13 19:42:19 System: Image mismatch Auto Copy Started for primary image for units 17 21 28
Load to buffer (8192 bytes per dot)
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................PLEASE WAIT. MEMBERS SYNCING IMAGE TO FLASH. DO NOT SWITCH OVER OR POWER DOWN THE UNIT...
TFTP to Flash Done

The following example shows an image download using zero-touch provisioning. Zero-touch provisioning does not display the topology diagram. It displays some messages and syslog entries. 

Zero-touch discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1)
Note: must download images to 4 new unit(s): #17,21,28,32
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 14 01:06:21 ZTP: zero-touch-enable detects total 1 chains (6 units). unstable=0,
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 14 01:06:21 ZTP: Zero-touch discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1)
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 14 01:06:21 System: Image mismatch Auto Copy Started for primary image for units 17 21 28 32
Load to buffer (8192 bytes per dot)
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................PLEASE WAIT. MEMBERS SYNCING IMAGE TO FLASH. DO NOT SWITCH OVER OR POWER DOWN THE UNIT...
TFTP to Flash Done
SYSLOG: <14> Apr 14 01:09:19 ZTP: Send reload to chain 0

The following examples illustrate SPX interactive-setup and zero-touch provisioning behavior when the TFTP server is not configured.

SPX interactive-setup 

Snipped …
You selected 6 unit(s): #1: ID=17, #2: ID=18, #3: ID=21, #4: ID=28, #5: ID=29, #6: ID=32,
            #1            #2            #3            #4            #5
          +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+
1/1/5==3/1| 17 |2/1==2/1| 18 |2/3==2/1| 21 |2/5==2/5| 28 |2/1==2/5| 29 |2/1=
          +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+        +----+   |
                                                                    #6     |
                                                                  +----+   |
                                                        2/1/9--4/1| 32 |2/1=
                                                                  +----+
Proceeding will produce the above topology. (*** NOTE: #1 #3 #4 has different image) Do you accept it? (enter 'y' or 'n'): y
spx interactive-setup discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1, selected#= 1)
Detects 3 units running different images but "tftp-server" is not configured.
You can abort (y) or proceed (n) without downloading images: (enter 'y' or 'n'): y
Exit spx interactive-setup, reason: User aborts

Zero-touch provisioning

Zero-touch provisioning runs in background. It does not display any topology diagrams. However, it prints messages and syslog entries. 

Zero-touch discovers 1 chain (valid#= 1)
ZTP detects 3 units running different images, but "tftp-server" is not configured. Abort
SYSLOG: <14> Mar 24 19:59:14 ZTP: zero-touch-enable detects total 1 chains (6 units). unstable=0,

Parent topic: SPX interactive-setup