set boot system

Use this command to set the firmware image the switch loads at startup or when performing a standard or an S-Series or 7100-Series high availability firmware upgrade (HAU).

Syntax

Parameters

Defaults

On the K-Series, if the standard option is not specified, a standard upgrade is performed.

On the S- and 7100-Series, if no option is specified, the upgrade method for the new firmware image is determined by the default mode setting using set boot high-availability default-mode (S-, 7100-Series). The HAU default mode defaults to never which is the same as specifying the standard system boot method.

Mode

All command modes.

Usage

On the S- and 7100-Series, there are two methods for loading a system firmware image:

• Standard – The specified image is loaded after a system reset
• High Availability – Provides a rolling firmware upgrade

Setting a system boot method over-rides the HAU default mode set using set boot high-availability default-mode (S-, 7100-Series).

Using the standard method, the image is loaded automatically after the system has been reset. Although it is not necessary to choose to reset the system and activate the new boot image immediately, the CLI will prompt you whether or not you want to do so. You can choose “Yes” at the question prompt to have the system reset and load the new boot image immediately, or choose “No” to load the new boot image at a later scheduled time, by issuing one of the following commands: clear config, reset, or configure. The new boot setting will be remembered through resets and power downs, and will not take effect until the clear config, reset, or configure command is given.

On the S- and 7100-Series, the high availability upgrade method provides for loading new system firmware without resetting the entire system at once. HAU groups made up of one or more slots are upgraded one HAU group at a time rather than simultaneously. This process of staggering slot upgrades allows slots that do not belong to the HAU group that is currently being upgraded to continue normal operation, providing a high-degree of system availability during the upgrade process.

During a high availability upgrade each group slot will be temporarily unavailable while it is being upgraded, causing every physical port to experience an interruption during the upgrade process. These interruptions can be mitigated by a redundant network architecture, using Link Aggregation Groups (LAG) which span multiple slots. A properly configured LAG can continue to operate even when one or more of its component links are temporarily unavailable.

The following preconditions must be met for a high availability upgrade to occur:

• HAU Compatibility Key - The target image must have the same HAU Compatibility Key as the active image. To display the HAU key, use the dir command, specifying the image to display, or use the image option to display all images. The HAU key field in the display specifies whether the image displayed is compatible with the current image. If “HAU compatible” is appended to the key field, an HA firmware update can be performed between the displayed image and the current image.
• Configuration restore-points - Configuration restore-points may be set, but must not be configured. A configured restore-point would cause upgraded slots to boot with different configuration data, and all slots must be running the same configuration data.
• Upgrade Groups - At least two upgrade groups are required, and each group must contain at least one operational module at the start of HA Upgrade.
• Platform – S- K- and 7100-Series S4, S6, and S8 platforms require the presence of at least 2 fabric modules in the system. See the following bullet for an exception to this rule.
• Virtual Switch Bonding (VSB) – HAU is not allowed if the reset of any single upgrade group would break all VSB interconnect bond links. An exception to this rule:
  • HAU is allowed in any bonded system including those that would would break either the two fabric module restriction or the all VSB interconnect links restrictions, if:
    • There is one and only one HAU group configured for each chassis
    • All slots in a chassis belong to the same HAU group

If any of these preconditions are not met when attempting a high availability upgrade, no upgrade takes place. Should you wish a standard upgrade to automatically take place when an HAU precondition is not met:

• Do not specify a system boot method when entering this command
• Set the HAU default mode to if-possible using the set boot high-availability default-mode (S-, 7100-Series).