Let’s use the following topology.
Site A is where the WLC is hosted, Site B and C are distant site.
Cisco WLC 5508 is currently running version 7.4.130.0.
APs are running version = “flash:/ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx/ap3g
APs have been organized in flexconnect group to facilitate their management.
We will use the AP flexconnect upgrade with pre image download to reduce downtime and to reduce the WAN utilization.
From Cisco config guide :
« One access point of each model in the local network first downloads the upgrade image over the WAN link. It works similarly to the master-slave or client-server model. This access point then becomes the master for the remaining access point of the similar model.
The remaining access points then download the upgrade image from the master access point using the pre-image download feature over the local network. »
So we have our two flexconnect group SITE B and SITE C, for testing purpose I have left the AP AP-C2 out of the flexconnect group.
Now we start the Image upgrade :
From the Cisco config guide there is a restriction for AP 2600 :
« If you upgrade from a release that is prior to Release 7.5 directly to Release 7.6.X or a later release, the predownload process on Cisco AP2600 and AP3600 fails. After the Cisco WLC is upgraded to Release 7.6.X or a later release, the new image is loaded on Cisco AP2600 and AP3600. After the upgrade to a Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Configuration Guide, Release 7.6 the predownload functionality works as expected. The predownload failure is only a one-time failure. »
Let’s upgrade the controller and see what we get…
The new OS has been transferred.
I will pre download it to AP-A1 and AP-C2 and use the AP upgrade for flexconnect on the other one.
But we are facing a problem, the APs keeps trying to load the code but get messages that there is not enough free space :
extracting info (286 bytes)
Image info:
Version Suffix: k9w8-.152-4.JB6
Image Name: ap3g2-k9w8-mx.152-4.JB6
Version Directory: ap3g2-k9w8-mx.152-4.JB6
Ios Image Size: 215552
Total Image Size: 13773312
Image Feature: WIRELESS LAN|LWAPP
Image Family: AP3G2
Wireless Switch Management Version: 7.6.130.0
Not enough free space to download.
Check for crashinfo/radio coredump and non used image files...
ERROR: Not enough free space in "flash:/"
ERROR: Clean up and try again.
*Mar 18 17:57:22.655: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: capwap ifs: read error or timeout
*Mar 18 17:57:23.319: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Failed to store image.
*Mar 18 17:57:23.319: %CAPWAP-3-ERRORLOG: Failed to store image.
Same error for the AP AP-A1 and AP-C2 using predownload.
Let’s check what’s the free space in our APs and the size of the controller code:
AP-A1#dir
Directory of flash:/
2 -rwx 331 Jan 1 1970 00:11:34 +00:00 info
37 drwx 512 Mar 1 1993 00:03:43 +00:00 ap3g2-rcvk9w8-mx
4 -rwx 6168 Mar 18 2015 19:15:09 +00:00 private-multiple-fs
5 -rwx 246 Mar 18 2015 18:02:53 +00:00 env_vars
6 drwx 960 Mar 18 2015 15:54:33 +00:00 ap3g2-k9w8-mx.152-2.JB4
52 -rwx 9587 Mar 18 2015 15:54:34 +00:00 event.log
53 drwx 0 Mar 1 1993 00:00:45 +00:00 configs
31739904 bytes total (12924416 bytes free)
Cisco Controller) >show ap bundle all
Primary AP Image Size
---------------- ----
ap1g1 10908
ap1g2 11368
ap1g3 7684
ap3g1 10256
ap3g2 13480
ap3g3 0
ap801 7532
ap802 8968
c1130 5092
c1140 10096
c1250 7272
c1520 8408
c602i 3756
version.info 4
Secondary AP Image Size
------------------ ----
ap1g2 9588
ap3g1 11308
ap3g2 11216
ap801 7172
ap802 8588
c1130 5072
c1140 9428
c1250 6964
c1520 8072
c602i 3744
As you can see, there isn’t enough space on the APs to download the new code and it is not freeing space automatically.
So we can make some space manually.
To access the APs by ssh or telnet and be able to use the delete command you must first add a management username. Add the command from the controller :
ap mgmtuser add username user-ad password Pa33ss secret Pa33ss all
Then the delete command is available when telneting to the AP and login with the user created.
We can now start again the predownload process and this time it worked fine:
(Cisco Controller)show ap image all
Total number of APs.............................. 5
Number of APs
Initiated....................................... 0
Predownloading.................................. 0
Completed predownloading........................ 5
Not Supported................................... 0
Failed to Predownload........................... 0
Predownload Predownload Flexconnect
AP Name Primary Image Backup Image Status Version Next Retry Time Retry Count Predownload
------------------ -------------- -------------- --------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ---------
AP-B2 7.4.130.0 7.6.130.0 Complete 7.6.130.0 NA NA Slave/Local
AP-C2 7.4.130.0 7.6.130.0 Complete 7.6.130.0 NA NA
AP-B1 7.4.130.0 7.6.130.0 Complete 7.6.130.0 NA NA Master/Central
AP-A1 7.4.130.0 7.6.130.0 Complete 7.6.130.0 NA NA
AP-C1 7.4.130.0 7.6.130.0 Complete 7.6.130.0 NA NA Master/Central
Now we reload the controller to boot with version 7.6.130.0 and after a restart all the APs have the correct code:
(Cisco Controller) show ap image all
Total number of APs.............................. 5
Number of APs
Initiated....................................... 0
Predownloading.................................. 0
Completed predownloading........................ 0
Not Supported................................... 0
Failed to Predownload........................... 0
Predownload Predownload Flexconnect
AP Name Primary Image Backup Image Status Version Next Retry Time Retry Count Predownload
------------------ -------------- -------------- --------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ---------
AP-C1 7.6.130.0 3.0.51.0 None None NA NA Master/Central
AP-B2 7.6.130.0 7.4.130.0 None None NA NA Slave/Central
AP-C2 7.6.130.0 3.0.51.0 None None NA NA
AP-B1 7.6.130.0 7.4.130.0 None None NA NA Master/Central
AP-A1 7.6.130.0 3.0.51.0 None None NA NA
Let’s now see how it behave when upgrading from 7.6.130 to 8.0.115.
Run AP predownload and flexconnect AP upgrade :
(Cisco Controller) show ap image all
Total number of APs.............................. 5
Number of APs
Initiated....................................... 0
Predownloading.................................. 2
Completed predownloading........................ 1
Not Supported................................... 0
Failed to Predownload........................... 0
Predownload Predownload Flexconnect
AP Name Primary Image Backup Image Status Version Next Retry Time Retry Count Predownload
------------------ -------------- -------------- --------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ---------
AP-C1 7.6.130.0 3.0.51.0 Predownloading 8.0.115.0 NA NA Master/Central
AP-B2 7.6.130.0 7.4.130.0 None None NA NA Slave/Local
AP-C2 7.6.130.0 3.0.51.0 None None NA NA Slave/Local
AP-B1 7.6.130.0 7.4.130.0 Predownloading 8.0.115.0 NA NA Master/Central
AP-A1 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA
It works fine, there is no need to remove any file from the flash :
Image 8.0.115.0 not found in flash, predownloading.
examining image...
Loading ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3/info from 10.10.21.10 (via BVI1): !
extracting info (288 bytes)
Image info:
Version Suffix: k9w8-.153-3.JA3
Image Name: ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3
Version Directory: ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3
Ios Image Size: 11407872
Total Image Size: 13496832
Image Feature: WIRELESS LAN|LWAPP
Image Family: AP3G2
Wireless Switch Management Version: 8.0.115.0
Not enough free space to download.
Check for crashinfo/radio coredump and non used image files...
Deleting flash:/ap3g2-k9w8-mx.152-2.JB4 done (free up 11448832 bytes)
Extracting files...
ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3 (directory) 0 (bytes)O
extracting ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3/E5.bin (1886 bytes)
extracting ap3g2-k9w8-mx.153-3.JA3/ap3g2-k9w8-xx.153-3.JA3 (11404810 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!All APs are now ok :
(Cisco Controller) >show ap image all
Total number of APs.............................. 5
Number of APs
Initiated....................................... 0
Predownloading.................................. 0
Completed predownloading........................ 5
Not Supported................................... 0
Failed to Predownload........................... 0
Predownload Predownload Flexconnect
AP Name Primary Image Backup Image Status Version Next Retry Time Retry Count Predownload
------------------ -------------- -------------- --------------- -------------- ---------------- ------------ ---------
AP-C1 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA Master/Central
AP-B2 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA Slave/Local
AP-C2 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA Slave/Local
AP-B1 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA Master/Central
AP-A1 7.6.130.0 8.0.115.0 Complete 8.0.115.0 NA NA
So I hope this post have been informative.
Stay tune for more CCIE R&S post in the next coming weeks.
Cisco wireless – Upgrade APs in flexconnect mode