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IOS Maintenance Deployment question

maldavis3697
Level 1
Level 1

I'm trying to upgrade the IOS software on a 2801 router. The latest regular release I could find available is the 12.4(22) release and then there is the 12.4(23) maintenance deployment. My question is this...is the maintenance release an image of it's own or does it patch the previous image (like 12.4(22)) that is on the router? I wondered if it was an imqage by itself because it's a good 10MB smaller than the 12.4(22) ED release but it is a .bin file so I'm unsure how to apply it so that it patches the previous image (if that is indeed how it needs to be deployed). Help?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

I think maintenance is the defacto standard now that there is no more GD code being released.

View solution in original post

7 Replies 7

Jon Marshall
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Malinda

I just checked Feature Navigator - http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp')">http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp')">http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp')">http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp and there is no 12.4(22) available. There is a

12.4(21a) and a 12.4(23) but no 12.4(22).

Maintenance release fix software bugs but do not introduce new software/hardware features. For that you need to look at the T train. This link will help explain -

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/620/1.html')">http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/620/1.html')">http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/620/1.html

It should be an image by itself as it is a .bin file. With a .bin file yu simply download it to your PC and then tftp it onto the 2801 into flash. Then you can change the boot system flash command to point to the new IOS

2801(config)# boot system flash flash:

Note that you may not have enough space in your flash to hold the old and new image so you may need to erase the old image before tftping the new one. No problem, you can delete the old image and the router still runs but obviously if it was reloaded without an IOS it would not be able to boot back up.

Go for 12.4(22).

Jon

Edison Ortiz
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

All IOS are complete images and do not patch the previous image.

You are comparing a 12.4(22)T with a 12.4(23) Mainline and the image size may be different because 'T' usually contains features not available in the Mainline.

Keep in mind, Mainline is often the recommended code to run in production routers unless there is a feature in the 'T' train worth having. Due to new features available in the 'T' train, this level of code tends to be more buggy than the more stable Mainline code.

HTH,

__

Edison.

Ok, thanks for the help. I didn't relize that the 12.4(23) was a mainline release. When it was described as a "Maintenance Deployment" I guess it kind of confused me....it's been a while since I've dealt with upgrading an IOS. The router I'm upgrading is going on our edge to the ISP and wont have much configuration except for the interfaces and some BGP. This being the case should I assume from what you said that I would be better off with the 12.4(23) rather than the 12.4(22)T release because it will be less buggy and more stable? Thanks!

I think maintenance is the defacto standard now that there is no more GD code being released.

Ok, I wondered what the standard release for IOS since they are doing away with the GD. All I see available now are ED and MD.

You are correct. Beginning with 12.4, Cisco no longer applies GD to the IOS releases. You will see either ED or MD.

With that said, you also need to focus on the software track, not just the release designation status.

When you see a IOS release with just the number at the end, for instance: 12.4(23) - then it's considered mainline train. There are other trains such as "T" (the most popular other than mainline), as well as XY, XZ, etc.

The safest one is the mainline but it contains less newer features. If you need the newer features, then you can use the "T" train.

Here is a brief explanation on IOS release designation:

http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/library/iosplanner/reldesignation.html

HTH,

__

Edison.

Jon Marshall
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Sorry there seems to be a bug at the moment with editing and double posting URL's - these are the links

http://tools.cisco.com/ITDIT/CFN/jsp/index.jsp

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/620/1.html

Jon

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