Troubleshooting Cat6500 boot failure

[tcherkon]

Hello!

I've been upgrading IOS software on my Cat6500 (sup720). I did the following:

1. I've downloaded new IOS image to disk0: flashcard

2. Removed IOS image from bootflash:

3. Set confreg to 0x2101

4. Removed all "boot system flash" commands from configuration and saved configuration

5. Reloaded the switch

After that switch boots to SP rommon. There I typed "boot disk0:xxx.bin" and switch boots to RP rommon. The RP rommon doesn't see the slot0: filesystem so it cannon boot the image.

And hence bootflash: contains no IOS images RP failes to boot.

To overcome the problem I need to add somehow "boot system flash .." command in my config and change confreg to 0x2102.

This is quite an urgent problem, all ideas are very valuable. Thank you in advance for your answers!

[ankurbhasin]

Hi Friend,

Are you converting the CATOS to Native IOS?

If no why are you taking your switch into rommon and why are you changing your config value.

You can download the image on your flash card and simply remove all the boot system commands and configure new boot system command to boot the image from disk0: and wr mem and you are good to go.

If incase you are converting from CATOS to IOS on your sup 720 just follw this link

http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/473/81.html#conv_720

Also if you are chaning the config reg in your case change it to 0x0 no need to chnage it ti 0x2102. In the link I have posted if you are in rommon (SPROM) and your config reg value is 0x0 you can manually boot the switch.

Just go through that link and you will be good to go.

HTH,if yes please rate the post.

Ankur

[tcherkon]

Hello Ankur!

No, I'm not converting from CatOS to Native IOS.

I know that I should add new "boot system .. " command in configuration file, but I cannot do that, because I'm stuck in RP rommon. I cannot boot IOS and I don't know how to change configuration file from RP rommon. That is the problem.

[ankurbhasin]

Hi Friend,

try this

rommon 3 > config-register 0x2102

Regards,

Ankur

[tcherkon]

I already tried that. This sets confreg, but RP still cannot boot to IOS, because there are no 'boot' commands in configuration file.

And when I try to boot RP manually by entering "boot slot0:xxx.bin" it cannot access IOS image, which is located at disk0:

[bbaillie · Accepted solution]

Treat the problem as if it were a password recovery situation.

At the rommon prompt type "confreg 0x2142", type "set" to view the boot parameter and adjust accordingly "BOOT=disk0:, slot0:", type "sync", type "reset". You will be returned to the Rommon prompt, now type boot and the system will boot the image without the current configuration file causing you grief.

Answer no to all the prompts, at the "Router>" prompt go to enable mode and type "copy startup-config running-config". go to global config mode and type "config-register 0x2102", this will repair the boot environment. Confirm the boot environment in the configuration by using "show running-config" and examining the "boot system flash disk0: is the first of the boot paths found (this means boot the first file found on the device. The next problem is all ports by default will be down so a "no shutdown" needs to be done on the ports so use the "interface range" command to save a lot of typing.

If you are now happy with your work save it using "copy run start" or "wr mem" and reboot the system to confirm the exercise was a success.

Details are here http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/474/pswdrec_6000IOS.pdf

P.S. if this is a secondary supervisor then the primary supervisor will clobber your work when the IOS boots, so confirm the primary's boot environment is good before starting.

Brian

[tcherkon]

Hello Brian!

You saved my head! Thanks a lot! I owe you a beer ;)