How to upgrde IOS in Cisco 6500 sup720 configured with VSS and without VSS and in cisco 4506 configured with VSSand without VSS

[amit babar]

How to upgrde IOS in Cisco 6500 sup720  configured with VSS and without VSS and in cisco  4506 configured with VSS and without VSS

[Leo Laohoo]

Same process either way (VSS or not):  

1.  Copy the IOS from TFTP/CF/SD to the active supervisor sup-bootflash:

2.  [For VSS]  Copy the IOS from TFTP/CF/SD to the STANDBY supervisor slavesup-bootflash:

3.  Change the boot string to reflect the new IOS. 

4.  Boot the chassis.

[charliemak]

Are sup-bootflash: and  sup-bootdisk: the same thing ?
 

If I have two 6500 chassis which have VSS setting,
Can I make use of the disk0 of both chassis to perform ios upgrade ?
By setting the boot path to disk0
 

[Leo Laohoo]

Are sup-bootflash: and  sup-bootdisk: the same thing ?

No, they are not.   sup-bootflash: is located inside but the sup-bootdisk: is located OUTSIDE and is physically accessible.  If you look at the line card, you'll see a CF slot marked "Disk0:" or "Slot0".  This is the sup-bootdisk:.  It is also known as "disk0:".  Confusing, I know. 

Can I make use of the disk0 of both chassis to perform ios upgrade ?

Of course you can.  I perform VSS upgrade just using one of the disk0: and push the IOS from the disk0: to the two supervisor cards.  

By setting the boot path to disk0

You can too.  The sup-bootflash: and the sup-bootdisk:/disk0: are the same physical format.  

A word of caution:  I cannot stop reiterating the importance of checking the MD5 hash value of the IOS file in the sup-bootdisk: or sup-bootflash: BEFORE rebooting the chassis for an IOS upgrade.  Make sure the MD5 hash value match exactly to the MD5 hash value found in the Cisco website.  Once they are match, check the boot variable string, the config-registry and you're off to the next step.

[charliemak]

Thanks for your help Leo,

I understand which slot is "Disk0".
In my case, Disk0 (the external slot) does not have CF card.
My client uses internal CF card which is sup-bootdisk.

The funny thing is that if I enter command "dir sup-bootflash:"
It shows the same output as command "dir sup-bootdisk:"
And also the same output as command "dir"

Back to my situation, my client 's slavesup-bootdisk: is dead (unreabable now)
It seems that you can successfully boot up a pair of 65xx in VSS setting by only one CF card in Disk0, do you ?

[Leo Laohoo]

The funny thing is that if I enter command "dir sup-bootflash:"
It shows the same output as command "dir sup-bootdisk:"
And also the same output as command "dir"

Ooops.  I think I may have given the wrong information.  :(

sup-bootflash: and sup-bootdisk: are the same thing.  disk0: is the external compact flash.