Field Notice: FN74024 - New Memory Component Introduction in Cisco NCS 540 Routers May Impact Traffic for Releases Earlier than Cisco IOS XR Release 7.4.1 - Software Upgrade Recommended

Notice

THIS FIELD NOTICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FIELD NOTICE OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE FIELD NOTICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS FIELD NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

Products Affected

Defect Information

Problem Description

A new DDR4 8Gb memory component is being introduced in Cisco Network Convergence System (NCS) 540 Routers that is incompatible with Cisco IOS XR releases earlier than Release 7.4.1. When routers with the new memory components are upgraded to software releases earlier than Cisco IOS XR Release 7.4.1, product performance may be impacted.

Background

The current memory component in Cisco NCS 540 Routers has reached end of life. A new hardware version for the products that are listed in the Products Affected section will be introduced to address this issue.

Problem Symptom

The installation of the new version of hardware on an existing system that is running a Cisco IOS XR release earlier than Release 7.4.1 might cause continuous reloads.

Workaround/Solution

To determine the router hardware version, follow the instructions in the How to Identify Affected Products section of this field notice.

For backward compatibility, Cisco highly recommends installing the prerequisite SMU by December 31, 2023, on routers that are running a Cisco IOS XR release earlier than Release 7.4.1. The new hardware version is planned to ship from manufacturing after the previously mentioned date.

The SMU installation can be validated using the following command:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show install active summary | in CSCvw16818

If the output includes xr-ncs540l-core, as shown in the following example, the installation of the SMU is confirmed:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show install active summary | in CSCvw16818
 CSCvw16818: xr-ncs540l-core

The new hardware version is compatible with Cisco IOS XR releases 7.4.1 and later. No action is required for routers that are running Cisco IOS XR Release 7.4.1 or later.

Cisco does not recommend a Return Material Authorization (RMA) for the issue described in this field notice. The routers can resume normal operation with the solution provided in this section of this field notice.

How to Identify Affected Products

The new hardware version can be determined by using the following command. The revision of the new hardware will be 7.0 or later.

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show diag chassis | in Hardware Revision

Sample output:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show diag chassis | in Hardware Revision
Hardware Revision          : 7.0

Alternatively, the new hardware version can also be determined by using the following command:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show controllers fia diagshell 0 "config show" location 0/RP0/CPU

If the command output includes ext_ram_rows=65536, as in the following example, the new hardware version is confirmed:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:R1_new#show controllers fia diagshell 0 "config show" location 0/RP0/CPU
ext_ram_rows=65536

Revision History

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

• Open a service request on Cisco.com
• By email or telephone

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