Field Notice: FN - 70320 - Nexus 3000, 3500, and 9000 BIOS Upgrade Might Fail at Install - 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.

Revision History

Revision	Publish Date	Comments
1.0	12-Nov-18	Initial Release
1.1	22-Nov-18	Added notes in Workaround/Solution section
1.2	18-Jan-19	Updated the Products Affected Section

Products Affected

Affected OS Type	Affected Software Product	Affected Release	Affected Release Number	Comments
NON-IOS	NX-OS System Software	7	7.0(3)I2(2a), 7.0(3)I2(2b), 7.0(3)I2(2c), 7.0(3)I2(2d), 7.0(3)I2(2e), 7.0(3)I2(3), 7.0(3)I2(4), 7.0(3)I2(5), 7.0(3)I3(1), 7.0(3)I4(1), 7.0(3)I4(2), 7.0(3)I4(3), 7.0(3)I4(4), 7.0(3)I4(5), 7.0(3)I4(6), 7.0(3)I4(7), 7.0(3)I4(8), 7.0(3)I4(8a), 7.0(3)I5(1), 7.0(3)I5(2), 7.0(3)I6(1), 7.0(3)I6(2), 7.0(3)I7(1), 7.0(3)I7(2), 7.0(3)I7(3), 7.0(3)I7(4), 7.0(3)I7(5)	This issue is fixed in versions 7.0(3)I4(8b), 7.0(3)I7(5a), 9.2(2), and later
NON-IOS	NX-OS System Software	9	9.2(1)

Defect Information

Defect ID	Headline
CSCvk30831	BIOS upgrade may fail during install all

Problem Description

The NX-OS BIOS upgrade might fail at installation.

This log message will be displayed.

Module 1: Refreshing compact flash and upgrading bios/loader/bootrom.

Warning: please do not remove or power off the module at this time.

0% -- FAIL.

Return code 0x40710003 (BIOS image not found).

CAUTION: The BIOS/loader/bootrom of above module may be in corrupted state. Please try programming it again and DO NOT reboot without programming it successfully, otherwise you have to manually take out the flash from the card and program it in a BIOS programming station.

Resetting boot variables. Please wait.

Install has failed. Return code 0x40930015 (Pre-upgrade of a module failed).

Please identify the cause of the failure, and try 'install all' again.

Background

There are two diagnostic tests, PrimaryBootRom and SecondaryBootRom, that are enabled by default. These tests validate the contents and version of the BIOS and run every 30 minutes. It has been determined that it is too aggressive to run these tests every 30 minutes since it could possibly trigger a defect that gets exposed when a BIOS upgrade is performed.

In this condition, during an "install all" upgrade procedure, if bios upg-required is set to yes, then a BIOS content read/write error might result in a BIOS programming failure and the NX-OS upgrade will fail.

This has no impact to the normal function of the switch. However, if the switch is power cycled/reloaded in this inconsistent BIOS state, the switch might not be able to boot NX-OS and will require a Return Material Authorization (RMA).

Problem Symptom

The BIOS upgrade might fail during an "install all" procedure.

Workaround/Solution

As a proactive measure, customers who run affected versions without the fix for Cisco bug ID CSCvk30831 are recommended to use these commands in order to change the test interval to the maximum interval of 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds.

diagnostic monitor interval module 1 test PrimaryBootROM hour 23 min 59 sec 59

diagnostic monitor interval module 1 test SecondaryBootROM hour 23 min 59 sec 59

For Nexus 9500, the two commands need to be executed for all modules.

If the switch has already failed to program the BIOS, and was power cycled or reloaded, then the switch might not be able to boot. In this state, create an RMA.

This issue is fixed in versions 7.0(3)I4(8b), 7.0(3)I7(5a), 9.2(2), and later. In these versions the PrimaryBootRom and SecondaryBootRom tests were changed to run every 24 hours. Cisco highly recommends that customers upgrade their software to a fixed release.

Notes:

• For Nexus 9000, see Recommended Cisco NX-OS Release for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches for more information.

• For Nexus 3000, see Recommended Cisco NX-OS Release for Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches for more information.

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
• By telephone

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