Software Packaging on the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers
This section covers the following topics:
ASR 1000 Series Routers Software Overview
The Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers run using Cisco IOS XE software. Cisco IOS XE is released using consolidated packages and optional subpackages.
Each consolidated package contains a collection of software subpackages. Each software subpackage is an individual software file that controls a different element or elements of the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router. Each individual software subpackage can be upgraded individually, or all software subpackages for a specific consolidated package can be upgraded as part of a complete consolidated package upgrade. Importantly, IOS (the RPIOS subpackage) is considered one of the seven individual subpackages that makes up a complete consolidated package.
A collection of software subpackages packaged together creates a single consolidated package. A consolidated package allows users to upgrade all individual subpackages on the router with a single software image download. Consolidated packages can be downloaded from Cisco.com; users who want to run the router using individual subpackages that are part of the consolidated package must first download the image from Cisco.com and extract the individual subpackages from the image, which can be done by entering request platform command-line interface commands.
Beginning in Cisco IOS XE Release 2.4, support for a supplemental, optional subpackage of type called sipspawma is introduced to support the Cisco WebEx Node for ASR 1000 Series shared port adapter (SPA). Optional subpackages are installed similarly to individual subpackages; however, optional subpackages are not bundled as part of a consolidated package like prior support for the individual subpackages, and optional subpackages must be downloaded independently.
Consolidated Packages
A consolidated package is a single image composed of individual software subpackage files. A single consolidated package file is a bootable file, and the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router can be run using the consolidated package.
Note |
Consolidated packages only contain the required individual subpackage files. These packages do not contain supplemental, optional subpackages, such as the “sipspawma” package for the Cisco WebEx Node for ASR 1000 Series. |
Each consolidated package also contains a provisioning file. A provisioning file is used for booting in cases where the individual subpackages are extracted from the consolidated package, or optional subpackages are used to run the router. For additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of running a complete consolidated package, see the “Running the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers: An Overview” section on page 5-1 .
For information about the consolidated packages available in a specific version of Cisco IOS XE, see the release notes for that version of Cisco IOS XE. The Cisco IOS XE Software Release Notes contains the release notes for each version of Cisco IOS XE.
Important Information About Consolidated Packages
The important information about consolidated packages include:
- For each version of a consolidated package, the RPBase, RPControl, ESPBase, SIPSPA, and SIPBase subpackages are identical among consolidated packages.
- For each version of consolidated package, the RPIOS subpackage is always different among consolidated packages.
- A consolidated package file is a bootable file. If the router is configured to run using a the complete consolidated package, boot the router using the consolidated package file. If the router is configured to run using individual subpackages, boot the router using the provisioning file. For additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of running a complete consolidated package, see the “Running the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers: An Overview” section on page 5-1 .
- If you need to install optional subpackages, then you must boot the router using the individual subpackage provisioning file method.
Individual Software SubPackages Within a Consolidated Package
This section provides an overview of the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers subpackages and the purpose of each individual subpackage. Every consolidated package will have all of these individual subpackages. To see additional information about each individual subpackages in a particular Cisco IOS XE release, see Cisco IOS XE Release Notes for that release.
SubPackage |
Purpose |
---|---|
RPBase |
Provides the operating system software for the Route Processor. |
RPControl |
Controls the control plane processes that interface between the IOS process and the rest of the platform. |
RPAccess |
Exports processing of restricted components, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Secure Shell (SSH), and other security features. |
RPIOS |
Provides the Cisco IOS kernel, which is where IOS features are stored and run. Each consolidated package has a different RPIOS. |
ESPBase |
Provides the ESP operating system and control processes, and the ESP software. |
SIPBase |
Controls the SIP operating system and control processes. |
SIPSPA |
Provides the SPA driver and Field Programmable Device (FPD) images. |
Important Notes About Individual SubPackages
The important information about individual subpackage include:
- Individual subpackages cannot be downloaded from Cisco.com individually. To get these individual subpackages, users must download a consolidated package and then extract the individual subpackages from the consolidated package using the command-line interface.
- If the router is being run using individual subpackages instead of being run using a complete consolidated package, the router must be booted using a provisioning file. A provisioning file is included in all consolidated packages and is extracted from the image along with the individual subpackages whenever individual subpackages are extracted.
Optional Software SubPackages Outside of Consolidated Packages
Beginning in Cisco IOS XE Release 2.4, the ASR 1000 Series Routers support a new type of subpackage—this is an optional software subpackage that is available as a separate, external package that is downloaded and installed along with the other required subpackages.
sipspawmak9 is an optional subpackage that provides the system software for the Cisco WebEx Node for ASR 1000 Series Routers.
Important Notes About Optional SubPackages
The important information about optional subpackages include:
- Optional subpackages are downloaded separately from consolidated package files. Optional subpackages are not contained within a consolidated package for a release.
- Optional package installation works similarly to the installation of individual subpackages using a provisioning file.
- Optional subpackages can be uninstalled to remove provisioning when the package no longer applies to an RP.
- Optional subpackages are easily supported by the standard ISSU upgrade process as long as the package is located in the directory of the provisioning file for each RP.
Provisioning Files
Note |
You must use the provisioning files to manage the boot process if you need to install optional subpackages. |
Provisioning files manage the boot process when the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router is configured to run using individual subpackages or optional subpackages (such as the package for the Cisco WebEx Node for ASR 1000 Series). When individual subpackages are being used to run the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router, the router has to be configured to boot the provisioning file. The provisioning file manages the bootup of each individual subpackage and the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router assumes normal operation.
Provisioning files are extracted automatically when individual subpackage files are extracted from a consolidated package.
Provisioning files are not necessary for running the router using the complete consolidated package; if you want to run the router using the complete consolidated package, simply boot the router using the consolidated package file.
See the “Running the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers: An Overview” section on page 5-1 for additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of running individual subpackages versus running a complete consolidated package.
Important Notes About Provisioning Files
The important information about provisioning files include:
- Each consolidated package contains two provisioning files. One of the provisioning files is always named “packages.conf”, while the other provisioning file will have a name based on the consolidated package naming structure. In any consolidated package, both provisioning files perform the exact same function.
- In most cases, the “packages.conf” provisioning file should be used to boot the router. Configuring the router to boot using this file is generally easier because the router can be configured to boot using “packages.conf”, so no changes have to be made to the boot statement when Cisco IOS XE is upgraded (the boot system file-system :packages.conf configuration command can remain unmodified before and after an upgrade).
- The provisioning file and individual subpackage files must be kept in the same directory. The provisioning file does not work properly if the individual subpackage files are in other directories.
- The provisioning filename can be renamed; the individual subpackage filenames cannot be renamed.
- After placing the provisioning file and the individual subpackage files in a directory and booting the router, it is highly advisable not to rename, delete, or alter any of these files. Renaming, deleting, or altering the files can lead to unpredictable router problems and behaviors.
ROMmon Image
An independent ROMmon image is released periodically separate from consolidated packages or any other software releases.
See the documentation that accompanies the ROMmon image for information on each ROMmon image. For additional information on ROMmon, see the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers Maintain and Operate Guide
File to Upgrade Field Programmable Hardware Devices
Starting in Cisco IOS XE Release 3.1.0S, a hardware programmable package file used to upgrade field programmable hardware devices is released as needed . A package file is provided for the field programmable device to customers in cases where a field upgrade is required. If the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router contains an incompatible version of the hardware programmable firmware on the Cisco ASR1000-RP, Cisco ASR1000-SIP, or Cisco ASR1000-ESP, then that firmware may need to be upgraded.
Generally an upgrade is only necessary in cases where a system message indicates one of the field programmable devices on the Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router needs an upgrade or a Cisco technical support representative suggests an upgrade.
In Cisco IOS XE Release 3.1.0S, a package file that contains a new version of the Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) code is available for users who need to upgrade old versions of firmware on a Cisco ASR1000-RP2 or Cisco ASR1000-SIP10 in a Cisco ASR 1013 Router.
For more information on upgrading field programmable hardware devices, see the Upgrading Field Programmable Hardware Devices for Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers document.