Chapter 1. New and Changed Information

This document provides a checklist of the documents that you can use to perform an upgrade on your Cisco ACI system. The following table provides an overview of the significant changes to this guide up to this current release.

New and Changed Information In This Document

Feature

Description

Updated information based on updates in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide

Information in this checklist document has been updated based on updates that were done in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide.

- Cisco ACI Upgrade Checklist

Cisco ACI Upgrade Checklist

Task

Pick your target APIC and ACI switch versions.

- Both APICs and ACI switches must be upgraded to the same version.

- APIC and ACI switch versions that are compatible to each other are described in the form of x.y(z) and 1x.y(z). For instance, APIC version 5.2(1g) corresponds to ACI switch version 15.2(1g).

- Check the Release Notes (APIC and ACI switches) for the target version for any open caveats or defects.

See the APIC Upgrade/Downgrade Support Matrix for the supported upgrade paths from your current version.

- If your current version and the target version are too far apart, you might need to upgrade both your APICs and switches to an intermediate version suggested in the APIC Upgrade/Downgrade Support Matrix first. See Multistep Upgrades in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for more information.

- The APIC Upgrade/Downgrade Support Matrix also shows you which CIMC version you need to use for your target APIC version.

Review the ACI upgrade architecture.

See ACI Upgrade Architecture in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide to understand what you should expect along with what you must not perform.

Export your configuration for backup.

See the Cisco ACI Configuration Files: Import and Export document for details. Ensure that AES encryption is enabled.

Disable all App Center apps on the APICs except for the ones that are pre-packaged on the APIC image.

See Guidelines for App Center Apps in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for details.

Download both APIC and ACI switch firmware to your APICs.

See the Downloading APIC and Switch Images on APICs section in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for each release for details:

- Releases prior to 4.x: Downloading APIC and Switch Images on APICs

- Releases 4.x or 5.0: Downloading APIC and Switch Images on APICs

- Release 5.1 or later: Downloading APIC and Switch Images on APICs

Download ACI switch firmware from your APICs to each switch.

Starting from switch release 14.1(1), switches can download the image from APICs prior to the upgrade. See Rule 5 – Save time by downloading switch images beforehand in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for details.

Perform pre-upgrade validations.

See Pre-Upgrade Checklists in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for details.

Upgrade the CIMC on your APICs to a release supported by both the current and target APIC release listed in the support matrix.

See Upgrading the CIMC Software in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for details.

Upgrade APICs.

See the Upgrading the Cisco APIC section in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for each release for details:

- Releases prior to 4.x: Upgrading the Cisco APIC from Releases Prior to Release 4.x

- Releases 4.x or 5.0: Upgrading the Cisco APIC From Releases 4.x or 5.0

- Release 5.1 or later: Upgrading the Cisco APIC From Releases 5.1x or Later

Perform pre-upgrade validations.

See Pre-Upgrade Checklists in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for details.

Upgrade ACI Switches.

- Wait until all APICs become Fully Fit.

- See the Upgrading the Leaf and Spine Switches section in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide for each release for details:

- Releases prior to 4.x: Upgrading the Leaf and Spine Switches Through APIC Running Prior to Release 4.x

- Releases 4.x or 5.0: Upgrading the Leaf and Spine Switches Through APIC Running Releases 4.x or 5.0

- Release 5.1 or later: Upgrading the Leaf and Spine Switches Through APIC Running Release 5.1x or Later

- For release 6.0(2) or later, in the Cisco APIC Installation and ACI Upgrade and Downgrade Guide, see also Download Both the 32-bit and 64-bit Cisco ACI-Mode Switch Images (6.0(2) and later).

If this is a Multistep Upgrade, repeat the steps above to upgrade from the intermediate version to the target version after the upgrade to the immediate version for both APICs and switches completed and APIC cluster status is Fully Fit.

Note

If the Cisco ACI fabric deployment includes Cisco AVS/AVE, upgrade the Cisco AVS/AVE to the version compatible with the Cisco APIC. To upgrade Cisco AVS/AVE, see the section Recommended Upgrade Sequence for Cisco APIC, the Fabric Switches, and Cisco ACI Virtual Edge in the Cisco ACI Virtual Edge Installation Guide.

Notices