Upgrading Cumulus Linux

This topic describes how to upgrade Cumulus Linux on your switch.

Consider deploying, provisioning, configuring, and upgrading switches using automation, even with small networks or test labs. During the upgrade process, you can upgrade dozens of devices in a repeatable manner. Using tools like Ansible, Chef, or Puppet for configuration management greatly increases the speed and accuracy of the next major upgrade; these tools also enable the quick swap of failed switch hardware.

Before You Upgrade

Back up Configuration Files

Understanding the location of configuration data is important for successful upgrades, migrations, and backup. As with other Linux distributions, the /etc directory is the primary location for all configuration data in Cumulus Linux. The following list is the set of files that you need to back up and migrate to a new release. Make sure you examine any changed files. Make the following files and directories part of a backup strategy.

Create a cl-support File

Before and after you upgrade the switch, run the cl-support script to create a cl-support archive file. The file is a compressed archive of useful information for troubleshooting. If you experience any issues during upgrade, you can send this archive file to the Cumulus Linux support team to investigate.

1. Create the cl-support archive file with the cl-support command:

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cl-support
   

2. Copy the cl-support file off the switch to a different location.

3. After upgrade is complete, run the cl-support command again to create a new archive file:

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cl-support
   

Upgrade Cumulus Linux

You can upgrade Cumulus Linux in one of two ways:

• Install a Cumulus Linux image of the new release using ONIE.
• Upgrade only the changed packages using the sudo -E apt-get update and sudo -E apt-get upgrade command.

Cumulus Linux also provides the Smart System Manager that enables you to upgrade an active switch with minimal disruption to the network. See Smart System Manager.

Install a Cumulus Linux Image or Upgrade Packages?

The decision to upgrade Cumulus Linux by either installing a Cumulus Linux image or upgrading packages depends on your environment and your preferences. Here are some recommendations for each upgrade method.

Install a Cumulus Linux image if you are performing a rolling upgrade in a production environment and if you are using up-to-date and comprehensive automation scripts. This upgrade method enables you to choose the exact release to which you want to upgrade and is the only method available to upgrade your switch to a new release train (for example, from 3.7.14 to 4.4.3).

Be aware of the following when installing the Cumulus Linux image:

• Installing a Cumulus Linux image is destructive; any configuration files on the switch are not saved; copy them to a different server before you start the Cumulus Linux image install.
• You must move configuration data to the new OS using ZTP or automation while the OS first boots, or soon afterwards using out-of-band management.
• Moving a configuration file can cause issues.
• Identifying all the locations of configuration data is not always an easy task. See Before You Upgrade Cumulus Linux above.
• Merge conflicts with configuration file changes in the new release sometimes go undetected.
• If configuration files do not restore correctly and you cannot ssh to the switch from in-band management, you must use out-of-band connectivity (eth0 or console).
• You must reinstall and reconfigure third-party applications after upgrade.

Run Package upgrade if you are upgrading from Cumulus Linux 4.4.0 to a later 4.4.x release, or if you use third-party applications. Package upgrade does not replace or remove third-party applications, unlike the Cumulus Linux image install.

Be aware of the following when upgrading packages:

• You cannot package upgrade the switch to a new release train. For example, you cannot package upgrade the switch from 3.7.x to 4.4.1.
• The sudo -E apt-get upgrade command might restart or stop services as part of the upgrade process.
• The sudo -E apt-get upgrade command might disrupt core services by changing core service dependency packages.
• After you upgrade, account UIDs and GIDs created by packages might be different on different switches, depending on the configuration and package installation history.

Cumulus Linux Image Install (ONIE)

ONIE is an open source project, equivalent to PXE on servers, that you use to install a NOS on a bare metal switch.

To upgrade the switch:

1. Back up the configurations off the switch.

2. Download the Cumulus Linux image.

3. Install the Cumulus Linux image with the onie-install -a -i <image-location> command, which boots the switch into ONIE. The following example command installs the image from a web server, then reboots the switch. There are additional ways to install the Cumulus Linux image, such as using FTP, a local file, or a USB drive. For more information, see Installing a New Cumulus Linux Image.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo onie-install -a -i http://10.0.1.251/cumulus-linux-4.1.0-mlx-amd64.bin && sudo reboot
   

4. Restore the configuration files to the new release (NVIDIA recommends that you do not restore files with automation).

5. Verify correct operation with the old configurations on the new release.

6. Reinstall third party applications and associated configurations.

Package Upgrade

Cumulus Linux completely embraces the Linux and Debian upgrade workflow, where you use an installer to install a base image, then perform any upgrades within that release train with sudo -E apt-get update and sudo -E apt-get upgrade commands. Any packages that have changed after the base install get upgraded in place from the repository. All switch configuration files remain untouched, or in rare cases merged (using the Debian merge function) during the package upgrade.

When you use package upgrade to upgrade your switch, configuration data stays in place while the packages upgrade. If the new release updates a configuration file that you changed previously, the upgrade prompts you for the version you want to use or to evaluate the differences.

To upgrade the switch using package upgrade:

1. Back up the configurations from the switch.

2. Fetch the latest update metadata from the repository.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo -E apt-get update
   

3. Review potential upgrade issues (in some cases, upgrading new packages might also upgrade additional existing packages due to dependencies). Run the following command to see the additional packages for installation or upgrade.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo -E apt-get upgrade --dry-run
   

4. Upgrade all the packages to the latest distribution.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo -E apt-get upgrade
   

   If you do not need to reboot the switch after the upgrade completes, the upgrade ends, restarts all upgraded services, and log messages in the /var/log/syslog file similar to the ones shown below. In the examples below, only the frr package upgrades.

   Policy: Service frr.service action stop postponed
   Policy: Service frr.service action start postponed
   Policy: Restarting services: frr.service
   Policy: Finished restarting services
   Policy: Removed /usr/sbin/policy-rc.d
   Policy: Upgrade is finished
   

   If the upgrade process encounters changed configuration files that have new versions in the release to which you are upgrading, you see a message similar to this:

   Configuration file '/etc/frr/daemons'
   ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
   ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
   What would you like to do about it ? Your options are:
   Y or I : install the package maintainer's version
   N or O : keep your currently-installed version
   D : show the differences between the versions
   Z : start a shell to examine the situation
   The default action is to keep your current version.
   *** daemons (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ?
   

   • To see the differences between the currently installed version and the new version, type D.
   • To keep the currently installed version, type N. The new package version installs with the suffix .dpkg-dist (for example, /etc/frr/daemons.dpkg-dist). When upgrade is complete and before you reboot, merge your changes with the changes from the newly installed file.
   • To install the new version, type I. The upgrade saves your currently installed version with the suffix .dpkg-old. When the upgrade is complete, you can search for the files with the sudo find / -mount -type f -name '*.dpkg-*' command.

5. Reboot the switch if the upgrade messages indicate that you need a system restart.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo -E apt-get upgrade
   ... upgrade messages here ...
   
   *** Caution: Service restart prior to reboot could cause unpredictable behavior
   *** System reboot required ***
   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo reboot
   

6. Verify correct operation with the old configurations on the new version.

Upgrade Notes

Package upgrade always updates to the latest available release in the Cumulus Linux repository. For example, if you are currently running Cumulus Linux 4.4.0 and run the sudo -E apt-get upgrade command on that switch, the packages upgrade to the latest releases contained in the latest 4.4.x release.

Because Cumulus Linux is a collection of different Debian Linux packages, be aware of the following:

• The /etc/os-release and /etc/lsb-release files update to the currently installed Cumulus Linux release when you upgrade the switch using either package upgrade or Cumulus Linux image install. For example, if you run sudo -E apt-get upgrade and the latest Cumulus Linux release on the repository is 4.1.0, these two files display the release as 4.1.0 after the upgrade.
• The /etc/image-release file updates only when you run a Cumulus Linux image install. Therefore, if you run a Cumulus Linux image install of Cumulus Linux 4.0.0, followed by a package upgrade to 4.1.0 using sudo -E apt-get upgrade, the /etc/image-release file continues to display Cumulus Linux 4.0.0, which is the originally installed base image.

Upgrade Switches in an MLAG Pair

If you are using MLAG to dual connect two switches in your environment, follow the steps below to upgrade the switches.

1. Verify the switch is in the secondary role:

   cumulus@switch:~$ clagctl status
   

2. Shut down the core uplink layer 3 interfaces:

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo ip link set <switch-port> down
   

3. Shut down the peer link:

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo ip link set peerlink down
   

4. To boot the switch into ONIE, run the onie-install -a -i <image-location> command. The following example command installs the image from a web server. There are additional ways to install the Cumulus Linux image, such as using FTP, a local file, or a USB drive. For more information, see Installing a New Cumulus Linux Image.

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo onie-install -a -i http://10.0.1.251/downloads/cumulus-linux-4.1.0-mlx-amd64.bin
   

   To upgrade the switch with package upgrade instead of booting into ONIE, run the sudo -E apt-get update and sudo -E apt-get upgrade commands; see Package Upgrade.

5. Reboot the switch:

   cumulus@switch:~$ sudo reboot
   

6. If you installed a new image on the switch, restore the configuration files to the new release.

7. Verify STP convergence across both switches:

   cumulus@switch:~$ mstpctl showall
   

8. Verify core uplinks and peer links are UP:

   cumulus@switch:~$ net show interface
   

9. Verify MLAG convergence:

   cumulus@switch:~$ clagctl status
   

10. Make this secondary switch the primary:

    cumulus@switch:~$ clagctl priority 2048
    

11. Verify the other switch is now in the secondary role.

12. Repeat steps 2-9 on the new secondary switch.

13. Remove the priority 2048 and restore the priority back to 32768 on the current primary switch:

    cumulus@switch:~$ clagctl priority 32768
    

Roll Back a Cumulus Linux Installation

Even the most well planned and tested upgrades can result in unforeseen problems and sometimes the best solution is to roll back to the previous state. These main strategies require detailed planning and execution:

• Flatten and rebuild. If the OS becomes unusable, you can use orchestration tools to reinstall the previous OS release from scratch and then rebuild the configuration automatically.
• Restore to a previous state using a backup configuration captured before the upgrade.

The method you employ is specific to your deployment strategy. Providing detailed steps for each scenario is outside the scope of this document.

Third Party Packages

If you install any third party applications on a Cumulus Linux switch, configuration data is typically installed in the /etc directory, but it is not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to understand the behavior and configuration file information of any third party packages installed on the switch.

After you upgrade using a full Cumulus Linux image install, you need to reinstall any third party packages or any Cumulus Linux add-on packages.

Related Information

• Upgrades: Network Device Worldview and Linux Host Worldview Comparison
• Automation Solutions
• ONIE Design Specification
• Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation - MLAG
• Zero Touch Provisioning - ZTP