SOP: CISCO 3850-48P Stack Upgrade

 Cisco 3850-48P Stack Upgrade to IOS XE 16.12.13

1. Pre-Upgrade Checklist

Before proceeding with the upgrade, ensure the following prerequisites are completed:

·       ✅ Check Install Mode

Ensure the switch stack is running in INSTALL mode:

show version | include Mode

If output shows BUNDLE mode, convert the stack first by following Cisco’s conversion procedure.

·       ✅ Verify Flash Space

Confirm each switch has at least 1 GB of free space:

dir flash: | include bytes free

·       ✅ Save Configuration

write memory

·       ✅ Capture System State (Optional but Recommended)

Collect these outputs:
- show tech
- show switch detail
- show platform software stack-mib statistics switch all

·       ✅ Read Limitations and Restrictions

Refer to the official release notes to review any constraints or behavior changes.

·       ✅ Plan Downtime

Stack reload is required. Schedule a proper maintenance window.

2. Image Preparation and Validation

Download the image and validate it before installation:

·       🔽 Download the Image
File: cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.13.SPA.bin
MD5: 2d2c5852def2b3fcef076b0e4e3f6606

·       ✅ Validate Image
verify /md5 flash:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.13.SPA.bin

·       📥 Distribute Image Across Stack
If image is on switch 1, copy to others:
copy flash-1:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.13.SPA.bin flash-2:

Or copy from TFTP:
copy tftp://<TFTP_IP>/cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.13.SPA.bin flash:

3. Installation Procedure

Run the following command from the active switch:

request platform software package install switch all file flash:cat3k_caa-universalk9.16.12.13.SPA.bin

This step:
- Expands the .bin file to .pkg files
- Updates boot variable to use packages.conf
- Stages bootloader if required

⏳ Stack will reload after this or run manually “reload” command to reload.

4. Post-Upgrade Verification

·       🔍 Software Version and Stack Health

show version | include IOS
show switch

·       🔍 License Status

·       🔍 show platform

show license right-to-use summary

·       🔍 Remove Inactive Files

install remove inactive

·       🔍 Smart Licensing

Register for Smart Licensing support (if applicable).

·       🔍 Test Production Traffic

Clear rollback timer once traffic is confirmed stable.

5. Rollback Procedure (If Needed)

The previous version is preserved. Use the command below to revert:

install rollback to <original_packages.conf>

Ensure .conf file exists in flash.

Best Practices & Notes

·       Always keep multiple backups before performing upgrades.

·       Document MD5 hash, image version, and upgrade timestamp.

·       Consider running a test upgrade in lab before production deployment.