How to Upgrade Cloud-Managed Catalyst Switches to IOS XE

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Overview

This article explains how to upgrade your existing cloud-managed Cisco Catalyst switches to the Cloud Management with IOS XE architecture and unlock its enhancements and capabilities.

Cloud Management with IOS XE unlocks the powerful capabilities of IOS XE. It enables organizations to simplify operations, enhance efficiency, and improve network performance from access to core networking. This simpler architecture unlocks many benefits for your cloud-managed Cisco Catalyst switches and Cisco Smart Switches, including the 9300-M, 9300X-M, 9300L-M, and MS390 families.

Since the introduction of Cloud Management with IOS XE 17.15, users enjoy faster boot and initialization, a Cloud CLI Terminal for running troubleshooting commands directly from the dashboard, and a new generation of features powered by advanced IOS-XE capabilities.

The new 17.18.1 release brings Cloud Management to more switch platforms, including the C9200, C9300, and C9500 high-performance families. It also unlocks more powerful IOS XE features like advanced routing, high availability, and expanded cloud-powered value. You can manage a seamless, secure, and scalable network from access to core within one intuitive dashboard.

For details on the Cloud Management with IOS XE architecture and software capabilities of this new release, refer to the Cloud Operating Mode for Catalyst Cloud-Managed Switches Overview document, Release Versions and Highlights, or the FAQ document.

After upgrading to any Cloud-native IOS XE release, downgrading to CS firmware is restricted. A factory reset may be required, and support assistance will be necessary. Learn more.

Prerequisites

Supported models

Refer to the supported switch models and their minimum supported versions here: https://documentation.meraki.com/Swi...and_Highlights

Minimum firmware requirement

Cloud-managed Catalyst switches should run CS17 firmware before you initiate the upgrade to cloud-native IOS XE.

Step-by-step instructions

Schedule a firmware upgrade from the Organization > Monitor > Firmware Upgrades page on the Meraki Dashboard. You should see the IOS XE firmware version IOS XE 17.15.4.1 available on the dashboard.

Review the step-by-step flow below to understand the different upgrade stages your switch goes through.

Expect a typical outage time (the actual time the switch cannot forward traffic) of roughly 30–45 minutes. Plan to leave the switch online for an hour after it comes back online. This allows the install to be marked safe/complete without interrupting the upgrade process.

Troubleshooting

Refer to the LED scheme documented in Cloud Operating Mode for Catalyst Cloud-Managed Switches Overview to interpret the LED behavior expected during the firmware upgrade process for cloud-managed Catalyst switches.