Tag: Catalyst

Cisco Live 2023 – Top 6 announcement

On By MikeIn CiscoLeave a comment

Cisco Networking Cloud
Overview: With simplification at the core of Cisco’s customer-focused momentum, the new Networking Cloud vision sets out how Cisco plans to deliver a single platform experience for seamlessly managing all networking domains. Customers need to shift to a powerful and intelligent platform that can proactively manage the network, eliminate silos, and reduce human workload. At Cisco Live, Cisco will introduce the steps underway to deliver this capability, driven by more unified and consistent experiences, smarter tools, and a simplified portfolio to achieve more robust customer outcomes. News Release: Cisco Showcases Vision to Simplify Networking and Securely Connect the World

Cisco Security Cloud
Overview: Cisco is delivering on its promise of the AI-driven Cisco Security Cloud to simplify cybersecurity and empower people to do their best work from anywhere regardless of the increasingly sophisticated threat landscape. Cisco will announce Cisco Secure Access (a security service edge, SSE, solution) that offers frictionless access across any location, any device, and any application through one platform. Cisco is also previewing the first generative AI capabilities in the Security Cloud, including a generative AI-powered Policy Assistant that enables Security and IT administrators to describe granular security policies and evaluate how to best implement them across different aspects of their security infrastructure, and a SOC Assistant that will support the Security Operations Center (SOC) to detect and respond to threats faster. Cisco is also announcing the Secure Firewall 4200 which provides seamless connected experiences at the office or on the road, alongside Cisco Multicloud Defense, which leads the way to security in any environment. News Release: Cisco Shows Breakthrough Innovation Towards AI-First Security Cloud

Full Stack Observability Platform & DEM Overview: Cisco will announce the launch of a new Full-Stack Observability (FSO) Platform, a vendor-agnostic solution that harnesses the power of the company’s full portfolio. The Cisco FSO Platform is focused on OpenTelemetry and is anchored on Metrics, Events, Logs, and Traces (MELT), enabling businesses to seamlessly collect and analyze MELT data generated by any source. The Cisco FSO Platform is also designed as a unified, extensible platform, allowing developers to build their own observability solutions, empowering an ecosystem of customers and partners. News Release: Cisco Launches Full Stack Observability Platform

Cloud Native Application Security
Overview: Announced today, Cisco’s Cloud Native Application Security solution, Panoptica, will now provide end- to-end lifecycle protection for cloud native application environments, from development to deployment to production. Panoptica will include an integrated and simplified visual dashboard experience with seamless scalability across clusters and multicloud environments. This will allow teams to secure APIs as well serverless, containerized, and Kubernetes environments holistically, with less complexity and more efficiency. News Release: Cisco Accelerates Application Security Strategy with Panoptica

Generative AI – Security & Collaboration
Overview: Cisco will announce it is reimagining the way people work with new, powerful generative AI technology. Cisco will harness large language models (LLMs) across its Security and Collaboration portfolios to help organizations drive productivity and simplicity for the workforce.
News Release: Cisco Unveils Next-Gen Solutions that Empower Security and Productivity with Generative AI

Sustainability
Overview: Cisco is unveiling new partnerships within sustainable data centers, and advanced energy monitoring with Webex Control Hub. In addition, Cisco will unveil new messaging that speaks to its own sustainability journey and the desire to accelerate total sustainable transformation.
Blog: Simplifying How Customers Unleash the Power of Our Platforms

Mike

Catalyst 9200, Upgrading IOS-XE Amsterdam 17.3.x (Install Mode)

On By MikeIn SwitchingLeave a comment

Starting with IOS-XE 17.3.2 and future releases, Cisco implemented Smart Licensing using Policy. Be sure to read up on what this means in this post Update to Cisco Smart Licensing. If you need to review how to change operating modes, you can check this post Converting Cisco IOS-XE Software from Bundle Mode to Install Mode.

You may notice the new command no boot manual. What this essentially is doing is setting the config register to 0x2102. Classic platforms that run on IOS code version; you can set this via the config-register command. However, on Catalyst 9K switches that run IOS-XE, the config-register command was ineffective and malfunctioned, causing confusion.

To prevent the switch from rebooting into ROMmon mode (boot the switch normally), use the no boot manual command as shown in the code snippet below.

OperationIOS Config-register valueEquivalent IOS-XE CLI
Boot normally0x2102Switch(config)#no boot manual
Boot to rommon0x0,0x2120Switch(config)#boot manual
Step 1. Remove Unwanted Packages
C9200K#install remove inactive
Step 2. Copy New Image to Flash
C9200K#copy usbflash1:cat9k_lite_iosxexxx.bin flash:
Step 3. Set Boot Variable
C9200K(config)#boot system flash:packages.conf
C9200K(config)#no boot manual
C9200K(config)#end
C9200K#wr
C9200K#show boot system
Step 4. Software Install Image to Flash
C9200K#install add file flash: cat9k_lite_iosxexxx.bin activate commit (auto reloads after this command)
Step 5. Verify New Packages and Image after reload
C9200K#dir flash:*.pkg
Step 6. Check Version and New Bootloader
C9200K#show version
C9200K#show boot

Hope that this helps.

Mike

Cisco. (2021, May 10). Smart licensing using policy on catalyst switching platforms. Cisco. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-9300-series-switches/216545-smart-licensing-using-policy-on-catalyst.html. 

Cisco. (2021, February 24). Configuration register equivalent CLIs In IOS-XE. Cisco. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/switches/catalyst-9300-series-switches/216850-configuration-register-equivalent-clis-i.html. 

EoS and EoL roll-up for Cisco AirOS Wireless, ASA, and Switching

On By MikeIn Cisco, Security, SwitchingLeave a comment

End of Sale and End of Life dates for AireOS Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers – AIR-CT-3504, AIR-CT-5520, AIR-CT8540, AIR-CTVM . 


End of Sale and End of Life dates for ASA 5506, 5512 & 5515, 5508 & 5516, 5525, 5545 & 5555, 5585-X, 5585-X FP. 

End of Sale and End of Life dates for Cisco Catalyst – 2960X/XR, 2960L/P, 3650, SUP9E

Mike

Networking Hype, Cisco’s SDWAN Catalyst 8000 Edge Platform

On By MikeIn SDWANLeave a comment

Cisco announced the Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms designed to accelerate the next generation of WAN, 5G, and enable connectivity to hybrid and multi-cloud applications. The Catalyst 8000 Edge Platform includes the 8500 Series for aggregation, Catalyst 8300 Serries for access, and Catalyst 8000V Edge software for virtual/cloud deployments.

The Catalyst 8000V will be available with Cisco SD-WAN 17.4, so you will have to wait just a bit longer.  

 It’s an “edge platform.” Not a router. 

Typically the Catalyst family line is analogous to Cisco switching; however, the branding and messaging align with Cisco’s intent-based networking (IBN) portfolio. The “Catalyst” name now unifies the LAN and the WAN.

With distributed locations, flexible deployment models, and hosting containerized services, the term “router” has evolved to be more of a WAN edge device. Calling these devices “edge platforms” versus “routers” seems to be more appropriate. 

The platform fits nicely into the Cisco SD-WAN portfolio as it addresses security, on-box, and support for Umbrella’s cloud base FWaaS. Cloud-native agility provided by Cloud OnRamp for IaaS and SaaS for distributed applications. (If you haven’t seen this in action, it’s eye-opening!) 

Expect other vendors to begin adopting these features into one solution as Gartner has already coined the term “SASE” (Secure Access Service Edge) pronounced “sassy” to describe the solution. 

In addition to the above, the edge platform functions as an edge router like you’d expect with some new beefiness to it. 

Catalyst 8300 Series, compared to the ISR 4400 Series offers:

  • Up to five times faster data plane performance 
  • Up to 12 Core CPU 
  • Native support for 10GE 

Catalyst 8500 Series, compared to ASR1001-HX and ASR1002-HX offers:

  • Improved data plane with Cisco’s custome 3rd gen ASIC Quantum Flow Processor (QFP)
  • Inline Cyrpto
  • Native support for 100GE and 40GE

Catalyst 8000v Series, compared to CSR1000V offers:

  • Support for up to 16vCPUs
  • 25Gbps Interfaces

and Many more

Lastly, there is no End-of-Life announcement for the previous platforms that the Catalyst 8000 line intends to replace, as of 10/20/20. I’d be willing to bet that these platforms adopt ThousandEyes at some point, which is an absolute game-changer.

Mike

Valente, Jean-Luc “Introducing the Catalyst 8000 Edge Family, Cisco’s New SD-WAN Platform” Oct. 20, 2020, Retrieved From https://blogs.cisco.com/networking/catalyst-8000-edge-platforms

Cisco “Cisco Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family” Oct. 20, 2020, Retrieved From
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/routers/cloud-edge/index.html?ccid=cc001903

Lener, Andrew “Say Hello to SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)” Dec. 23, 2019, Retrieved From
https://blogs.gartner.com/andrew-lerner/2019/12/23/say-hello-sase-secure-access-service-edge/

Catalyst 9300 Upgrading IOS-XE 16.6.2 onward (Install Mode)

On By MikeIn Switching8 Comments

For the 9200 upgrade procedure! Catalyst 9200, Upgrading IOS-XE 16.9.2 onward (Install Mode)

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If you would like to skip to the code used to upgrade the switch, scroll to Appendix A.

This upgrade procedure is nearly identical to the Catalyst 9200 upgrade procedure.

Note: When upgrading..

First, check to see what mode your switch is running in. The preferred mode is INSTALL mode. In my case, it is running in INSTALL mode.

Prepare the switch to accept the new IOS-XE image by freeing up some storage.

Step 1. Remove Unwanted Packages
Cat9300#install remove inactive

Step 2. Copy New Image to Flash
Cat9300#copy usbflash0:/cat9k_iosxe.x.x.x.SPA.bin flash:/

Step 3. Set Boot Variable
Cat9300(config)#boot system flash:packages.conf
Cat9300(config)#end
Cat9300#wr
Cat9300#show boot system

Step 4. Software Install Image to Flash
Cat9300#install add file flash:cat9k_iosxe.x.x.x.SPA.bin activate commit

Your screen will produce a similar output and requires a reload. Confirm a reload by hitting ‘y’.

It will take a couple of minutes to reload. After the reload, you can confirm your running mode, version and pkg files are in your flash directory.

Step 5. Verify New Packages and Image after reload
Cat9300#dir flash:*.pkg

Step 6. Check Version and New Bootloader
Cat9300#show version

Step 7. Clean up
Cat9200#install remove inactive

Hope that this helps.

Mike

Appendix A
Step 1. Remove Unwanted Packages
Cat9300#install remove inactive
Step 2. Copy New Image to Flash
Cat9300#copy usbflash0:/cat9k_iosxe.x.x.x.SPA.bin flash:/
Step 3. Set Boot Variable
Cat9300(config)#boot system flash:packages.conf
Cat9300(config)#end
Cat9300#wr
Cat9300#show boot system
Step 4. Software Install Image to Flash
Cat9300#install add file flash: cat9k_iosxe.x.x.x.SPA.bin activate commit
Step 5. Verify New Packages and Image after reload
Cat9300#dir flash:*.pkg
Step 6. Check Version and New Bootloader
Cat9300#show version
Cat9300#show boot

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst9300/software/release/16-12/release_notes/ol-16-12-9300.html#id_67613