Aruba AOS-CX Firmware Upgrade Runbook

AOS-CX stores firmware in primary and secondary image banks. The CLI can download a candidate image from a remote URL into a selected bank, verify and write it, and boot that bank explicitly.^[1]

1. Validate platform, image, and upgrade path

• Record the switch model, product number, current image, active bank, default bank, and topology role.
• Download the image built for the exact switch family from the HPE Networking Support Portal.^[2]
• Read the target release notes for minimum source versions, intermediate upgrades, LSR or SSR guidance, feature changes, known issues, and downgrade limitations.
• For VSF or VSX, stop and use the coordinated procedure supported by the current and target releases.

2. Capture state and save the configuration

show version
show images
show boot-history
write memory

• Export the startup configuration and relevant checkpoints to an external location.
• Capture interface, VLAN, LAG, spanning-tree, routing, VSF or VSX, environmental, and neighbor state relevant to the switch role.
• Verify connectivity from the selected VRF to the image server.
• Confirm monitoring suppression and the approved maintenance window.

3. Download to the inactive bank

The examples assume primary is the known-good running image and secondary is the inactive destination. Substitute the correct bank and VRF from the baseline.

copy sftp://<user>@<server>/<image-file>.swi secondary vrf mgmt
show images

Where a secured file service is unavailable and policy permits TFTP, the equivalent download syntax is:

copy tftp://<server>/<image-file>.swi secondary vrf mgmt
show images

Wait for the copy operation to report successful verification and writing. Confirm that the target bank contains the expected version before rebooting.

4. Boot the candidate image

boot system secondary

This command selects secondary for the reboot and makes it the default image for future boots. Save the approved configuration when prompted, confirm the reboot, and monitor the console until the system is stable.^[1]

5. Validate after the reboot

show version
show images
show boot-history

• Confirm the running and default image banks and the expected software version.
• Review boot history and logs for upgrade, storage, module, or configuration migration errors.
• Validate management, interfaces, LAGs, spanning tree, VLANs, routing adjacencies and routes, authentication, PoE, transceivers, stacking or multi-chassis state, telemetry, and monitoring as applicable.
• Compare with the baseline and complete a real traffic test across critical paths.

6. Accept the change or retain rollback

Keep the known-good primary image through the observation period. After acceptance, you may copy the validated secondary image to primary and return primary to the default bank:

copy secondary primary
boot set-default primary
show images

Rollback

If validation fails while primary still contains the known-good image:

boot system primary

The command reboots from primary and sets it as the default bank. After recovery, confirm the version and restore the pre-change configuration or checkpoint when required by the release notes. Repeat the same service checks and preserve diagnostics for root-cause analysis.