What You Need to Know About asr1000-rommon.173-1r.spa.pkg for Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers

How to Upgrade ROMMON on Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers

If you are using a Cisco ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Router, you may need to upgrade the ROM Monitor (ROMMON) software on your router for various reasons, such as fixing bugs, enhancing security, or adding new features. In this article, we will explain what ROMMON is and why you need to upgrade it, how to check the current ROMMON version on your router, how to download the ROMMON image file from Cisco website, and how to upgrade ROMMON for all or individual hardware components on your router.

What is ROMMON and why do you need to upgrade it?

ROMMON overview

ROMMON is a bootstrap program that runs when the router is powered up or reset. It helps to initialize the hardware and boot the Cisco IOS XE software on the router. You can use ROMMON to perform certain configuration tasks, such as recovering a lost password, downloading software over the console port, or changing the configuration register setting. ROMMON is also called the boot software, boot image, or boot helper.

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ROMMON is separate from the Cisco IOS XE software and has its own version and release. It can be upgraded on any of the following hardware components on a Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router:

• Route Processors (RPs)

• Embedded Services Processors (ESPs)

• Modular Interface Processors (MIPs)

• Shared Port Adapter Interface Processors (SIPs)

The ROMMON for RPs, ESPs, MIPs, and SIPs can be upgraded collectively or individually. You can access ROMMON only from a terminal or PC that is connected to the console port of the router.

Compatibility requirements

Before upgrading ROMMON, you need to check the compatibility requirements for your router model and hardware components. You can use Cisco Feature Navigator () for more details.

The following table lists some of the latest ROMMON releases and their compatibility with different Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router models:

ROMmon Release

Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router Models

17.3(1r)

Cisco ASR 1001-X RouterCisco ASR 1001-HX RouterCisco ASR 1002-X RouterCisco ASR 1002-HX RouterCisco ASR 1006-X RouterCisco ASR 1009-X Router

16.12(8r)

Benefits of upgrading ROMMON

Upgrading ROMMON can provide you with the following benefits:

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• Fixing known issues or bugs in the previous ROMMON versions

• Enhancing the security and stability of the router boot process

• Adding new features or functionalities to ROMMON, such as support for new hardware components, new boot options, or new commands

• Improving the performance and efficiency of ROMMON

Therefore, it is recommended that you upgrade ROMMON whenever a new release is available and compatible with your router model and hardware components.

How to check the current ROMMON version?

Using the show rom-monitor slot command

You can use the show rom-monitor slot command to check the current ROMMON version for a specific hardware component on your router. For example, to check the ROMMON version for RP1, you can use the following command:

Router# show rom-monitor slot 1 rp

The output of this command will show you the current ROMMON version, release date, and file name for RP1. For example:

Router# show rom-monitor slot 1 rp Region F0: (Gold)System Bootstrap, Version 17.3(1r)S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021

You can also use the show rom-monitor slot command without specifying a hardware component to check the ROMMON version for all RPs, ESPs, MIPs, and SIPs on your router.

Using the show platform command

You can also use the show platform command to check the current ROMMON version for all hardware components on your router. For example:

Router# show platform

The output of this command will show you the current ROMMON version for each hardware component under the column "Rommon". For example:

Router# show platform Chassis type: ASR1006-X Slot Type State Insert time (ago) --------- ------------------- --------------------- ----------------- 0 ASR1000-SIP40 ok 00:12:34 0/0 SPA-8X1GE-V2 ok 00:12:34 0/1 SPA-8X1GE-V2 ok 00:12:34 1 ASR1000-SIP40 ok 00:12:34 1/0 SPA-8X1GE-V2 ok 00:12:34 1/1 SPA-8X1GE-V2 ok 00:12:34 R0 ASR1000-RP2 ok, active 00:12:34 F0 ASR1000-ESP40 ok, active 00:12:34 P0 ASR1000-PWR-AC ok 00:12:34 P1 ASR1000-PWR-AC ok 00:12:34 Slot CPLD Version Firmware Version Cisco IOS XE Software Version --------- ------------------- --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- 0 00200800 sip40 FPGA v2.5 Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 17.3(3)S 1 00200800 sip40 FPGA v2.5 Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 17.3(3)S R0 19031301 board R2.4, bootldr R2.4 Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 17.3(3)S F0 00200800 board R2.4 Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 17.3(3)S Slot Type State Rommon FPD Versions (Active/Backup) --------- ------------------- --------------------- ------------------ ---------------------------------------- 0 ASR1000-SIP40 ok sip40 FPGA v2.5 N/A / N/A F0 ASR1000-ESP40 ok, active v17.3(1r) N/A / N/A

How to download the ROMMON image file?

Finding the appropriate ROMMON image file for your router model

To download the ROMMON image file, you need to find the appropriate file name for your router model and hardware component. You can use Cisco Software Download Center () for more details.

The following table lists some of the ROMMON image file names for different Cisco ASR 1000 Series Router models and hardware components:

Router Model

Hardware Component

ROMmon Image File Name

Cisco ASR 1001-X Router

RP1

asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg

Cisco ASR 1002-X Router

RP2

asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg

Cisco ASR 1006-X Router

RP1, RP2, ESP40, SIP40, MIP40

asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg

Cisco ASR 1013 Router

RP1, RP2, ESP200, SIP40, MIP40

asr1000-rommon.1612-8r.SPA.pkg

Copying the ROMMON image file to the router file system

After finding the appropriate ROMMON image file for your router model and hardware component, you need to copy the file to the router file system using a secure copy protocol (SCP) or a trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP). You can use the copy scp: or copy tftp: commands to copy the file from a remote server to the router. For example, to copy the ROMMON image file from a SCP server with IP address 10.10.10.10 to the bootflash: of the router, you can use the following command:

Router# copy scp://user@10.10.10.10/asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg bootflash:

You will be prompted to enter the password for the SCP server and confirm the destination file name. After copying the file successfully, you can use the dir bootflash: command to verify that the file is present in the bootflash: of the router.

How to upgrade ROMMON for all RPs, ESPs, MIPs, and SIPs on a router?

Using the upgrade rom-monitor all command

You can use the upgrade rom-monitor all command to upgrade ROMMON for all RPs, ESPs, MIPs, and SIPs on your router in one step. You need to specify the location and name of the ROMMON image file that you copied to the router file system in the previous step. For example, to upgrade ROMMON for all hardware components using the ROMMON image file in bootflash:, you can use the following command:

Router# upgrade rom-monitor all bootflash:asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg

This command will copy the ROMMON image file to each hardware component and reload them one by one. You will be prompted to confirm each reload operation and enter a reload reason. The upgrade process may take several minutes depending on your router model and hardware configuration.

Verifying the upgrade process

After upgrading ROMMON for all hardware components, you can use the show rom-monitor slot command or the show platform command to verify that each hardware component has been upgraded to the new ROMMON version. For example:

Router# show rom-monitor slot S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021 Region R0: (Gold)System Bootstrap, Version 17.3(1r)S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021 Region R1: (Gold)System Bootstrap, Version 17.3(1r)S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021 Region F1: (Gold)System Bootstrap, Version 17.3(1r)S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021 Region M0/0: No ROMMON image available. Region M0/1: No ROMMON image available. Region S0/0: No ROMMON image available. Region S0/1: No ROMMON image available. Region S1/0: No ROMMON image available. Region S1/1: No ROMMON image available.

If the output shows the new ROMMON version for each hardware component, then the upgrade process was successful.

How to upgrade ROMMON for a single RP, ESP, MIP, or SIP on a router?

Using the upgrade rom-monitor filename command

You can use the upgrade rom-monitor filename command to upgrade ROMMON for a single RP, ESP, MIP, or SIP on your router. You need to specify the location and name of the ROMMON image file that you copied to the router file system in the previous step and the slot number of the hardware component that you want to upgrade. For example, to upgrade ROMMON for RP2 using the ROMMON image file in bootflash:, you can use the following command:

Router# upgrade rom-monitor filename bootflash:asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg slot R2

This command will copy the ROMMON image file to RP2 and reload it. You will be prompted to confirm the reload operation and enter a reload reason. The upgrade process may take a few minutes depending on your router model and hardware configuration.

Verifying the upgrade process

After upgrading ROMMON for a single hardware component, you can use the show rom-monitor slot command or the show platform command to verify that the hardware component has been upgraded to the new ROMMON version. For example:

Router# show rom-monitor slot R2 Region R2: (Gold)System Bootstrap, Version 17.3(1r)S, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 03-Mar-21 16:32 by mcpre Image text-base: 0x40101040, data-base: 0x42D98000 File name: asr1000-rommon.173-1r.SPA.pkg Last change date: Wed Mar 03 16:32:00 PST 2021

If the output shows the new ROMMON version for the hardware component, then the upgrade process was successful.

Conclusion and FAQs

In this article, we have explained how to upgrade ROMMON on Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers. We have covered the following topics: - What is ROMMON and why do you need to upgrade it? - How to check the current ROMMON version on your router? - How to download the ROMMON image file from Cisco website? - How to upgrade ROMMON for all or individual hardware components on your router? We hope that this article has helped you to understand the process and benefits of upgrading ROMMON on your router. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about upgrading ROMMON on Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers: Q: What are the prerequisites for upgrading ROMMON?

A: Before upgrading ROMMON, you need to do the following:

• Check the compatibility requirements for your router model and hardware components.

• Download the appropriate ROMMON image file from Cisco website.

• Copy the ROMMON image file to the router file system.

• Save the current configuration of your router.

Q: What are the risks of upgrading ROMMON?

A: Upgrading ROMMON is generally a safe and reliable process, but there are some potential risks that you should be aware of, such as:

• Power outage or interruption during the upgrade process may cause corruption or damage to the ROMMON software or hardware components.

• Incompatible or incorrect ROMMON image file may cause boot failure or malfunction of the router.

• Unsuccessful or incomplete upgrade process may require manual recovery or intervention.

To minimize these risks, you should follow the instructions carefully and verify the upgrade process thoroughly.

Q: How can I recover from a failed or interrupted ROMMON upgrade?

A: If the ROMMON upgrade fails or is interrupted, you may need to perform one of the following recovery actions:

• Reload the router and try to boot from the backup ROMMON software.

• Use the boot command in ROMMON mode to boot from a different software image.

• Use the xmodem command in ROMMON mode to transfer a new ROMMON image file over the console port.

• Contact Cisco Technical Support for further assistance.

Q: How can I revert to a previous ROMMON version?

A: If you want to revert to a previous ROMMON version, you can use the same procedure as upgrading ROMMON, but with a different ROMMON image file. You need to find and download the previous ROMMON image file from Cisco website, copy it to the router file system, and use the upgrade rom-monitor command to downgrade ROMMON for all or individual hardware components on your router.

Q: How can I check for new ROMMON releases and updates?

A: You can check for new ROMMON releases and updates by visiting Cisco Software Download Center () to receive email alerts when new software releases are available. 44f88ac181