Catalyst 9300 — IOS-XE Upgrade & Downgrade

00

Before you begin

Stack health: show switch — every member should read Ready before you start.
Current version: show version — your baseline to diff against after the reload.
Flash space, on every member: dir flash: / show install summary. The image plus extraction headroom has to fit on each one, not just the active switch.
Config backup: copy running-config tftp://10.200.20.163/backups/9300-preupgrade.cfg
Upgrade path supported: check the release notes for your current version — some jumps need an intermediate hop.
Console access for the activate/reload step, in case the mgmt interface doesn't come back cleanly over SSH.
Maintenance window — install activate reloads the whole stack regardless of how clean the upgrade is.

1

Remove unwanted packages

Why it's needed

Clears inactive/uncommitted packages left from previous installs, freeing flash before the new image lands.

exec

Switch# install remove inactive

2

Copy the image to flash

Why it's needed

Pulls the target image onto the active switch's flash over TFTP before it's added to the stack.

exec

Switch# copy tftp://10.200.20.163/9300-24UX-A/cat9k_iosxe.17.09.05.SPA.bin flash:

Note

Verify before trusting it: verify /md5 flash:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.05.SPA.bin, checked against the hash on Cisco's download page. Cheaper to catch here than mid-install add.

3

Add the image to the stack

Why it's needed

Syncs the image to every stack member over StackWise via install add.

exec

Switch# install add file flash:cat9k_iosxe.17.09.05.SPA.bin

4

Activate the new software

What it does

Unpacks the .bin, updates the boot config, reloads the stack into the new image.

exec

Switch# install activate

Caution

Reloads the entire stack. Confirm the maintenance window and console access before running this.

5

Commit the changes

Why it's needed

Finalizes the upgrade so it survives the next reload.

exec

Switch# install commit

Rollback window

install commit must run within 2 hours of activation or the switch auto-rolls-back on its next reload. If you find a problem before that window closes, use install rollback to committed to revert immediately — don't wait on the timer if the issue is urgent.

6

Verify the upgrade

show version — every member on the new IOS-XE version.
show switch — all members rejoined, all Ready.
show install summary — package state C (committed), not I.
Spot-check access ports came back and AAA/NTP/syslog reconnected.

7

Downgrade back to the old IOS

Catalyst 9300 stacks default to install mode; some legacy devices still run bundle boot mode. Check which one you have, then use the matching method below.

Check first

show version | include mode — INSTALL_MODE → Method A. BUNDLE_MODE → Method B.

7.1 — Method A — install mode (default on 9300 stacks)

Step	Command
confirm image on flash	`dir flash:`
back up running-config	`copy running-config tftp://10.200.20.163/backups/9300-predowngrade.cfg`
add / activate / commit older image	`install add file flash:<OldIOSImageName>.bin activate commit`

7.2 — Method B — bundle boot mode (legacy devices only)

exec / config

Switch# dir flash:                                                # confirm the older image is present; TFTP/USB it in if not
Switch# copy running-config tftp://10.200.20.163/backups/9300-predowngrade.cfg
Switch(config)# boot system flash:<YourIOSImageName>.bin              # global config mode
Switch# copy running-config startup-config                        # save the boot statement
Switch# reload

After reload

Run show version to confirm the switch booted the expected image before handing it back.