Software Packaging on the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms
This section covers the following topics:
Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms Software Overview
The Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms are high-performance cloud edge platforms designed for accelerated services, multi-layer security, cloud-native agility, and edge intelligence to accelerate your journey to cloud.
Consolidated Packages
A consolidated package is a single image composed of individual software subpackage files. A single consolidated package file is a bootable file, and the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms can be run using the consolidated package.
Each consolidated package also contains a provisioning file. A provisioning file is used for booting in cases where the individual subpackages are extracted from the consolidated package, or optional subpackages are used to run the router. For additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of running a complete consolidated package, see the Running the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms: An Overview.
Important Information About Consolidated Packages
The important information about consolidated packages include:
- For each version of a consolidated package, the RPBase, RPControl, and ESPBase subpackages are identical among consolidated packages.
- For each version of consolidated package, the RPIOS subpackage is always different among consolidated packages.
- A consolidated package file is a bootable file. If the router is configured to run using the complete consolidated package, boot the router using the consolidated package file. If the router is configured to run using individual subpackages, boot the router using the provisioning file. For additional information on the advantages and disadvantages of running a complete consolidated package, see the Running the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms: An Overview section .
- If you need to install optional subpackages, then you must boot the router using the individual subpackage provisioning file method.
Individual Software SubPackages Within a Consolidated Package
This section provides an overview of the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms subpackages and the purpose of each individual subpackage. Every consolidated package will have all of these individual subpackages. To see additional information about each individual subpackages in a particular Cisco IOS XE release, see Cisco IOS XE Release Notes for that release.
SubPackage |
Purpose |
---|---|
RPBase |
Provides the operating system software for the Route Processor. |
RPControl |
Controls the control plane processes that interface between the IOS process and the rest of the platform. |
RPAccess |
Exports processing of restricted components, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Secure Shell (SSH), and other security features. |
RPIOS |
Provides the Cisco IOS kernel, which is where IOS features are stored and run. Each consolidated package has a different RPIOS. |
ESPBase |
Provides the ESP operating system and control processes, and the ESP software. |
Important Notes About Individual SubPackages
The important information about individual subpackage include:
- Individual subpackages cannot be downloaded from Cisco.com individually. To get these individual subpackages, users must download a consolidated package and then extract the individual subpackages from the consolidated package using the command-line interface.
- If the router is being run using individual subpackages instead of being run using a complete consolidated package, the router must be booted using a provisioning file. A provisioning file is included in all consolidated packages and is extracted from the image along with the individual subpackages whenever individual subpackages are extracted.
Provisioning Files
Note |
You must use the provisioning files to manage the boot process if you need to install optional subpackages. |
Provisioning files manage the boot process when the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms is configured to run using individual subpackages or optional subpackages (such as the package for the Cisco WebEx Node Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms Series). When individual subpackages are being used to run the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms, the router has to be configured to boot the provisioning file. The provisioning file manages the bootup of each individual subpackage and the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platform assumes normal operation.
Provisioning files are extracted automatically when individual subpackage files are extracted from a consolidated package.
Provisioning files are not necessary for running the router using the complete consolidated package; if you want to run the router using the complete consolidated package, simply boot the router using the consolidated package file.
Important Notes About Provisioning Files
The important information about provisioning files include:
- Each consolidated package contains two provisioning files. One of the provisioning files is always named “packages.conf”, while the other provisioning file will have a name based on the consolidated package naming structure. In any consolidated package, both provisioning files perform the exact same function.
- In most cases, the “packages.conf” provisioning file should be used to boot the router. Configuring the router to boot using this file is generally easier because the router can be configured to boot using “packages.conf”, so no changes have to be made to the boot statement when Cisco IOS XE is upgraded (the boot system file-system :packages.conf configuration command can remain unmodified before and after an upgrade).
- The provisioning file and individual subpackage files must be kept in the same directory. The provisioning file does not work properly if the individual subpackage files are in other directories.
- The provisioning filename can be renamed; the individual subpackage filenames cannot be renamed.
- After placing the provisioning file and the individual subpackage files in a directory and booting the router, it is highly advisable not to rename, delete, or alter any of these files. Renaming, deleting, or altering the files can lead to unpredictable router problems and behaviors.
File to Upgrade Field Programmable Hardware Devices
Starting in Cisco IOS XE Release 17.3.2, a hardware programmable package file used to upgrade field programmable hardware devices is released as needed . A package file is provided for the field programmable device to customers in cases where a field upgrade is required. If the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms contains an incompatible version of the hardware programmable firmware, then that firmware may need to be upgraded.
Generally an upgrade is only necessary in cases where a system message indicates one of the field programmable devices on the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms needs an upgrade or a Cisco technical support representative suggests an upgrade.