Release Notes for Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches, Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x
Introduction
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches are the next generation purpose-built 40 GigabitEthernet and 100 GigabitEthernet modular core and aggregation platform providing resiliency at scale with the industry’s most comprehensive security while allowing your business to grow at the lowest total operational cost. They have been purpose-built to address emerging trends of Security, IoT, Mobility, and Cloud.
They deliver complete convergence in terms of ASIC architecture with Unified Access Data Plane (UADP) 3.0. The platform runs an Open Cisco IOS XE that supports model driven programmability, Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) Solid State Drive (SSD) local storage, and a higher memory footprint). The series forms the foundational building block for SD-Access, which is Cisco’s lead enterprise architecture.
It also supports features that provide high availability, advanced routing and infrastructure services, security capabilities, and application visibility and control.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.8
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.7
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.6
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5b
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.4
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3a
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3
There are no new hardware or software features in this release. For the list of open and resolved caveats in this release, see Caveats.
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2
Hardware Features in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2
Feature Name |
Description and Documentation Link |
---|---|
Cisco SFP Modules for Gigabit Ethernet |
Supported Cisco SFP Modules for Gigabit Ethernet on C9600-LC-48YL line card are:
Supported Cisco SFP Modules for Gigabit Ethernet on C9600-LC-24C line card using Cisco QSFP 40-Gigabit Ethernet to SFP+ 10G Adapter Module (CVR-QSFP-SFP10G) are:
For information about a module, see the Cisco SFP Modules for Gigabit Ethernet Applications Data Sheet. For information about device compatibility, see the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix. |
Whats New in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1
Hardware Features in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1
Feature Name |
Description and Documentation Link |
||
---|---|---|---|
Cisco 10GBASE SFP+ modules and Cisco SFP+ active optical cables |
For information about the module, see Cisco 10GBASE SFP+ Modules Data Sheet. For information about device compatibility, see the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix. |
||
Cisco 25GBASE SFP28 Modules |
Supported transceiver module product number—Cisco SFP-10/25G-LR-S
For information about the module, see the Cisco 25GBASE SFP28 Modules Data Sheet and Cisco 25G Transceivers and Cables Enable 25 Gigabit Ethernet over a Fiber or Copper Cable. For information about device compatibility, see the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix. |
||
Cisco 40GBASE QSFP Modules |
Supported transceiver module product number—QSFP-4X10G-LR-S
For information about the module, see Cisco 40GBASE QSFP Modules Data Sheet. For information about device compatibility, see the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix. |
||
Cisco 100GBASE QSFP-100G Modules |
Supported cable product numbers:
For information about the module, see Cisco 100GBASE QSFP-100G Modules Data Sheet. For information about device compatibility, see the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix. |
Software Features in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1
Feature Name |
Description, Documentation Link, and License Level Information |
---|---|
Autoconf Device Granularity to PID of Cisco Switch |
Introduces the platform type filter option for class map and parameter map configurations. Use the map platform-type command in parameter map filter configuration mode, to set the parameter map attribute and the match platform-type command in control class-map filter configuration mode, to evaluate control classes.
See Network Management → Configuring Autoconf.
(Network Essentials and Network Advantage) |
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Ethernet VPN (EVPN) Route Target (RT) Autonomous System Number (ASN) Rewrite |
Introduces support for the rewrite-evpn-rt-asn command in address-family configuration mode. This command enables the rewrite of the ASN portion of the EVPN route target that originates from the current autonomous system, with the ASN of the target eBGP EVPN peer.
See IP Routing Commands → rewrite-evpn-rt-asn.
(Network Advantage) |
Bidirectional Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) |
Introduces support for bidirectional PIM. This feature is an extension of the PIM suite of protocols that implements shared sparse trees with bidirectional data flow. In contrast to PIM-sparse mode, bidirectional PIM avoids keeping source-specific state in a router and allows trees to scale to an arbitrary number of sources.
See IP Multicast Routing → Configuring Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM).
(Network Advantage) |
Cisco StackWise Virtual |
Introduces support for a network system virtualization technology that pairs two switches into one virtual switch, to simplify operational efficiency with a single control and management plane.
See High Availability → Configuring Cisco StackWise Virtual.
(Network Advantage) |
Cisco StackWise Virtual—Cisco QSFP to SFP or SFP+ Adapter (QSA module) |
Introduces support for QSA module with Cisco StackWise Virtual.
See High Availability → Configuring Cisco StackWise Virtual.
(Network Advantage) |
Ethernet over MPLS (EoMPLS) Xconnect on Subinterfaces |
Transports Ethernet traffic from a source 802.1Q VLAN to a destination 802.1Q VLAN through a single virtual circuit over an Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network.
See Multiprotocol Label Switching → Configuring Ethernet-over-MPLS and Pseudowire Redundancy.
(Network Advantage) |
High Availability support for MACsec Key Agreement (MKA) |
Support for high availability for MKA sessions is introduced. MKA sessions are now SSO-aware. In the event of failure of the active switch, the standby switch takes over the existing MKA sessions in a minimally disruptive switchover.
See Security → MACsec Encryption.
(Network Advantage) |
IPv4 and IPv6: Object Groups for access control lists (ACLs) |
Enables you to classify users, devices, or protocols into groups and apply them to ACLs, to create access control policies for these groups. With this feature, you use object groups instead of individual IP addresses, protocols, and ports, which are used in conventional ACLs. It allows multiple access control entries (ACEs), and you can use each ACE to allow or deny an entire group of users the access to a group of servers or services.
See Security → Object Groups for ACLs.
(Network Advantage) |
IPv6: Neighbor Discovery |
IPv6 support is introduced for the following Neighbor Discovery features:
(Network Advantage and Network Essentials) |
MPLS Layer 2 VPN over GRE |
Provides a mechanism for tunneling Layer 2 MPLS packets over a non-MPLS network.
See Multiprotocol Label Switching → Configuring MPLS Layer 2 VPN over GRE.
(Network Advantage) |
MPLS Subinterface Support |
MPLS is now supported on Layer 3 subinterfaces.
See VLAN → Configuring Layer 3 Subinterfaces.
(Network Advantage) |
MPLS Layer 3 VPN over Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) |
Provides a mechanism for tunneling Layer 3 MPLS packets over a non-MPLS network.
See Multiprotocol Label Switching → Configuring MPLS Layer 3 VPN over GRE.
(Network Advantage) |
Network Address Translation (NAT) license level change |
The NAT feature is now available with the Network Advantage license.
See IP Addressing Services → Configuring Network Address Translation.
(Network Advantage) |
Port Channel with Subinterface |
Subinterfaces can now be created on Layer 3 port channels.
See VLAN → Configuring Layer 3 Subinterfaces.
(Network Essentials and Network Advantage) |
Programmability
|
The following programmability features are introduced in this release:
See Programmability.
(Network Essentials and Network Advantage) |
Seamless MPLS |
Integrates multiple networks into a single MPLS domain. It removes the need for service-specific configurations in network transport nodes.
See Multiprotocol Label Switching → Configuring Seamless MPLS.
(Network Advantage) |
Simplified Factory Reset for Removable Storage |
Performing a factory reset now also erases the contents of removable storage devices such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Solid State Drive (SSD), and USB.
See System Management → Performing Factory Reset.
(Network Advantage) |
Source Group Tag (SGT), Destination Group Tag (DGT) over FNF for IPv6 traffic |
Introduces support for SGT and DGT fields over FNF, for IPv6 traffic.
See Network Management → Configuring Flexible NetFlow.
(Network Advantage) |
VPN Routing and Forwarding-aware Policy Based Routing (VRF-aware PBR) |
The PBR feature is now VRF-aware and can be configured on VRF lite interfaces. You can enable policy based routing of packets for a VRF instance.
See IP Routing → Configuring VRF aware PBR.
(Network Advantage) |
New on the Web UI |
|
|
Use the WebUI for:
|
Important Notes
Unsupported Features
-
Breakout Cables
-
Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC)
-
IPsec VPN
-
Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) and Next Generation NBAR (NBAR2)
-
Programmability (Cisco Plug-in for OpenFlow 1.3, Third-Party Application Hosting)
Complete List of Supported Features
For the complete list of features supported on a platform, see the Cisco Feature Navigator at https://www.cisco.com/go/cfn.
Default Behaviour
Beginning from Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5 and later, do not fragment bit (DF bit) in the IP packet is always set to 0 for all outgoing RADIUS packets (packets that originate from the device towards the RADIUS server).
Supported Hardware
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches—Model Numbers
The following table lists the supported switch models. For information about the available license levels, see section License Levels.
Switch Model (append with “=” for spares) |
Description |
---|---|
C9606R |
Cisco Catalyst 9606R Switch
|
Supported Hardware on Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches
Product ID (append with “=” for spares) |
Description |
---|---|
Supervisor Modules |
|
C9600-SUP-1 |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Supervisor 1 Module This supervisor module is supported on the C9606R chassis. |
C9K-F2-SSD-240GB |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 240GB SSD Storage |
C9K-F2-SSD-480GB |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 480GB SSD Storage |
C9K-F2-SSD-960GB |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 960GB SSD Storage |
40 or 100 GigabitEthernet Line Cards |
|
C9600-LC-24C |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 24-Port 40GE/12-Port 100GE Line Card. It supports:
|
25 GigabitEthernet Line Cards |
|
C9600-LC-48YL |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 48-Port 25GE/10GE/1GE line card. It supports:
|
AC Power Supply Modules |
|
C9600-PWR-2KWAC |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 2000W AC Power Supply Module3 |
DC Power Supply Modules |
|
C9600-PWR-2KWDC |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series 2000W DC Power Supply Module |
Optics Modules
Cisco Catalyst Series Switches support a wide range of optics and the list of supported optics is updated on a regular basis. Use the Transceiver Module Group (TMG) Compatibility Matrix tool, or consult the tables at this URL for the latest transceiver module compatibility information: https://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/modules/ps5455/products_device_support_tables_list.html
Compatibility Matrix
The following table provides software compatibility information between Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches, Cisco Identity Services Engine, Cisco Access Control Server, and Cisco Prime Infrastructure.
Catalyst 9600 |
Cisco Identity Services Engine |
Cisco Access Control Server |
Cisco Prime Infrastructure |
---|---|---|---|
Gibraltar 16.12.8 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.7 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.6 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.5b |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.5 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.4 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.3a |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.3 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.2 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.12.1 |
2.6 |
- |
- |
Gibraltar 16.11.1 |
2.6 2.4 Patch 5 |
5.4 5.5 |
- |
Web UI System Requirements
The following subsections list the hardware and software required to access the Web UI:
Minimum Hardware Requirements
Processor Speed |
DRAM |
Number of Colors |
Resolution |
Font Size |
---|---|---|---|---|
233 MHz minimum4 |
512 MB5 |
256 |
1280 x 800 or higher |
Small |
Software Requirements
Operating Systems
-
Windows 10 or later
-
Mac OS X 10.9.5 or later
Browsers
-
Google Chrome—Version 59 or later (On Windows and Mac)
-
Microsoft Edge
-
Mozilla Firefox—Version 54 or later (On Windows and Mac)
-
Safari—Version 10 or later (On Mac)
ROMMON Versions
ROMMON, also known as the boot loader, is firmware that runs when the device is powered up or reset. It initializes the processor hardware and boots the operating system software (Cisco IOS XE software image). The ROMMON is stored on the following Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) flash devices on your switch:
-
Primary: The ROMMON stored here is the one the system boots every time the device is powered-on or reset.
-
Golden: The ROMMON stored here is a backup copy. If the one in the primary is corrupted, the system automatically boots the ROMMON in the golden SPI flash device.
ROMMON upgrades may be required to resolve firmware defects, or to support new features, but there may not be new versions with every release.
The following table provides ROMMON version information for the Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Supervisor Modules. For ROMMON version information of Cisco IOS XE 17.x.x releases, refer to the corresponding Cisco IOS XE 17.x.x release notes of the respective platform.
Release |
ROMMON Version (C9600-SUP-1) |
---|---|
Gibraltar 16.12.8 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.7 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.6 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.5b |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.5 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.4 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.3a |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.3 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.2 |
17.1.1[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.12.1 |
16.12.1r[FC2] |
Gibraltar 16.11.1 |
16.11.1r[FC2] |
Upgrading the Switch Software
This section covers the various aspects of upgrading or downgrading the device software.
Note |
You cannot use the Web UI to install, upgrade, or downgrade device software. |
Finding the Software Version
The package files for the Cisco IOS XE software are stored on the system board flash device (flash:).
You can use the show version privileged EXEC command to see the software version that is running on your switch.
Note |
Although the show version output always shows the software image running on the switch, the model name shown at the end of this display is the factory configuration and does not change if you upgrade the software license. |
You can also use the dir filesystem: privileged EXEC command to see the directory names of other software images that you might have stored in flash memory.
Software Images
Release |
Image Type |
File Name |
---|---|---|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.8 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.08.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.08.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.7 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.07.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.07.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.6 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.06.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.06.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5b |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.05b.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.05b.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.05.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.05.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.4 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.04.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.04.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3a |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.03a.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.03a.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.03.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.03.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.02.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.02.SPA.bin |
|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 |
CAT9K_IOSXE |
cat9k_iosxe.16.12.01.SPA.bin |
No Payload Encryption (NPE) |
cat9k_iosxe_npe.16.12.01.SPA.bin |
Automatic Boot Loader Upgrade
Caution |
You must comply with these cautionary guidelines during an upgrade:
|
Field-Programmable Gate Array Version Upgrade
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a type of programmable memory device that exists on Cisco switches. They are re-configurable logic circuits that enable the creation of specific and dedicated functions.
The FPGA upgrade process is part of the software image upgrade. The FPGA version does not downgrade when you downgrade the software image.
After completing the upgrade procedure, you can verify the FPGA version against the value in the table below. Enter the show firmware version all command in IOS mode or version -v command in ROMMON mode.
Platform |
FPGA Version in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 |
||
---|---|---|---|
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches |
|
Software Installation Commands
Summary of Software Installation Commands |
|
---|---|
To install and activate the specified file, and to commit changes to be persistent across reloads:
To separately install, activate, commit, cancel, or remove the installation file: |
|
add file tftp: filename |
Copies the install file package from a remote location to the device and performs a compatibility check for the platform and image versions. |
activate [ auto-abort-timer] |
Activates the file, and reloads the device. The auto-abort-timer keyword automatically rolls back image activation. |
commit |
Makes changes persistent over reloads. |
rollback to committed |
Rolls back the update to the last committed version. |
abort |
Cancels file activation, and rolls back to the version that was running before the current installation procedure started. |
remove |
Deletes all unused and inactive software installation files. |
Upgrading with In Service Software Upgrade (ISSU)
Follow these instructions to perform ISSU upgrade from Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 to Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x, in install mode. The sample output in this section displays upgrade from Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 to Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2 using install commands.
Before you begin
Note that you can use this procedure for the following upgrade scenarios:
When upgrading from ... |
To... |
---|---|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 |
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x |
Note |
Downgrade with ISSU is not supported. To downgrade, follow the instructions in the Downgrading in Install Mode section. |
For more information about ISSU release support and recommended releases, see Technical References → In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU).
Procedure
Step 1 |
enable Enables privileged EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted.
|
Step 2 |
install add file activate issu commit Use this command to automate the sequence of all the upgrade procedures, including downloading the images to both the switches, expanding the images into packages, and upgrading each switch as per the procedures.
|
Step 3 |
show version Use this command to verify the version of the new image.
The following sample output of the show version command displays the Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2 image on the device:
|
Step 4 |
exit Exits privileged EXEC mode and returns to user EXEC mode. |
Upgrading in Install Mode
Follow these instructions to upgrade from one release to another, in install mode. To perform a software image upgrade, you must be booted into IOS through boot flash:packages.conf
Before you begin
Note that you can use this procedure for the following upgrade scenarios:
When upgrading from ... |
To... |
---|---|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.11.x |
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x |
The sample output in this section displays upgrade from Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.11.1 to Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 using install commands.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Clean Up |
Step 2 |
Copy new image to flash |
Step 3 |
Set boot variable |
Step 4 |
Software install image to flash |
Step 5 |
Reload |
Downgrading in Install Mode
Follow these instructions to downgrade from one release to another, in install mode. To perform a software image downgrade, you must be booted into IOS via “ boot flash:packages.conf .”
Before you begin
Note that you can use this procedure for the following downgrade scenarios:
When downgrading from ... |
To ... |
---|---|
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x |
Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.11.x or an earlier release. |
The sample output in this section shows downgrade from Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1 to Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.11.1, using install commands.
Important |
New switch models that are introduced in a release cannot be downgraded. The release in which a module is introduced is the minimum software version for that model. We recommend upgrading all existing hardware to the same release as the latest hardware.
|
Procedure
Step 1 |
Clean Up |
||
Step 2 |
Copy new image to flash |
||
Step 3 |
Downgrade software image
The following example displays the installation of the Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.11.1 software image to flash, by using the install add file activate commit command. You can point to the source image on your tftp server or in flash if you have it copied to flash.
|
||
Step 4 |
Reload |
Licensing
This section provides information about the licensing packages for features available on Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches.
License Levels
The software features available on Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches fall under these base or add-on license levels.
Base Licenses
-
Network Advantage
Add-On Licenses
Add-On Licenses require a Network Essentials or Network Advantage as a pre-requisite. The features available with add-on license levels provide Cisco innovations on the switch, as well as on the Cisco Digital Network Architecture Center (Cisco DNA Center).
-
DNA Advantage
To find information about platform support and to know which license levels a feature is available with, use Cisco Feature Navigator. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to https://cfnng.cisco.com. An account on cisco.com is not required.
License Types
The following license types are available:
-
Permanent—for a license level, and without an expiration date.
-
Term—for a license level, and for a three, five, or seven year period.
-
Evaluation—a license that is not registered.
License Levels - Usage Guidelines
-
Base licenses (Network-Advantage) are ordered and fulfilled only with a permanent license type.
-
Add-on licenses (DNA Advantage) are ordered and fulfilled only with a term license type.
-
An add-on license level is included when you choose a network license level. If you use DNA features, renew the license before term expiry, to continue using it, or deactivate the add-on license and then reload the switch to continue operating with the base license capabilities.
-
Evaluation licenses cannot be ordered. They are not tracked via Cisco Smart Software Manager and expire after a 90-day period. Evaluation licenses can be used only once on the switch and cannot be regenerated. Warning system messages about an evaluation license expiry are generated only 275 days after expiration and every week thereafter. An expired evaluation license cannot be reactivated after reload. This applies only to Smart Licensing. The notion of evaluation licenses does not apply to Smart Licensing Using Policy.
Cisco Smart Licensing
Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what users can access. With Smart Licensing you get:
-
Easy Activation: Smart Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire organization—no more PAKs (Product Activation Keys).
-
Unified Management: My Cisco Entitlements (MCE) provides a complete view into all of your Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using.
-
License Flexibility: Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses as needed.
To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (http://software.cisco.com).
Important |
Cisco Smart Licensing is the default and the only available method to manage licenses. |
For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide.
Deploying Smart Licensing
The following provides a process overview of a day 0 to day N deployment directly initiated from a device. Links to the configuration guide provide detailed information to help you complete each one of the smaller tasks.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Begin by establishing a connection from your network to Cisco Smart Software Manager on cisco.com. In the software configuration guide of the required release, see System Management → Configuring Smart Licensing → Connecting to CSSM |
Step 2 |
Create and activate your Smart Account, or login if you already have one. To create and activate Smart Account, go to Cisco Software Central → Create Smart Accounts. Only authorized users can activate the Smart Account. |
Step 3 |
Complete the Cisco Smart Software Manager set up. |
With this,
-
The device is now in an authorized state and ready to use.
-
The licenses that you have purchased are displayed in your Smart Account.
Using Smart Licensing on an Out-of-the-Box Device
If an out-of-the-box device has the software version factory-provisioned, all licenses on such a device remain in evaluation mode until registered in Cisco Smart Software Manager.
In the software configuration guide of the required release, see System Management → Configuring Smart Licensing → Registering the Device in CSSM
Scaling Guidelines
For information about feature scaling guidelines, see the Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches datasheets at:
Limitations and Restrictions
-
Auto negotiation: The SFP+ interface (TenGigabitEthernet0/1) on the Ethernet management port with a 1G transceiver does not support auto negotiation.
-
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)—The show run command does not display information about classes configured under
system-cpp policy
, when they are left at default values. Use the show policy-map system-cpp-policy or the show policy-map control-plane commands in privileged EXEC mode instead. -
Hardware Limitations — Optics:
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Copper cables are not supported with 25GE, 40GE, and 100GE configurations
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Installation restriction for C9600-LC-24C linecard with CVR-QSFP-SFP10G adapter —This adapter must not be installed on an even numbered port where the corresponding odd numbered port is configured as 40GE port. For example, if port 1 is configured as 40GE, CVR-QSFP-SFP10G must not be installed in port 2.
Installation restriction for C9600-LC-24C linecard with CVR-QSFP-SFP10G adapter — If you insert a 40-Gigabit Ethernet Transceiver Module to odd numbered port, the corresponding even numbered port does not work with CVR-QSFP-SFP10G adapter.
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Hardware Limitations — Power Supply Modules:
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Input voltage for AC power supply modules—All AC-input power supply modules in the chassis must have the same AC-input voltage level.
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Using power supply modules of different types—When mixing AC-input and DC-input power supplies, the AC-input voltage level must be 220 VAC.
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Convergence: During SSO, a higher convergence time is observed while removing the active supervisor module installed in slot 3 of a C9606R chassis.
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In-Service Software Upgrade (ISSU)
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While ISSU allows you to perform upgrades with zero downtime, we recommend you to do so during a maintenance window only.
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If a new feature introduced in a software release requires a change in configuration, the feature should not be enabled during ISSU.
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If a feature is not available in the downgraded version of a software image, the feature should be disabled before initiating ISSU.
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QoS restrictions
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When configuring QoS queuing policy, the sum of the queuing buffer should not exceed 100%.
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Policing and marking policy on sub interfaces is supported.
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Marking policy on switched virtual interfaces (SVI) is supported.
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QoS policies are not supported for port-channel interfaces, tunnel interfaces, and other logical interfaces.
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Secure Shell (SSH)
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Use SSH Version 2. SSH Version 1 is not supported.
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When the device is running SCP and SSH cryptographic operations, expect high CPU until the SCP read process is completed. SCP supports file transfers between hosts on a network and uses SSH for the transfer.
Since SCP and SSH operations are currently not supported on the hardware crypto engine, running encryption and decryption process in software causes high CPU. The SCP and SSH processes can show as much as 40 or 50 percent CPU usage, but they do not cause the device to shutdown.
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TACACS legacy command: Do not configure the legacy tacacs-server host command; this command is deprecated. If the software version running on your device is Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2 or a later release, using the legacy command can cause authentication failures. Use the tacacs server command in global configuration mode.
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USB Authentication—When you connect a Cisco USB drive to the switch, the switch tries to authenticate the drive against an existing encrypted preshared key. Since the USB drive does not send a key for authentication, the following message is displayed on the console when you enter password encryption aes command:
Device(config)# password encryption aes Master key change notification called without new or old key
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VLAN Restriction—It is advisable to have well-defined segregation while defining data and voice domain during switch configuration and to maintain a data VLAN different from voice VLAN across the switch stack. If the same VLAN is configured for data and voice domains on an interface, the resulting high CPU utilization might affect the device.
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YANG data modeling limitation—A maximum of 20 simultaneous NETCONF sessions are supported.
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Embedded Event Manager—Identity event detector is not supported on Embedded Event Manager.
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The File System Check (fsck) utility is not supported in install mode.
Caveats
Caveats describe unexpected behavior in Cisco IOS-XE releases. Caveats listed as open in a prior release are carried forward to the next release as either open or resolved.
Cisco Bug Search Tool
The Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST) allows partners and customers to search for software bugs based on product, release, and keyword, and aggregates key data such as bug details, product, and version. The BST is designed to improve the effectiveness in network risk management and device troubleshooting. The tool has a provision to filter bugs based on credentials to provide external and internal bug views for the search input.
To view the details of a caveat, click on the identifier.
Open Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x
There are no open caveats in this release.
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.8
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
Cisco IOS XE Software for Catalyst Switches MPLS Denial of Service Vulnerability |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.7
There are no resolved caveats in this release.
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.6
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
Cat 9K & 3K: Unexpected reload caused by the FED process. |
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Radius protocol generate jumbo frames for dot1x packets |
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SNMP: ifHCInOctets - snmpwalk on sub-interface octet counter does not increase |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5b
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
Session not getting authenticated via MAB after shut/no shut of interface |
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Cat 9K & 3K fed crash when running 16.12.5 |
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Cisco IOx for IOS XE Software Command Injection Vulnerability |
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SVL Link Instability May Result in IOMD Exhaustion |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.5
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
CLI should be auto-upgraded from "tacacs-server" cli to newer version while upgrading |
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Catalyst Switch: SISF Crash due to a memory leak |
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ZTP failing with error in creating downloaded_script.py |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.4
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
systemd service flash-recovery.service always in the running mode |
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show module info for active switch is n/a after booting remaining switches |
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17.1.1 - Memory leak @ SAMsgThread. |
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DHCPv6 RELAY-REPLY packet is being dropped |
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Cat9k - Not able to apply Et-analytics on an interface |
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"show mac address-table" does not show remote EIDs when vlan filter used |
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Modifying the child service policy causes the standby chassis/switch to reboot due to sync failure. |
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Traffic forwarding stops when Session Idle time out is configured 10 sec with active traffic running |
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Critical auth failing to apply DEFAULT_CRITICAL_DATA_TEMPLATE |
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INJECT_FEATURE_ESCAPE: Egress IP packet delivered via legacy inject path for NetBios packets |
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Crash Due to AutoSmart Port Macros |
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offer is dropped in data vlan with dhcp snooping using dot1x/mab |
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Unable to use VLAN range 4084-4095 for any business operations |
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Eigrp neighbor down up occurred frequently |
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Nvram Failed to initializae ( startup missing ) |
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connectivity issue after moving client from dot1x enable port to non dot1x port |
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Connection for L3 interfaces and SVIs may go down when power cycled SVL active switch comes online. |
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Switch crashed after removing route-map |
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Loopback error is not detected on trunk interface |
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MACSEC protected link no longer passes traffic. |
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Cat3k/9k Switch running 16.12.3 is not processing superior BPDUs for non-default native vlan |
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Interface storm-control configuration causes policing of same-type traffic elsewhere on the device. |
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Memory utilization increasing under fman_fp_image due to WRC Stats Req |
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Crash when invalid input interrupts a role-based access-list policy installation |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3a
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
SVL/DAD links will be err-disabled when there is link-flap due to faulty SFPs |
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Unexpected reload (or boot loop) caused by Smart Agent (SASRcvWQWrk2) |
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Switch running 16.12.3 is not processing superior BPDUs for non-default native vlan |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.3
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
DHCP snooping may drop dhcp option82 packets w/ ip dhcp snooping information option allow-untrusted |
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DNA - LAN Automation doesn't configure link between Peer Device and PnP Agent due CDP limitation |
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Private-vlan mapping XXX configuration under SVI is lost from run config after switch reload |
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intermediate hop with SVI in PIM domain is not forwarding multicast traffic |
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Switches are adding Device SGT to proxy generated IGMP leave messages while keeping End host src IP |
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Cat9k || scaled mVPN || tracebacks and errors seen in FED trace |
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Cat3k/9k Flow-based SPAN(FSPAN) can only work in one direction when mutilple session configured |
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Cat3k/9k crash on running show platform software fed switch 1 fss abstraction |
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Unknown status shown in "show platform software status control-processor" |
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Cat3k/Cat9k incorrectly set more-fragment flag for double fragmentation |
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Layer 2 flooding floods IGMP queries causing network outage |
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OSPF External Type-1 Route Present in OSPF Database but not in RIB |
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After valid ip conflict, SVI admin down responds to GARP |
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CAT9K intermittently not responding to SNMP |
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"login authentication VTY_authen" is missing on "line vty 0 4" only |
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In stackwise, PSU status of standby switch is not shown correctly |
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Standby crashes on multiple port flaps |
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Block overrun crash due to Corrupted redzone |
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qos softmax setting doesn't take effect on Catalyst switch in Openflow mode |
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CTS Environmental Data download request triggered before PAC provisioned |
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Netconf incorrectly activate IPv4 address-family for IPv6 BGP peer. |
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When port security applied mac address not learned on hardware |
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C9606R on Stackwise Virtual crashes on transceiver insertion |
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Crash during authentication failure of client |
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Memory exhaustion in sessmgrd process due to EAPoL announcement |
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FED crash when premature free of SG element |
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Fed memory leak in 16.9.X related to netflow |
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Cat3k/Cat9k- OBJ_DWNLD_TO_DP_FAILED after exceeding hardware capacity for adjacency table |
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In COPP policy, ARP traffic should be classified under the "system-cpp-police-forus" class |
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Traceback seen when IS-IS crosses LSP boundary and tries to add information in new LSP |
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Memory leak in fed main event qos |
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cat3k Switch with 1.6GB flash size unable to do SWIM upgrade between 16.12.x images |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.2
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
Incorrect speed config & status after SSO for interface with SFP-10/25G-LR-S/CSR-S. |
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Ip bootp server should be disabled by default as a device hardening best practice. |
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Re-add app-hosting move support was removed. |
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SG-SVL : MKA Session got stuck when we change key-chain value on the fly with delay-protection |
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sessmgrd crash with "clear dot1x mac" command |
Resolved Caveats in Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.1
Identifier |
Description |
---|---|
cat 9300 | span destination interface not dropping ingress traffic |
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IP Source Guard blocks traffic after host IP renewal |
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Missing/incorrect FED entries for IGMP Snooping on Cat9300/Cat3850/Cat3650 |
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Switch crashed at mcprp_pak_add_l3_inject_hdr with dhcp snooping |
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Cat9k TFTP copy failed with Port Security enabled |
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Hardware MAC address programming issue for remote client catalyst 9300 |
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Cat9k not updating checksum after DSCP change |
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multiple CTS sessions stuck in HELD/SAP_NE |
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High CPU Due To Looped Packet and/or Unicast DHCP ACK Dropped |
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Mcast traffic loss seen looks due to missing fed entries during IGMP/MLD snooping. |
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Active supervisor crashed during insertion/removal of a line card |
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Cat9500 - Interface in Admin shutdown showing incoming traffic and interface Status led in green. |
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Cat3K | Cat9K - SVI becomes inaccesible upon reboot |
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Cat3k / Cat9k Gateway routes DHCP offer incorrectly after DHCP snooping |
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Cat9300 | First packet not forwarded when (S,G) needs to be built |
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MAC Access List Blocks Unintended Traffic |
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DHCP SNOOPING DATABASE IS NOT REFRESHED AFTER RELOAD |
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Authentication sessions does not come up on configuring dot1x when there is active client traffic . |
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crash at sisf_show_counters after entering show device-tracking counters command |
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Sessmgr CPU is going high due to DB cursor is not disabled after switchover |
Troubleshooting
For the most up-to-date, detailed troubleshooting information, see the Cisco TAC website at this URL:
https://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/index.html
Go to Product Support and select your product from the list or enter the name of your product. Look under Troubleshoot and Alerts, to find information for the problem that you are experiencing.
Related Documentation
Information about Cisco IOS XE at this URL: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/ios-nx-os-software/ios-xe/index.html
All support documentation for Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series Switches is at this URL: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/switches/catalyst-9600-series-switches/tsd-products-support-series-home.html
Cisco Validated Designs documents at this URL: https://www.cisco.com/go/designzone
To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs
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