Upgrading ROMMON

From http://sigmapie.com/

 

After the last trouble without tftp-server in ROMMON, I figure I would upgrade it... it was a lot easier than updating the IOS, and I don't think you can screw it up. By the looks of it, it has a primary and 'upgrade' (secondary) ROMMON... so if the upgrade ROMMON doesn't boot up... the original one does.

There is more screen output than commands here... there is only one command!

Before the upgrade we see that there is no upgraded rommon running.

r2#show rom-monitor 
ReadOnly ROMMON version:
 
System Bootstrap, Version 12.2(8r)T2, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
TAC Support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (c) 2002 by cisco Systems, Inc.
 
No upgrade ROMMON programmed or not yet run
Currently running ROMMON from ReadOnly region
ROMMON from ReadOnly region is selected for next boot

The rommon is not like the IOS, a copy is not stored in flash to be uncompressed, so I had to download the ROMMON binary to the router's flash before I made the router as a TFTP server.

r1(config)#tftp-server flash:C3725_RM2.srec.123-10r

Then I upgraded R2 You can specify a new ROMMON directly from TFTP:

r2#upgrade rom-monitor file tftp://10.0.0.1/C3725_RM2.srec.123-10r

It downloads, and automatically asks if you want to restart.

Loading C3725_RM2.srec.123-10r from 10.0.0.1 (via FastEthernet0/0): !!!
[OK - 613864 bytes]
This command will result in a  'power-on reset' of the router! 
Continue? [yes/no]: yes
System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: yes
Building configuration...
[OK]
 
ROMMON image upgrade in progress.
Erasing boot flash eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Programming boot flash pppp

After the system reload, it boots the system rommon, followed by the new rommon.

Now Reloading
System Bootstrap, Version 12.2(8r)T2, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
TAC Support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (c) 2002 by cisco Systems, Inc.
 
Running new upgrade for first time
 
System Bootstrap, Version 12.3(10r) [dchih 10r], RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 2004 by cisco Systems, Inc.
c3725 processor with 262144 Kbytes of main memory
Main memory is configured to 64 bit mode with parity disabled
 
Upgrade ROMMON initialized

After the upgrade, here is the result of the 'show rom-mon'

r2#show rom-monitor
System Bootstrap, Version 12.2(8r)T2, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
TAC Support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (c) 2002 by cisco Systems, Inc.
 
Upgrade ROMMON version:
System Bootstrap, Version 12.3(10r) [dchih 10r], RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 2004 by cisco Systems, Inc.
 
Currently running ROMMON from Upgrade region
ROMMON from Upgrade region is selected for next boot