What are Cisco bin files and why do you need them?
If you are a network administrator or engineer, you might have heard of Cisco bin files. These are Cisco IOS XE bundle files that contain the system software, the Cisco IOS code, and the embedded Device Manager software for your switch or switch stack. These bundle files are stored in the flash memory of your switch or switch stack as .bin files in a directory that shows the version number. For example, cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin is a Cisco bin file for Catalyst 3850 switches.
Cisco bin files are essential for upgrading, installing, and managing your switch or switch stack software. They allow you to perform various tasks such as:
download - cisco bin files
Download a new software image from a server or Cisco.com to upgrade your switch or switch stack software.
Install a new software image on your switch or switch stack using the archive download-sw command.
Verify the installation of a new software image using the show version and show software package commands.
Backup your current software image to a server for future use or recovery.
Delete an old or unused software image from your switch or switch stack flash memory.
Troubleshoot common issues and errors with your switch or switch stack software.
In this article, we will show you how to perform these tasks using Cisco bin files. We will also provide you with some tips and tricks to resolve common problems with Cisco bin files.
How to download Cisco bin files from a server or Cisco.com?
Before you can install a new software image on your switch or switch stack, you need to download it from a server or Cisco.com. You can use different protocols such as TFTP, FTP, or RCP to download Cisco bin files. The protocol that you use depends on which type of server you are using. The FTP and RCP protocols provide faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP because they use the TCP/IP stack, which is connection-oriented.
To download Cisco bin files from a server or Cisco.com, follow these steps:
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Connect your PC or workstation to the same network as your switch or switch stack.
Obtain the IP address of your switch or switch stack and the server that contains the Cisco bin file that you want to download.
Obtain the filename and directory name of the Cisco bin file that you want to download.
Log in to your switch or switch stack using Telnet, SSH, or the console port.
Enter privileged EXEC mode by entering enable and entering the password if prompted.
Enter the copy protocol ://server-address/directory/filename flash: privileged EXEC command, where protocol is tftp, ftp, or rcp; server-address is the IP address of the server; directory is the directory name where the file is located; filename is the name of the file; and flash: is the destination file system on your switch or switch stack. For example:
Switch# copy tftp://10.1.1.1/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2 .E6.bin flash:
Follow the prompts to enter the username and password for the server if required.
Wait for the file transfer to complete. You should see a message that indicates the number of bytes copied and the transfer rate.
Verify that the file is copied to the flash memory by entering the dir flash: privileged EXEC command. You should see the file name and size in the output.
If you want to download Cisco bin files from Cisco.com, you need to have a valid Cisco.com account and a service contract that entitles you to download software updates. You also need to have a web browser and an FTP client on your PC or workstation. To download Cisco bin files from Cisco.com, follow these steps:
Go to and log in with your Cisco.com username and password.
Search for the product name or model number of your switch or switch stack in the search box.
Select the software type and version that you want to download from the list of available downloads.
Click on the Download icon next to the file name that you want to download.
Read and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) and Export Compliance.
Select FTP as the download method and click on Copy URL.
Open your FTP client and paste the URL in the address bar. Enter your Cisco.com username and password when prompted.
Choose a location on your PC or workstation to save the file and start the download.
Verify that the file is downloaded successfully by checking its size and checksum.
How to install Cisco bin files on your switch or switch stack?
After you have downloaded a new software image to your switch or switch stack flash memory, you need to install it using the archive download-sw privileged EXEC command. This command allows you to install a new software image on one or more switches in a switch stack. It also allows you to specify whether you want to overwrite or keep the current software image, reload or not reload the switch or switch stack after installation, and use a configuration file for installation options.
To install Cisco bin files on your switch or switch stack, follow these steps:
Log in to your switch or switch stack using Telnet, SSH, or the console port.
Enter privileged EXEC mode by entering enable and entering the password if prompted.
Enter the archive download-sw [/overwrite] [/reload] [/config-file filename] [/imageonly] [/allow-feature-upgrade] [/safe] flash:/filename privileged EXEC command, where /overwrite is an optional keyword that overwrites the current software image with the new one; /reload is an optional keyword that reloads the switch or switch stack after installation; /config-file filename is an optional keyword that specifies a configuration file for installation options; /imageonly is an optional keyword that installs only the software image without extracting any HTML files; /allow-feature-upgrade is an optional keyword that allows feature upgrades if necessary; /safe is an optional keyword that prevents a downgrade of any switch in a switch stack; flash:/filename is the source file system and file name of the new software image. For example:
Switch# archive download-sw /overwrite /reload flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin
Wait for the installation process to complete. You should see messages that indicate the progress and status of the installation.
If you did not use the /reload keyword, enter the reload privileged EXEC command to reload the switch or switch stack and activate the new software image.
How to verify the installation of Cisco bin files?
After you have installed a new software image on your switch or switch stack, you need to verify that it is installed correctly and running properly. You can use two commands to verify the installation of Cisco bin files: show version and show software package.
The show version privileged EXEC command displays information about your switch or switch stack hardware and software, such as the model number, serial number, system uptime, boot loader version, system image file, configuration register, license information, and memory statistics. You can use this command to check if your switch or switch stack is running the new software image that you installed. For example:
Switch# show version Cisco IOS XE Software, Version 03.06.06E Cisco IOS Software, Catalyst L3 Switch Software (CAT3K_CAA-UNIVERSALK9-M), Version 15.2(2)E6 , RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1) Technical Support: Compiled Wed 09-Mar-23 06:44 by prod_rel_team Cisco IOS-XE software, Copyright (c) 2005-2023 by cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain components of Cisco IOS-XE software are licensed under the GNU General Public License ("GPL") Version 2.0. The software code licensed under GPL Version 2.0 is free software that comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. You can redistribute and/or modify such GPL code under the terms of GPL Version 2.0. For more details, see the documentation or "License Notice" file accompanying the IOS-XE software, or the applicable URL provided on the flyer accompanying the IOS-XE software. ROM: IOS-XE ROMMON BOOTLDR: CAT3K_CAA Boot Loader (CAT3K_CAA-HBOOT-M) Version 1.2, RELEASE SOFTWARE (P) Switch uptime is 10 minutes Uptime for this control processor is 11 minutes System returned to ROM by reload System image file is "flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin" Last reload reason: Reload command
The show software package privileged EXEC command displays information about the software packages that are installed on your switch or switch stack, such as the package name, version, status, and size. You can use this command to check if your switch or switch stack has the correct software packages that match the new software image that you installed. For example:
Switch# show software package Switch 1: Packages: Package Name Status Version ---------------------------------------------------------- cat3k_caa-base active 03.06.06E cat3k_caa-drivers active 03.06.06E cat3k_caa-infra active 03.06.06E cat3k_caa-iosxe active 03.06.06E cat3k_caa-platform active 03.06.06E cat3k_caa-webui active 03.06.06E
How to backup Cisco bin files to a server?
It is a good practice to backup your current software image to a server before you install a new one on your switch or switch stack. This way, you can restore your previous software image in case of any problems or errors with the new one. You can use the same protocols that you used to download Cisco bin files from a server or Cisco.com to backup Cisco bin files to a server: TFTP, FTP, or RCP.
To backup Cisco bin files to a server, follow these steps:
Connect your PC or workstation to the same network as your switch or switch stack.
Obtain the IP address of your switch or switch stack and the server that you want to backup the Cisco bin file to.
Obtain the filename and directory name of the Cisco bin file that you want to backup.
Log in to your switch or switch stack using Telnet, SSH, or the console port.
Enter privileged EXEC mode by entering enable and entering the password if prompted.
Enter the copy flash: protocol ://server-address/directory/filename privileged EXEC command, where flash: is the source file system on your switch or switch stack; protocol is tftp, ftp, or rcp; server-address is the IP address of the server; directory is the directory name where you want to save the file; and filename is the name of the file. For example:
Switch# copy flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin tftp://10.1.1.1/backup/
Follow the prompts to enter the username and password for the server if required.
Wait for the file transfer to complete. You should see a message that indicates the number of bytes copied and the transfer rate.
Verify that the file is copied to the server by entering the dir protocol ://server-address/directory privileged EXEC command, where protocol is tftp, ftp, or rcp; server-address is the IP address of the server; and directory is the directory name where you saved the file. You should see the file name and size in the output.
How to delete Cisco bin files from your switch or switch stack?
If you have multiple software images on your switch or switch stack flash memory, you might want to delete some of them to free up some space or avoid confusion. You can use the delete privileged EXEC command to delete Cisco bin files from your switch or switch stack flash memory. This command permanently deletes the specified file from the flash memory and cannot be undone.
To delete Cisco bin files from your switch or switch stack, follow these steps:
Log in to your switch or switch stack using Telnet, SSH, or the console port.
Enter privileged EXEC mode by entering enable and entering the password if prompted.
Enter the dir flash: privileged EXEC command to see the list of files in the flash memory. Identify the file name of the Cisco bin file that you want to delete.
Enter the delete flash:/filename privileged EXEC command, where filename is the name of the file that you want to delete. For example:
Switch# delete flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin
Confirm the deletion by entering y when prompted.
Verify that the file is deleted from the flash memory by entering the dir flash: privileged EXEC command again. You should not see the file name in the output.
How to troubleshoot common issues with Cisco bin files?
Sometimes, you might encounter some issues or errors when working with Cisco bin files. These issues or errors can be caused by various factors such as network connectivity, file corruption, incompatible software versions, insufficient memory, or incorrect commands. Here are some tips and tricks to troubleshoot common issues with Cisco bin files:
If you have trouble downloading or uploading Cisco bin files from or to a server, check your network connectivity and configuration. Make sure that your PC or workstation and your switch or switch stack are on the same network and can ping each other. Make sure that you have entered the correct IP address, directory name, and file name for the server and the switch or switch stack. Make sure that you have entered the correct username and password for the server if required. Make sure that you have enough space on your flash memory and on your server to store the file.
If you have trouble installing or running Cisco bin files on your switch or switch stack, check your software compatibility and integrity. Make sure that you have downloaded the correct software image for your switch or switch stack model and version. Make sure that the file is not corrupted or damaged by checking its size and checksum. Make sure that you have enough memory on your switch or switch stack to run the software image. Make sure that you have entered the correct commands and options for installation and verification.
If you have trouble deleting Cisco bin files from your switch or switch stack, check your file permissions and status. Make sure that you have entered the correct file name for deletion. Make sure that the file is not in use by another process or locked by another user. Make sure that you have confirmed the deletion by entering y when prompted.
Conclusion
Cisco bin files are Cisco IOS XE bundle files that contain the system software, the Cisco IOS code, and the embedded Device Manager software for your switch or switch stack. They are essential for upgrading, installing, and managing your switch or switch stack software. In this article, we have shown you how to download, install, verify, backup, and delete Cisco bin files using different protocols and commands. We have also provided you with some tips and tricks to troubleshoot common issues with Cisco bin files. We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Cisco bin files:
What is the difference between a .bin file and a .tar file?
A .bin file is a single binary file that contains all the components of a software image for a switch or switch stack. A .tar file is a compressed archive file that contains multiple files such as a .bin file, HTML files, configuration files, and license files for a software image for a switch or switch stack. A .tar file can be extracted using a tool such as WinZip or 7-Zip.
How do I upgrade my switch or switch stack software using a .tar file?
You can upgrade your switch or switch stack software using a .tar file by using the archive download-sw privileged EXEC command with the /tar option. This option extracts the .tar file and installs all its components on your switch or switch stack automatically. For example:
Switch# archive download-sw /tar /overwrite /reload tftp://10.1.1. 1/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.tar
How do I downgrade my switch or switch stack software using a .bin file?
You can downgrade your switch or switch stack software using a .bin file by using the archive download-sw privileged EXEC command with the /safe option. This option prevents a downgrade of any switch in a switch stack that is incompatible with the new software image. For example:
Switch# archive download-sw /safe /overwrite /reload flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.05.E.152-2.E5.bin
How do I view the contents of a .bin file or a .tar file?
You can view the contents of a .bin file or a .tar file by using the more privileged EXEC command. This command displays the contents of a file in ASCII format on your screen. For example:
Switch# more flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.06.E.152-2.E6.bin
How do I change the boot variable of my switch or switch stack to load a different software image?
You can change the boot variable of your switch or switch stack to load a different software image by using the boot system flash:filename global configuration command, where filename is the name of the software image that you want to load. This command sets the boot variable to point to the specified software image in the flash memory. You need to save the configuration and reload the switch or switch stack for the change to take effect. For example:
Switch# configure terminal Switch(config)# boot system flash:/cat3k_caa-universalk9.SPA.03.06.05.E.152-2.E5.bin Switch(config)# end Switch# write memory Switch# reload
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