Supported Upgrade Path for RUCKUS ICX Switches to FastIron 10.0.10x and 10.0.20x

Summary

This article describes the supported and mandatory upgrade path for RUCKUS ICX switches migrating to FastIron 10.0.x from releases earlier than 08.0.95d. It explains why intermediate upgrades are required, outlines the correct step-by-step procedure, and highlights risks associated with unsupported upgrade paths.

Question

What is the supported upgrade path for RUCKUS ICX switches running FastIron versions earlier than 08.0.95d when upgrading to FastIron 10.0.10x or 10.0.20x?

Customer Environment

RUCKUS ICX switch platforms supported on FastIron 10.0.x Standalone or stacked ICX deployments Systems running FastIron versions earlier than 08.0.95d

Symptoms

After upgrading directly to FastIron 10.0.x from an older release, one or more of the following may occur:

Access Control Lists (ACLs) are missing or corrupted
Switch fails to boot or enters an unstable state
Hardware or FPGA incompatibility errors
Configuration loss after reload

Root Cause

Direct upgrades from legacy FastIron releases to 10.0.x are unsupported due to multiple architectural changes introduced across releases, including: >ACL format changes requiring ordered sequence numbers >Transition to Unified FastIron Image (UFI) architecture >FPGA firmware updates required for hardware compatibility >Bootloader and system format changes Skipping mandatory intermediate releases prevents these migrations from completing correctly.

Troubleshooting Steps

Verify the currently running FastIron version:

show version

Check whether the system is running a UFI or non-UFI image. Review existing ACL configurations for legacy (non-sequenced) entries. Confirm whether the switch has ever been upgraded to 08.0.80f (non-UFI) or 08.0.95d (UFI). In stacked environments, confirm all members are running the same software version.

Workaround

There is no workaround for skipping the mandatory upgrade steps.
The only supported method is to follow the documented intermediate upgrade path.

Resolution

Supported Upgrade Path (Mandatory)

For any ICX switch running a version earlier than 08.0.95d, the upgrade must follow all steps below:

Step 1: Upgrade to FastIron 08.0.80f (Non-UFI)

Purpose

Migrates ACLs from legacy format to ordered, sequence-based format

Key Notes

Must use 08.0.80f non-UFI image
Required to preserve ACL configuration
Skipping this step can cause ACL config loss

Step 2: Upgrade to FastIron 08.0.95d or Later (UFI)

Purpose

Introduces Unified FastIron Image (UFI) architecture
Performs the FPGA firmware upgrade required for 10.0.x compatibility

Key Notes

Ensures bootloader and hardware readiness
Interrupting this upgrade can leave the switch unbootable
Devices not upgraded to a UFI release are unsupported on 10.0.x

Step 3: Upgrade to FastIron 10.0.x (10.0.10x or 10.0.20x)

Purpose

Final migration to FastIron 10.x feature set

Example Upgrade Scenario

Starting Version

FastIron 08.0.70d

Required Upgrade Path

08.0.70d
 ? 08.0.80f (non-UFI)
 ? 08.0.95d (UFI) or later
 ? 10.0.10g_cd6 (or any supported 10.0.x release)

Important Considerations

Configuration Backup
- Before each upgrade step, take configuration backups.
Reload After Each Step
FPGA Upgrade Awareness
- Do not interrupt the boot process during the 08.0.95d upgrade
Image Validation
- Confirm correct image type (UFI vs non-UFI)
- Verify checksum when available
Stacked Systems
- Maintain consistent firmware across units

Unsupported Upgrade Paths

The following upgrade paths are not supported:

Direct upgrade from 08.0.70x to 10.0.x
Skipping ACL migration:
- 08.0.70x ? 08.0.95d
Skipping UFI transition:
- 08.0.80f ? 10.0.x