N7K-SUP2E standby sup failed to boot

Unknown

Just got a refurbished N7K-C7010 with 2 sup2e cards installed. I have to validate its fully operational before giving the ok to purchase a really expensive license. I booted these cards up separately and they boot up fine without any errors. Both engines are the running the identical software but for whatever reason when both are running or atleast trying to run in failover mode I get an error message indicating the secondary card is not booting up. I tried doing a search online on the error message and only see things for MDS . Does that error message indicate a bad card?

5 0 Supervisor Module-2 N7K-SUP2E active *
6 0 Supervisor Module-2 powered-up

Mod Sw Hw
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5 6.2(8a) 1.1


2016 Jan 5 18:13:18 switch %$ VDC-1 %$ %SYSMGR-2-STANDBY_BOOT_FAILED: Standby supervisor failed to boot up.
2016 Jan 5 18:17:21 switch %$ VDC-1 %$ %MODULE-2-MOD_DIAG_FAIL: Module 6 (Serial number: JAFXXXXXXX) reported failure Ethernet6/1due to Fatal runtime Arb error. (DevErr is bitmap of failed modules) in device DEV_XBAR_COMPLEX (device error 0x20)
2016 Jan 5 18:17:25 switch %$ VDC-1 %$ %PLATFORM-2-MOD_REMOVE: Module 6 removed (Serial number JAFXXXXXXX)

Iristheangel

The switch is detecting a sync-loss with the arbiter ASIC link on this supervisor module. I would try reseating it first. If that doesn't work, RMA it. Try removing the second Sup and moving it up to slot 5. If it works there, then it might be the chassis. If it still doesn't, then it's the linecard.

Note: I see you mentioned it was from refurbished. Is it Cisco-official refurb or grey market? If grey, do they offer any sort of warranty or support? You might have to go that route.

Legacy User

The chassis is grey market and the sup's are from cisco "refresh". I was thinking a possible chassis issue since they work fine when booted separately. I'll give it another go tomorrow.

Thanks!

Iristheangel

That's unfortunate. If memory serves me correctly, I believe the Smartnet is a single line item for the chassis so even if those SUPS are from a legit source, you can't get Smartnet because they're sitting in a grey market chassis.

Legacy User

Looks like I just resolved this. I took a look at the secondary engine console output while bootup and it kept trying to default to an older kickstart image. I cleared that boot bootflash entry in the startup config on that engine and updated it with the current image and now its no longer is getting the message.

networker050184

Iristheangel has been at Cisco too long. Already going with the "replace the hardware" as the first option

Iristheangel

The koolaid is delicious, Networker. Here. Try some :P

Tshooting via forum == limited amount I can diagnose without being on the console or troubleshooting it myself

creamy_stew

Could you elaborate on this "Grey market" ?

Could I run in to cisco gear that can't be smartnetted, even though it's still supported?

Iristheangel

Creamy - Grey market is from non-authorized dealers who sell Cisco gear. There's a few companies I can think of or even just buying gear off ebay. The seller may offer you a warranty that they'll replace defective gear in X amount of days/months/years/etc but they're not officially Cisco or a Cisco partner, they can't legally transfer licenses or give you access to software, it's not new gear, and you don't really know where it's coming from in reality. You get the gear as is and you deal with the seller for support. You can't actually get smartnet or support through Cisco without recertification. Part of the recertification process is looking at the hardware inventory, confirming it runs, and software relicensing which is all pretty expensive. Often the savings from buying this secondhand gear is lot through the recertification.

The OP and I discussed through PM and it turns out it wasn't really grey market gear. Just a mixup of terms for us.

creamy_stew

I might be dealing with this. I'm looking at a campus with dual 6506e/sup720b. No smartnet to be found. This is what I would like to smartnet.

I bought spare blades on eBay for one of the 6500:s just to make sure they don't die on me.

I just figured we'd buy smartnet for them once everything is under our control.

There are also a gazillion of old crappy edge switches that I would like to be my first priority to swap.

edit: How do I go about "recertifying" my potentially grey market gear?

Iristheangel

Talk to your local cisco team. If you don't know who that is, your authorized Cisco partner you do business with will

Legacy User

creamy_stew wrote: »

I might be dealing with this. I'm looking at a campus with dual 6506e/sup720b. No smartnet to be found. This is what I would like to smartnet.

I bought spare blades on eBay for one of the 6500:s just to make sure they don't die on me.

I just figured we'd buy smartnet for them once everything is under our control.

There are also a gazillion of old crappy edge switches that I would like to be my first priority to swap.

edit: How do I go about "recertifying" my potentially grey market gear?

If you originally planned on getting smartnet on used gear you should've asked the vendor if they offer smartnet for that product makes things much easier. Depending on where its sourced don't get your hopes up. I know a lot of used vendors source there stuff from some sort of asset recovery with equipment that has entitlements to the sourced company and just sell it to the used market as is or with some kind of warranty 90 day - 1 year for end users but its usually for replacement only and if they have it in stock.

But usually most stuff sold by used vendors are EOL and it may be difficult to get smartnet on it anyway. I know people who buy used stuff for there production and just work off the vendors own return policy and if something is not working they just return/exchange or they just source another used one since its much cheaper to buy used and their own engineers "figure it out".