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Stage and Activate Junos OS Evolved Software

You can install software using separate stage and activate phases.

Starting in Release 25.4R1, Junos OS Evolved optimizes the software installation process by providing separate staging and activation phases on devices that support this feature. This segmentation enables you to stage software images without immediately designating them for the next boot, offering greater operational flexibility and system reliability. You can later activate an installed software version at any time. By utilizing distinct phases for the installation tasks, you can more effectively manage and validate software images.

Benefits of Separate Stage and Activate Phases for Software Installations

  • Enhance operational flexibility by staging software images without immediate activation, facilitating controlled upgrade processes.

  • Facilitate validation and configuration checks prior to activation.

  • Shorten maintenance windows for software upgrades by performing staging and validation tasks in advance.

Understanding the Stage and Activate Options

You have the option to install software in separate staging and activation phases. This segmentation provides finer control over software management, enabling you to pre-stage and validate software images without activating them for the next boot cycle. You can stage a new software package, enabling additional testing and validation of the configuration before activation. You can also stage an existing software version, which validates the active configuration against the installed software. If the validation is successful, the system copies the validated configuration to the /data directory associated with that software version.

After you stage a software image, you can activate it at any time. The activation mechanism sets the software version with its corresponding configuration as the next boot version. You can optionally reboot the system when you activate the software.

By separating the installation tasks, you can pre-stage multiple images and make thorough validation checks, ensuring all system components are compatible with the new software version before activating it. Furthermore, by staging and validating software images in advance, you can shorten the maintenance window for software upgrades, which is reduced to activating the image and rebooting the system. This approach fosters smoother transitions and minimizes potential disruptions in network operations, maintaining high system availability.

Before you Begin

Before you install a new software release on a device and activate it, you should back up the current system and prepare the system for the installation. For more information, see Install, Upgrade, and Downgrade Software.

Stage a New Software Version

You can stage one or more new versions of software without setting them as the next boot version. When you stage the software, the system installs the software and adds it to the list of software images. This operation does not modify the currently running software stack. During the staging process, the system validates the current configuration using the new version of the software. Once validation succeeds, the install process checks for sufficient storage on any Routing Engine nodes. Once the storage checks pass, the system installs the new software in a read-only location in the file system.

To stage a new software version:

  1. Install the software using the request system software add command with the stage option, and specify the path and name of the package.

    For example:

  2. Verify the image is installed by issuing the show system software list command.

The system installs the image but does not set it as the next boot version.

Activate a Software Version

After you stage a software version, you can activate it at any time. Activating a software version sets it as the next boot version. You can activate any installed version except the current version. You can only activate a software version with the configuration corresponding to that version.

To activate an installed software version:

  1. Display the installed software and determine the software version to activate.
  2. Activate the desired software version and include the with-old-snapshot-config option, which uses the configuration associated with that software version.

    You can optionally include the reboot option to reboot the device.

    When you activate a software version, the system sets that software version as the next boot version.

  3. Verify that the activated software version is the next boot version. The next boot version is preceded by the greater than symbol (>).
  4. If you did not reboot the device as part of the activation, reboot the device to start the new software.
  5. After the device reboots, verify the running software version by issuing the show system software list. The running version is preceded by a dash.

After the device reboots, all nodes should be running the new software version.

If you try to activate a software version that is not installed on the device or if you enter an invalid software version name, the system generates an error, as shown in the following output. Use the show system software list to verify the installed software versions that you can activate.

Similarly, if you try to activate the current software version, the system generates an error.

Validate the Active Configuration Against a Software Version

You can validate the active configuration against any installed software version and then save the validated configuration as the configuration for that software version. Then when you activate the software version, it uses the saved configuration. If you validate the configuration against an activated software version, the system deactivates the version before validating the configuration. Deactivation removes the next boot pointer for that version. After validation, you must activate the software version again to set the next boot pointer for that image.

To validate and save the active configuration for a given software version:

  1. Display the installed software and determine the software version to use.
  2. Issue the request system software stage command and specify the software version against which to validate the active configuration.

When you stage the software version, the system validates the active configuration against the software. If the validation is successful, the system copies the active configuration to the staging directory for that software. If you later activate the software, it uses the newly saved configuration.

If you run the request system software stage command and the software version's configuration is identical to the active configuration, the output indicates that there are no configuration differences.

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