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Migration, Upgrade, and Downgrade Instructions

This section contains the procedure to upgrade Junos OS, and the upgrade and downgrade policies for Junos OS for the NFX Series. Upgrading or downgrading Junos OS might take several hours, depending on the size and configuration of the network.

Starting in Junos OS release 21.2R2, all Junos OS products which were previously running on FreeBSD 11.x based Junos OS are migrated to FreeBSD 12.x based Junos OS.

Note:

For information about NFX product compatibility, see NFX Product Compatibility.

Upgrade and Downgrade Support Policy for Junos OS Releases

We have two types of releases, EOL and EEOL:

  • End of Life (EOL) releases have engineering support for twenty four months after the first general availability date and customer support for an additional six more months.

    Extended End of Life (EEOL) releases have engineering support for thirty six months after the first general availability date and customer support for an additional six more months.

For both EOL and EEOL releases, you can upgrade to the next three subsequent releases or downgrade to the previous three releases. For example, you can upgrade from 20.4 to the next three releases – 21.1, 21.2 and 21.3 or downgrade to the previous three releases – 20.3, 20.2 and 20.1.

For EEOL releases only, you have an additional option - you can upgrade directly from one EEOL release to the next two subsequent EEOL releases, even if the target release is beyond the next three releases. Likewise, you can downgrade directly from one EEOL release to the previous two EEOL releases, even if the target release is beyond the previous three releases. For example, 20.4 is an EEOL release. Hence, you can upgrade from 20.4 to the next two EEOL releases – 21.2 and 21.4 or downgrade to the previous two EEOL releases – 20.2 and 19.4.

Table 1: EOL and EEOL Releases
Release Type End of Engineering (EOE) End of Support (EOS) Upgrade/Downgrade to subsequent 3 releases Upgrade/Downgrade to subsequent 2 EEOL releases
End of Life (EOL) 24 months End of Engineering + 6 months Yes No
Extended End of Life (EEOL) 36 months End of Engineering + 6 months Yes Yes

For more information about EOL and EEOL releases, see https://www.juniper.net/support/eol/junos.html.

For information about software installation and upgrade, see the Installation and Upgrade Guide.

Basic Procedure for Upgrading to Release 21.2

When upgrading or downgrading Junos OS, use the jinstall package. For information about the contents of the jinstall package and details of the installation process, see the Installation and Upgrade Guide. Use other packages, such as the jbundle package, only when so instructed by a Juniper Networks support representative.

Note:

The installation process rebuilds the file system and completely reinstalls Junos OS. Configuration information from the previous software installation is retained, but the contents of log files might be erased. Stored files on the device, such as configuration templates and shell scripts (the only exceptions are the juniper.conf and ssh files), might be removed. To preserve the stored files, copy them to another system before upgrading or downgrading the device. For more information, see the Software Installation and Upgrade Guide.
Note:

We recommend that you upgrade all software packages out of band using the console because in-band connections are lost during the upgrade process.

To download and install Junos OS Release 21.2R2:

  1. Using a Web browser, navigate to the All Junos Platforms software download URL on the Juniper Networks webpage:

    https://www.juniper.net/support/downloads/

  2. Select the name of the Junos OS platform for the software that you want to download.

  3. Select the Software tab.

  4. Select the release number (the number of the software version that you want to download) from the Version drop-down list to the right of the Download Software page.

  5. In the Install Package section of the Software tab, select the software package for the release.

  6. Log in to the Juniper Networks authentication system using the username (generally your e-mail address) and password supplied by Juniper Networks representatives.

  7. Review and accept the End User License Agreement.

  8. Download the software to a local host.

  9. Copy the software to the device or to your internal software distribution site.

  10. Install the new package on the device.