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Upgrading a Router

Use the following procedures to upgrade a Router.

note

The Router software version cannot be higher than the software version installed on the Conductor.

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7.0.1 Conductor Upgrades

If you are upgrading a conductor that is currently installed with version 6.3.4 or lower, and you wish to upgrade to version 7.0.1 or higher, you must first upgrade the conductor to any version of the 6.3.x software, including and higher than 6.3.5.

Routers running SSR software versions earlier than 6.3.5 cannot connect to conductors running SSR software version 7.0.1 and higher. A transitional step is required to enable routers running versions earlier than 6.3.5 (6.0.x, 6.1.x, 6.2.x, 6.3.4 and lower) to communicate with a conductor running 7.0.1+.

  1. Upgrade the conductor to any version of the 6.3.x software, including and higher than 6.3.5.
  2. Upon completion of the install, allow all managed routers to connect and reach the Synchronized state. The new keying requirements that are part of 6.3.5+ are loaded onto the routers during synchronization. These are required for routers to communicate with a 7.0.1+ conductor. If the routers do not reach the synchronized state, those routers will not be able to communicate with the 7.0.1+ conductor.
  3. Once the routers are synchronized, you may upgrade the conductor to 7.0.1. All synchronized routers, regardless of version, will be able to communicate with the upgraded conductor. The routers are not required to upgrade to 7.0.1 or to 6.3.5.

If your conductor is currently running SSR version 6.3.5+, you may upgrade to 7.0.1 normally.

Upgrade using the Conductor's GUI​

  1. Navigate to the Routers page.
  2. At the top of the page, select Software Lifecycle.
  3. To begin the upgrade process, select Initiate Upgrade.
  4. Select Download and a version from the dropdown.
  5. Select the router or routers where the software will be downloaded from the router list.
  6. Click start.
  7. When the download process completes, return to the Software Lifecycle panel and select upgrade, the version, the router, and finally the Start button. The upgrade will run to completion with no interaction necessary.

Lifecycle History​

To view the install history for your routers, selecting Lifecycle History displays all versions downloaded and installed, and the operation status.

Upgrade using the Conductor PCLI​

For routers managed by an SSR Conductor, a self-upgrade, or manual upgrade, can be initiated from the SSR conductor's PCLI. This upgrade process is completed in two stages: download followed by upgrade. There are command changes associated with software version 6.3.0 and those changes are indicated below. For earlier versions of SSR software, please refer to the Legacy Upgrades section.

As an administrator-level user, log into the conductor's PCLI.

  1. Use the command show assets to list the devices managed by this conductor, and the software revision each asset is currently running.

  2. For a given asset, use the command show system software available router <router> node <node> to show the versions available for download, or show system software available router <router> to see versions available for both nodes simultaneously.

  3. Type request system software download router <router> node <node> version <image-version>. You can monitor the progress by using show system software download router <router> node <node> which indicates status (e.g., in progress download, completed download, and failed download). To download software to both nodes in an HA router at the same time, type request system software download router <router> version <image-version>, and use show system software download router <router> to monitor progress on both nodes.

  4. Once the download is complete, use the command request system software upgrade router <router> node <node> version <image-version> to initiate the upgrade process. View upgrade progress using show system software upgrade router <router> node <node>

In a high availability deployment, the conductor upgrades each router node sequentially to minimize/avoid downtime. For manual upgrades, initiating an upgrade on one HA node or router will automatically upgrade the second node/router.

If you perform an upgrade from the CLI using the request system software upgrade router <conductor-router-name> from an HA conductor, it launches a sequenced self upgrade, one node at a time. In a situation where you prefer to upgrade each node manually, you can target each node directly using request system software upgrade router <conductor-router-name> node <conductor-node-name>. Use show system software upgrade to view the status of an in progress upgrade. When the upgrade is complete on the first node, you may run the command on the second node.

However, it is still recommended to perform upgrade activity during periods of low traffic or maintenance windows.

Upgrade Sequence Behavior in HA Routers​

In an HA (High Availability) SSR deployment, the upgrade sequence is not random; it is designed specifically to minimize traffic impact. When a sequenced upgrade is initiated against an HA router, the Conductor — not the operator — determines which node is upgraded first based on the state of the routingManager process, which is the process responsible for building the routing table within the SSR.

Key Logic Used by the Conductor​

  • At any given time, only one node in the HA pair runs the active (primary) routingManager. The other node operates with routingManager in standby.
  • The Conductor always starts the upgrade with the node whose routingManager is in the standby (inactive) state.
  • Once the standby node is upgraded and reports healthy, leadership roles may transition if needed, and the second node (previously active) is then upgraded.

You can confirm which node currently holds the active routingManager before starting an upgrade by running show system processes node all from the router and locating the routingManager row marked Y in the Primary column. See Leader Election for more detail.

Why This Approach Is Used​

The standby node is typically not actively forwarding traffic and is not actively maintaining BGP peering sessions, so upgrading it first minimizes service disruption. After the standby node returns to a healthy state, the Conductor proceeds with the previously active node, ensuring continuous traffic handling throughout the upgrade process.

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This ordering is automatic for sequenced upgrades. If you target a specific node directly with request system software upgrade router <router> node <node>, the Conductor honors your selection and does not re-order based on routingManager state. Targeting the active node directly may cause a brief service disruption when leadership transitions.