Cisco Switch usually is quite robust and not give me hard time. When it happens, it happens. What I met is a situation Cisco 4500 switch got into Rommon mode and I have to find a quickest way to get in back in production before the maintenance window ends.

The related posts in this blog:

1. Why in ROMmon Mode 

Here are some reasons why switch could wind up in ROMmon mode from Cisco doc:



These primary symptoms occur in your network if the switch is in ROMmon mode:

  • Routing failures occur because ROMmon mode cannot route between VLAN interfaces, and is only designed to recover the switch.
  • If you try to Telnet to any of the interfaces it fails, and if you are connected to the console port of the Supervisor, you see this prompt:
    
    

*********************************************************
* *
* ROMMON configuration is being initialized to default *
* values. This may be because it was never initialized. *
* *
*********************************************************



Verifying FPGA (P) Signature ....................... PASSED
flash0:/codesign/fpga.dat open failure

Verifying ROMMON (P) Signature ......... PASSED
flash0:/codesign/rm1.dat open failure



************************************************************
* *
* Rom Monitor *
* Copyright (c) 2012-2013 by Cisco Systems, Inc. *
* All rights reserved. *
* *
************************************************************

Rom Monitor (P) Version 15.1(1r)SG1
Compiled Wed 14-Aug-13 17:15 [RLS]

System : WS-X45-SUP8-E Slot [5]
Chassis : WS-C4510R*E Mod [1][2][3][4][7][8][9][10]
Revision : CPU 2.0 BOARD 4.0 FPGA 3.15F2.9155
Memory : 4096 MB
Date : Sun Jul 17 19:41:37 2016


Type Control-C to prevent autobooting....
config-register = 0x102
Autobooting using BOOT variable specified file.....

Could not find a valid file in BOOT environment variable.
BOOT variable can be set from IOS. To find currently set
Rom Monitor variables, please type 'set' command.

For help on choosing a boot method, type 'confreg' command.
rommon 0 >

2. Recover from TFTP Server

2.1 Connect Mgmt port on Cisco 4500 to your machine which Tftp server is running on.
2.2 Configure Mgmt Port on Cisco 4500 with ip address 10.10.10.10. Put right IOS file (for example 4500.bin) under tftp server root folder.
2.3 Configure your machine which TFTP is running on with ip address 10.10.10.1
2.4 Confirm connectivity with ping
2.5 bott tftp://10.10.10.1/4500.bin




rommon 4 >
ping 10.10.10.10
Pinging 10.10.10.10
!!!!
10.10.10.10 is alive!
rommon 5 >ping 10.10.10.1
Pinging 10.10.10.1
!!!!
10.10.10.1 is alive!
rommon 6 >
boot tftp://10.10.10.1/4500.bin
Link Speed : 1Gb Full Duplex
Filename : /4500.bin
IpAddress : 10.10.10.10
TftpServer : 10.10.10.1
!!!!!!TFTP: Session Timed Out....

rommon 7 >
dir

usage: dir { [ bootflash: ] | [ slot0: ] | [ usb0: ] }
rommon 8 >
set
PS1=rommon ! >
RommonVer=15.1(1r)SG1
ConfigReg=0x0102
IpAddr=10.10.10.10
Netmask=255.255.255.0
BootedFileName=tftp://10.10.10.1/4500.bin

rommon 10 >?
alias show/set aliases command
arp show arp table
boot boot an executable image
clear clear misc. configurations
confreg configuration register setup
date display the current date and time
dev list the storage device table
dir list files in a storage device
ethstat management ethernet packet count
history monitor command history
md5 compute md5 sum of a file
ping ping utility for IP/network connectivity
reset reset system
set show/set rommon/environment variable(s)
unalias unset an alias
unset unset rommon/environment variable(s)
version display rommon version information
rommon 11 >
boot ?
Invalid filename ?. It must begin with device name.
Type 'boot -help' for details.
rommon 12 >
boot tftp ?
Link Speed : 1Gb Full Duplex
Filename : tftp
IpAddress : 10.10.10.10
TftpServer : 0.0.0.0
[CTRL-C]
rommon 13 >
boot -help
usage: boot [-adhv] [filename]
-a display help on autoboot and BOOT variable setup
-d display detailed help message
-help display this message
-v verbose

Examples:
boot
- boots the first file from internal flash.

boot bootflash:ios
- boots file "ios" from internal flash device.

boot slot0:ios
- boots file "ios" from compact flash device.

boot tftp://10.1.1.5/tftpboot/ios
- boots file "/tftpboot/ios" from tftp server
10.1.1.5 through the management interface (also called
"fa1 interface") using tftp file transfer protocol.

Type 'boot -d' for detailed help, including help on
netload mechanism and BOOTLDR program.

rommon 14 >
dev
No USB storage device detected!
No SD storage device detected!

Device Table
============
Logical Physical Partition Status Begin Size Drive
Number Number Number sector in Kb Name
------- -------- --------- ------ -------- -------- --------
0 0 0 0 0 0 flash0:
1 0 1 0 0 0 flash1:
2 0 2 0 0 0 flash2:
3 0 3 0 0 0 flash3:
4 0 4 0 0 0 flash4:
5 0 5 0 0 0 flash5:
6 1 0 0 0 0 slot0:
7 2 0 0 0 0 usb0:
rommon 15 >
boot tftp://10.10.10.1/4500.bin
Link Speed : 1Gb Full Duplex
Filename : /4500.bin
IpAddress : 10.10.10.10
TftpServer : 10.10.10.1
!!!!!TFTP: Session Timed Out....

The boot from TFTP server failed because of session timed out.

3. Recover from SD card in slot0

Cisco Catalyst 4500E Supervisor Engine support external USB and Secure Digital (SD) card for flexible storage options. You wont be able to use new fast speed SD card. Cisco is selling this kind SD for more than $400. But it wont cost you more than $50 if you buy it from eBay or Amazon.

SD-X45-2GB-E
Cisco Catalyst 4500 2GB SD Memory Card for Sup 7-E
USB-X45-4GB-E
Cisco Catalyst 4500 4GB USB device for Sup 7-E

3.1 Copy correct IOS file to SD card

SWTEST#format slot0: FAT16
Format operation may take a while. Continue? [confirm]
Format operation will destroy all data in "slot0:". Continue? [confirm]
Format of slot0 complete

SWTEST#
copy bootflash:?
bootflash:cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.00.XO.151-1.XO.bin
bootflash:cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.01.XO.151-1.XO1.bin

SWTEST#
copy bootflash:cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.01.XO.151-1.XO1.bin slot0:
Destination filename [cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.01.XO.151-1.XO1.bin]?
Copy in progress...CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
185800924 bytes copied in 46.880 secs (3963330 bytes/sec)
SWTEST#

3.2 Boot Failed device from ROMmon mode with SD card


rommon 0 >
boot slot0:cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.01.XO.151-1.XO1.bin
Loading image !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Checking digital signature....
[slot0:cat4500es8-universalk9.SPA.03.03.01.XO.151-1.XO1.bin]
Digitally Signed Release Software with key version A

flash0:/codesign/ios.dat open failure

Rommon reg: 0x00084F80
Reset2Reg: 0x0CB00000

Image load status: 0x00000000
########
Conan controller 0x0498FA9B..0x04C268B4 Size:0x00CAC5EC @
####
Radtrooper controller 0x047F3F00..0x0498FA9A Size:0x00661EDC @
Link: 0x00000080-0x16000000
Program Done!
##############################
Freescale FM module (Jul 31 2013:13:42:18)
Starting System Services
Calculating module dependencies ...
RTNETLINK answers: Invalid argument
Jul 17 19:44:55 %IOSXE-2-PLATFORM: process kernel: Freescale FM module (Jul 31 2 013:13:42:18)
Jul 17 19:44:55 %IOSXE-3-PLATFORM: process kernel: PME2: fsl_pme2_db_init: not o n ctrl-plane
No Mountpoints DefinedJul 17 19:44:58 %IOSXE-3-PLATFORM: process sshd[4657]: err or: Bind to port 22 on :: failed: Address already in use.

diagsk10-post version 6.1.0.0

prod: WS-X45-SUP8-E part: 73-14915-04 serial: CAT1746L7AQ


Power-on-self-test for Module 5: WS-X45-SUP8-E

CPU Subsystem Tests ...
seeprom: Pass

Traffic: L3 Loopback ...
Test Results: Pass

Traffic: L2 Loopback ...
Test Results: Pass
post done
Exiting to ios...
Loading virtuclock as vuclock
Loading gsbu64atomic as gdb64atomic
Loading gsbu64atomic
Starting IOS Services
AIPC Module Loaded...
Platform Manager: acquire hwlock chassis()
Platform Manager: starting in standalone mode

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Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, California 95134-1706



Cisco IOS Software, IOS-XE Software, Catalyst 4500 L3 Switch Software (cat4500es 8-UNIVERSALK9-M), Version 03.03.01.XO RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2014 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Wed 30-Apr-14 02:55 by prod_rel_team

Cisco IOS-XE software, Copyright (c) 2005-2013 by cisco Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved. Certain components of Cisco IOS-XE software are
licensed under the GNU General Public License ("GPL") Version 2.0. The
software code licensed under GPL Version 2.0 is free software that comes
with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. You can redistribute and/or modify such
GPL code under the terms of GPL Version 2.0. For more details, see the
documentation or "License Notice" file accompanying the IOS-XE software,
or the applicable URL provided on the flyer accompanying the IOS-XE
software.




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Importers, exporters, distributors and users are responsible for
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If you require further assistance please contact us by sending email to
[email protected].

cisco WS-C4510R+E (P5040) processor (revision 2) with 4194304K bytes of physical memory.
Processor board ID FXS1749Q1L6
P5040 CPU at 2.2GHz, Supervisor 8-E
Last reset from Reload
1 Virtual Ethernet interface
288 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
32 Ten Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
511K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

ctspPeerPolicyUpdatedNotif notification is disabled.
ctspAuthorizationSgaclFailNotif notification is disabled.


Press RETURN to get started!



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Reference:
1. Recover a Cisco IOS Catalyst 4500/4000 Series Switch from a Corrupt or Missing Image or in Rommon Mode

By Jon

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