Setting up Brocade ICX7250 / ICX7450

Preparation

If you haven't already, visit the Brocade Overview page to download the latest guide package and get it ready to be served via TFTP - this unified package includes all the latest firmware, licenses, and documentation.

Connect to the serial/console port using a program like Putty (9600 8N1), then connect the management ethernet port to your network (do NOT use any of the regular switch ports yet). The management port is the one above the full size USB port.

Power on the switch while watching your serial terminal - start smashing the b key until you're dropped into the bootloader prompt, which looks like ICX7xxx-Boot> . If you missed the prompt and it boots the OS instead, pull power and try again.

Now at the boot prompt, give the bootloader a temporary IP on your network, as well as supply the IP of your TFTP server where it can find your files. Replace the example IPs with your own. This IP is only going to be used temporarily by the bootloader. We'll also tell it the filename & path of the firmware images:

#Temp IP address of the switch:
setenv ipaddr 192.168.1.50
setenv netmask 255.255.255.0

#IP of your TFTP server:
setenv serverip 192.168.1.8
setenv image_name ICX7xxx/SPR08090mc.bin
setenv uboot ICX7xxx/spz10118.bin

Now we tell it to flash a known bootrom and reboot, so we'll be on a bootloader version we know can flash our OS image. After sending the reset, be sure to start smashing the b key so you land back in the bootloader:

update_uboot
saveenv
reset

You should have hit b to land back in the bootloader - if you missed it, just pull power and try again. Now at the boot prompt, we tell the switch to clear all current configs and old keys:

factory set-default

To confirm this action, you must send CAPITAL Y - sending a lowercase y will just make it abort. Now we can tell the bootloader to flash the 08090 image. This gets us to a known FI version that is capable of flashing the latest UFI versions of FastIron:

update_primary

After a couple minutes, it should complete. Now we clear the temporary IP, then boot the switch into the OS:

setenv ipaddr
saveenv
reset

This first boot will take a few minutes - you'll see messages regarding a PoE firmware update taking place on PoE models, and likely errors regarding boot-monitor mismatches and incompatible package versions - these are all expected and can be ignored. They will be remedied by the next reboot when the new bootloader is used. Hit enter and you should be given a login prompt. The default login is now:

user: super
pass: sp-admin

Once logged in, it will ask you to create a new password. Enter in a password you'll remember to login to the switch in the future. You should now be logged in and ready to configure the switch.

Initial Configuration

Now that it's booted into the full OS you may get TFTP timed out errors in the console, this is normal. just hit enter until they go away. We'll fix that in the next section. Now to make any changes we must enter the enable level:

enable

Now we enter the configure terminal level to make config changes:

configure terminal

Now we turn off the DHCP client, so it doesn't automatically grab an IP and look for a TFTP config (the cause of the earlier timeout messages):

ip dhcp-client disable

Now we give the switch its permanent IP address. By default, all ports are in VLAN 1, so it will behave like a typical switch. First we need to give VLAN 1 its own virtual interface:

vlan 1
router-interface ve 1
exit

Now we need to assign that virtual interface an address. Choose an IP that is unused in your subnet, and out of your DHCP server range (ping it first to be sure it's unused):

interface ve 1
ip address 192.168.1.50/24
exit

Now save the configuration and exit back to the enable level:

write mem
exit

Load The Latest UFI Image

Now that the switch has an IP address & is booted into v08090 (which is capable of flashing the new UFI format images), we can flash the latest stable FastIron version. First, move your ethernet cable from the dedicated management port to any of the regular switch ports. Then run the following to flash the new UFI image. Like previous commands, replace the IP with the IP of your own TFTP server:

copy tftp flash 192.168.1.8 ICX7xxx/SPR08095mufi.bin primary
erase flash secondary
reload

The switch will reload, loading the new software. This boot will take some time as it flashes new PoE firmware (on PoE models), new UFI packages, a new bootloader, and copies itself to the secondary OS image slot. When you finally see the PoE update get to 100% and say:

PoE Info: PoE module 1 of Unit 1 initialization is done.

It is finally done, and you can hit enter to get a login prompt. On non-PoE models, you'll know it's done when you stop seeing messages printed to the console - just hit enter. Log back in using the super username, and the password you set for it earlier. Then, get back to the configuration CLI level:

enable
configure terminal

Further Configuration

You now have a bare minimum setup on your switch, and the latest firmware. To continue with further configuration including securing and naming the switch, setting up SSH and Web UI access, PoE commands etc, please continue to the ICX7xxx Series Config Page. Don't forget to return here when you're finished for the licensing info below, if you need it.

Licensing Info

ICX switches require license unlocks for 10gbE port functionality as well as some advanced software features. Thankfully, starting with the ICX7xxx series, Ruckus made the licenses honor-based. This means they can be freely unlocked on your switch. Just visit the ICX7xxx Licensing section to fully license and unlock your switch.