PowerFlex: Unable To Upgrade Switch OS

Summary: PowerFlex Management Platform (PFMP) switch upgrades require both management access, using the SSH protocol, and file transfer access, using the SCP/SFTP or HTTPS protocols (based on the PFMP version), enabled on the switch using a single reachable IP address, provided for switch discovery. ...

This article applies to This article does not apply to This article is not tied to any specific product. Not all product versions are identified in this article.
Check out other resources

Symptoms

Thin Deployer pod logs show the upload job of the upgrade package for the switch OS as Failed:

Log entries may vary based on the scenario and PFMP version.

"stdout": [
            "image download scp://admin@1.1.1.10:/tmp/PKGS_OS10-Enterprise-\u001bE10.5.4.5.201buster-installer-x86_64.bin",

"stdout_lines": [      
                "Image Upgrade State:     idle",
                "==================================================",
                "File Transfer State:     transfer-failed",
                "--------------------------------------------------",
                "  State Detail:          Failed: Couldn't connect to server",

Impact

Unable to upgrade the Switch OS using PFMP.

Cause

Using PFMP for switch OS upgrade fails when any or all of the following conditions do not hold:

Switch-to-PFMP network reachability (one of these must exist)

  • Switch management IP is on the same subnet as the PFMP ingress IP - same OOB network
  • Switch management IP (OOB) is on a different subnet but routable to the PFMP ingress IP - routable OOB network
  • Switch management IP (OOB) is on a different subnet on additional PFMP ingress IP - additional OOB network

Switch data transfer protocols (version-specific requirement)

  • SSH access is mandatory in all PFMP versions
  • For PFMP versions lower than 4.8, SCP/SFTP must be enabled on the switch management IP
  • For PFMP versions 4.8 or higher, HTTPS must be enabled on the switch management IP
  • Switch can use the default or management VRF configuration

Resolution

To avoid a failed upgrade, perform any or all of the following conditions before attempting a switch OS upgrade:

Condition

PFMP Version

Switch-to-PFMP Network Relationship

SSH on Switch

SCP/SFTP on Switch

HTTPS on Switch
1 Lower than 4.8 Same subnet as primary ingress IP (OOB #1) Enabled Enabled Optional
2 Lower than 4.8 Different subnet, but routable from primary ingress IP (OOB #1) Enabled Enabled Optional
3 Lower than 4.8 Different subnet from primary, but same subnet as an additional ingress IP (OOB #2) Enabled Enabled Optional
4 Lower than 4.8 Different subnet from primary, but routable from an additional ingress IP (OOB #2) Enabled Enabled Optional
5 4.8 or higher Same subnet as primary ingress IP (OOB #1) Enabled Optional Enabled
6 4.8 or higher Different subnet, but routable from primary ingress IP (OOB #1) Enabled Optional Enabled
7 4.8 or higher Different subnet from primary, but same subnet as an additional ingress IP (OOB #2) Enabled Optional Enabled
8 4.8 or higher Different subnet from primary, but routable from an additional ingress IP (OOB #2) Enabled Optional Enabled

For unsupported scenario:

Manually upgrade the switch OS. 

Refer to the Dell official documentation on how to manually upgrade the switch, using the OS package provided in the RCM/IC package.

Impacted Versions

PFxM 3.x

PFMP 4.x

Fixed In Version

PFMP 4.8 - added capabilities to support multiple management access configurations and HTTPs protocol for data transfer.

Article Properties
Article Number: 000219014
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 29 Dec 2025
Version:  6
Find answers to your questions from other Dell users
Support Services
Check if your device is covered by Support Services.