Junos OS

Hi Guys,

I've recently been working on this box to try and make a virtual chassis using a fibre cable over some GBIC's. Turns out we did not need it anymore for the required purpose.

Now I am trying to bring the box that was the backup (254) (Slave) back to normal and use it as a normal Switch. The problem I am running into now is that I keep getting the following message on my console when I try to run commands. (after plugging in a USB stick with the OS 9.3 on it) I try the re-install of the OS following the manual.But get the following error,

"virtual-chassis-control is thrashing, not restarted"

I have the above message in my display, I restart the router (without the USB stick) and get the following gibberish:

--- JUNOS 9.4R1.8 built 2009-02-08 16:30:58 UTC
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% cli
cli: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% show ip
show: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% request factory default
request: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% edit system services
edit: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% show system services
show: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% configure system services
configure: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% ?
?: No match.

Then I try it with the USB stick again, I do a reboot and get the following: 

root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% umass1: JetFlash Mass Storage Device, rev 2.00/1.41, ad
dr 3
umass1: Get Max Lun not supported (STALLED)
da1 at umass-sim1 bus 1 target 0 lun 0
da1: <JetFlash TS512MJFV30 8.07> Removable Direct Access SCSI-2 device
da1: 40.000MB/s transfers
da1: 489MB (1003518 512 byte sectors: 64H 32S/T 489C)
mt -b l
mt: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% mt -b 1

but the same thing comes back. Somtimes I get to the command line but when I try to enter some text like: Edit, Request, Configure etc... I just get back some stuff about command not found.

Is there something I can do to bring this back to Factory Default?

Please Help!

Did you try a factory-default from the front panel? Use the menu button, select maintenance menu - then factory default....

Hi Kevin,

I have tried lots of things including what you advised. The front panel has the "Alm" LED glowing but pressing either of the two soft rubber keys brings no joy! I can't get anywhere with it. 

I have previously been able to go to factory default no problem by going into the maintenance menu but this time it won't do anything.

I can get to the console over Tera Term or by using remote-console and give in basic commands like "Halt" and "reboot" but nothing else.

Any ideas appreciated, regards,

Sirius.

what happens if you console into the box and then go into config mode and issue the:

load factory-default

command - what does the box do?

Hi Kevin!

The following is the text I get when I try the command:

root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% load factory-default
load: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% load factory default
load: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0%

Sirius - from your screenshot it appears that you are not in the actual configuration area of the unit when you issue the load factory-default command. The "%" prompt that you show indicates that you are still in the root login space. You would need to go into the CLI and then into CONFIG to issue the load factory-default command.

Was that just a typo.....

Hi Kevin,

Thanks again for your support!

When I type CLI to get to the command prompt it just comes back with the following:

root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% CLI
CLI: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0% cli
cli: Command not found.
root@clcph-wkgrp-1:LC:0%

OK... I think I may have found a solution... when booting I should hit the space bar at the prompt to get the following menu:

Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or space bar for command prompt.
Booting [/kernel] in 1 second...

I then try to install again from a USB Stick: My command below in Italics. I get an error though (error 79)

Type '?' for a list of commands, 'help' for more detailed help.
loader> install --format file:///jinstall-ex-9.3R2.8-domestic-signed.tgz
T T T T cannot open package (error 79)

I have even tried unzipping the package and loading but then I get a different error. (error 5)

I then reboot the device, leaving the USB Stick with the unzipped file onboard and get the following:

loader> reboot
Resetting...

U-Boot 1.1.6 (Feb  6 2008 - 11:27:42)

Board: EX4200-48T 2.15
EPLD:  Version 6.0 (0x85)
DRAM:  Initializing (1024 MB)
FLASH: 8 MB
USB:   scanning bus for devices... 3 USB Device(s) found
       scanning bus for storage devices... T T T T Device NOT ready
   Request Sense returned 00 00 00 

I am onto something here I think, with the "hit the spacebar on reboot"

But if someone can help me a little further I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

Hey Sirus - obviously your image has gotten corrupted somehow. The install from the boot loader may well be failing as your USB drive may not be formatted for reading by the BSD bootloader.

Did you format it? I have attached a knowledge base document from Juniper that explains how to format a USB stick from the BSD shell. I don't know if the bootloader will read a stick without it being formatted so I would give that a try. Good luck!

Attachment(s)

Format A USB Stick - JUNOS 8.5+.zip   1 KB 1 version

That little format tidbit is part of the reason that I said the Doc is not detailed. I always have connected a laptop and used tftp32.

Here is something else to try, from page 71 of the EX 9.3 guide:

Rebooting from the Non-Active Partition
Problem

  An EX-series switch ships with the JUNOS software loaded on the system disk in
partition 1. The first time you upgrade, the new software package is installed in
partition 2. When you finish the installation and reboot, partition 2 becomes the
active partition. Similarly, subsequent software packages are installed in the non-active
partition which becomes the active partition when you reboot at the end of the
installation process.
  If you performed an upgrade and rebooted, the system resets the active partition.
You can use this procedure to manually boot from the non-active partition.
  NOTE: If you have completed the installation of the software image but have not yet
rebooted, you can issue a request system software rollback to return to the original
software installation package.

Solution

  To reboot from the non-active partition, use the following command:
user@switch> request system reboot partition alternate
Rebooting from the Non-Active Partition

NOTE: If you cannot access the CLI, you can reboot from the non-active partition
using the following procedure from the loader script prompt:

1. Unload and clear the interrupted boot from the active partition:
loader> unload
loader> unset vfs.root.mountfrom
2. Select the new (inactive) partition to boot from:
loader> set currdev=diskmediaspartition:
Where media is either 0 (internal) or 1 (external) and partition indicates the
partition number, either 1 or 2.
You must include the colon ( : ) at the end of this command.
3. Boot JUNOS from the inactive partition:
loader> boot

looks like I got it!

After rebooting I hit "spacebar" at the prompt (I get a one second chance!!)

then enter the following command:

install --format --external file:///jinstall-ex-9.3R2.8-domestic-signed.tgz

It's doing something!....

 Formatting installation disk... (hope I haven't bricked it!)

Back to square one!

switch is in an endless boot sequence. We power off, on... and it boots and boots and boots and boots....

at least the message of virtual chassis thrashing has gone! Do I now start a new thread for endless boot sequences? 🐵

sirius,

 I've had this happen a couple of times. The only thing that I found to work is to reinstall JunOs from scratch. 

 Though not detailed, the instructions are here: http://kb.juniper.net/KB10386