A user must upgrade their Cisco ACI Fabric In which order should they upgrade?

Question

Options

• AIt will always be the switches first and the APICs second.
• BIt will always be the APICs first and the switches second.
• CIt will always depend on the specifics of the software release.
• DIt does not matter which you upgrade first (ARC/Switch) or second (APIC/Switch)

• A
  4% (1)
• B
  92% (23)
• C
  4% (1)

Explanation

Upgrading APICs before switches is the mandatory, documented order in Cisco ACI - the APIC cluster must reach the target software version first because it is the policy management plane that will subsequently orchestrate and validate the switch upgrades. If switches were upgraded first, the older APIC software may not recognize or properly manage the newer switch firmware, risking fabric instability or loss of control.

• A is wrong - switches-first is explicitly the reverse of Cisco's prescribed order and can break management connectivity.
• C is wrong - while release notes always deserve a careful read, the APIC-first rule is consistent across releases and not release-specific.
• D is wrong - order absolutely matters; ACI is a tightly coupled system where the controller must lead the upgrade sequence.

Memory tip: Think "Manager before Managed" - the APIC manages the switches, so it must be ready first before it can safely shepherd the switches through their own upgrade.

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