Enabling software auto-update for software image synchronization

	IMPORTANT: To ensure a successful software auto-update in a multi-user environment, prevent anyone from rebooting member devices during the auto-update process. To inform administrators of the auto-update status, configure the information center to output the status messages to configuration terminals (see Network Management and Monitoring Configuration Guide).

The software auto-update feature synchronizes the current software images of the master in an IRF fabric to all its members automatically.

To join an IRF fabric, a device must use the same software images as the master in the fabric.

When you add a device to the IRF fabric, software auto-update compares the startup software images of the device with the current software images of the IRF master. If the two sets of images are different, the device automatically performs the following operations:

1. Downloads the current software images of the master.

2. Sets the downloaded images as main startup software images.

3. Reboots with the new software images to rejoin the IRF fabric.

You must manually update the new device with the software images running on the IRF fabric in the following situations:

• Software auto-update is disabled.

• Software auto-update fails to update software. This situation might occur if the IRF fabric cannot identify the software version used on the new device.