As a maintenance release (the 4th in the train), this image is considerably more stable than the initial 10.2(1) or 10.2(2) releases.
Who should download this?
Who should skip this?
Summary: nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin is a "set it and forget it" image. It is the definition of a stability release. If your hardware supports it and you are on an older train, schedule the upgrade window immediately.
The file nxos64-cs.10.2.4.M.bin is a 64-bit software image for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches. This specific version belongs to the Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(4)M, which is part of the "Maintenance" (M) release cycle designed for stability and long-term support. Key Technical Details
Image Type: The nxos64-cs prefix indicates a 64-bit Cloud Scale image.
Supported Hardware: It is primarily used for Cisco Nexus 9000 series fixed switches and modular switches with FM-E/FM-E2/FM-G fabric modules.
Release Purpose: As a Maintenance (M) release, 10.2(4)M focuses on bug fixes and security hardening rather than introducing major new features, making it a "stable" choice for production environments. Downloading the Software
Official Cisco software must always be obtained through the Cisco Software Central portal.
Navigate to Downloads: Search for "Nexus 9000" and select your specific switch model.
Select Release: Choose 10.2(4)M from the list of available versions.
Authentication: You must have a valid Cisco Connection Online (CCO) ID and an active service contract (SmartNet) to download the .bin file. Important Upgrade Considerations
Interim Hops: If you are upgrading from a very old release (e.g., prior to 9.3.10), you may need to install an interim "hop" version before moving to 10.2.4.M.
SCP Compatibility: If you are downloading the file to a macOS Ventura (or later) device to then transfer it to a switch via SCP, you may encounter a "subsystem request failed" error. This is due to SCP defaulting to SFTP in newer OpenSSH versions. Use the -O flag with your SCP command to fix this: scp -O nxos64-cs.10.2.4.M.bin admin@switch:bootflash:.
Best Practice: Use the install all command on the switch to perform the upgrade. This method automatically runs compatibility checks and updates the BIOS.
For a complete list of resolved bugs and compatibility matrices, refer to the official Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release Notes for 10.2(4)M.
The file nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin is the 64-bit Cisco NX-OS software image for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, released as part of the 10.2(4)M maintenance cycle. This specific image is designed for "Cloud Scale" (CS) platforms, including various fixed-port and modular Nexus 9000 switches. Overview of the NX-OS 10.2(4)M Release
Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(4)M is a maintenance release focused on stability and scaling rather than new features.
Maintenance Status: As a "M" (Maintenance) release, it prioritizes long-term stability and bug fixes over "F" (Feature) releases.
Key Enhancements: It introduced periodic ARP refresh on MAC deletes and provided telemetry onboarding for Nexus Cloud.
64-Bit Architecture: This image is strictly 64-bit. Starting with Release 10.2(2)F, most Nexus 9000 platforms transitioned exclusively to 64-bit images. Compatibility and Platform Support
The nxos64-cs prefix indicates broad support across the Nexus 9000 portfolio, with a few specific exceptions:
Supported Platforms: Supported on Nexus 9000-EX, -FX, -FX2, -FXP, -FX3, -GX, -GX2, and 9364C series fixed switches, as well as modular switches with FM-E/FM-E2/FM-G fabric modules.
Unsupported Platforms: This specific nxos64-cs image is not for the Nexus 9500 -R and -R2 series or the Nexus 9800 series, which require the nxos64-msll or nxos64-s1 images respectively. How to Download nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin
To download this official image, you must have a valid Cisco Service Contract.
Access the Cisco Software Central: Navigate to the Cisco Software Download portal.
Select Your Hardware: Search for your specific Nexus 9000 model (e.g., Nexus 93180YC-EX).
Choose the Release: Select NX-OS Software and navigate to version 10.2(4)M. nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin download
Verify the Checksum: After downloading, always verify the MD5 or SHA512 checksum to ensure file integrity before transferring it to your switch. Upgrade Best Practices
Check the Matrix: Use the Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 Upgrade Matrix to confirm your current version can move directly to 10.2(4)M.
Copy to Bootflash: Transfer the .bin file to the switch using SCP or SFTP. Note that newer MacOS versions (Ventura and later) may require the -O flag for legacy SCP compatibility with older switch firmware.
Installation Command: The recommended method is the install all command, which automatically handles BIOS updates and compatibility checks:install all nxos bootflash:nxos64-cs.10.2.4.M.bin.
It was 3:47 AM in the silent Network Operations Center. The only light came from six curved monitors, casting a pale glow on Leo’s tired face. For the past fourteen hours, he’d been fighting a ghost.
The spine switches—two Nexus 9508s that formed the core of a financial exchange—had started dropping BGP hellos every 47 minutes. Not long enough to trigger a full outage, just long enough to make high-frequency trading algorithms jitter. Milliseconds lost. Millions at risk.
The culprit wasn't hardware. It was firmware: a subtle heap memory leak in nxos64-cs.10.2.3.m.bin. Cisco had slipped a fix into the release notes two days ago, buried under “Resolved CSCvx12345 – occasional BGP keepalive jitter on 9508 platform.”
The solution was nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin.
Leo had it ready on his laptop—a 1.2GB image that could either save his career or turn 10,000 live trading sessions into digital tumbleweeds. No maintenance window until Sunday. Today was Thursday.
His manager, Priya, appeared behind him with two black coffees. “You’re staring at it like it’s a bomb.”
“It is a bomb,” Leo muttered, not looking away from the SCP command he'd typed but hadn’t executed. copy scp://leo@tftp-server/nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin bootflash:
“Do it in ISSU,” Priya said. “In-Service Software Upgrade. We lose zero packets.”
Leo laughed dryly. “In theory. If the stateful switchover works. If the line cards don’t panic. If the fabric modules don't decide to renumber themselves.”
He had a ritual: read the release notes three times. Check the hardware compatibility matrix. Verify the digital signature. Check the MD5. He did all that. The file was clean. The signature matched. The SHA-512: a1f4e7c3b90d2a... He’d memorized the last eight hex digits: c3f0ba77.
But still, his finger hovered over the Enter key.
Then the alerts went red. Spine-2’s memory usage hit 94%. At 96%, the supervisor would restart BGP. At 98%, the whole process would crash.
Leo stopped hesitating.
switch# install all nxos bootflash:nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin
The console scrolled fast. “Pre-upgrade check – PASSED.” “Compatibility check – PASSED.” “Verifying digital signature – VALID.”
Then came the heart-stopper: “Reloading standby supervisor.”
In the rack behind him, he heard the faint click of a relay. The active supervisor was still alive. Traffic flowed. No one in the trading floor above knew anything was happening.
“Standby supervisor online – ISSU ready.”
“Upgrading line cards – one by one.”
Each line card took 90 seconds. During each switchover, the forwarding ASICs kept pushing packets—just at hardware speed, no CPU involvement. The magic of ISSU. Twelve cards. Eighteen minutes of pure faith.
At 4:09 AM, the final line: “Upgrade complete. Active supervisor running nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin. System stable.”
Leo watched BGP peers. 47 minutes passed. Then 94. Then three hours.
No drops. Memory usage: 22%.
He leaned back, coffee cold and untouched. Priya was already walking toward the elevator to brief the morning traders.
Later that week, Leo posted a tiny internal wiki entry: “NX-OS 10.2.4 deployment notes.” At the bottom, in a monospace font, he wrote:
The download isn’t the hard part. The hard part is trusting the signature, the process, and your own breath holding for 18 minutes. But when it works, you hear the data center exhale.
And somewhere deep in the logs of the Nexus 9508, the upgrade marker remained: nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin installed – 2025-03-19 – resolved CSCvx12345 – also resolved: one engineer’s insomnia.
To download the nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin image for Cisco Nexus 9000 switches, you must access the official Cisco portal. This specific 64-bit image is supported on various Nexus 9000 series fixed and modular switches, excluding certain -R and -R2 series. Official Download Procedure
Access Cisco Software Central: Navigate to the Cisco Software Download page.
Product Selection: Follow the path Switches > Data Center Switches > Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches, then select your specific hardware model.
Release Version: Choose the 10.2(4)M release from the software version menu.
Requirements: You will need a valid Cisco.com login and an active service contract (SmartNet) associated with your account to authorize the download. Key Technical Details
Support & Features: Release 10.2(4)M introduced onboarding for Nexus Cloud to enable telemetry collection.
Compatibility: The nxos64-cs prefix indicates support for most Nexus 9000 models, including -EX, -FX, -FX2, and -GX series. Modular -R and -R2 switches typically require the nxos64-msll image instead.
Transfer Note: If you encounter "subsystem request failed" errors when transferring the file via SCP from a modern macOS (Ventura or later) or OpenSSH 9.0+, use the -O flag in your SCP command to force the legacy protocol.
For further guidance on the upgrade process, you can refer to the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide.
Here’s a content outline and description you could use for a page or post related to downloading the nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin file (typically Cisco Nexus 9000 series NX-OS software image):
This process will reload the switch, causing service disruption. Plan a maintenance window.
If you want, I can produce a step-by-step upgrade procedure tailored to a specific Nexus model or create a checklist you can print for maintenance. Which Nexus platform are you using?
nxos64-cs.10.2.4.M.bin is a 64-bit software image for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches running Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(4)M . This release, made available on October 27, 2022
, is part of the "Long-Lived" (M) maintenance release cycle designed for stability in mission-critical data center environments. Key Image Details Platform Support
prefix indicates support for Cisco Nexus 9000 series fixed switches (EX, FX, FX2, FX3, GX, GX2) and modular switches with specific fabric modules (FM-E, FM-E2, FM-G). 64-bit Architecture
: Starting with Release 10.2(2)F, many Nexus platforms shifted exclusively to 64-bit images, making this file the standard for supported hardware. Unified Image
: This single binary often serves multiple switch families, simplifying the Cisco Software Download process for network administrators. Release 10.2(4)M Features
While this maintenance release did not introduce brand-new software features, it focused on hardware expansion and stability enhancements: Nexus Cloud Telemetry
: Enables onboarding of supported switches to Nexus Cloud for enhanced telemetry collection. Periodic ARP Refresh
: Introduced a command to track MAC deletes and send ARP refreshes on L3 VLAN interfaces. Scalability
: Includes scale enhancements for large-scale data center deployments. Upgrade Considerations The "Install All" Method recommends using the install all
command for upgrades. This method automatically performs compatibility checks and necessary BIOS upgrades. Interim Hops
: If upgrading from an older version (e.g., 9.x) to a much newer one (e.g., 10.3 or higher), users may need to use an interim release like 10.2(3)F as a "hop". Known Issues As a maintenance release (the 4th in the
: Some users have reported critical errors like boot loops (shared library errors) when upgrading older hardware like the 93180YC-EX directly to this version without following proper upgrade paths. Cisco Community
For the most accurate compatibility information for your specific hardware, consult the
The file nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin is the system image for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches running Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(4)M. This 64-bit image is specifically designed for Nexus 9000 cloud-scale switches, including the -EX, -FX, -FX2, -FXP, -FX3, -GX, -GX2, and 9364C series fixed switches, as well as modular switches. Download and Documentation
Official Download: You can find the image on the Cisco Software Download page by selecting Switches > Data Center Switches > Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches and then choosing your specific hardware model.
Release Notes: For detailed information on features, open issues, and resolved bugs for this version, refer to the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release Notes, Release 10.2(4)M.
Upgrade Guide: Step-by-step instructions for installing this image can be found in the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Software Upgrade and Downgrade Guide. Key Features of 10.2(4)M
Periodic ARP Refresh: A new feature that allows the ARP process to track MAC deletions and send ARP refreshes at a configured interval.
Nexus Cloud Support: Provides telemetry collection capabilities by onboarding switches to Nexus Cloud.
Maintenance Release: As an "M" release, it focuses on stability and long-term support for existing hardware features rather than introducing new hardware platforms.
The file nxos64-cs.10.2.4.M.bin is a 64-bit maintenance release image of the Cisco NX-OS operating system, specifically designed for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches. This software image represents a critical component for network administrators maintaining data center infrastructure, as it belongs to the "Long-lived" maintenance train (indicated by the "M" suffix), which prioritizes stability and bug fixes over new feature sets. Overview of the Software Image
The naming convention of the file provides specific technical details about its application:
nxos64-cs: Indicates a 64-bit "Cloud Scale" image. This image is supported on nearly all Nexus 9000 fixed-configuration switches (such as the -EX, -FX, -FX2, and -GX series) and modular chassis.
10.2(4): The version number. Release 10.2(4)M became available around October 27, 2022.
M: Denotes a Maintenance Release. These releases are aimed at stabilizing the software through extensive bug fixes rather than introducing new hardware or software capabilities. Key Features and Enhancements in 10.2(4)M
While this release focuses on stability, it included specific enhancements for the Nexus 9000 platform:
Nexus Cloud Telemetry: Introduced the ability to onboard supported Nexus switches to Cisco Nexus Cloud, enabling advanced telemetry and cloud-based management.
Periodic ARP Refresh: Added a new command to configure intervals for ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) refreshes when MAC addresses are deleted, improving L3 VLAN interface tracking.
Scale Enhancements: Provided updated scalability limits for various network protocols, which are detailed in the Cisco Verified Scalability Guide. Download and Installation Requirements
To download and use this image, users must follow official Cisco procedures:
Access Requirements: Downloading requires a valid Cisco.com login and an active service contract (e.g., SmartNet) associated with the hardware.
Download Location: The file is found at the Cisco Software Central under Switches > Data Center Switches > Nexus 9000 Series.
Upgrade Path: Before installing, administrators should use the Cisco Software Advisor to verify the upgrade path from their current version, as some jumps may require intermediate "hop" releases.
Hardware Compatibility: This "cs" prefix image is not supported on Nexus 9500 -R and -R2 series modular switches, which require the "msll" image variant instead. Best Practices for Deployment
Always maintain out-of-band console access during upgrades. Network failures during a reload can brick the switch without local console.
Before attempting to download or install nxos64-cs.10.2.4.m.bin, ensure the following:
Understanding the filename structure is crucial for ensuring you download the correct image for your hardware.
This specific image is intended for Cisco Nexus 3000 series and Nexus 9000 series switches running in NX-OS mode (not ACI mode). Who should skip this
Cisco NX-OS software is not publicly available. You need an active SmartNet or equivalent support contract that covers your Nexus device. Without this, you cannot legally or technically access the download.
