Rolling back

Did you not leave the old version as one of the loaded firmware options? If so can you not just boot to the older version?

Hi J F,

Thanks for your feedback. Let me give you some information for the same:- 

- Firmware downgrade from SFOSv18 to SFOSv17.5.x is not supported.

- Firmware switch is supported like if you have SFOSv17.5.MR6 or later and SFOSv18.0.x then you can switch both of the firmware.

Can you please share details about v18 speed issue?

well when the new release came out it overwrote it. I should have kept it. 

I am not happy that the ability to downgrade being gone was not clearly stated. I wish it was. I am now dealing with internet that can only deliver half of my band with where with the other versions I was easily getting my speed of 400Mbps. I have shared my speed issue in the other thread that talks about speed problems. 

Apurv Patel 

can you explain better why we are not able to downgrade?

Then, what is the meaning of having 2 Firmware version on the XG if you cannot downgrade from one Major release to the previous version?

Is this something that happen because v18 is using a new kernel?

Also, if customers in 2020 have problem with v18 GA and they need to fail-back, they need to format the XG? If this is the case, make sure you inform customers in the release notes and using proper Sophos KB.

Waiting for further information.

Thanks

Agree with better explanation and some kind of waning that you can't go back.

From Apurv Patel post what I get is that when everyone upgraded to the beta, we had v18 EAP and v17.5x. When EAP R1 came v17.xx went away and the appliance had EAP 1 and EAP R1 so no way to go back to v17.5x  Now if you try to go back to v17.5x by using the 17.5x.gpg, the installation will fail. The only way to revert back is using an ISO and doing a clean install. I assume v18 backup is not compatible with v17 as is pretty standard during major upgrades so there is no way of going back unless you had a previous backup and you do a clean install with ISO.

Of course more guidance from sophos is welcome.

Big_Buck goes into more detail in this post https://community.sophos.com/products/xg-firewall/sfos-eap/sfos-v18-early-access-program/f/feedback-and-issues/116302/after-upgrading-to-eap1-1-refresh-1-it-becomes-impossible-to-revert-to-v17-5-8 [;)]

Regards 

I had to rollback to SFOS 17.5.8 MR-8 from SFOS 18.0.0 EAP1 the throughput was extremely diminished and had a huge effect on internet access to the point where it was almost unusable.

Here are the similarities and differences related to downgrade and rollback with v18 vis-a-vis v17.x and earlier:

Support for downgrading to older firmware:

• Devices running v17.5 or earlier: Downgrading using firmware upload is supported. However, when downgraded the device will boot up in the factory default configuration state (the Web console will give the appropriate alert before you continue). Administrators can restore the downgraded firmware's backup.

• Devices running v18 or later: Downgrading using v17.5 or earlier firmware is NOT supported (the Web console will the give appropriate message). v18 uses Grub boot loader. The changed bootloader cannot recognize v17 firmware. Administrators can still use the hardware ISO of v17.5 or an earlier version to get the firewall on an older firmware version and restore the downgraded firmware's backup.

Support for rollback (firmware switch) to older firmware:

• Firmware switch/rollback is supported as usual. As an example, the active firmware on the firewall is v18, and the second firmware version is v17.5. Administrators can switch between these two and the configuration on each will stay as it is.

Recommended upgrade process when you test multiple v18 early access releases:

• This is applicable if you have upgraded to v18 from v17.5. When you upgrade from v18-EAP(x) to v18-EAP(x+1), you can first switch to v17.5 and upgrade from v17.5 directly to v18-EAP(x+1). From there, you can then restore the backup of v18-EAP(x). This way you will always have v17.5 firmware in your second firmware slot, and leave an option open to roll back to v17.5 if needed.

Sincerely,

Your Sophos XG Firewall Product Team

Thanks PMParth for your clarification. I appreciate it. 

Please do not put like on your own reply and do not answer this helped me too. Let the people mark "this helped me" and if they do not do it and the answer is the correct one, I and other moderators will mark the reply as the correct answer.

Hope for a better collaboration.

Kind regards