FDM Software Upgrade Paths

Upgrading FDM Versions

If you use Security Cloud Control to upgrade your FDM-managed firewalls, Security Cloud Control determines which version you can upgrade to and you will not need this topic. If you maintain your own repository of FDM images and upgrade your FDM-managed devices using your own images, this topic explains what upgrade paths are available to you.

You can upgrade an FDM-managed device directly from one major or maintenance version to another; for example, Version 6.4.0 > 6.5.0, or Version 6.4.0 > 7.0.1. You do not need to be running any specific patch level.

If direct upgrade is not possible, your upgrade path must include intermediate versions, such as Version 6.4.0 > 7.0.0 > 7.1.0.

Patching FDM-Managed Devices

You cannot upgrade directly from a patch of one version to a patch of another version, such as from Version 6.4.0.1 > 6.5.0.1. You must upgrade to the major release first, and then patch that release. For example you must upgrade from Version 6.4.0.1 > 6.5.0 > 6.5.0.1.

Firepower Hotfixes

Security Cloud Control does not support hotfix updates or installations. If there is a hotfix available for your device model or software version, we strongly recommend using the configured manager's dashboard or UI. After a hotfix is installed on the device, Security Cloud Control detects out of band configuration changes.

Removing FDM Upgrades

You cannot use Security Cloud Control to remove or downgrade any release type, whether major, maintenance, or patch.

Starting with Secure Firewall Threat Defense defense Version 6.7.0, you can use Firepower Device Manager or the FTD CLI to revert a successfully upgraded device to its state just before the last major or maintenance upgrade (also called a snapshot). Reverting after patching necessarily removes patches as well. After reverting, you must reapply any configuration changes you made between upgrading and reverting. Note that to revert a major or maintenance upgrade to FDM Version 6.5.0 through 6.6.x, you must reimage. See the "System Management" section of a Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device Manager for more information.

Removing FDM Patches

You cannot remove an FDM patch with either Security Cloud Control or FDM. To remove a patch, you must reimage to a major or maintenance release.

Snort Upgrade

Snort is the main inspection engine for the product and is packaged into the Secure Firewall Threat Defense software for your convenience. Version 6.7 introduces an update to the package that you can upgrade to, or revert from, at any time. Although you can switch Snort versions freely, some intrusion rules in Snort 2.0 might not exist in Snort 3.0, and vice versa. We strongly recommend reading about the differences in the Firepower Device Manager Configuration Guide for Version 6.7.0 for more information.

To proceed with upgrading your FDM-managed device to use Snort 3 or to revert from Snort 3 back to Snort 2 from the Security Cloud Control UI, see Upgrade to Snort 3.0 and Revert From Snort 3.0 for FTD respectively.