[c-nsp] 12.2(18)SXF3 vs. 12.1E

[Jared Mauch]

On Mon, Mar 27, 2006 at 07:54:58AM -0700, John Neiberger wrote:
> We have a 6513 with SUP2/MSFC2 running a later version of 12.1E. Our
> security admin wants to upgrade an FWSM module to the latest code but
> that requires an upgrade of the 6513 code to 12.2(18)SXF3. That code has
> *way* more features than we need but it is a required release to support
> the new FWSM code.
> 
> My big worry is stability. Do any of you have any comments about its
> stability, especially in relation to 12.1E? Maybe it's just me but I get
> a little freaked out running code with multiple initials at the end.
> 
> Any thoughts?

	12.1E has been "feature dead" for quite some time (years i think)
and only gets bugfixes.  Obviously moving to the latest feature+bugfix
software will be a risk, but likely a worthwhile one.

	here's why:

	1) the SX* feature set will provide you ability to do
a lot more things (eg: ipv6, etc..)
	2) new hardware will become available to you that is not
supported in 12.1E.
	3) keeping at least one box in production/lab close to what
the current leading edge of things with any vendor provides you the
ability to sanity check anything crazy that comes out of them.
	it also means if you encounter a case (new hardware or
software feature) that you need to deploy faster than what you can test
you are not jumping in entirely in foreign soil.

	- jared

-- 
Jared Mauch  | pgp key available via finger from jared at puck.nether.net
clue++;      | http://puck.nether.net/~jared/  My statements are only mine.