Connect. Secure. Manage.
Catalyst Center Software Management
Plan software-image management through Catalyst Center, covering image selection, compatibility checks, staged deployment and post-upgrade validation.
Devices supported
across the UK
Client locations
supported
Traffic handled
at peak time
Average
response time
Average response is not a resolution time or a contractual guarantee. Support scope and response commitments are agreed for each engagement.
Catalyst Center software management helps organisations control which Cisco software images are used and how upgrades are delivered. It does not remove the need to assess compatibility, maintenance risk and recovery. MCI Network Services builds software-management workflows around the actual device roles and business services, separating image selection, distribution, activation and verification so that each stage has a clear owner and acceptance decision.
Cisco-focused engineering
Design around the platform, traffic and failure behaviour you actually operate.
Change with evidence
Use pre-checks, acceptance criteria and a documented route back.
Operational handover
Keep the configuration, diagrams and responsibilities understandable after delivery.
Establish a supported software baseline
We begin with the device inventory, current releases and the functions each device performs. Hardware family, modules, licences and connected systems can all influence the appropriate target. A release suitable for an ordinary access switch may not be suitable for the same model acting in a fabric or using a specialist feature.
The baseline records the selected image and the reason for choosing it, including relevant support and compatibility information. We do not equate the newest available release with the correct production release. Security requirements, known defects and the customer’s tested feature set are considered together before a target is approved.
Standards & partnerships
Confidence in the team behind your network.
Cisco Partner
Cisco Meraki
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials PlusMCI Network Services is operated by Proxar Ltd. Certifications apply to the certified legal entity and the scope of its certificates. View accreditation information
Organise the image repository and approval process
Images should have a known source, verified identity and an agreed approval status. We review how the repository is populated and who can designate a preferred or golden image. That designation is an operational decision with consequences for later workflows, not merely a convenient label.
The process also distinguishes ordinary images, supported patches and platform-specific packages where applicable. We record dependencies and restrictions so that the team does not select an incompatible component during an urgent change. Access to image-management functions is limited to the roles that need to prepare or approve software work.
A useful starting point
Not sure where to start?
Bring the requirement. We will help you define the engineering work.
Separate distribution from activation
Moving an image to a device and making that device run it are different activities. Where supported, advance distribution can reduce work during a maintenance window, but it still consumes bandwidth and storage and needs monitoring. We choose a sequence that suits site connectivity and device resources.
Activation is planned around the effect on service. Redundant hardware does not automatically make an upgrade interruption-free, and supported reduced-impact methods have specific prerequisites. We explain the expected behaviour for the actual device and topology. Any promise about continuity must be supported by that design and its tests, not by the presence of two boxes in a rack.
Different environments. The same care.
Built around the work
your network supports.
Finance, banking and the wider private sector. We start with the systems and people that depend on your connections.
Finance & banking
Market-data paths, routing and provider coordination on clients’ behalf.
Financial-market services ↗Offices & multi-site teams
Reliable access between people, workplaces and business applications.
Office network design ↗Data centres & cloud
Network boundaries, workload connections and operational ownership.
Data centre networks ↗Use pre-checks as a decision gate
Before activation, we review configuration protection, image availability, device health, storage, management reachability and relevant compatibility checks. Existing alarms or degraded redundancy may make it sensible to postpone. The customer needs an explicit go/no-go point rather than a workflow that proceeds simply because the change was scheduled.
A platform pre-check can identify useful issues, but it does not know every business dependency. Application owners and site teams confirm their readiness where required. Out-of-band access, local hands and recovery media are considered according to the risk. A rollback procedure that depends on an unreachable production path is not a credible recovery plan.
Pilot before expanding the rollout
A representative pilot should exercise the features that matter to the wider estate. We select devices by role and use, not only by convenience. The observation period covers application traffic, monitoring and any specialist functions that could behave differently after the software change.
Findings feed into the rollout plan. The next wave may require a revised image, additional checks or a different maintenance approach. We avoid treating one successful device upgrade as proof that every model and site can follow the same procedure. The approved matrix identifies where the pilot evidence applies and where further validation is needed.
Verify the service after the upgrade
Post-change checks include the running image, configuration, interfaces, routing or switching functions and relevant application paths. We compare the result with the pre-change baseline and look for unexpected errors or lost redundancy. A device returning to inventory is necessary but not sufficient for acceptance.
The record states whether the planned rollback remains available and whether any cleanup is still required. Old images and temporary files are handled according to the supported process, not deleted automatically before the recovery decision is complete. Monitoring continues through the agreed observation period to identify delayed or intermittent problems.
Keep software governance practical
MCI can establish the workflow, carry out a defined upgrade programme or review an existing repository and baseline. The handover includes approved targets, exception owners, test evidence and review triggers. This work is separate from a Catalyst Center platform upgrade, which changes the management system itself. Together, the two lifecycles should provide controlled maintenance without confusing controller availability with network-device readiness.
Talk to a specialist
What does your network need next?
Tell us what you are planning, changing or trying to improve. We will help define a practical next step and the engineering scope.
+44 203 196 6566Choose option 1
sales@proxar.co.ukUK-wide service.
Most of our engineers are based in Kent, with a focus on London, Sussex, Essex and Berkshire.
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