Multiple Switches Reporting “Startup Config Parsing Returned Error” on ICX 7150

Question

We received critical alarms in Ruckus One for several switches 
The error message displayed was:

“Startup Config Parsing Returned Error. Please verify the system configuration.”

The alarms were generated between 09/22/2025 17:25 and 18:55.
All affected devices are ICX 7150 switches.

PLEASE HELP 😞

Koenwaa · Answer

That error usually points to an issue with the startup configuration rather than the hardware itself. I'd compare the startup and running configs, check for any unsupported or corrupted lines after recent changes or firmware updates, and validate the config before rebooting. I also found this guide useful for teams building reliable infrastructure from the ground up: https://www.cleveroad.com/software-development-services-for-startups/ Hopefully that helps narrow down the root cause.

aalvarez6 · Answer

Hey Carlos_franco,

Can you please let us know if you have any issues with the ICX switches or if you are only getting that alarm?

The issue could be due to a race condition between the configuration parser and management task initialization during system boot. It appears that the configuration parser (cfg_par) may be attempting to process hostname configuration before the management task (mgmt_task) has fully initialized and entered its ITC message processing loop.

The hostname command triggers an ITC message of type ITC_MSG_TYPE_HOSTNAME_SET from the frontend to the management task backend. The error could be occurring because the management task may not be ready to receive ITC messages when cfg_parser sends the hostname configuration or ITC timeout but since you mentioned there is no functional impact that suggests the issue resolves itself.

To summarize, this message used to come when a configuration is already present, and we are trying to apply the same configuration through running config download.

Best Regards,

Ayleth Alvarez | Sr Technical Support Engineer | TAC