*** Jan 2025 / added note on Fragmenation issue (results phones being stuck in asking for migration license
*** added note on 7821 v26 support for MPP migration
hi all,
looking how to convert your CUCM-registered IPPhones(running Enterprise firmware) to MPP firmware and add them in Webex Calling solution ? Are you looking to automate this process?
If answer is yes on these questions, then we have good news.
Webex Control Hub offers a tool to do all the above in automated mode!
It is called ''Migrate Enterprise phones to Multiplatform (MPP) firmware'' tool and can be found under ''Updates and Migrations'' Control Hub section.
Related documentation can be found here:
https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/n19c71/Migrate-Your-Phone-to-Webex-Calling
Important notes:
1) This tool could work with IPPhones running Enterprise firmware that are either CUCM-registered or are non-CUCM-registered. Our focus in this post is CUCM registered devices. Plus we focus on the ''Auto Phone Migration'' option that appears during the process, if CUCC is available. This is the best option if you have CUCM and CUCC. If CCUC is not there, some steps can be done manually as help article indicates.
2) This tool adds selected devices/IPPhones to Webex Calling existing users or existing or newly created workspaces.
So users have to be already defined in Webex Control Hub.
Workspaces could be already defined or tool could create new workspaces.
3) This is the reason that during data import:
-if device is added as user device, you just need to define the user, MAC Address, model and Webex Calling location.
-if devices is added to an existing workspace device, then you need to define additional items like workspace name, extension, phone number.
-if device is added to a newly created workspace(that tool will create) then you need to define some extra items : PSTN option and Webex Calling license type and subid.
4) As mentioned this tool adds devices to existing users. But if you want a tool to add users and some of their parameters (primary line,etc.) and cover also the devices firmware migration and addition to Webex Calling solution, then you need to select the below tool: ''Migrate calling from UCM platforms to Cisco Webex Calling'' tool (also found in Updates & Migrations section in Webex Control Hub). Soon will share a community post on that tool.
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So let's have a look on what the ''Migrate Enterprise phones to Multiplatform (MPP) firmware'' tool does:
a) Informs you on basic requirements
You need to have Webex Calling licenses on your webex org, to have Webex Calling location and PSTN option configured, have added users in your webex org, etc.
b) Define your selected IPPhones and related parameters via csv
via csv you can define :
- which IPPhones you want to migrate (model, MAC address)
- on which Webex Calling location these devices should be added
- if the device will be added as workspace device or as a user-associated device
- the workspace name, extension and Phone number (for workspace devices only)
- the Webex Calling Workspace license type and subid that you want to utilize (for newly created workspace devices only)
- the PSTN option that you want to provide to the device (for newly created workspace devices only)
c) Check device eligibility
Next when your import csv is ready you can upload it and then run ''check device migration eligibility''.
This will tell you if the devices in question are eligible to be added in Webex Calling solution.
Sidenote: you can find in below url the devices (note that for some models you need specific hardware revision) that supported by Webex Calling solution.
https://help.webex.com/en-us/article/n19c71/Migrate-Your-Phone-to-Webex-Calling#reference_8D414CFFB3C932B90401A54185BA16E2
Important note: till this point there is no actual impact on existing devices. You can see this more as a preparation step. So you could run the above-mentioned steps without impacting your production CUCM services and phones.
d) Start actual migration
After device eligibility check, you could proceed (for the devices that are eligible) with ''Complete Migration'' task.
Then you will see two options: Auto or Manual Phone migration.
Auto Phone migration option will appear if you are running Cloud Connected UC (CCUC) service (for details on CUCC, check this community post). In general I would recommend, running CUCC for your CUCM deployment and the automation that CUCC provides in this step is one more reason to have it running.
So when you select Auto Phone migration via CCUC and you define some parameters (your CUCM cluster and TFTP server), then CCUC will do all the rest for you (will take care of putting the MPP firmware files needed on your TFTP, will run the necessary procedures in order to migrate phone firmware).
Important note: obviously when you select to migrate phones via above process, then IPPhones in your CUCM will restart and whole fimware migration procedure will start. So this step should be run outside production hours and in a scheduled way.
e) Reporting or ''what have you done?''
In the end, tool will provide you a report on the outcome of the migration process and will inform you if there were any errors during the whole process. In the end you can see the devices that have been added by the tool in your webex org.
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Before closing this post, I would like also to reference this great CiscoLive session by Joe Martini:
Migrating IP phones from Unified Communications Manager (on-premises) to Webex Calling (cloud) by a TAC Engineer - BRKCOL-2064
in this session, Joe explains in great detail the various options for Ent to MPP firmware migration, along with best practices.
From 50:00 min, it mentions this automated process (via CUCC) we talk about in (d) and (e).
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Additional note:
7821 v26 is now supported to migrate to MPP (see reference below)
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/cuipph/7800-series/14-3-1/p2ad_b_7800-rn-1431.html#pa2d_r_7821-convert-onprem-to-mpp
So if you use Automated process via CH Tool (to migrate ent to mpp firmware), tool will push 14.3.1 ent firmware to your CUCM TFTP (to cover 7821 v26 or later that might be there).
Additional note on fragmentation problem (DF setting):
There are cases where phones have completed firmware migration and are stuck asking for migration licenses. In some of these cases, as problem report from the IPPhone indicates, issue is related to fragmentation.
As Joe Martini mentions in ''Ask Cloud Upgrader (upgrade.cisco.com) External'' space :
''when your phone tries to connect to the license location the error in the phone indicates a problem with fragmentation. If you only have one phone exhibiting this problem you can delete the phone from Control Hub, factory reset it, then access the phone's admin web page through a browser. Then follow these steps to set Disable DF to No. Then reboot the phone and it should work.
If you have multiple phones, if you open a TAC case we can change the backend config file to have the Disable DF value changed for all your phones at a certain location/site.''
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Will try in next revisions of this community post to add extra info and insights.
So stay tuned
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Index of all my collab community posts --> Looking for info on Cisco Collab solutions ?
Recent community posts on Webex Calling:
Top reasons that make Webex Calling the right choice
Webex Calling Top Resources
Webex Calling News Feed (at a glance)
Webex Calling - unique Customer Experience Basic and Essential options
Why move to Webex Calling? (for existing onprem CUCM customers) (ppt)
Webex app calling integration with Microsoft Teams
Leverage the power of Webex app - callerid screenpop use case
Webex Calling LGW(Local Gateway)-DNA Essentials or Advantage
Webex Calling training for customers (admin and user users)
thanks!
Alkiviadis