Cisco UCCE 11.6.1 to 12.5.1 Upgrade concern

[Ramamoorthy Shanmugam]

Dears,

We are planning to upgrade UCCE 11.6.x to 12.0.1 and then 12.6.1. Because my hardware meets the requirements for this release and we can perform a Common Ground upgrade without acquiring extra hardware.

11.6.x from windows 2012  and SQL 2014 to 12.0.1 windows 2016  and SQL 2017.

Then 12.01. from windows 2016  and SQL 2017 to  12.6.1 windows 2019  and SQL 2019.

But as per cisco documents,  “Common Ground Upgrade is not supported if the platform upgrades from Windows Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017 to Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019”

Please clarify!  Our target release will be 12.6.1 with 2019 OS/SQL.

[b.winter]

Hi,

if it's stated there, then it is not supported. In my opinion, there is nothing to "clarify".

[Ramamoorthy Shanmugam]

So all the PCCE/UCCE existing customers from version 12.0.x,12.5.x ( Windows 2016/SQL 2017) to 12.6.1 need to acquire new Hardware to do Technology Refresh Upgrades. Even if  it's my hardware is supported.

What about this statement from Cisco

• Common Ground Upgrades: The Common Ground method is an in-place upgrade performed on your existing virtual machine which involves upgrading the Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise and all other associated software that is hosted on it. If your hardware meets the requirements for this release, you can perform a Common Ground upgrade without acquiring extra hardware.

or 12.6.x will support both Windows 2016 &2019 (Win2k19 Dual Platform changes). we can keep the windows operating system 2016 with CCE 12.6.x.  please advise.

[david.macias]

That's exactly what that means. Don't do an OS/SQL upgrade while moving to 12.6 on supported hardware.

david

[Ramamoorthy Shanmugam]

Thanks, David, for the common ground upgrade if the customer is asked about version 12.6.x with 2019 OS/SQL will tell to customer “Common Ground Upgrade is not supported if the platform upgrades from Windows Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017 to Windows Server 2019 and SQL Server 2019”

[b.winter]

What about this point?

There is a requirement and then there are exceptions to it. That's life.

There probably also other methods than an upgrade, to move from an older version to a newer.

If you want to know which requirements the new version has, then check the upgrade guides / compatibility matrix / etc. Maybe don't need to upgrade your OS at all. But that's your job to find, and the job of the forum, to use google for and present you the correct links.

[balitewiczp]

FWIW, I was reading the same docs.   I ended up doing tech refresh, first from 11.6>to intermediate 12.0 , and then 12.0>12.6.  this was all done in one cutover, as the new hardware /Ucce 12.6 was already running, and we just needed to move the data.    There are multiple EDMT versions you need to use, as well as necessary ES versions if you move to Windows 2019/SQL 2019

[Engnr]

Can't one having supported existing hardware do the tech refresh from 12.0 to 12.5/12.6 on the VMs built in parallel on the same  existing hardware ultimately bringing it all to the new Windows OS and SQL 2019? Of course if capacity of the existing hardware permits.

[Muhammed Ashiq]

We are also planning to move from 11.6 to 12.5 then to 12.6 later. I think Tech refresh is the only option to go with 2019 OS and SQL.

So if we create to new system with UCCE 12.5 (2019 OS&SQL) how we can transfer the data from UCCE 11.6 using EDMT , Do we need to upgrade the 11.6 to 12.0 ?

Also if we are reducing the number of PGs in new setup will it impact the new setup during Data migration?

[Ramamoorthy Shanmugam]

Hi,

For data migration, you need to build an offline system for ICM, CUCM and CUIC data migration.

Build staging VM for ICM.

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Install one VM for ICM 11.6 version ( OS, SQL,ICM software ) and do data migration from Production to the staging server for configuration data & optional if required Historical data.

Upgrade to version 12.0 do data migration(EDMT), then upgrade to 12.5 and do data migration then target version 12.6.x

Once your tech refresh VM is ready do data migration from the Staging server to the new system.

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Build staging server VM for CUCM

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Install CUCM VM’s Production version on all the nodes in the offline system with the Production hostname. ( All the nodes if you have 1 PUB , 2 SUB)

Take DRS backup and restore to staging CUCM servers every time reboot is mandatory. Once all the configuration is available upgrade to the target version and take a DSR backup and restore to the new tech refresh system

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The same procedure is applicable for CUIC and other Linux and centos.

[Zafar Ullah]

Hi Ram

do you have runbook to share for PCCE upgrade from 11.6 to 12.5 ? 

thanks