How do I replace hardware - SMA M160 with M380

[kisdsysan01]

I need to replace an IronPort SMA M160 with a M380. I haven't found a matching AsyncOS required in order to perform the documented backup/transfer procedure. What is the process for upgrading the hardware from an the M160 to the M380 while maintaining message tracking data?

[Robert Sherwin]

You should be able to get a 1:1 match for the revision of AsyncOS running on the M160 with the version on the M380.  After that - you'll be able to use the same configuration and load successfully to from the M160 to the M380.

What version of AsyncOS is on the M160 currently?  Upgrade will retain the data from message tracking, quarantines, etc.  

What version is on the M380?

In order to transfer the data, will be just following:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/content-security-management-appliance/118459-technote-sma-oo.html

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/content-security-management-appliance/118441-technote-sma-00.html

-Robert

[kisdsysan01]

Thanks for the information Robert. That is the issue that I am having - I am not able to match the version... The M160 is at 9.1.2-013.

The M380 is at 9.6.1-019. If I connect through the CLI and use the revert command, the versions I can revert to are:

9.1.1-005

9.0.0-89

8.1.1-003

Is there something else that I am missing?

Jonathan

[Robert Sherwin]

So - 9.1.2-013 is a Maintenance Release, and does not have a hop forward.  That is where the issue will be.

We could revert back to 9.1.1-005 and have the M380 provisioned to go to 9.1.2-013 --- but, you will be relegated to remain at 9.1.2-013 until there is a QA'd path forward.

[kisdsysan01]

Thank you Robert.

According to the compatibility matrix: "Compatibility with Email Security Appliances"

SMA 9.1.x (SMA 9.1.2 is for x60 hardware only) IS COMPATIBLE WITH ESA 9.1.x (except ESA 9.1.2).

The ESA appliances are at 9.7.1-066.

Thoughts on overcoming this?

Jonathan

[Robert Sherwin]

Getting the M160 to 9.6.1-019 is very doable.  I know that one customer just went through this with me this very week.  You should be good to revert and be able to move forward around 9.1.2-013.

Keep in mind with revert though --- as this is destructive, and does remove all data, logs, configuration --- so, assure that you either have a backup configuration of the version you are reverting to either previously saved, or FTP to the appliance, and check the configuration directory to see if you have saved configuration there for the previous version configuration.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/email-security-appliance/118337-technote-esa-00.html

Here, for example, you can see I have past copy of my 9.9.5-039 configuration on ESA:

robert@groot:/var/log$ ftp 192.168.1.189
Connected to 192.168.1.189.
220 mail.igo232.com Cisco FTP server (V10.0.0) ready
Name (192.168.1.189:robert): admin
331 Password required.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> cd configuration
250 CWD command successful.
ftp> ls
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening ASCII mode data connection for file list
drwxrwx--- 2 root config 512 Feb 16 14:42 iccm
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 1117 Feb 16 14:52 profanity.txt
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 90 Feb 16 14:52 proprietary_content.txt
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 2119 Feb 16 14:52 sexual_content.txt
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 29145 Feb 16 14:52 ASYNCOS-MAIL-MIB.txt
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 1295 Feb 16 14:52 IRONPORT-SMI.txt
-r--r--r-- 1 root wheel 467071 May 25 10:09 config.dtd
-r--r--r-- 1 root wheel 467544 May 25 10:09 cluster_config.dtd
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 115980 Apr 26 11:12 C100V-564D9DD6826015BCB2B2-1525163C7440-20160426T111215-9.9.5-039.xml
-rw-rw---- 1 admin config 115975 May 25 09:31 C100V-564D9DD6826015BCB2B2-1525163C7440-20160525T093124-10.0.0-024.xml
226 Transfer Complete
ftp>

So, if I knew I wanted to revert this ESA back to 9.9.5-039, I would want to FTP that XML off to local host for re-load of that configuration once I have the revert completed.

-Robert