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CUCM In Place upgrade from 8.5 to 10.5 - error unsupported unaligned partition error

Yort Mantup
Level 4
Level 4

Wanted to share my experience and get some input

Current:  CM 5.5.1.12900-7

Upgrading to:  10.5.1.10000-7

Virtualized Env.  (2) UCS 210M2

1 Pub  1 Sub

 

Attempted the upgrade this past weekend and ran into the unsupported error partitions unaligned issue. Worked with TAC and because I do not have the resources on the server to bring up a new VM to install a fresh copy of 10.5,  I had to wipe away the PUB and install fresh copy of 8.5 (same version as before) and then do the same for the SUB and restored from backup.  Basically tested our DR recovery procedure.

TAC told me the issue was because I did not install the ciscocm.version3-keys.cop.sgn file on the SUB before upgrading the PUB.  I was not planning on installing it until I was ready to upgrade SUB.  I do have the cop files installed on both nodes now.  This didn't sit well and the more I thought about it afterwards the more I questioned TAC's response. 

 

Here were my exact steps:

  1. Verify good DRS back-up.

  2. Remove any snapshots

  3. Use RTMT to clear out old logfiles.Go to Trace and Log Central in RTMT, select Collect Files, choose a time period (previous 6 month), do not zip the files and check the box to Delete the files from the server.Do this to avoid Common Partition being full possibility.  (Did this prior to step 1)

  4. Install ciscocm.version3-keys.cop.sgn

  5. Install refresh.cop file

  6. Shut down Pub VM

  7. Change the guest OS version to RHEL 6 (64 bit)

  8. Increase the VDisk Space on hard disk 2 from 80GB to 110GB.Leave hard disk 1 at 80GB.

  9. Take Snapshot of VM in case issue with step 8.

  10. Modify the network adapter to use the VMXNET 3 adapter type.Will follow option 1 from the 10.5OVA Read Me.Requires modifying existing .vmx file

  11. Remove Snapshot

  12. Mount 10.5.1 ISO and run upgrade.Switch new version after upgrade option..

When the PUB came up and I had the error.  I was unable to take a backup of the 10.5 upgrade - seems to be an issue with the DRS backup - did not try restarting the DRF Master and DRF Local services on the CUCM Cluster.. just proceeded with the rebuild to original 8.5

I felt that because I was doing an in place upgrade on existing hardware and the partitions are currently aligned, I should be ok.  

I am planning on another go this weekend and will have a contingency plan in place to get to 10.5 if I encounter the error again.  Looking for any input as to what I could have done differently, if there is anything to avoid the issue.

31 Replies 31

tonyperla
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Hi Troy,

Your steps look fine to me with the exception of #8.  Your current setup is based on an Cisco provided 8.5 OVA correct?  I know in the upgrade guides, if your CM is based on a OVA utilizing 2 80GB hard drives then they both need to be increased to 110GB.  I will dig around for the documentation but that may also be the reason you are seeing the unaligned partitions message.  I forgot to add, to make sure you are also installing the ciscocm.vmware-disk-size-reallocation-1.0.cop.sgn file before you modify the HDD's.

Hope this helps

Tony

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Thanks,
Tony

Thank you for the reply.  I am reviewing documentation also because I remember reading in a cisco Doc that if current CM is using two vdisks then change the second to 110gb. It's quite possible I read it wrong however.  Appreciate your input and verification on #8. 

Right, where the confusion lies is that the 8.5 OVA utilizes 2-80 GB HDD's.   In a round about way they are telling you to make sure to increase both of your drives and not just one of them because from the 8.6 and above OVA's they only use 1 HDD.   You should also add a step in between 5 and 6 for the install of the ciscocm.vmware-disk-size-reallocation-1.0.cop.sgn file.

 

Hope this helps

Tony

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Thanks,
Tony

did some further reading.. what I understand is this error occurs most often when the correct OVA was not used in the original deployment.  We had an outside vendor upgrade our system years ago to the current virtualized environment and 8.5.  Reading the notes on the VM it says CM 8.0 OVA template used.  I have not checked further to see if there were any differences between 8.0 and 8.5 OVA templates.  I know when I rebuilt my servers with fresh installs of 8.5 I used the existing OVA that the vendor used which was 8.0.  - so if this was the cause then I am most likely going to run into again with attempt #2. 

If/When that occurs I plan to be ready to take a back up of 10.5 and since I do not have enough resources for a new VM, blow away the PUB, deploy new 10.5 OVA, install fresh copy of 10.5.

While doing this can I keep the SUB up and running on 8.5?

Should I just proceed with blowing away the SUB (8.5) deploy same 10.5 OVA and install fresh copy of 10.5?

Once both Sub and Pub are on fresh 10.5 restore from back up?

Sound right?  

I believe if they are Cisco based OVA's then you should probably be fine.  From what I have seen, it is when someone builds a VM from scratch without an OVA that causes the issue not an older OVA version. In my personal experience, I have started with an 8.5 OVA, upgraded to 9.1 and then to 10.5.  All I have done is follow this Cisco upgrade guides on what should be performed with each upgrade.  Also with each upgrade I look at the appropriate OVA for that version and make the necessary changes to assure that the required resources are configured.  I still see the reason for you seeing the unaligned partitions message is due to the fact that you had one 80GB HDD and a 110GB HDD.  Plus I am not seeing any mention that you used the appropriate Cisco COP file for the disk size reallocation. 

 

Hope this helps

Tony

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Thanks,
Tony

Thank you for your reply.  I plan on performing the exact same steps with only one change and that is your suggestion of changing both HDD's to 110GB. I am also following the upgrade guide and OVA specification changes.

I did not use disk size reallocation and glad you brought that up.  I read that cop file was optional and only required if there was an issue with not enough common disk partition space.  I have over 50% available on my Pub and 70% on Sub so did not feel the need to install the file. 

 

 

Fair enough but if you are modifying the disk size, that COP must be used.

 

Hope this helps

Tony

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Thanks,
Tony

This where maybe reading to many forums and read-me files causes confusion on my end.  In actuality I am modifying the disk size by changing both HDD from 80gb to 110gb.  I didn't install mainly because I can't switch back to 8.5 if needed. 

You are thinking of this COP file -

ciscocm.free_common_space_v1.3.k3.cop.sgn

 

This COP is the one that creates space on the vDisk by removing the inactive partition.

Hope this helps

Tony

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Thanks,
Tony

correct.  I see now you are referring to the ciscocm.VMware-disk-size-reallocation-1.0.cop.sgn COP file.  After reading the READ ME, I definitely should install this prior to changing the VMDisk sizes.  I'll give it a shot and make sure to make both 110GB. 

Hi, have you reattempted this yet? I am interested to know how this went, especially as you seem to updoing a one step refresh upgrade from 8.5 to 10.5 without going to an interim release such as 8.6 or 9.1 first?

Regards

Hello,

I did and was successful.  However as with any voice upgrade I encountered quite a few obstacles.  I actually upgraded CUCM and UCCX.  I left Unity Connections at 8.5 due to time restraints and plus it works with 10.5 version of CM and UCCX.

Two things I did differently was I installed the VMware-disk-size-reallocation-1.0.cop.sgn and also made the 2nd Vdisk the same as the first (110gb).  Upgraded PUB - no unaligned partition error and then same with SUB. 

Moved to UCCX - upgrade went fine but ran into bug CSCup83263 - Switch-version to 10.5 Fails during BootStrap ConfigCreator.   I knew I would most likely run into this.  A TAC case was placed where they need root access to apply a 10 minute fix.  Once applied - all good.

Testing - I could not call into any of the call centers although my CTI RP's were registered.  Rebooted UCCX and CTI's would not come up.  Hmmm... found that after upgrading to UCCX 10.5.1 the Common Device Configuration profiles inserts in the IP Addressing Mode field the setting IPv4 and IPv6.  Changed this for all Common Device Configs to IPv4 Only and reset them.  My CTI's are back up and able to call into UCCX. 

Faxing - we run RightFax 10.6 using Dialogic Fax Boards.  SIP trunk between CM and RF.  Inbound faxing was working.. outbound was not.  Took a TAC case to find out the following BUG resulting from the upgrade:  CSCuq22701 :  T-38 fails when CM sends multiple re-Invites to fax server. CUCM 10.5.1.  Changing the Media Renegotitate Delay Outbound  from -1 to 500 in the Brooktrout Config Tool in Rightfax restored outbound faxing.

Prompts - some of the prompt are not working (automatic overrides to open and close a call center).. mainly the older ones that were built before CM version 8.  Prompts that I have built since work fine.  Working with TAC on this currently.  They all reference xml files.

Hope this is helpful. 

 

Troy

Thanks for the reply Troy, so to confirm you went direct from 8.5.1 to 10.5 without going to an interim release?

Correct. 

CUCM:  8.5.1.12900-7

UCCX:   8.5.1.11004-25

Direct upgrade to:

CUCM:  10.5.2.11900-3

UCCX:   10.5.1.10000-24

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