UC Automatic installations

[Justin Pascal]

Hi all,

I need to install a CUCM Cluster (pub and sub), CUC, CUP 10.x every week. Im using BE6K servers (ESXi 5.5).

Installs need to be done every week or so (For training) any recommendation in how to do this? New install is just UC software, clean configs.

I have seen PCD but looking for other alternatives

Thank you

[Manish Gogna · Accepted solution]

Hi Justin,

If this is for lab purpose only then you can use the VM Copy feature. Copying a Virtual Machine (VM) copies both the virtual server  configuration and the workload (UC OS and application) running on that  virtual server to a file on networked shared storage. This allows VMs to  be copied, then subsequently modified or shut down. This feature  effectively provides a method to do full system backup/restore, take  system images or revert changes to software versions, user data and  configuration changes.Prior to copying, the VM must first be shutdown (which will shut down the virtual server, the UC OS and the UC application).

You can also take VMware snapshots of freshly built UC VM's.

There is an option of unattended installs as well, as described in the following link

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/install/10_0_1/CUCM_BK_I95AD2FE_00_installing-cucm-100/CUCM_BK_I95AD2FE_00_installing-cucm-100_chapter_01001.html#CUCM_TK_P38B7D01_00

Manish

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[Justin Pascal]

Hi Manish,

I tried the unattended install in my lab server for CUCM/CUC 9.0 and 10.5 and I always get prompted to skip Media check and then confirm if I want the Virtual disk to be overwritten. Once I complete this steps installs runs without asking for any information. Is this normal?

Is there a way to skip Media check and virtual disk confirmation?

Attached you will find my platformConfig.xml (I changed it to .txt to be able to upload it)

Thank you

[Manish Gogna]

Hi Justin,

I remember someone getting it to work on one of the previous posts with similar query and the person who posted it was able to get it to work himself

https://supportforums.cisco.com/discussion/12516426/solved-unattended-installation

he did not mention the steps that were performed to accomplish the same, you may reply on that post and see if there is any revert.

Manish

[Jaime Valencia]

Why not simply create as many VMs as you would need, manually or via copy , and change the vDisk settings to independent / nonpersistent????

Have your users do whatever they need, and then simply shut them down to remove all that, and have them fresh for next class??

That's what they do in most training centers.

[Justin Pascal]

What about for production new deployments? What Cisco recommends? Is there a way to do remote installations? Lets say connect to my ESXi and deploy a VM with CUCM, CUC and CUP?

[Jaime Valencia]

Let me put it this way, my lab/office is about 15 miles away from home, and I have my UCS and NAS at the lab, and I can do, whatever I need, remotely. Install, upgrade, migrate, etc.

Yes, as long as you have the right equipment, you can do whatever you want remotely.

If you have enough BW, and patience, you can even try to load the ISOs from your machine, but that might be prone to errors.

There are no recommendations, there are options, and you choose whatever you like, you can use based on what you have, or what you need.

[Justin Pascal]

Mr Jaime,

Thanks for the feedback, what does Cisco partners use to perform remote installs/upgrade for CUCM/CUC/CUP?

Thank you

[Jaime Valencia]

I already mentioned you the options, this is more a matter of what installation option from ESXi you want to use, if you want further information on options, you should go to VMWare for that kind of information. After all, our products run over ESXi, and you use vSphere for all that.