Upgrading from 4.x to 6.x

[tony.hanson]

I'm having a memory cramp here and want to make sure that I'm thinking on the right lines here. I'm upgrading a customer from 4.x to 6.x, I've already verified the server is supported, memory, HD's, so we're good there.

The customer has a PUB and SUB, here's how I'm going to approch the upgrade, let me know if I'm missing something here.

- run upgrade utility to make sure everything is good - on both servers

- install and run DMA on the old 4.x PUB server, record the IP, name, get the files needed on an SFTP server.

- I'm going to put the 4.x SUB on a seperate VLAN that only my PC and the 4.x SUB are on, then let the phones register with the 4.x PUB so they are now working as if the SUB failed.

- I will now run the upgrade on the 4.x SUB and now make it the new 6.x PUB using it's IP, name, etc

- once up and running, services started, license registered and software PAK registered I will unplug the 4.x PUB from the network and plug in the new 6.x PUB

- Once everything comes up I will add the SUB node to the 6.x PUB and install the old 4.x PUB with the 6.x software and make it the new 6.x SUB

Sounds confusing?

Please share any input!

[Hythim Ali El Hadad]

Hi Tony,

It is a very tidy process :)

Only I need to let you know an important thing

Please delete the " VG224*.xml " file from your PUB before taking the DMA,

Unless that , you'll find the DMA file corrupted due to a known BUG and you'll repeat your process after rebuilding the PUB 4.x again to retake your DMA file

This will reduce your downtime to recover again

Wish this be helpful and goodluck in your action

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Tony,

I think you would be better served if you don't try to change the existing Subscriber server to become the new Publisher. This is likely to cause issues. The Steps outlined in this guide would be the preferred method :)

Upgrading to Cisco Unified Communications Manager Release 6.1(3) from Cisco Unified Communications Manager 4.x Releases

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/upgrade/6_1_3/upgrd613.html

Hope this helps!

Rob

[tony.hanson]

Hi Rob, thanks for your input, always like hearing from the best. I was wondering what kind of issue could happen?

I did finally find where I saw that Cisco stated upgrading the old sub first and then once everything is good, upgade the old Pub to be the new Sub, however it was for 7.x. Would that matter 7 or 6 versions?

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Tony,

Good questions! I just think that this process over complicates an already tricky migration. There will likely be IP Adressing conflicts or DNS issues when the "old" Publisher is brought on-line. I am also curious what benefits this path will offer?? It seems like you are looking for a minimal downtime, but the recommended method offers the same opportunity to leave the phones registered to the existing Subscriber while the existing Publisher is upgraded.

I just prefer the "KISS" principal, especially for this type of migration. Can you please provide the document you referenced so we can have a look for any gotchas.

Cheers!

Rob

[tony.hanson]

Thanks again for replying Rob. My thinking was, if somehow the DMA import went south, all I would have to do is reinstall the Sub for 4.x. Worse case they would still have a full functioning system. The presentation is from the 5 day class that Cisco had for the all there new products & features in 7 release. When this topic came up in the slides a few of us in the class had them give more details. I can upload that one presentation but I don't know what the size limit is for this. The whole weeks slides are 143 mb, the one slide is about 2mb.

Thanks again Rob.

[Rob Huffman · Accepted solution]

Hi Tony,

You are most welcome :) If you saw this info from Cisco, it should be good to go! I would ,perhaps, fire up a TAC Case just to verifiy that this method will still fly with a 6.x Migration.

One never knows ;-)

Cheers!

Rob

[Tommer Catlin]

You best bet is to have spare drives. It's the only way to go for backup. Basically, pull the drives out of the Publisher and mark them so you know where they go back. Run the install with the DMA. If it craps out, you can put the old drives back in and figure it out later.

Also, if you have a new server, it's best to run the load off the network. That way you can work out any kinks in the process before changing the existing cluster.

[elvinliang]

Hi, Tony, have you confirmed the approach with TAC for CUCM 6.X, PLEASE let me know , I am having the exact the same project as you. thanks

[Tommer Catlin]

I think it's a little extreme of pulling the Sub into some other VLAN. There really is no need. My basic process is:

DMA the Pub

RTMT your device counts (phones/gateways, PRIs, etc)

Pull the drives on the Pub

Reload with CUCM 6/7 with the DMA file

Load the license

Shutdown the Subscrber

Bring up RTMT on the CUCM 7

Watch the device count equal what you had in CUCM 4.x.

Go through the "list" issues to fix like AC, Media Resources, Speed dials, Corp Directory,etc.

If all works you can go ahead and reload the subscriber, if not, shut down the Publisher, push in the old drives and head back to the planning board

[elvinliang]

Hi, understand the steps for the relative high end servers, however my client is using 7815 in which there is only one harddrive. that's a problem for back up. if DMA is corrupt, I would have nothign left.

[Tommer Catlin]

I think you missed it.... you need to purchase a spare drive. After the DMA process, shut down the server pull out the drive, insert the new drive. Then load up CUCM 6/7 with the DMA file. Your fallback plan is that if it does not work, you can shutdown, insert the old drive and be back to where you were.

DMA only makes a copy of the existing database in 4.x. It does not in anyway remove settings, corrupt existing CUCM databases, etc. You can re-run DMA as many times as you want. I typically run it 3+ times to ensure its a good file. i read the log files, submit to TAC if I question an error or warning, etc.

[elvinliang]

Hi, thanks for replying back to me. here is the part I don't understand since I have never done the upgrade before. for my case, the server is 7815 which means only one drive available, when I pull it out and insert a brand new drive, the install of CUCM 6/7 with DMA would happen on the brand new dirve, would that work ? I was under the impression that the install would happen based on the exisiting old CUCM and spare dirve solution would only work when you have a multiple harddrives with some sort of RAID set up, thanks