Cisco ISE Upgrade Paralellal Mode

[spazziani]

Good afternoon,

Has anyone upgraded ISE, but using the backup and restore method? Do you know when I request to upgrade the license from version 2.1 (.LIC file) to version 2.7 (License on smart software license) will the ISE license from version 2.1 stop working?

I have in mind that it will not stop because it is a .LIC file installed in ISE 2.1. What Cisco will do is upgrade the Cisco portal and add it to the customer's smartaccount portal. Has anyone done this?

[Aref Alsouqi]

Upgrade won't be done through backup/restore. If you are referring to expanding the HD and resources, then I think the only option would be to spin up new VMs, assuming your environment is virtual. Regarding the licenses, they won't stop working, however, with ISE version 2.4+, the licensing model has changed, and now each VM has to be licenses based on its resources, if small, medium or large. What you would need to do is to raise a TAC, asking Cisco to send you the new model licenses, or associate them to your smart account if you will be registering ISE with your smart account. Those licenses would be at no extra cost, but you need to provide Cisco with the new ISE nodes (upgraded) UDIs, and the sales order number. Also, please take a look at this post of mine, might be useful:

https://bluenetsec.com/increase-ise-nodes-disk-space-workaround/

[Mike.Cifelli]

Adding additional info to @Aref Alsouqi post.  I recently migrated a 4 node vm cluster from 2.4p9 to 2.7p2 specifically to increase HD size.  Keep in mind you can increase RAM without the need to build new/migrate.  Just make sure you stop services and halt the node.  If you deploy new VMs you will have 90 days worth of trial lics, but if you work with your Cisco reps they should be able to assist with the smart account/new vm licensing migration.  Lastly, as a heads up during my migration I hit the following bug where the cluster had issues with both radius/t+ live logs appearing (https://bst.cloudapps.cisco.com/bugsearch/bug/CSCvp45528/?rfs=iqvred).  HTH!

[spazziani]

@Aref Alsouqi   @Aref Alsouqi 

Thanks a lot for your help.

I understand that I re-image because of the disk.

I will re-image the new Cisco ISE on version 2.7 and at the same time I will the Cisco ISE on version 2.1 need to be running in my environment.

I will migrate the services from 2.1 to 2.7 in phases. This process will take 60 days. My doubt is if I ask for Cisco to migrate the license file.LIC from 2.1 to 2.7 (I will use traditional license cisco ise 2.7).

Does the license Cisco ISE 2.1 stop work after Cisco does the upgrade?

Thanks

I would need the license works in both enviroment while I migrate the services in phases.

[Aref Alsouqi]

You welcome. They should not as those licenses installed on the 2.1 appliances are locally activated.

[Damien Miller · Accepted solution]

While not widely advertised, the traditional licensing on the 2.1 deployment will continue exist if you rehost the licensing and install it on the new 2.7 nodes or ideally in to a smart account. There is no recall mechanism built in to ISE deployment and as such this can't be enforced by Cisco. This is one of the drivers for Smart licensing and why all Cisco products are moving to it. The honor system is generally OK, but it has leakage. 

My suggestion would be to rehost the licensing in to your smart account, while you are upgrading/migrating you will have two copies or licensing, but this will be temporary since you are decommissioning the 2.1 deployment.