ISE config backup and restore between version 2.0 and 3.0?

[Carter Zhu]

A client is running ISE 2.0 and would like to upgrade to 3.0 version. Would it be possible to skip any intermedia version, such as 2.4 -2.7, just backup and restore the config on new 3.0 ISE VM? Feel it is unlikely, but want to get some confirmation, thanks!

[Milos_Jovanovic · Accepted solution]

Hi @Carter Zhu,

No, this won't be possible. Minumum version required for such action is v2.4. You can find relevant guide here.

BR,

Milos

[Carter Zhu]

Thanks @Milos_Jovanovic , that guide was the thing I could not find. 

[david.tran]

@Carter Zhu:  I just completed the migration from ISE 2.2 to ISE 3.0 patch-3.  My environment is a node cluster:

node1:  Primary Admin & Primary MNT,

node2:  Secondary Admin & Secondary MNT,

node3:  PSN

node4:  PSN

Here is how I did it:

a- take a backup of the node1 and import it into a brand new node5 running ISE 2.7 patch 4,

b- build node6, node7, node8 with ISE 3.0 patch-3

c- upgrade node5 to ISE 3.0,

d- patch node5 to patch-3,

e- make nod5 the primary admin & primary MNT,

f- join node6 to the cluster and make it Secondary Admin & Secondary MNT,

g- join node7 and node8 as PSN,

h- make nod6 the Primary Admin & Primary MNT,

i- remove node5 from the cluster,

j- rebuild node5 with ISE 3.0 patch-3,

k- join node5 back into the cluster as Secondary Admin & Secondary MNT,

l- make node5 the primary Admin & MNT and node6 Secondary Admin & MNT

m- Your cluster is now complete,

You have to rebuild node5 because if you do NOT do so, you will have issues when you need to create support file and other issues.  Cisco doesn't document this but it is there.

[Damien Miller · Accepted solution]

As you have already called out, there is no direct 2.0 to 3.0 upgrade/restore path. You would have to restore to an interim version 

You can go 2.0 to 2.4, then 2.4 to 3.0, or you build a new 3.0 deployment and set up everything from new with no restore. 

[Marcelo Morais]

Hi @Carter Zhu ,

 you can only directly upgrade to ISE 3.0 from ISE 2.4, 2.6 and 2.7.

 Please take a look at: ISE 3.0 Release Notes, search for Upgrading to Release 3.0.

Hope this helps !!!

[Arne Bier]

I am doing one of those as we speak - ISE 2.0.1 to ISE 2.7 migration. I chose the ISE 2.4 patch 14 as the intermediate step.

This is a good point to pause and to make changes to the Policy Set - because it might be a mess.

I also found that the Context Visibility was not populated after the migration to ISE 2.7 - but with "application configure ise" option 21 it was synchronised again.