Export/Import option from ESXI to another ESXI for CUCM CMS CUC

[Meddane]

I am planning to migrate collaboration VM including CUCM CMS CUC and Expressway for customer from existing ESXI to another ESXI installed in another server. 

Can we use the export / import option in vmware vCenter for this migration?

Is it supported by cisco and is there any licensing issues?

[Roger Kallberg]

If you install the subscriber with the same network settings you might as well restore it from DRS.

[TechLvr]

I concur with Roger. The most reliable method is to restore each node from backup. After step 5 in your notes, restore the Sub, and IMP. Make sure you backup the whole cluster in step 1 (Pub, Sub, and IMP).

Your method works fine as far as:
All your certificates are self-signed (on CUCM Sub and IMP)
Output of "show version" command on the old Sub and IMP shows no Cop files
TFTP is activated on the Sub, but you have no custom files uploaded on your Sub TFTP i.e.  Custom Background image XML, Jabber XML (on versions lower than 12.x) 
You manually activate all the same services on the new Sub and IMP as the old ones
If any the items above does not hold true about your environment, it is in your best interest to restore each node from backup to save some manual work related to node specific settings since restoring from backup would take care of all of that for you.

[Meddane]

I think in Step 5 I will go with DRS method as it's more reliable as you mentioned. But we need to shutdown the new publisher to make sure they will not get automatically the database and at this point perform the restore backup on the subscribers CUCM and IMP GUI.

The procedure should be:

1-Backup the DRS on the old publisher, including the subscribers CUCM and IMP,  shutdown the three nodes. Note: stop database replication on any subscriber not concerned by the migration.

2-Install a new publisher with the same network settings and security password in the new ESXI server.

3-Install the new Subscriber CUCM and IMP with same network settings on the new ESXI Server.

4-Add the new subscriber and IMP to the new publisher Under System > Server. For IMP (uncheck the High Availability box)

5-a Once the three new nodes are installed, shudown the new subscribers CUCM and IMP. Then Restore the backup into the new publisher.

5-b Once the DRS Restore is completed, shudown the new publisher.

6-Perform the DRS Restore on the new Subscribers CUCM and IMP.

7-Boot the new publisher and the subscribers.

[Roger Kallberg]

There are a few steps in your outline that is not correct or not necessary. First off you don’t need to stop the database replication in step 1. Secondly I would recommend you to do the restore of the publisher as part of your step 2. Then step 4 needs to be done before step 3, otherwise you can not install the new subscribers. Step 5, your first one with this number, can be removed as the restore of the publisher was in a prior step. Your second step numbered as 5 can be excluded, there is no need to shut down your new publisher. Step 7 should be Reboot Publisher and Subscribers, all of them, ie a complete cluster restart.

[Meddane]

"Step 5, your first one with this number, can be removed as the restore of the publisher was in a prior step." If you restore the backup on the new publisher and you install the new subscriber (step 3 and step 4), then the subscriber retrieve the configuration automatically from the new publisher. Can it cause a problem when we do DRS backup on the new subscribers later ? ( step 6).

[Roger Kallberg]

There is a little more to it than “just” database data replication when you restore a subscriber with DRS. It would also restore any certificates and any files put on the server, such as device firmware loads, other installed COP files and other files put on the TFTP part of the file storage. My recommendation would be to restore a backup or make sure that you install all the various COP files that has been installed on the existing subs on the new one and verify that all other files are present on the TFTP file storage, last thing to check is that all certificates are in place.

[Meddane]

To simplify and provide people who read this post a summary, the procedure is:

1-Backup the DRS on the old publisher, including the subscribers CUCM and IMP, shutdown the three nodes.

2-Install a new publisher with the same network settings and security password in the new ESXI server. Restore the DRS Backup on the new publisher.

3-Add the new subscribers "CUCM and IMP" to the new publisher Under System > Server. For IMP (uncheck the High Availability box).

4-Install the new Subscriber CUCM and IMP with same network settings on the new ESXI Server. Restore the DRS Backup on these subscribers.

5-Reboot the new publisher and the subscribers.

[TechLvr · Accepted solution]

Your steps outlined below are good but I made  small corrections on steps 3 and 5. 
1-Backup the DRS on the old publisher, including the subscribers CUCM and IMP, shutdown the three nodes.
2-Install a new publisher with the same network settings and security password in the new ESXI server. Restore the DRS Backup on the new publisher.
3-Delete/re-Add the new subscribers "CUCM and IMP" to the new publisher Under System > Server. For IMP (uncheck the High Availability box).
4-Install the new Subscriber CUCM and IMP with same network settings on the new ESXI Server. Restore the DRS Backup on these subscribers.
5-Reboot the publisher. Once the Pub is all the way up, reboot all  subscribers and IMP any any order or all at once. 

You could also use steps below to restore all three nodes at once.

1-Backup the DRS on the old publisher, including the subscribers CUCM and IMP, shutdown the three nodes.

2-Install a new publisher with the same network settings and security password in the new ESXI server. 

3-Add the new subscribers "CUCM and IMP" to the new publisher Under System > Server. 

4-Install the new Subscriber CUCM and IMP with same network settings on the new ESXI Server. Restore the DRS Backup on the Pub, Sub and IMP at once. You can select these nodes under Restore Wizard Step 4. 

5-After the restore job is completed, reboot the new publisher, once the Pub is all the way up, reboot the Subs and IMP in any order or all at once.   

[Meddane]

Thanks for reviewing, so for DRS Backup on step 4 Sub and IMP, we can restore the backup from the Sub/IMP GUI or from the PUB GUI?

[Roger Kallberg]

You can restore it from either. I’ve always only used the Pub for this, but I see no reason for why it wouldn’t work on the subscriber.

[Roger Kallberg]

If the subscribers are anyway installed with the same network settings as the old once and restored from DRS backup why would it need to be deleted and then re-added in step 3. Wouldn’t it be enough to skip this step and go directly to step 4?

[Meddane]

I agree, we add them on the Pub then we launch the installation.

[Roger Kallberg]

No need to add anything as they would already be there as your just replace the subscribers with an equal named new one.

[Meddane]

What I mean "we add them on the Pub" = under  GUI System > Server, then installing new subscriber STEP4.

[Roger Kallberg]

Yes I got that, but what I mean is that since you restore the publisher it would have the subscriber nodes in that list and as you will install the new subscribers with the same name as the old, that you have turned off, and then restore the backup on them you would not need to add anything on the publisher. I hope that I managed to get my point across this time.