SFTP Server for Callmanager 5.0(4) backup?

[NPT_2]

What is everyone using for the Backup functionality for Callmanager 5.0(4)? I used to just backup to a network share in 4.1, now that is not an option. Also is there any way to use standard ftp in callmanager 5.0(4) for backups? Any thoughts? I tried to use IIS and it didn't even seem to hit the IIS server.

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Jim,

Have you seen this info from the release notes for CCM 5.0(4);

Some Cisco Unified CallManager services, such as CDR, DRF, and DMA, require a separate FTP or SFTP server. The following FTP server programs have been tested with Cisco Unified CallManager 5.0.

Openssh Server by Red Hat, Inc., Version 3.6.1p2, Release 33.30.4

Cygwin SFTP Server, Version 2.457.2.2 with cygwin.dll Version, 1.5.16

War FTP Daemon Version 1.82, by Jgaa's Freeware on Microsoft Windows server

FTP Publishing Service in Microsoft Internet Information Server 5.0, Version 1.0 on a Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

From this CCM 5.0(4) doc;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps556/prod_release_note09186a00806cfa62.html#wp298402

Hope this helps!

Rob

Please remember to rate helpful posts.......

[NPT_2]

Ok, I have tried several of these programs including War FTP Daemon as well as several versions of IIS on both Win2k and Win2k3 server. I'm not even seeing the connection from the callmanager server on the ftp server, it is as if the callmanager is not even hitting hte ftp server. Is there anything specific I need to setup in IIS to make it accept sftp connections? My thought is that for some reason it is only accepting standard ftp and not secure ftp.

[chad.howard]

I was able to make backups and file transfers work using a product called Titan FTP Server. I like my SecureCRT client, so I'll try their product called Vshell next. These are trial licenses though...I still haven't found any freeware versions (unless any listed in the release notes are - haven't tried those yet).

[mkulovainio]

Can you tell me what you did type in the "path name" field. /Mattias

[mimalloy]

Finally got it working using freeFTPd as the sftp server.

Set path name to . (yes just a single period)

Anything else caused an error "unable to access sftp server".

Only wasted 3 days on this - ARGHH!!!

Manual backup worked fine.

e-mail me if you need more details.....Mike

mmalloy99@gmail.com

[mimalloy]

CCM5 Backup to a Secure FTP Server

Author: Mike Malloy Date: 01/03/2007 Revision: 1

Introduction

This document describes the basic steps to backup a CCM5 to a Secure FTP (SFTP) server.

CCM5 supports ONLY SFTP to perform network backups!!!

Tools Needed

Laptop with SFTP Server software - freeFTPd used for this doc.

Procedure

Install and configure freeFTPd

01. Download from http://www.freeftpd.com/ - approx 829M

02. Install freeFTPd

- select YES to create keys

- select NO to run as service

03. Launch freeFTPd using desktop icon – it will start minimized on System Tray.

04. Configure freeFTPd

- add user

- configure logging

- verify keys

- Start the SFTP server

05. Verify SFTP server running

06. Right click icon to configure or quit freeFTPd

Configure Storage Location on CCM5 Disaster Recovery System

01. Use Internet Explorer to Access DRS from CCMAdmin or directly at https://ipaddr/drf

02. Login name and password is the SERVER login name – NOT the CCMAdministrator.

03. Configure Network Storage Location

- if sftp server connection test fails, you?ll see error in Status box

04. freeFTPd logfile will show possible failure reasons

- in this case, dir change was unsuccessful due to bad path name

05. freeFTPd logfile showing successful Storage Location update.

- Note: login was successful, but it always shows 3 access denied – why?!?!?

Perform Manual Backup

01. Start Manual Backup

02. Watch as tar files are created.

03. Watch progress bar as tar files are copied to sftp server

04. Verify backup complete.

Verify files exist on sftp server

My PUB and 1 SUB created 17 files.

Notes on freeFTPd logfile

!!! Shortly after backup starts see these lines repeated about 3 times

01-03-2007 11:14:19 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is changing dir to / (C:\backccm\)

01-03-2007 11:14:19 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is listing / (C:\backccm\dUmmI_Drf)

01-03-2007 11:14:19 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is deleting /dUmmI_Drf (C:\backccm\dUmmI_Drf)

!!! About 6 mins after backup started, see this line

01-03-2007 11:20:21 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is listing / (C:\backccm\*.xml)

!!! This is first file uploaded

01-03-2007 11:20:23 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is uploading /./2007-01-03-11-15-08_pcsd-pub_ccm_bat.tar (C:\backccm\2007-01-03-11-15-08_pcsd-pub_ccm_bat.tar)

!!! See a few more files uploaded, and then see this sequence repeated about 70 times over a 6 min period ?!?!?

!!! List grows to include files from SUB

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc connected

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is changing dir to / (C:\backccm\)

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is listing / (C:\backccm\2007-01-03-11-15-08_drfComponent.xml)

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc is uploading /./2007-01-03-11-15-08_drfComponent.xml (C:\backccm\2007-01-03-11-15-08_drfComponent.xml)

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc transfer complete

01-03-2007 11:26:05 IP 172.30.1.201 SFTP sbc disconnected

!

!Manual backup COMPLETE!!!

!

Watching freeFTPd Online Users shows 1 user logged in from start of backup AND a 2nd user with same name BRIEFLY appears about every 30 secs then disappears?!?!?

E-mail me if you want pretty file with screenshots...Mike

mmalloy99@gmail.com

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for posting back with such a great detailed breakdown. You get my 5 points for this one for sure!

Take care,

Rob

[mkulovainio]

Thanks Mike!

Finally the backup works, I will give you 5 points for this. I passed ccie voice 2 weeks ago and thought I knew it all :)

/Mattias

[gkelly]

Hey guys,

I have an sftp server set up and it works fine when I log into it, but when CCM connects it just times out. It think the sftp server sends the certificate but CCM doensnt accept it. Can anyone tell me how to get CCM to accept the cert?

PS to developers of CCM5: sftp everything is easily the most frustrating feature of CCM5, can we please just have the option of normal ftp / file share / etc :)

[montecotb]

Hi,

I have had the occasion to install a SFTP server for Callmanager 5.0.(4) backup. In fact, there is no way to use a FTP server. I have installed this one : Cygwin + OpenSSH. You'll find more informations on this site : http://www.chinese-watercolor.com/LRP/printsrv/cygwin-sshd.html

It works well.

Good Luck

[NPT_2]

After much searching I found that FreeSSHd http://www.freesshd.com/ works great for using as an SFTP server for Callmanager, it runs on the windows platform and even better it's free. The only thing to keep in mind are the path setup previously mentioned, make sure you use a . directory for the root or ./directory if you are using a subdirectory. That and to make sure it runs all the time make sure you set it up as a service to save having to keep your server logged in all the time. It's kind of simplistic but does exactly what we need.