Tandberg vcs and Cisco VCS Control

[Zekeria Sammantar]

Hi,

I have a customer with an old video infrastructre and new servers.

Old Video Servers

Tandberg Video Communication Server Control Appliance - Part Number = 117500

Tandberg Video Communication Server Expressway Application - Part Number = 1163402

New Video Servers:

VCS Control License - Part Number - R-VMVCS-CTRL-K9 

VCS Expressway License - Part Number - R-VMVCS-EXPWY-K9

As per Cisco x8.2 Clustering:

- Each peer is running on a hardware platform with equivalent capabilities; for example, you cannot cluster a
peer running on a 2 core Medium VM with peers running on 8 core Large VMs

Does this mean that the old physical VCS cannot be clustered with new VCS Virtual.

Thanks.

[Patrick Sparkman]

Even though it seems possible per the cluster creation guide that one can cluster a VCS hardware and virtual appliance, I wouldn't recommend it.  For one, we don't know, at least I can't find any specs on the old TANDBERG appliance to know for sure if they even match or come close to any of the virtual VCS specs.  Also, there is no obligation for Cisco to update the old TANDBERG appliances anymore, see the first page of the VCS X8.7 Release Notes, this makes any new feature starting in X8.7 not supported and could possibly run into some unforeseen issues.

[Shea Sivell · Accepted solution]

Hi Zekeria,

You can cluster a VCS appliance with a VCS VM as long as their software matches and thier hardware platforms have equivalent capabilities.

Appliance VCS clustered with VCS VM running on 2 core MediumVM = YES

Appliance VCS clustered with VCS VM running on 8 core LargeVM = NO

"you can cluster peers that are running on standard appliances with peers running on 2 core Medium VMs, but you cannot cluster a peer running on a standard appliance with peers running on 8 core Large VMs."

(p.4)

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/telepresence/infrastructure/vcs/config_guide/X8-7/Cisco-VCS-Cluster-Creation-and-Maintenance-Deployment-Guide-X8-7.pdf

[Patrick Sparkman]

Shea, does that hold true even with the hardware appliance from TANDBERG, not the one based on the Cisco UCS?

[Shea Sivell]

Hey Patrick,

Yes it holds true with the Gen1 VCS, as long as you are attempting to cluster with a VCS VM running on a dual core.

[Zekeria Sammantar]

The old VCS is running on the old tandberg box (CTI-VCS-BASE-K9) running x8.2.1

I'm trying to figure out if it can be upgraded to x8.7.1 new image, but I'm only able to find reference for the CE-Appliance and VM.

Is it possible?.

[Patrick Sparkman · Accepted solution]

You can install X8.7.x on a TANDBERG Gen1 VCS, however as I mentioned and seen in the release notes linked in my earlier post, that version of the VCS is EOL.  So any release past X8.6.1 will just be critical security fixes and any new feature released won't be officially supported, also because it is EOL, Cisco can simply stop releasing software for it anytime.