VCS X8.5 is out

[Jens Didriksen]

Release notes here: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/telepresence/infrastructure/vcs/release_note/Cisco-VCS-Release-Note-X8-5.pdf

/jens

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[tec cou]

The following two features are implemented in version X8.5 for the purpose of previewing with dependent systems. They are not currently supported and should not be relied upon in your production environment. Full support for these features is planned for a future release of the VCS software

How will register  DX series ?

[Patrick Sparkman]

I believe that is refering to MRA and it registering to CUCM. DX is CUCM only endpoint and every time its asked if it can work with VCS the answer is no and never will be. It's also mentioned in the Expressway release notes as well, they probably just put the same statement in both the Expressway and VCS release notes and didn't think to explain it better not realizing it could be misunderstood. 

[Chris Swinney]

Thanks Jens,

In the "Open and Resolved Caveats" section, there appears to be nothing mentioned for x8.5, but I also seem to have received many bug and security notification that allude to x8.5 resolving a number of issue (as well as bringing new features which are listed). Can Cisco confirm what has/hasn't been fixed (especially with regard to security vulnerabilities) and publish them in the release notes?

I know the notes link to the Bug Tracker, but this is not always the easiest and simplest of methods of determining what fixes have been applied in what release. In fact, with my login, this link in the PDF shows 0 bugs have been fixed in this release, which seem contrary to my notifications.

Cheers

Chris

[Wayne DeNardi]

I agree with you Chris.  It was very handy to have the list of bugs in the release notes.  I'm also in the same boat where the bug tracker doesn't show me anything for X8.5.

Wayne
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[Patrick Sparkman]

I'm able to see the bugs for X8.5, I didn't at first, but after some tinkering they started to appear.  If they don't show, try removing the version number and putting it back, worked for me.

However, I do agree, bug tracker doesn't always work, it either needs to be refined or probably best to provide a link they have now AND list out the bugs in the release notes.

[Wayne DeNardi]

Have you deployed it all all yet Jens?  Or, anyone else?

I'm hoping someone can confirm the behviour I am seeing in my TMS for all the X8.5.0 VCSes where the "View Web" option in TMS to link you to the VCS's web management no longer appears, or where it does, it doesn't work, for the X8.5.0 VCSes.  It still works fine for the older VCSes, but is gone for all the X8.5.0 ones.

This makes it one step more dfifficult to get to the VCS from within TMS as we need to copy and paste the IP/DNS name from TMS in to a seperate browser window rather than it popping up in a new window as it did previously.

I've logged a job with the TAC in any case.

Wayne
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[Patrick Sparkman]

It's missing from my TMS as well, I've upgrade several VCS to X8.5, combination of appliance and virtual, all don't show the web link in TMS just as you.

[Wayne DeNardi]

Thanks for confirming it's not just me and you're seeing the same thing.

Now we'll wait to see what the TAC has to say.

[Chris Swinney]

Hi Wayne,

Good spot. We are still using TMS 14.3.2 (due to the inability to automate VCS upgrade on TMS versions higher than this) and indeed this link is removed from the VCS page when they are upgraded to x8.5.

We use this feature all the time, and although some admins will have the pages bookmarked, if you are on the TMS page for a VCS, it is super simple to just click this link.

Cheers

Chris

[Wayne DeNardi]

TAC has confirmed the issue as well and two bugs have been logged, one against the VCS software and another against TMS as they're not sure which end is the cause of the problem - although given it works for all other VCS software releases, and appears to be independent of the TMS version, it does seem to point to the VCS being the issue.

Edit: Bug References for the TMS Web Link Issue for those that are interested are as follows: CSCus34856 (TMS)  and CSCus34905 (VCS) - and from the notes I've seen, the TMS BU believes the issue is in the VCS code which matches what we've seen with other versions of TMS and other VCS releases.  The issue is only present with VCS X8.5.0.

Wayne
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[Wayne DeNardi]

The bug against the VCS has been closed and marked as a duplicate of the one against TMS (CSCus34856) which is under consideration of the DE - and the latest news via the TAC is that it may be fixed in a future version of TMS.  Hopefully this doesn't then break all the non-X8.5 VCSes when it comes out.

Wayne
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[Chris Swinney]

Thanks Wayne,

I was hoping that this wasn't going to happen as we still us TMS 14.3.2 simply because they dropped support for managing VCS software via TMS from version 14.4.

I know most of you upgrade your VCS manually, but for us given the number we manage, this just isn't practical. I will have to look at trying to script the upgrade of VCSs as Martin Koch alluded to in a previous post, but to upgrade TMS due to a bug that has been introduced by the VCS seems a little crazy to me.

[Patrick Sparkman]

FYI, the VCS web link in TMS has been fixed in TMS 15, which just released.

[Wayne DeNardi]

Yes, I saw that in the release notes, and had it confirmed by the TAC.  I've also tested it in my environment and can confirm that it now works the way it did before they broke it.

Cheers

Wayne