Cisco Unity 4.2 to Unity Connection 8.5...patch needed?

[dan hale]

Hello All,

I would like to upgrade my Unity 4.2 to Unity Connection 8.5....(the latest version) however, I'm unsure if I need to do any upgrades on my Unity server first before I run the COBRAS tool and export the data. Is this a direct upgrade or do I need to do any patching on the unity server?

I've tried to read through the Upgrade guides but, I'm having a hard time getting a direct answer.

Thanks for any and all help,

Dan

[Justin Brenton]

Hi Dan,

I would first suggest checking your hardware for compatibility.

Supported Platforms:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/8x/supported_platforms/8xcucspl.html

Upgrade Guide:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/8x/upgrade/guide/8xcucrugx.html

HTH,

Justin

[David Hailey · Accepted solution]

There are no patch requirements for Unity when you use COBRAS.  The only  version requirement until recently was that you were running version  4.0(5) or higher.  However, support has been expanded to 4.0(3) or  higher with caveats for 4.0(3) and 4.0(4).  So you can export any version of 4.0(3) or higher with any ES within each supported release.

However, as Justin noted - this is not the concern in your case.  If you will be attempting to upgrade the existing Unity server, then you need to check what, if any, versions of Unity Connection are supported on the server.  If you'll be migrating onto new hardware then this should be less of a concern - assuming that you're purchasing a new MCS or UCS server platform from Cisco.

Hailey

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[Tommer Catlin]

David has the correct answer there.   But also, if you can, do not touch your existing 4.2 server.  The last thing you want to do is repair a perfectly working Unity server because you wanted to patch it.   You can install COBRAS on it to export the data no issues.  If its a very large enviroment, Id even go as far as creating a DIRT backup of the Unity 4.2, and a new build of Unity 4.2 offline and DIRT restore so you can work with the data offline from the network.   Some enterprises have crazy change controls and it may save you time in the end, even though it will take a little bit of time build the lab offline.  If you havent used COBRAs, it will take you some time to get used to the import/export on what you want to do, how you want to do it, and how much time it will take to do the work.  The Help files are extremely helpful, along with the Videos posted at ciscounitytools.com

May the force be with young Cobra importer/exporter

[tuck74055]

Tommy, is there a way to build unity offline? Whenever I try to install  unity on my offline server it immediatly wants to tie into AD and  excahnge and start building service accounts and etc, which it can't  because its offline and even if it were online, we already have those  service accounts tied to the other unity. Is there a way to do this?

[Tommer Catlin]

When you do this offline, you have to build your own AD. So when you build Unity offline, simply build out AD domain.

DCPromo the 2000/2003 server after its built (make it a global catalog server)

Set up AD DNS on the server

Then install Exchange

Then SQL

Then Unity.

You can also follow the guide for Unity setup “voicemail only”.

[tuck74055]

Oh boy, thanks Tommy. Thats more of an endevor than we can make right now. I guess my best bet would be to either:

• •1)    Load unity version 4.0(4) unto the new server (which at this point we need to have the old unity either off the network or decommissioned), upgrade up to 4.0(4)SR1, restore the backup from the current unity, upgrade to 4.0(5), use COBRAS to backup data, load latest version, restore data with COBRAS.
• •2)    Upgrade current unity to version 4.0(5), run COBRAS to backup data, bring old unity offline or decommission, install latest version on new server, use COBRAS to restore data.

correct?

[Tommer Catlin]

Up to you, but I really do not like touching anything in production. The absolute last thing you want to do is to break Unity that is currently working. I have seen it happen a few times where an upgrade from Unity x to Unity x did not go right and the engineer ended up rebuilding the entire server.

4.04 and 4.05 is not friendly versions to simply upgrade or fix.

I can usually building an AD domain with Exchange in about 3 hours or less (including all the patches, which takes the longest). You can even build it in VMware or Microsoft virtual machine. I have ran Unity in both for simply using Cobras offline.

[tuck74055]

Tommy, when you build the vmware lab do you build 3 vm's (DC, Exchange, Unity) or do you combine them? Also, do you create the same domain as the "real" one?

[Tommer Catlin]

You can follow this also:

http://pushkarbhatkoti.wordpress.com/2008/07/28/how-to-install-cisco-unity-405/

Otherwise use the voicemail guide:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity/404/installation/guide/ex/IG_016.html

[tuck74055]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TOMMY!

[dan hale]

Thanks Guys....so...David, Rob, Tommer, and Justin. Cisco sent me two CD's

UNCN8-VER-VUP-K9=     Upgrade from Unity Cxn 2.x or later to Unity Connection 8.x

UNCN8-UTYMIG-K9=     Upg/Mig from Unity Cxn 1.x/Unity 4.x or later to Unity Cxn 8

I'm assuming that the second CD is what I will need to run and install? I have Unity 4.

Also David, I remember that you had a walk-through from an other post on installing Unity Connection? Is that still available?

Thanks, guys....Dan

[tuck74055]

David, waht are the caveats you mention in using COBRAS with 4.0(4)?

[Rob Huffman]

Hey folks,

Excellent info here from Justin, hailey and T-CAT (+5 each )

Especially liked the final clip from Tommer;

"May the force be with young Cobra importer/exporter"

Cheers!

Rob

[David Hailey]

Yep, you'll run the 2nd disc. You can download a PDF of my presentation here:

http://www.netcraftsmen.net/user-group/c-mug-archive/824-cisco-unity-connection-migration.html

Hailey

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