Upgrading Unity Connection 14 SU2 to 15 SU2—Filesystem Concerns

[dhoskins]

Hi everyone,

We're currently running Cisco Unity Connection Version 14 SU2 as a virtual machine on VMware. We recently learned about field notice FN74144, which states that the SpeechView Transcription Service will stop working after December 30, 2024, and recommends a software upgrade.

Because of this, we need to move off Unity Connection Version 14 SU2 as soon as possible. Our immediate plan is to upgrade to Unity Connection Version 15 SU2, which transitions to the Cisco Webex in-house transcription service. Our Cisco solutions collaboration engineer advised against it for now, suggesting it requires more extensive planning due to its complexity.

We ran the pre-upgrade test, and the only issue that surfaced was related to the ext3 filesystem. I believe we need to use this COP file to change the filesystem from ext3 to ext4: ciscocm.CSCwi52160_15-direct-migration_v1.0.k4.cop.sha512. However, the COP file's description isn't very clear about whether it accomplishes this. Has anyone used this COP file to upgrade the filesystem, and did you encounter any issues during the conversion?

Aside from the filesystem concerns, are there any other significant issues we should be aware of when performing this upgrade?

For additional context, we're also running Call Manager 14 SU3, IM&P 14 SU3, UCCX 12.5.1 SU3, and CER 14 SU3a. If any of this information is relevant to the Unity Connection upgrade, we'd appreciate your insights.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Roger Kallberg]

AFAIK that COP file doesn’t do anything to the file system. This is what the release note says.

What this COP file provides:
This COP file contains changes or patches to update the Linux Pluggable Module’s system-auth configuration. This COP is
applicable only when we migrate from 10.x/11.x/12.x/14.x to 15, with upgrade history from 8.x(or)9.x.

From what I know you’ll need to either do a fresh install, followed by DRS restore or a data export, followed by a new installation with data import.

[JonesRD]

Good afternoon all,

I have just ran the ciscocm.cuc_preUpgradeCheck-008.cop Unity connection, and we are also running on ext3 as the file system.

The cop file says that we can do a direct upgrade to resolve this: 

"This server is using an older filesystem type (ext3).
To resolve either
- Rebuild this virtual machine to have swap built in sda5 on fresh install
or
- Use a direct migration option to get to 15 (see upgrade guide on"

However I do not see this option listed here

From this we will need to do an data export, new vm, fresh install, data import to get to version 15?

Anyone done a data export and fresh installation recently, if so how did it go?

Also if an issue appears, can we reuse the exported data, to rebuild the existing version of CUC14, then do an upgrade from the supported file system, just need to have a plan if all goes wrong.

Many thanks,

RD

[Roger Kallberg]

My suggestion would be to turn the VM(s) off, one at a time, then create a clone of the VM. Not a snapshot, a proper clone. With that you’ll have a way to rollback if something goes wrong during the upgrade. Simply shut down the VM(s) and start the cloned copy, that will bring you back to as was before you begun the upgrade.

[Roger Kallberg]

My selected path for upgrades where there have been file system change needs has been to rebuild a new system and do a DRS restore. Hasn’t had any problems with that. It does require a bit of a downtime of the system, but with proper planning that should be doable.

[JonesRD]

Morning Roger, thank you for these points some very good ideas. 

Would you rather do a DRS first then an upgrade rather than doing a fresh with a data import, have you had issues with the data import on a fresh installation.

Also with a DRS restore, will this being the required Certs? Then once the DRS is complete we can do a direct upgrade to version 15? 

We would be keeping the same IP address and names, as far as I know but that could change

Thank you.

[Roger Kallberg]

I haven't done a fresh install with a data import.

What do you mean by this? "Also with a DRS restore, will this being the required Certs?"

Yes once you have installed a new system and done a restore of DRS you can do a direct upgrade.

[JonesRD]

Sorry for the bad English!

All the Certificates come over with a DRS without issues, is what i was trying to ask. But from reading i think it is as long as the same versions are used. I have been reading Disaster Recovery System Administration Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 10.x  not found a newer version. 

With the direct upgrade once done after a DRS, is this a force switch version or a manual?

Thanks,