Solved: Unity Migration

mattepps645 · ‎03-04-2009

Hi,

I am hoping soemone can help me here. I am in the process of migrating users from Unity 4.0(5) to Unity 5.0(2). My proposed plan is as below:

1. Build new Unity 5 Servers on new hardware (new IP address & Hostname).

2. Run ADSchema Update on Customer AD & create new install accounts for Unity 5.

3. Install new server and integrate into Exchange 2003. This is the same Exchange Server as the older Unity 4 box.

This is pretty straight forward but what I was wanting to do then was allow users currently using the Unity 4 Server to be able to dial into the Unity 5 server to record Outgoing messages & change PINs. However, to do this I believe their accounts must exist on the Unity 5 Server ?

Is there a way I can do this as before we migrate all users off Unity 4 we want to carry out this recording activity without stopping them using Unity 4. Once they have recorded their messages and changed PINs we would them migrate the users onto Unity 5.

So to summarise, I suppose what I want to know is it possible to import User accounts to Unity 5 without disrupting the service on the Unity 4 Server ? Then migrate users off Unity 4 to Unity 5.

Any suggestions to how this can be done would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Matt

Tommer Catlin · ‎03-04-2009

Check out the video. It really gives you an idea how it works.

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/App_GSM4x.htm

The GSM will automatically delete the old account and move them to the new server when you run the tool (select which ones you want) It will migrate all their settings, recordings, etc. Once they are moved, change their VM Profiles in CUCM and you are done!

View solution in original post

lindborg · ‎03-05-2009

Yes, COBRAS will call the DirSync service on Unity when creating new users - the dir synch service will either create a new AD account for that user or bind them to an existing AD account (i.e. "point" them at the Unity server) if it finds a match on the alias/UID in the directory.

In a situation like this some bigger sites use COBRAS to get a backup then GSM to move the users and then follow up with a COBRAS import on the new box to update those users with more data (COBRAS gets much more data than GSM does). The advantage of this is GSM takes care of deleting the user on the old box for you and forcing a sync of the directory on both boxes to update the global subscriber tables.

If you're going to go "COBRAS only" that's fine, but after you run the bulk delete you may need to wait a while for the directory to synch. Those users will still show up as "owned" by the old box on the new server (in the global subscriber table) and COBRAS will not allow you to import them (i.e. like the SA will not let you import them). This can take a little while and add a wrinkle to your process but depending on your topology it may not be a big deal.

You might just want to create a test user on your old box and walk through this process with one user - do a COBRAS backup, delete the old user, see how long it takes for the new box to see they are no longer tagged as a subscriber and then do a COBRAS import of just that one user on the new box.

View solution in original post

Tommer Catlin · ‎03-04-2009

Depends on if you are using VM only or UM? Since you are running a schema update, I assume these 5 old unity servers and 5 new unity servers are in the same domain. If they are in the same domain, you can GSM and migrate these people without losing anything! You will however, need to rebuild system settings, Callhandlers, etc. But all Subscriber info transfers seemless over. (using digital networking and the GSM tool)

There is no way to do a rolling upgrade of Unity unless you have failover working.

To do this, you would follow the failover guide for 4.05. Once that is setup, follow the rolling upgrade process.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/unity/white/paper/50curollupgrade.html

The rolling upgrade will allow you to leave the existing 4.05 server running, then failover to the secondary server. Upgrade the primary to 5.02, the roll back failover to the primary.

more info will help!

cheers

mattepps645 · ‎03-04-2009

Hi,

thanks for the response. Sorry, I think I may have mis-lead you. I am migrating from a single Unity 4 UM box to a HA Unity 5 UM set-up not 5 old Unity Servers to 5 new ones.

I have been reading and it appears COBRAS will allow me to import Subscriber details into the new Unity 5 Servers (including recorded greetings) without forcing a user in AD to "point" to the Unity 5 Servers - i.e. the Subscribers will still use Unity 4 for their UM services.

Do you (or anyone else) know if this is correct and if so, what process is needed to actually stop Users using Unity 4 and start using Unity 5 on the day of migration ?

Many thanks,

Matt

Tommer Catlin · ‎03-04-2009

So yes, that would be the case. If you moving in that direction, you can use COBRAS to do this. What im unclear on is why the subscribers would need to re-record their messages when Cobras could do this for them. (move the greetings) Or even GSM. If they are all in the same domain (Unity included) GSM can move them to their new servers.

But once they are moved, you will need to change their VM Profile. And pre-build your VM profiles with new pilot numbers. You could bulk edit the lines to change the VM profile to point to the new Unity server.

But using Cobras is tricky in the same domain, you cant have (1) Subscriber on (2) different Unity servers in the same domain. If the Unity servers are in different domains, then this will work.

mattepps645 · ‎03-04-2009

The new Unity 5 configuration has new Pilot Numbers and Hunt Group numbers etc so the two Unity systems can sit in parallel.

I can see the point that using COBRAS negates the need to re-record messages. To clarify, does GSM actually move recorded greetings with Subscribers or just delete them from old Unity and move them to new Unity ?

If Subscribers are deleted from Unity 4 (using GSM or the Bulk Delete Tools) then they can be imported into Unity 5 using a COBRAS restore ? If this is the case then I presume AD will point Subscribers to Unity 5 and the migration is in effect complete with the bonus that outgoing messages are migrated too ?

Originally I was going to first use the "Bulk Subscriber Delete Tool" on Unity 4 and then the "Bulk Import Wizard" on Unity 5. If I did this then ran a COBRAS Import on Unity 5 I presume I would also get the desired result of migrated Users AND migrated recorded messages ?

Sorry to ask so many questions, I just need to get this straight in my own mind :-)

Many thanks,

Matt

Tommer Catlin · ‎03-04-2009

Check out the video. It really gives you an idea how it works.

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/App_GSM4x.htm

The GSM will automatically delete the old account and move them to the new server when you run the tool (select which ones you want) It will migrate all their settings, recordings, etc. Once they are moved, change their VM Profiles in CUCM and you are done!

mattepps645 · ‎03-04-2009

OK, I'll have a look at that.

Many thanks for your time.

Best wishes,

Matt

Tommer Catlin · ‎03-04-2009

No problem. Please dont hesitate to ask!

mattepps645 · ‎03-05-2009

Hi,

I am back with some more questions :-)

From the reading I have done, it seems that COBRAS might be the better tool for the migration I am attempting.

Therefore, once I have integrated my new Unity 5 servers into AD & Exchange I will be ready to migrate. Is the following a valid migration strategy ?

1. Delete Users in Unity 4 using "Bulk Subscriber Delete Tool" on the Unity 4 box.

2. Run COBRAS Import on Unity 5.

I am thinking I might need to run the "Bulk Import Wizard" on Unity 5 before running the COBRAS Import or will COBRAS Import do everything required including ensuring that AD/Exchange points Subscribers to the new Unity Servers ?

Many thanks,

Matt

lindborg · ‎03-05-2009

Yes, COBRAS will call the DirSync service on Unity when creating new users - the dir synch service will either create a new AD account for that user or bind them to an existing AD account (i.e. "point" them at the Unity server) if it finds a match on the alias/UID in the directory.

In a situation like this some bigger sites use COBRAS to get a backup then GSM to move the users and then follow up with a COBRAS import on the new box to update those users with more data (COBRAS gets much more data than GSM does). The advantage of this is GSM takes care of deleting the user on the old box for you and forcing a sync of the directory on both boxes to update the global subscriber tables.

If you're going to go "COBRAS only" that's fine, but after you run the bulk delete you may need to wait a while for the directory to synch. Those users will still show up as "owned" by the old box on the new server (in the global subscriber table) and COBRAS will not allow you to import them (i.e. like the SA will not let you import them). This can take a little while and add a wrinkle to your process but depending on your topology it may not be a big deal.

You might just want to create a test user on your old box and walk through this process with one user - do a COBRAS backup, delete the old user, see how long it takes for the new box to see they are no longer tagged as a subscriber and then do a COBRAS import of just that one user on the new box.

mattepps645 · ‎03-05-2009

Jeff,

many thanks for the response. So it looks like a combination of GSM & COBRAS is the way forward for a relatively swift and more complete migration in this situation ?

Many thanks,

Matt