CUCM Upgrade From 7.1.2.31900-1 to 8.6(2a) How Long Will It Take?

[asafayan]

This cluster contains 1 Pub and 6 Subs with approximately 2,500 SCCP endpoints.   The HW Platform is 7835H2.  I am upgrading to 4G memory to meet minimum requirements. 

There is no direct path upgrade from the current version 7.1.2.31900-1 to CUCM 8.6.(2a) / aka 8.6.2.20000-2.  This will be a stepped upgrade as follows:

1.  Upgrade cluster 7.1.2.31900-1 to 7.1.(3b)SU2
2.  Upgrade cluster from 7.1.(3b)SU2 to 8.6.(2a)

Approximately how long will this take given that it is a stepped upgrade?

Thanks!

[Gordon Ross]

I allow about 1:30 to 2:00 for a pub install, and over an hour for a sub install. Then allow a good hour (or more) for the server reboots, DB replication settle down, etc. The length of time for the reboots really depends on what outage you can have on the cluster. More end-user outage means you can reboot more subs at once and reduce the time you spend doing it.

On my 8-node cluster, I allow 10-12 hours - but I have to have minimal end-user outage, so I have to stagger my sub reboots.

If you can firmware upgrade the phones before the CUCM upgrades, it can help lesson the server loads durring the upgrades.

Also allow time for any add-on updates too (Unity, ARC Console, TAPI drivers, etc)

Oh - and don't forget your COP file install too !

GTG

[asafayan]

Awesome Gordon.  I was sitting at my MAC the other day with my 9 year old son and watching pics of his Thomas The Tank Engine train building days! 

You wrote:

On my 8-node cluster, I allow 10-12 hours

Since I have to step upgrade this as follows:

1.  Upgrade cluster 7.1.2.31900-1 to 7.1.(3b)SU2

2.  Upgrade cluster from 7.1.(3b)SU2 to 8.6.(2a)

Do you think I would have to allow 10-12 hours "per each step"?  That would make for a helluva day!

[Gordon Ross · Accepted solution]

I'd definately split it over two separate days. If you try and rush it, it'll only take longer to unpick the mess

Oh - and my timings don't include the time to install the memory upgrade either !

GTG

PS - Glad someone gets the picture reference

[Jonathan Schulenberg]

Bare in mind that the hop to 8.6 will include a longer outage window per-node. This will happen in two parts:

1. The node will go down to reinstall the OS after completing pre-flight work. This means that the node will be offline for the entirety of the upgrade process and is quite different than the L2 upgrades you are used to.
2. Upon first boot SELinux must initialize. I have seen this take 30-45 minutes longer than usual before services stabilize.

For planning purposes I would anticipate 2.5 hours of downtime per-node.

[asafayan]

Thanks Jonathan... 2.5 per server....that is brutal.   

Since I have two steps -

1.  Upgrade cluster 7.1.2.31900-1 to 7.1.(3b)SU2

2.  Upgrade cluster from 7.1.(3b)SU2 to 8.6.(2a)

Prior to step 1, can I upgrade firmware on my SCCP phones to the 8.6(2a) default firmware load?

Lastly, between steps 1 and 2 - I should load my software feature (8.6) license file and COP file....correct?

Thanks!

[rcblack · Accepted solution]

From lots of personal experience, in a cluster of that side, this is how I would break it down.

Step 1 (during an evening maintenence window)

1.Start the upgrade on the pub during the day but be sure to tell it now to reboot after upgrade

2.At the start of the maintenance window, tell the pub to switch versions(From here to completion should take around an hour)

3. Once the pub is ugraded, I would spin disks and start upgrades on all subscribers at or around the same time(2 hours)

That should get you prepped for major upgrade while only consuming a 4 hour maintenance window.

Step 2 (Plan an entire weekend)

This is a much more time consuming upgrade and I have seen pubs take as short as 3 hours and as long as 5 to complete(Because you are upgrading from Red Hat Linux version 4 to version 5 along with the standard application upgrade. Plan this one for a weekend and make sure people know to expect some down time.

1. Run the refresh upgrade COP file(not the actual 8.6 upgrade CD) on the PUB(15 minutes)

2. Now start the upgrade to 8.6 and wait(3-5 hours and possible longer based on your hardware)

3. Work out licensing on the publisher before you move any further

4. Run the refresh upgrade COP file(not the actual 8.6 upgrade CD) on all subs(15 minutes)

5. Now start the upgrade to 8.6 on each individual sub. (This time I wouldn't do all at once) to minimize down time.

[asafayan]

Great advice RC. 

In your Step 2, Item 1, are you referring to this file:

File Name: *ciscocm.refresh_upgrade_v1.1.cop.sgn*
MD5 Sum: b295f4e56c9fb93856b71b05b7a65456

Lastly, it is my understanding, that I should install the license file "PRIOR" to upgrading to 8.6".  You have it in Step 2, item 3 - right after the Pub has been upgraded to 8.6.  

Does it matter whether the 8.6 license file is uploaded before or after the Pub is upgraded to 8.6?

Thanks!

[rcblack]

That is the correct file.

And for licensing, you wait to register the PAK and install the license until after the upgrade other wise you will be working with TAC to rehost it after you upgrade to 8.6 (Versions after 7.1.5 create a hash value called a license MAC that will be used for licensing instead of the phyiscal MAC) Once you have upgraded, go to the networking portion of the OS page to get the license MAC and use that with PAK registration.

There are a few situations that require it be done first but it is a very specific situation that requires both of the following 1. You are moving to new hardware(UC on UCS is common with this upgrade) and 2. you are on 7.1.5

Because 7.1.5 uses license MAC's rather than the physical MAC address and moving to new hardware will change the license MAC and put you in a 30 day grace period for licensing. During that grace period you are not allowed to do upgrades until the licensing issue is resolved.

[asafayan]

RC -

I am doing an incremental upgraded from:

7.1(2b)su1 (7.1.2.31900-1)  to   7.1.(5b)su5 (7.1.5.34900-7)  to 8.6.(2a)su1 (8.6.2.21900-5).

I am not replacing hardware or migrating to UCS.  I am doing an inplace ugprade with my existing hardware.

I received the following explanation from Cisco Global Licensing.   He is not talking about having to provide any "license MAC" from the  networking portion of the OS page after upgrading the Pub to 8.6X.

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Hi!

The customer is requesting an upgrade from v7.1.5 to v8.0.

The software media that the customer received after ordering the  upgrade will need to be installed fresh in order to upgrade the  software because there is no direct upgrade for media from version 7.1.5  to version 8. However, their current version 7 license files will work  when upgrading from version 7.x to 8.x. They will continue to use their  version 7 license files along with their version 8 upgrade license. The  version 8 software version upgrade license files will need to include  the software feature tag, otherwise the files will not work.

If they will move/change servers, rehost is rquired. If not, they  should upgrade the server first, after upgrading the server, that is  the time that they will upload the SW_Feature license and it should  work.

Thanks!

Best regards,

Cisco Global Licensing Operations |

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I get the fact that the reps in licensing are not actually upgrading and having to deal with implementation issues - but I would also expect them to understand the correct process.

Thanks!