info required for VCS control and expressway upgradation

[t.gupta]

Hi Folks

We have a VCS control and VCS expressway in our enviornment.VCS control is in cluster with another VCS control and same is for VCS expressway.We are planning these to upgrade it on X8.1 version both control and expressway.Your experts view are required on the below points :-

1) The VCS control is configured in cluster how we need to proceed with upgradation first with master or with slave VCS.

2) Where we can take the backups of the VCS

3)Whre we can download the software for both expressway and control

4) Both VCS control and expressway are in communication with each other.Which one we need to upgrade first expressway or control.

Regards

Tarun

[Alok Jaiswal]

Hi Tarun,

If you are thinking to go on x8.1 then obviously i assume that you must be running TMS-PE for provisioning.

Compared to legacy (opends) method, PE is more flexible and it is simple to upgrade.

i will suggest you to go through the below document for upgrading the cluster.

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/telepresence/infrastructure/vcs/config_guide/X8-1/Cisco-VCS-Cluster-Creation-and-Maintenance-Deployment-Guide-X8-1.pdf

- i think you should first take the backup of VCS, atleast backup of master server. to do that go to maintenance and from there you would go to "backup and restore" and backup the VCS

- you can go ahead with upgrading your  VCS slave first and then master, atleat i take that approach!! i never saw any issues with that may be some one else take a second approach.

-  you would be able to download the software at the below page.

http://software.cisco.com/download/release.html?mdfid=283733603&softwareid=280886992&release=X8.1&relind=AVAILABLE&rellifecycle=&reltype=latest

- again you can first target VCS-E and then VCS-C (again no thumb rule for that), untill some else think of some other things.

regards

Alok

[t.gupta]

Hi Alok

The link which you had provided to download the software can be used both for the upgradation of the VCS control and Expressway means the same software can be used for upgardation of both

Regards

[Patrick Sparkman]

Hello Tarun -

Yes, the same VCS software is used for both the Control and Expressway.  VCS Control and Expressway are the same software through and through, the only difference is the expressway has an "Expressway" option key installed on it that gives it some extra functionality that the Control doesn't.

[t.gupta]

Hi Patrik

I downloaded the software from the site and it is coming in tar.gz file.Do i need to decompressed the file before upgrading the VCS or same tar.gz file can be uploaded to the VCS for upgradation.

Regards

Tarun

[Patrick Sparkman]

Nope.  When you go to do the upgrade, you select that file, the VCS will handle unpacking etc.

[Videosupport1]

Hi

We are running in TMS provisioning mode (14.4.2) and are planning to upgrade VCS from 8.2.1 to 8.2.2 .Just want to confirm that before upgrade whether you have to off provisioning mode .If yes then how can we do that ?

[Patrick Sparkman]

The release notes doesn't specifically say if you have to or not.  However, if you want to turn off TMSPE, you can in your TMS go to VCS > Provisioning and turn uncheck all the services.  Then once you complete the upgrade you can re-enable them.  I've never really turned TMSPE off, I just let it run and after the upgrade, it will reconnect to the TMSPE service and pull and updated data.