Unity 5 to 7 upgrade

[aklyuka30]

I have one unity 5 server  connected to Exchange Cluster 2007

We recently purchased 2 new servers with Unity 7 .

What  is best way to upgrade from  old server runnign Unity 5 to Unity 7.

I  need not only to install new Unity Servers but transfer data from old  server

New servers with Unity 7 has to be configured in failover  mode ?

Does Unity 7 have different Menu set for subscribers and  general greeting menu /default call routing ?

Any advises ?

[David Hailey · Accepted solution]

You will build your new Unity 7 servers as a new install and get them integrated into AD and with Exchange 2007.  I assume if you have 2 Unity servers, you're going to run them as failover so yes - configure them for failover.  The installation guide steps thru this process to a tee.

From there, you will use COBRAS and the GSM tool to move data from the Unity 5 server over to the new Unity 7 servers.  You can read up on COBRAS at www.ciscounitytools.com.  Essentially you will run a COBRAS Export on your Unity 5 server (you do not need to migrate messages in a UM environment).  Since you have Exchange 2007, you will need to make sure you go ahead and import all of the users into the Unity 7 system in advance of the migration as well.  Then before you import the data to the new Unity 7 system, you will use GSM to clean up the subscriber association to the old Unity 5 server on the AD user objects by "moving" them using the GSM tool to the new Unity 7 server.  From there, you run a COBRAS Import and overwrite the Subscriber data (this will restore their setttings from the Unity 5x system) and all Call Handlers and other objects you migrate. You will need to read the Help file for the GSM tool so you configure communication between the Unity 5 and Unity 7 systems in order to perform the move properly.  It's not a bad migration at all.  The longest part is building Unity 7 out on the new servers.

If you have further questions, let me know.

Hailey

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[aklyuka30]

Hi david,

thank you a lot for response

So here is the draft of the plan

1) Install new Unity 7 server A from scratch

2) Install second new Unity 7 server B from scretch

3) Configure them with failover ..

Both new server will use new ip addresses ( old IP still belong to old Unity currently running )

4) Run COBRAS export on old Unity 5

5) Import all existing users to new Unity 7  (  by wich utility ) ?

so at this moment we have teh same users configured on old unity 5 and  unity 7 - but all exchange links are still assosiated with Unuity 5

6) Run GSM tool on unity 5. Since this moment . i don't have any working voimail system . so this is critical point in upgarde. Yes ?

7) Run COBRAS import on Unity 7 ( server A )  to transfer all configuration database

Is plan more or less correct ?

Most important question

If migration is not going well - what could be roll back plan ?

Thank you in advance

[David Hailey · Accepted solution]

1) Install new Unity 7 server A from scratch

2) Install second new Unity 7 server B from scratch

3) Configure them with failover.

Both new server will use new ip addresses (old IP still belong to old Unity currently running ) --> THIS IS ALL GOOD.  DON'T FORGET TO BUILD THINGS THAT DON'T MIGRATE SUCH AS CLASS OF SERVICE AND SUBSCRIBER TEMPLATES, ETC.  SEE COBRAS HELP FILE.

4) Run COBRAS export on old Unity 5 --> YES, THIS WILL NOT IMPACT THE SYSTEM IN ANYWAY.  IT DOES NOT MODIFY ANYTHING IN THE DB.  IT IS AN EXPORT/BACKUP ONLY.

5) Import all existing users to new Unity 7  (  by wich utility ) ? --> YOU WOULD WANT TO USE THE BULK IMPORT TOOL HERE.  YOU CAN DO A SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION DUMP ON UNITY 5X TO PULL ALIAS AND PRIMARY EXTENSION.  USE THIS AS THE BULK IMPORT FILE (CSV) AND IMPORT USERS FROM AD/EXCHANGE BASED ON A CSV FILE.  AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE THE EXACT SAME SUBSCRIBERS SET UP ON BOTH UNITY 7 AND UNITY 5.  FROM AN AD PERSPECTIVE, USERS ARE STILL ASSOCIATED WITH THE OLD UNITY SERVER.

6) Run GSM tool on unity 5. Since this moment . i don't have any working voimail system . so this is critical point in upgarde. Yes? --> THIS IS THE TIPPING POINT BUT NOT A POINT OF NO RETURN.  ONCE YOU DO THIS, USERS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UNITY 7 SERVER SO "VOICEMAIL" WILL TECHNICALLY BE OUT OF SERVICE WHILE YOU RUN THE IMPORT AND THEN GET THE INTEGRATION WITH CUCM MOVED OVER TO YOUR UNITY 7 SERVER.

7) Run COBRAS import on Unity 7 ( server A )  to transfer all configuration database --> YEP, RUN COBRAS IMPORT AFTER GSM.  OVERWRITE THE EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS (THIS WILL RESTORE ALL OF THEIR DATA) AND THEN ALL OF THE CALL HANDLERS, ETC.

Is plan more or less correct ?

Most important question

If migration is not going well - what could be roll back plan ? --> YOUR BACKOUT PLAN WOULD BE TO RE-RUN THE GSM TOOL TO MOVE SUBSCRIBERS BACK TO YOUR OLD UNITY 5 SERVER.  FROM THERE, IF YOU'VE CHANGED ANY OF THE TELEPHONY INTEGRATIONS - YOU WOULD JUST NEED TO RECONFIGURE CUCM TO POINT BACK TO THE OLD UNITY 5 SERVER.  MAKE SURE THAT THE USERS DON'T LOSE ANY DATA (SUCH AS RECORDED NAME, ETC) - IF SO, YOU COULD USE COBRAS TO RE-IMPORT THE USER INFO AND OVERWRITE DATA (HOWEVER, I DO NOT THINK THIS WOULD BE NECESSARY).

Good luck.

Hailey

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[aklyuka30]

Hi David,

your advise is very valuable,

Thank you ..

i will start preparation work ( OS server installation, Unity install ) and will go to migration steps next week

I will inform you of my progress

[David Hailey]

Let me know if you need anything, bro.

Hailey

[michaelzhq]

Hi David,

Thanks for your great inputs.

I am proposing a plan to upgrade Unity 4.0(3) to 5.0(1) -- this is what they purchased in 2008 but not installed. The requirements are almost as same as the original post: a 4.0(3) Unity server, two new servers for 5.0(1) will be new installation, need to migrate data from 4.0(3) to 5.0(1).

I noticed that the COBRAS tool supports Unity 4.0(5) and later, so if I upgrade the Unity 4.0(3) to 4.0(5) first, may I use the same procudure you posted to upgrade Unity 4.0(5) to 5.0(1)?

If Yes, in the step 6, may I move only a small group of test users to the new 5.0(1) server?

Waiting for you reply online.

Thank you in advance.

Michael

[David Hailey]

Yes, you must first move from 4.0(3) to 4.0(5) if you are going to use COBRAS.  This because the pre-4.0(5) DB structure is completely different and is not compatible with earlier versions as far as DiRT goes.  From there, you should be able to move a test group of users.

Hailey

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[michaelzhq]

Thank you for all helpful information. Just like to be clear on the DiRT tool. It only supports the same version backup and restore, doesn't it? In my case, it needs migrate data from Unity 4.0 to 5.0, so I can't use DiRT, right?

Regards,

Michael

[David Hailey]

Dirt can only restore to the exact version and ES as the backup. 4.0 to 4.0 is what you get with Dirt.

Hailey

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[michaelzhq]

Thanks.You are the master.

More questions, if I am able to configure Call Handler, Schedule, Distrabution List, etc in the new 5.0(1) Unity server. May I just use GSM to migrate users from Unity 4.0(3) to 5.0(1) so that I can avoid to upgrade 4.0(3) to 4.0(5) to meet the reqirement of using COBRAS?

Can the Unity 5.0(1) co-exists with 4.0(3) in a same forest?

Will the schema change with 5.0(1) installation impact the operation of Unity 4.0(3)?

Our goal is to touch the current Unity server as less as possible.

Thanks.

Michael

[David Hailey]

No, you still need COBRAS to move user objects. GSM only moves server to user associations within AD.

They can co-exist during the move and in general as long as there is only 1 forest...this is where GSM helps out.

Schema extension for 5 will or, should not, affect Unity 4. Unity will only leverage the attributes it has access to within a given version.

Hailey

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