UC Migration from 11.5 to 14

[ln33147]

Hello,
We have the following environment that needs to be upgraded to version 14 on new UCS servers with new IP addresses:
- 1 CUCM-PUB and 1 CUCM-SUB
- 1 IMP-PUB and 1 IMP-SUB
- 1 CUC-PUB and 1 CUC-SUB
I checked the online documentation and came to know that with version 14_0_1 we have the option to import a config from an older version to version 14 with different IPs.
The action plan would look like this:
- Upload the export cop file to the old version and create the export towards the SFTP server.
- Disconnect the old publisher.
- Run the 14.0 installation on the new publisher with the same network settings and select "data import" option and import the data from the SFTP server.
Below our concerns:
- Do we need to run the export cop file on both CUCM-PUB and CUCM-SUB and both IMP-PUB and IMP-SUB or only on the publishers?
- Once the new publisher version 14 is up and running with the same IP as the old one, how shall we proceed regarding IM&P?
- Since we need all phones to register with the old subscriber and not register back with the new publisher once it is on version 14, is it okay if we create an access list that prevents the phones from reaching the publisher IP until the IP has changed, as it is not an option ot change the device pool of 2000 phones.

Has anyone gone through a similar migration? Any help would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Nithin Eluvathingal]

Your best choice is not data export; PCD (Prime Collaboration Deployment) will be the optimal option. You can migrate the existing CUCM (Cisco Unified Communications Manager) version to a new UCS (Unified Computing System) server running version 14, with a new IP address and DNS. However, changing the domain during migrations is not supported.

Why choose PCD? Because it automates all the manual processes you mentioned in the original post for migrations.

One important point to highlight regarding the steps you mentioned: you need to export the data from all the nodes if you intend to build a cluster identical to the old one.

I’m a bit confused after reading your last statement. In the first line, you mentioned migrations to a new IP, but in the last part, you referred to using the same IP.

In both cases, PCD remains the best choice:

When using the same IP:

1. PCD will export the configurations from the old cluster, shut it down, and build a new server on version 14.
2. proceed with the other nodes. and  Import the configurations into the new server

When using a different IP:

1. PCD will export the configurations from the old cluster but won’t shut down old cluster  immediately.
2. PCD Proceed with installing the new node, and then continue with the other nodes.
3. Next, PCD will pause the process to perform Bulk Certificate Management. During this step, you can decide whether to shut down the old cluster if necessary.
4. Finally, PCD will proceed with the rest of the process.

Why PCD Pause for Certificate Exchange? Because bulk certificate management allows a set of certificates to be shared between CUCM clusters. This ensures that phones trust the new cluster without the need to remove the ITL (Initial Trust List).

Another consideration in this case is phone firmware. Some phones may be running old versions, and when moving to version 14, they’ll receive the new firmware. However, there’s a chance that older phones may require an intermediate step to move to the version that came along with CUCM 14. This could impact phone registration.

If you’re moving to a new IP, it’s recommended to reduce the DHCP lease time to a minimum so that phones can quickly receive the updated TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) settings

If you prefer video over reading documentation, check out the video below for Bulk Certificate Management configurations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liHtjvooOZA

[ln33147]

Hello Nithin,

Thank you so much for the detailed response.

PCD is not an option because we don't have the luxury of time to repeat the upgrade from scratch in case of any issues without knowing at which stage it failed. In addition to that, we have many bad experiences with PCD so we prefer to do the upgrade manually.

Regarding the network settings, to do the import from an SFTP server, we need the new publisher to be with the same IP as the old version; so basically, once the import is done and the new pub is up, at this stage we need to change the IP address.

[Nithin Eluvathingal]

I’m not sure why PCD was a nightmare for you. In the last two years, I’ve successfully completed nearly 25 migrations using PCD across different versions. These have included both migrations with new IP addresses and migrations with the same IP. Next week, I have two migrations scheduled, and I’ll be using PCD for the new IP scenario.

However, there have been cases where PCD wasn’t feasible. In those situations, I’ve opted for a fresh install using data export to a new IP—the option you prefer

I am not familiar with your network and its limitations. If it’s not possible to have the new IP address live during the migration, the options you mentioned can also be taken into consideration

Instead, consider utilizing tools like vMotion (if feasible) to move the VM to a new UCS server and perform the upgrade there. After the upgrade, change the IP address. Be sure to handle the ITL (Initial Trust List) properly; otherwise, phones may encounter registration issues with the new CUCM (new IP).

Out of curiosity, why is it not possible for you to perform the data export option on the new IP address and complete everything in a single step? Why do you want to change the IP address later?

[ln33147]

Hello Nithin,

Actually we have bad experiences with PCD with 2 customers, unfortunately..

Our customer wants to use the old cluster for a small branch office so he doens't want to shut it down once the migration is completed.

Our plan for the migration will be as follows:

1. Export the data on the old CUCM-PUB and IM&P-PUB to an SFTP server.
2. Disconnect the old CUCM and IMP Publishers of the network.
3. Apply an access list to prevent the phone from reaching the publishers.
4. Install the new PUB version 14 with the same IP address as the old pub and with the “data import” option.
5. Once it is up, install the IM&P PUB with the “data import” option and same IP as well.
6. At this stage, we have both CUCM-PUB and IM&P-PUB version 14 up and running with the same network settings and their IP addresses need to be changed.
7. Change the CUCM-PUB IP. (Will there be any issue after this step on the IM&P server)
8. Change the IM&P-PUB IP.
9. Once both IPs are changed, subscribers to be installed from scratch.
10. For all phones to register with the new publisher, option 150 to be updated with the new IPs.

It would be highly appreciated if you can take a look at the above plan and advise if there would be any issues - out of your experience..

Thanks in advance.

[Steven L]

there are logs you can view to tell you what failed and why