Downgrade a Cisco/TANDBERG/Codian Video Conferencing Product

Introduction

This document describes how to downgrade the software that runs on the device to an earlier version. As the method differs dependent upon the device, it is important that you follow the process which corresponds to the device to be downgraded.

Prerequisites

Requirements

Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of these topics:

• Cisco TelePresence Servers
• Cisco TelePresence IP GW 3500 / MSE IPGW blade
• Cisco TelePresence IP VCR 2200 / MSE VCR blade
• Cisco TelePresence ISDN GW 3200 and 3241 / MSE 8310 and MSE 8321 blades
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 4200 / MSE 8420
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 4500
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 5300
• Cisco TelePresence MSE 8050 Supervisor

Components Used

The information in this document is based on these software and hardware versions:

• Cisco TelePresence Servers
• Cisco TelePresence IP GW 3500 / MSE IPGW blade
• Cisco TelePresence IP VCR 2200 / MSE VCR blade
• Cisco TelePresence ISDN GW 3200 and 3241 / MSE 8310 and MSE 8321 blades
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 4200 / MSE 8420
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 4500
• Cisco TelePresence MCU 5300
• Cisco TelePresence MSE 8050 Supervisor

The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

Downgrade a Cisco/TANDBERG/Codian Video Conferencing Product

Caution: In all cases Cisco recommends that whenever possible the latest available software version should be installed. Additionally, for these devices Cisco supports a downgrade only to these software versions (a downgrade to an earlier version is not supported):
- Cisco TelePresence Server Version 2.2 or later
- Cisco TelePresence MCU Version 4.0 or later
- Cisco TelePresence ISDN Gateway Version 2.0 or later
- Cisco TelePresence Supervisor Version 2.0 or later

Downgrade Process for the Cisco TelePresence Server, MCU, Supervisor, or ISDN Gateway

In order to downgrade the software on one of these devices, simply follow the downgrade instructions section of the appropriate software release notes on Cisco.com (the release notes for the version that you will downgrade from). You can download release notes from these Cisco.com locations:

Downgrade Process for the Cisco TelePresence IP VCR or IP Gateway

1. Before you downgrade the software on one of these devices, Cisco recommends that you restore the device configuration (configuration.xml file) to the earlier configuration that existed when the downgrade software version was previously installed. That is, use the backup configuration file that was saved before the device was upgraded from the desired downgrade version. If you do not have the appropriate backup to restore, you might experience unexpected results after the downgrade due to changes in security handling across some versions. In order to restore the device configuration, follow the instructions in Step 1: Restore the Configuration. 
2. In order to downgrade the software, follow the instructions in Step 2: Downgrade the Software. 

Step 1: Restore the Configuration

1. Select Settings > Upgrade in order to go to the Upgrade page.
2. In the Restore configuration area, navigate to and select the appropriate configuration.xml backup file. You must have the associated administrator user name and password for the file.
3. Check the User settings. In this context, user settings include the "Advanced account security mode" and "Idle web session timeout" security options (on the Settings > Security page) if they are configurable for the device.
4. If required, check the network settings. In this context, network settings include the "Redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS" security option (on the Settings > Security page) if it is configurable for the device.
5. Click Restore backup file and wait for the configuration restore to finish. Continue to Step 2: Downgrade the software.  

Step 2: Downgrade the Software

Caution: If you use Call Detail Records, audit logs, or any other logs to bill, audit, or complete another task, you must download and save all logged data before you start the download (see the online help for assistance). Failure to do so might result in data loss.

Prerequisites

• The software downgrade process requires a hardware restart and can take up to 25 minutes to complete. Schedule a downtime window and notify users as necessary.
• Have these items available before you start:
• The image file for the required software version (available by download from Cisco.com).
• Backups of any Call Detail Records, audit logs, or other log files that you use.
• Administrative access to all devices to be downgraded.
• Model numbers and serial numbers of all devices to be downgraded, in case you need to contact Cisco Technical Support.

Web Interface Instructions

1. Unzip the image file locally.
2. In a web browser, navigate to the web interface of the device.
3. Sign in as an administrator.
4. Select Settings > Upgrade in order to go to the Upgrade page.
5. In the Main software image section of the Upgrade page, browse to and select the software image file.
6. Click Upload software image. The web browser uploads the file to the device, which might take a few minutes. Do not browse away from the Upgrade page or refresh the page during the upload process, as this causes the upload to fail. A popup window shows the upload progress.
7. When the upload completes, close the popup window. The web browser refreshes automatically and displays the message "Main image upload completed".
8. Click Shut down (product). The option changes to Confirm (product) shutdown. Click to confirm.
9. Click Restart (product) and upgrade. The device reboots and upgrades itself. This can take up to 25 minutes. You might be logged out due to inactivity. If this happens, log in again and select Settings > Shutdown. Click Restart (product) and upgrade.
10. When the device restarts, go to the Status page in order to verify that the device now uses the required software version. The downgrade process is now complete.

FTP Instructions

The use of FTP to downgrade is NOT recommended and Cisco advises you to use the web interface instead (see previous section).

1. Check to see if the device supports FTP and that the FTP service is enabled on the Network > Services page.
2. Unzip the image file locally.
3. Connect to the product with an FTP client.
4. Log in as an administrator (use the administrator credentials you would use to connect to the web interface).
5. Upload the image file to the root.
6. Reboot the hardware after the upload (you can reboot from the Upgrade page on the web interface). The device upgrades itself as it restarts.
7. Log in to the web interface and go to the Status page in order to verify that the device now uses the required software version. The downgrade process is now complete.