Upgrading the System

Supported Upgrade Paths

This release of Cisco WebEx Meetings Server supports upgrades from release 1.x to 2.7. The following points apply:

  • An upgrade is defined as a replacement of the system to deploy major modifications that we made to the system.

  • An update is defined as an incremental modification of the system. Updates deploy fixes and minor improvements.

  • An update retains all data from the original system. An upgrade retains all data from the original system, except for the logs.

  • When upgrading, you cannot skip a major version of the software and go directly to a companion maintenance release (MR).

    For example, to upgrade from 1.5MR5 to a 2.7MR, upgrade from 1.5MR5 to 2.7 and then update to the 2.7MR.


Note

All updates require downtime. For Multi-data centers, you update both data centers simultaneously.


Caution

Do not click Restart for one data center until the update for the other is complete, and both display the Restart button. When you update from Release 2.5MR6 or later to 2.7, restarting one data center before the update is complete for the other breaks replication.

Use the following table to determine how to update or upgrade to Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Release 2.7.

Installed Release

To Release

Path

1.0 to 1.1

2.7

  1. Update to 1.5.

  2. Update to 1.5MR5.

  3. Upgrade to 2.7.

1.5 to 1.5MR4

2.7

  1. Update to 1.5MR5.

  2. Upgrade to 2.7.

1.5 MR5 and later

2.7

Upgrade to 2.7.

2.0 to 2.0MR8

2.7

  1. Update to 2.0MR9.

  2. Update to 2.7.

2.0MR9 or later

2.7

Update to 2.7.

2.5 to 2.5MR5

2.7

  1. Update to 2.5MR6.

  2. Update to 2.7.

2.5MR6

2.7

Update to 2.7.

2.6 or any 2.6MR

2.7

Update to 2.7.

2.7 or any 2.7MR

Any 2.7MR

Update to the 2.7MR.
Important:

You cannot change the audio encryption type (Audio Encrypted -AE/Audio Unencrypted -AU) for the system, during an upgrade or during an update. After deployment, the only way to change a system from one type of audio encryption to the other is to deploy a new system.

For more information, see the following documents:

Configuring Your High-Availability System

When you update a high-availability system, you reboot the system. After the reboot process appears to be complete, we recommend that you wait an extra 15 minutes before you begin your add high-availability system procedure.

Important:

Before you deploy a data center, choose between Audio Encrypted -AE or Audio Unencrypted -AU. After deployment, you cannot convert from one type to the other. Data archived or backed up from one type of system cannot be uploaded to the other type of system. You cannot change the audio encryption type during an upgrade or during an update. The only way to change a system from one type of audio encryption to the other is to deploy a new system.

Before You Begin an Upgrade

Before you upgrade a system automatically or manually, address the following issues:

  • Obtain the OVA file required for the upgrade.


    Note

    Upgrading from an unencrypted version to an encrypted version or upgrading from an encrypted version to an unencrypted version is not supported. Obtain the OVA based on your existing system deployment.

  • Remove all VMware snapshots of the original (existing) system. Do not take any snapshots during the upgrade process. To remove snapshots, see Removing a Snapshot.

  • Create a backup for each virtual machine in your original (existing) system. (See Creating a Backup by Using VMware vCenter.)

  • Plan a maintenance outage. During the upgrade process, the original system is placed into maintenance mode and requires exclusive access to the system. During this time, users cannot access the system for meetings. Schedule this portion of the upgrade for a time that is the least disruptive to your users.

  • Plan for the increased size of the data stores. The original system and the upgraded system share data stores until testing of the upgraded system is complete and you remove the original system.

  • Verify that the original system hostnames and IP addresses are reused in the upgraded system. Also that the internal virtual machines for both systems are on the same subnet. If you have added public access, the Internet Reverse Proxy virtual machines for the original system and the upgraded system must be on the same subnet.

  • Verify that the DNS server can resolve the vCenter hostname. Test the link by pinging the hostname.


Note

After an upgrade, CWMS System is the default name of the data center; it is not translated to any other language.

Upgrading the System Automatically

This procedure lists the high-level tasks needed to complete an automatic upgrade. It includes links to sections of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Administration Guide (at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html) that provide the detailed steps necessary to complete each task.

Before You Begin

Before upgrading a system by using the automatic upgrade process:

  • In a Multi-data Center (MDC) environment, the data centers cannot be expanded, upgraded, or updated. Secondary data centers must be removed from the MDC, making it a Single-data Center (SDC) environment. The MDC environment can be restored after the data centers are modified and it is verified that the data center sizes and version match.

  • Notify other system administrators that they should not access or make changes to the original system during the upgrade, as their changes might yield unpredictable results.

  • Provide and configure one additional IP address and hostname that will be used temporarily for the administration virtual machine on the upgraded system. This can be any available IP address in the VLAN. The hostname can be anything you want, as this IP address and hostname will be released at the end of the upgrade process.

    The original system and the upgraded system are both powered up during this process. The temporary IP address and hostname prevents IP conflicts during this part of the procedure. After the data is transferred from the original system to the modified system, the original system is powered down. At the end of the process, the modified system is taken out of maintenance mode and re-boots.

    During the reboot, the temporary IP address and hostname are released and the modified system uses the original administration virtual machine IP address and hostname.

    If there is a firewall between the administration virtual machines and the IRP virtual machines, the temporary IP address must be allowed through the firewall.

  • Do not manually power on or shut down either system.

  • Verify that vSwitch is not used on ESXi hosts as a distributed switch. Automatic processes do not support vSwitch Distributed Switch on CWMS ESXi hosts. Change to a standard switch or use a manual process. (See Upgrading the System Automatically, Upgrading the System Manually, or Expanding the System Size.)

Procedure
    Step 1   Clear your browser cache.

    Static resources are cached to enhance the performance of web pages; however, the data cached might be incorrect. Therefore, we recommend that you clear your browser cache.

    Step 2   Go to the license manager on the original system and generate a license request by selecting System > View more > Manage Licenses. License manager opens in a new tab.
    Step 3   Select Generate License Request. A pop-up appears with the license request text. Copy the text and save the license request in a convenient location as it might be necessary to use the manual re-host procedure to reclaim your licenses. This information can also help Cisco to find your licenses. (See Fulfilling Licenses by Using the License Manager.)
    Step 4   Using the vSphere client, deploy the Admin virtual machine (by using the temporary IP address) for the upgraded system by selecting the configuration with the Auto-upgrade suffix, for example 250 Users Admin Auto-upgrade. Use the same host as the original system Admin virtual machine.
    Step 5   Verify that the Upgrade Administration virtual machine can reach the original system disks.

    The Administration virtual machines are on the same ESXi host and have access to the same data stores, therefore they should be able to view both sets of disks. The datastore used by the Administration virtual machine datastore (vmdk) files should be visible through the vCenter (by using the same vCenter credentials that the automatic upgrade process uses).

    Step 6   Power on the Administration virtual machine for the upgraded system and write down the deployment URL displayed on the virtual machine console.
    Step 7   Enter the deployment URL into a web browser URL field.
    Step 8   Enter the Administration and vCenter URLs and credentials, so we can deploy the virtual machines for you. (See Providing VMware vCenter Credentials.)
    Step 9   To deploy any additional virtual machines, select Continue.

    Until you begin the setup of the upgraded system and the original system is placed in maintenance mode, users can hold meetings, but administrators should not modify the original system virtual machines.

    Step 10   Note the names of the automatically-created virtual machines listed in vCenter.

    The format for virtual machine names is CWMS_hostname_MMDDHHmm where mm=minute

    When the upgrade is complete, the virtual machines do not display. To find the virtual machines that were created as part of the CWMS upgrade, you can search based on this format.

    The progress of the upgrade is displayed on the deployment URL of the upgraded system and on the VMware console connected to the primary system Admin virtual machine. The VMware console provides the deployment URL to use in case the browser window inadvertently closes during the upgrade process.

    Step 11   To automatically put the system in maintenance mode and begin the setup of the upgraded system, select Continue. A message displays when Maintenance Mode is enabled, which might take up to 30 minutes.
    Step 12   To launch the upgraded Cisco WebEx Administration site, select Sign In to Administration Site and sign in.
    Step 13   Wait for the system to come to a good state, then turn off maintenance mode on the upgraded system and select Continue.

    It can take a few minutes for the meeting service to become available. Your system is ready for users to start meetings when all the virtual machines listed on the System Properties page display a status of Good (green). See Turning Maintenance Mode On or Off for Version 2.5 and Later.

    The system reboots.
    Step 14   Test the upgraded system. (See About System Testing.)

    When your upgraded system is running satisfactorily, you can delete your original system to free the original system resources. Keep the upgraded system running while deleting the original system to prevent the accidental removal of the Hard disk 4 base VMDK file that might be accessed by the upgraded system.

    If the upgrade is unsuccessful, power off the upgraded system, power on the original system, and contact Cisco TAC.

    Step 15   Re-host and update the license version as appropriate for the upgraded system. (See About Host Licenses and Re-hosting Licenses after a Major System Modification).

    If the previously deployed Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools are different versions or build numbers from a newly deployed version of the application and the upgrade is not blocked, you are notified by an upgrade warning dialog box. It might be necessary to push the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools to the users. See the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application and Productivity Tools Compatibility Matrix section of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Planning Guide, found at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.

    Within 180 days or less the license-free grace period shall expire. If the original system had valid licenses, those licenses must be re-hosted in 180 days or less. If the original system was operating in the license-free grace period, the remaining unexpired days are transferred to the upgraded system.
    What to Do Next

    If the previously deployed Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools are different versions or build numbers from a newly deployed version of the application and the upgrade is not blocked, you are notified by an upgrade warning dialog box. It might be necessary to push the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools to the users. See the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application and Productivity Tools Compatibility Matrix section of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Planning Guide and System Requirements, found at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.

    Upgrading the System Manually

    This procedure lists the high-level tasks needed to complete a manual upgrade. It includes links to sections of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Administration Guide (at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html) that provide the detailed steps necessary to complete each task.

    Before You Begin

    In a Multi-data Center (MDC) environment, the data centers cannot be expanded, upgraded, or updated. Secondary data centers must be removed from the MDC, making it a Single-data Center (SDC) environment. The MDC environment can be restored after the data centers are modified and it is verified that the data center sizes and version match.

    Verify that the upgraded system can access the disks for the original system Admin virtual machine. (Hard disk 4 is copied from the original system to the upgraded system.)

    Do not power on and run both systems at the same time, because the hostnames and IP addresses from the original virtual machines are used in the upgraded system.

    Procedure
      Step 1   Clear your browser cache.

      Static resources are cached to enhance the performance of web pages; however, the data cached might be incorrect. Therefore, we recommend that you clear your browser cache.

      Step 2   Go to System > (Licenses) View More. The License window opens.
      Step 3   Go to the license manager and generate a license request by selecting Manage Licenses. License manager opens in a new tab.
      Step 4   Select Generate License Request. A popup appears with the license request text. Copy the text and save the license request in a convenient location as it might be necessary to use the manual rehost procedure to reclaim your licenses. This information can also help Cisco to find your licenses. (See Fulfilling Licenses by Using the License Manager.)
      Step 5   Log in to the Administration site of the original system.
      Step 6   Go to the System tab and select Upgrade.
      Step 7   Select Major Upgrade.
      Step 8   Select Continue to archive the original system data and put the system into maintenance mode.
      Step 9   Using the VMware vSphere client, select Power > Shut Down Guest on the virtual machines for the original system.
      Step 10   Deploy all of the upgraded system virtual machines, including the high availability (HA) and Internet Reverse Proxy (IRP) virtual machines.

      If you are deploying a Multi-data Center (MDC), do not deploy a HA machine; MDC does not support HA.

      During deployment there is an option to Power on VM after deployment. Verify that this is not checked or that the VMs have been started manually before the next step is complete; otherwise, it will cause the VMs to deploy as a new system and create a new deployment instead of migrating the data. If the VMs are powered on, they must be deleted and redeployed before proceeding.

      Step 11   Copy the data from your original system to the Admin virtual machine for the upgraded system. (See Attaching an Existing VMDK File to a New Virtual Machine.)
      Step 12   Power on the upgraded Admin virtual machine and write down the deployment URL displayed on the virtual machine console. (See for 2.5 and later.)

      If the system includes HA, do not set up the HA virtual machines from HA Admin Deployment; allow the upgrade script to discover the HA virtual machines.

      Step 13   Power on the other upgraded virtual machines.
      Step 14   Enter the deployment URL into a web browser.
      Step 15   Select Continue to launch the system setup.

      The progress of the upgrade is displayed on the deployment URL of the upgraded system and on the VMware console connected to the primary system Admin virtual machine.

      The VMware console provides the deployment URL to use in case the browser window inadvertently closes during the upgrade process.

      Step 16   Wait for the system to come to a good state, then turn off maintenance mode and select Continue.

      It can take a few minutes for the meeting service to become available. Your system is ready for users to start meetings when all the virtual machines listed on the System Properties page display a status of Good (green). See Turning Maintenance Mode On or Off for Version 2.5 and Later.

      Step 17   Test the upgraded system. (See About System Testing.)

      When your upgraded system is running satisfactorily, you can delete your original system to free the original system resources. Keep the upgraded system running while deleting the original system to prevent the accidental removal of the Hard disk 4 base VMDK file that might be accessed by the upgraded system.

      If the upgrade is unsuccessful, power off the upgraded system, power on the original system, and contact Cisco TAC.

      Step 18   Rehost and update the license version as appropriate for the upgraded system. (See About Host Licenses and Re-hosting Licenses after a Major System Modification).

      If the previously deployed Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools are different versions or build numbers from a newly deployed version of the application and the upgrade is not blocked, you are notified by an upgrade warning dialog box. It might be necessary to push the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools to the users. See the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application and Productivity Tools Compatibility Matrix section of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Planning Guide, found at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.

      Within 180 days or less, the license-free grace period shall expire. If the original system had valid licenses, those licenses must be rehosted in 180 days or less. If the original system was operating in the license-free grace period, the remaining unexpired days are transferred to the upgraded system.
      Step 19  
      What to Do Next

      If the previously deployed Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools are different versions or build numbers from a newly deployed version of the application and the upgrade is not blocked, you are notified by an upgrade warning dialog box. It might be necessary to push the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application or Productivity Tools to the users. See the Cisco WebEx Meetings Application and Productivity Tools Compatibility Matrix section of the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Planning Guide and System Requirements, found at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​c/​en/​us/​support/​conferencing/​webex-meetings-server/​products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.