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Administration Guide for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Release 2.8

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Book Title

Administration Guide for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Release 2.8

Chapter Title

Updating Your System

Results

Updated:
October 3, 2018

Chapter: Updating Your System

Updating Your System

About Updating a System

In a Single-data Center (SDC) system, the data center must be put into Maintenance Mode.

An upgrade is defined as a replacement of the system to deploy major modifications that we made to the system. For example, replacing a system currently running version 1.5 to run version 2.0 that includes support for a new operating system. An update is defined as overwriting an existing (original) system to take advantage of modifications that we made to improve the system. An expand is defined as enlarging an existing system, but not changing the application version. For example, you might update a system from version 1.5 to 1.5MR, upgrade a system from 1.5 to 2.0, or expand a system from 800 users to 2000 users. In all cases, the processes include transferring all of the data from the original system to the updated, upgraded, or expanded system.

The complete update procedure, including backing up your virtual machines, might take up to an hour depending on:

  • System size

  • Database size

  • Speed of and load on the vCenter


Note

CWMS System is the default name of the data center after an upgrade; it is not translated from English to any of the other languages.

Upgrade or Update

Use the following table to determine your upgrade path to Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Release 2.8.

Installed Release

To Release

Path

1.0 to 1.1

2.8

  1. Update to 1.5.

  2. Update to 1.5MR5 Patch 2 or later.

  3. Upgrade to 2.8.

1.5 to 1.5MR4

2.8

  1. Update to 1.5MR5 Patch 2 or later.

  2. Upgrade to 2.8.

1.5 MR5

2.8

  1. Update to 1.5MR5 Patch 2 or later.

  2. Upgrade to 2.8.

1.5 MR5 Patch 2 or later

2.8

Upgrade to 2.8.

2.0 to 2.0MR8

2.8

  1. Update to 2.0MR9.

  2. Update to 2.8.

2.0MR9 or later

2.8

Update to 2.8.

2.5 to 2.5MR5

2.8

  1. Update to 2.5MR6.

  2. Update to 2.8.

2.5MR6

2.8

Update to 2.8.

2.6 to 2.6MR2

2.8

  1. Update to 2.6MR3

  2. Update to 2.8

2.6MR3 or later

2.8

Update to 2.8.

2.7 or any 2.7MR

2.8

Update to 2.8.

2.8 or any 2.8MR

Any 2.8MR

Update to 2.8MR.

Connecting to an ISO Image from the CD/DVD Drive

For the fastest update, we recommend that you mount the ISO image in the vCenter datatstore. However, if you place it in a local disk accessible to the vSphere client, be sure the vSphere client has a hard-wired connection into your company Intranet (not over VPN).

To place the ISO image in the vCenter datastore and connect to the CD/DVD, complete the following steps:

Procedure

Step 1

Get the desired ISO image from Cisco at http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.

Step 2

Verify that you have the appropriate permissions.

Step 3

Select the ESXi host for the Admin virtual machine of the data center to be updated. Select the Summary tab and double-click the datastore1 name under Storage.

Step 4

On the Datastore and Datastore clusters window, select Browse this datastore.

Step 5

Select the green up arrow icon (Upload file) and load the update ISO file.

Step 6

Select the Admin virtual machine in the VMware vCenter inventory.

Step 7

Select the CD/DVD icon for the Admin virtual machine.

Step 8

Select CD/DVD drive 1 > Connect to ISO image on a local disk or on a datastore.

Step 9

Confirm that the CD/DVD drive is connected.

  1. Right-click the Admin virtual machine name in the vCenter inventory and select Edit Settings....

  2. In the Hardware tab, select CD/DVD drive 1.

  3. If unchecked, check the Connected check box.

  4. Select OK.

Updating Data Centers

This procedure describes how to update a Single Data Center (SDC) system or a Multi-data Center (MDC) system where the system is taken offline by placing all data centers in Maintenance Mode.

Before you begin

Place the ISO image in the vCenter datastore and connecting to the CD/DVD as described in Connecting to an ISO Image from the CD/DVD Drive.

Procedure

Step 1

Get the latest update files from Cisco at http://www.cisco.com/cisco/software/navigator.html.

The update package for your system includes an ISO image. You cannot skip some versions of the software. For example, you must install the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server version 1.1 (Build 1.1.1.9.A) before applying 1.5MR3. Check the release notes for the correct version to use.

Step 2

Notify other system administrators that they should not access any data center being updated during this procedure. If they do so, their changes are not saved and the result can be unpredictable.

Step 3

Clear your browser cache.

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

Step 4

Sign into the Administration sites.

Do not close the browser windows until the data centers are restarted or re-booted, as you might not be able to sign back into the Administration sites.

Step 5

Turn on Maintenance Mode. See Turning Maintenance Mode On or Off.

If the data center is part of a Multidata Center (MDC) system, in-progress meetings fail over to an active data center. The failover can cause a brief interruption in active meetings. See About Maintenance Mode for information. Turning on Maintenance Mode for all active data centers shuts down all conference functionality. No one can sign in to the WebEx site, schedule meetings, join meetings, or play meeting recordings.

Step 6

Make backups of all of the virtual machines in all data centers in this system (unless you are recovering from a failed update).

(See Creating a Backup by Using VMware vCenter.)
Step 7

Select System.

Step 8

Select the data center you want to update.

Step 9

Select Manage.

The Manage System Specifications page appears.
Step 10

Select Update > Continue.

The Validate ISO Image page appears.
Step 11

Select I have connected to the ISO image and am ready to proceed > Continue.

The ISO image is read for conditions such as down time requirements.

The Update System page appears.
Step 12

Select I have taken backups of all virtual machines on all data center > Continue. Do not close the browser window; otherwise, you will be unable to return to this page.

It might take up to an hour to complete an Update. If you see that the restart button has not yet appeared, verify the update status of the primary data center to confirm that there are no errors in the Update and that the Update is proceeding.

Important 

Do not shutdown or reboot any data center while another data center is updating; otherwise, it can cause the Update to fail.

Once the Update on all data centers is complete, the Restart button appears, confirming the success of the update.
Step 13

Select Continue.

Caution 
Once you select Continue, you cannot stop the Update procedure. If an issue arises during the procedure and it does not complete successfully, then you must use your backups to restore all data centers in the system.

Do not close the browser window, otherwise you will not be able to return to this page. If a browser session is closed or lose connection for any reason, you must check the splash screen of the virtual machines to verify that the update has finished successfully, then reboot the system manually.

Important 

Do not shutdown or reboot any data center while another data center is updating; otherwise, it can cause the Update to fail.

Once the Update completes a new page appears confirming the success of the Update.

Restart becomes active when all data centers in the system are updated.

Step 14

Select Restart to restart the system.

The Cisco WebEx Administration site sign on page appears.

Step 15

Sign in to Site Administration.

In a Multidata Center system, the DNS determines which data center Dashboard appears. Use this Dashboard to manage all the data centers in this system.

Step 16

Check the release notes for this update, and determine whether any post-update tasks are required. If additional tasks are required, complete them before you take the system out of Maintenance Mode.

Step 17

Turn off Maintenance Mode.

When you turn off Maintenance Mode, the system determines whether a restart or a reboot is required, and displays the appropriate message. A restart takes approximated 3 to 5 minutes and a reboot takes approximately 30 minutes. If the data center is part of a Multidata Center (MDC) system, you are redirected to the global admin URL. The DNS resolution policy determines which data center you see. If Key Regeneration is enabled, taking one data center out of Maintenance Mode automatically takes all data centers in the system out of Maintenance Mode.

See Turning Maintenance Mode On or Off.

Meeting service on the data center is restored.
Step 18

Test the system. See About System Testing for recommended tests.

What to do next

We recommend that when you are satisfied with the operation, that you remove all backups.

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, 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.

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