Migrate multitenant Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay

Updated: June 21, 2026

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Explains how to migrate a multitenant Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay and its tenant data to another deployment.

Restrictions for migrating multitenant Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay

Defines restrictions for migrating a multitenant Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay.

This migration procedure applies only to SD-WAN Controllers deployed on premises.
The multitenant overlay can only be migrated to a setup in which Cisco SD-WAN Manager instances run Cisco vManage Release 20.6.1 software and SD-WAN Controllers run Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1 software.
This migration procedure cannot be used to merge two or more multitenant overlays. Only one multitenant overlay can be migrated to the new setup at a time.

Migrate multitenant Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay

Before you begin

Minimum software requirements for SD-WAN Controllers and WAN edge devices in the multitenant overlay to be migrated:


Device	Software version
Cisco SD-WAN Manager	Cisco vManage Release 20.3.3
Cisco SD-WAN Validator	Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.3.3
Cisco SD-WAN Controller	Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.3.3
Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN device	Cisco IOS XE Release 17.3.3

Procedure

Upgrade the software on the three SD-WAN Manager instances in the cluster to Cisco vManage Release 20.6.1.

Refer to the cluster management section of the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Getting Started Guide.

Run the request nms configuration-db upgrade command on only one of the SD-WAN Manager instances.

After the SD-WAN Manager software is upgraded to Cisco vManage Release 20.6.1, log in to the SD-WAN Manager.

You're prompted to set a new password. Enter a new password that adheres to the password guidelines.

Upload the Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1 software to SD-WAN Manager.

Refer to the information about adding an image to the software repository in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Monitor and Maintain Configuration Guide.

Upgrade the Cisco SD-WAN Validator software to Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1.

Refer to the information about upgrading the software image of a device in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Monitor and Maintain Configuration Guide.

Create two SD-WAN Controllers instances running Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1 software.

Refer to the information about deploying an SD-WAN Controller in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Getting Started Guide.

With two SD-WAN Controller instances, you can support up to 24 tenants. To support up to 50 tenants, create six SD-WAN Controller instances.

Add Cisco SD-WAN Controllers to the overlay network.

The Provider Dashboard shows the new SD-WAN Controller running Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1 software.

The Tenant Dashboard shows the older SD-WAN Controller running Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.3.3 software.

Enable the maintenance window on SD-WAN Manager. For more information, see Configure or Cancel SD-WAN Manager Server Maintenance Window.

Refer to the information about configuring a maintenance window in the basic settings section of the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Control Components and Device Management Guide.

A maintenance window of 3 to 4 hours is recommended.

Migrate the tenant configuration from the older tenant-specific SD-WAN Controller running Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.3.3 software to the new shared SD-WAN Controller running Cisco SD-WAN Release 20.6.1 software.


Method	`POST`
URL	`https://<vmanageip>:<port>`
Endpoint	`dataservice/tenant/vsmart-mt/migrate`
Authorization	Provider admin user credentials.
Body	Required Format: Raw JSON `{}`
Response	Format: JSON `{ "processId": <vManage_process_ID>, }`

Upgrade the Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN device software to Cisco IOS XE Catalyst SD-WAN Release 17.6.1a.

Refer to the information about upgrading the software image on a device, and about activating a new software image, in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Monitor and Maintain Configuration Guide.

It is not necessary to upgrade the tenant WAN edge device software in the same maintenance window in which you migrate the multitenant overlay. However, we recommend that you upgrade the tenant WAN edge device software within a few weeks of the migration.

During the migration task, the following changes are affected:

The older SD-WAN Controllers are invalidated and deleted from the overlay network.
In the tenant view, the older SD-WAN Controllers are removed from the Tenant Dashboard, and the Devices and the Certificates page.
The tenant WAN edge devices are connected to the new SD-WAN Controller.

What to do next

In SD-WAN Manager check the status of the migration task using the processId from the API response.

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