Upgrading Cisco DCNM

This chapter provides information about upgrading Cisco DCNM, and contains the following section:

Upgrading Cisco DCNM

Before Cisco DCNM Release 11.0(1), DCNM OVA, and ISO supported SAN functionality. From Cisco DCNM Release 11.3(1), you can install Cisco DCNM for SAN Deployment on both OVA and ISO virtual appliances. However, there is not upgrade path for SAN OVA\ISO.

From Release 11.3(1), Cisco DCNM OVA and ISO is supported for SAN functionality.

The following table summarizes the type of upgrade that you must follow to upgrade to Release 11.3(1).

Table 1. Type of Upgrade for Classic LAN, LAN Fabric, and IP for Media (IPFM) deployments

Current Release Number

Upgrade type to upgrade to Release 11.3(1)

11.2(1)

Inline Upgrade

11.1(1)

Inline Upgrade

11.0(1)

11.0(1) → 11.1(1) → 11.3(1)

  1. Upgrade to 11.1(1) using Inline Upgrade

  2. Upgrade from 11.1(1) to 11.3(1) using Inline Upgrade

10.4(2)

1

10.4(2) → 11.1(1) → 11.3(1)

  1. Upgrade to 11.1(1) using the DCNMUpgradeTool

  2. Upgrade from 11.1(1) to 11.3(1) using Inline Upgrade

1 (This upgrade path is not supported for Cisco DCNM Media Controller deployments)

Upgrading ISO or OVA through Inline Upgrade

Inline upgrade allows you to upgrade DCNM by imposing the new DCNM version to the existing DCNM. After the inline upgrade, ensure that you clear your browser cache before launching the DCNM application.

When you install Cisco DCNM, a self-signed certificate is installed, by default. However, after upgrading to the latest Cisco DCNM Release, you must restore the certificates.


Note

Restoring certificates is a disruptive mechanism; it requires you to stop and restart applications. Restore the certificates only when the upgraded system is stable, that is, you must be able to login to Cisco DCNM Web UI.


To restore certificates after upgrade, see Restoring the certificates after an upgrade.

This section contains the procedure to upgrade the DCNM using the Inline Upgrade method.

Inline Upgrade for DCNM Virtual Appliance in Standalone Mode

Inline upgrade allows you to upgrade DCNM by imposing the new DCNM version to the existing DCNM. After the inline upgrade, ensure that you clear your browser cache before launching the DCNM application.

Perform the following task to upgrade the DCNM virtual appliance in standalone mode.

Procedure


Step 1

Log on to the Cisco DCNM appliance console.

Caution 

If the system requirements do not meet the minimum resource requirements, every time you log on to DCNM via the console or SSH, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed. Modify the system requirements logon to DCNM via Console/SSH.

  • For OVA Installation: On the OVF template deployed for the host, right click and select Settings > Launch Web Console.

  • For ISO Installation: Select the KVM console or UCS (Bare Metal) console.

Caution 
Do not perform an Inline Upgrade from an SSH Session. The session may timeout and result in an incomplete upgrade.

OR

Run the following command to create a screen session.

dcnm# screen

This creates a session which allows you to execute the commands. The commands continue to run even when the window is not visible or if you get disconnected.

Step 2

Take a backup of the application data using the appmgr backup command.

dcnm# appmgr backup

Copy the backup file to a safe location outside the DCNM server.

Step 3

Unzip the dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso.zip file and upload the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file to the /root/ folder in the DCNM setup that you want to upgrade.

Step 4

Create folder that is named iso using the mkdir /mnt/iso command.

[root@dcnm]# mkdir /mnt/iso
Step 5

Mount the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file on the standalone setup in the /mnt/iso folder.

mount -o loop <DCNM 11.3(1) image> /mnt/iso
[root@dcnm]# mount -o loop dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso /mnt/iso
Step 6

Navigate to /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/ and run the ./inline-upgrade.sh script.

[root@dcnm]# cd /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/
dcnm# ./inline-upgrade.sh
Do you want to continue and perform the inline upgrade to 11.3(1)? [y/n]: y
Step 7

Provide the new sysadmin user password at the prompt:

Enter the password for the new sysadmin user: <<sysadmin_password>>
Enter it again for verification: <<sysadmin_password>>

After the upgrade is complete, the appliance reboots. After reboot, the SSH \root access is disabled by default. Use sysadmin user.

Step 8

Ensure that the DCNM application is functional, by using the appmgr status all command.

[root@dcnm]# appmgr status all
Step 9

To verify that you have successfully installed the Cisco DCNM Release 11.3(1), use the appmgr show version command.

[root@dcnm]# appmgr show version 

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
Version: 11.3(1)
Install mode: Classic LAN
Standalone node. HA not enabled.
Step 10

Terminate the screen session, by using the exit command.

[root@dcnm]# exit
Step 11

Unmount the dcnm-va-patch.11.3.1.iso file from the DCNM setup.

Note 

You must terminate the screen session before unmounting the .iso file.

[root@dcnm]# umount /mnt/iso

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

To reindex the performance manager data, use the appmgr es-reindex pmdb command.

Inline Upgrade for DCNM Virtual Appliance in Native HA Mode

Inline upgrade allows you to upgrade DCNM by imposing the new DCNM version to the existing DCNM. After the inline upgrade, ensure that you clear your browser cache before launching the DCNM application.

Perform the following task to upgrade the DCNM virtual appliance in Native HA mode.

Before you begin

  • Ensure that both the Cisco DCNM Active and Standby peers are up and running.

  • If the Cisco DCNM setup is in clustered mode, ensure that you perform the following:


    Note

    Inline upgrade of Cisco DCNM in Clustered mode is supported from Release 11.2(1). Release 11.1(1) doesn’t support inline upgrade for DCNM in clustered mode.


    • Stop the Network Insights - Resources (NIR) 2.x application. On the Cisco DCNM Web UI, choose Applications > Catalog. On the NIR app, click Stop icon to stop the application. Click Delete to remove the application from the Catalog.

    • Stop all the applications running on the Cisco DCNM Compute nodes using the appmgr stop afw command.

      dcnm-compute# appmgr stop afw
  • Check and ensure that the Active and Standby servers are operational, using the appmgr show ha-role command.

    Example:

    On the Active node:
    dcnm1# appmgr show ha-role
    Native HA enabled.
    Deployed role: Active
    Current role: Active
    On the Standby node:
    dcnm2# appmgr show ha-role
    Native HA enabled.
    Deployed role: Standby
    Current role: Standby

Procedure


Step 1

Unzip the dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso.zip file and upload the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file to the /root/ folder in both Active and Standby node of the DCNM setup that you want to upgrade.

Note 
For example, let us indicate Active and Standby appliances as dcnm1 and dcnm2 respectively.
Step 2

Log on to the Cisco DCNM appliance console.

Caution 

If the system requirements do not meet the minimum resource requirements, every time you log on to DCNM via the console or SSH, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed. Modify the system requirements logon to DCNM via Console/SSH.

  • For OVA Installation: On the OVF template that is deployed for the host, right click and select Settings > Launch Web Console.

  • For ISO Installation: Select the KVM console or UCS (Bare Metal) console.

Caution 
Do not perform an Inline Upgrade from an SSH Session. The session may timeout and result in an incomplete upgrade.

OR

Run the following command to create a screen session.

dcnm1# screen
dcnm2# screen

This creates a session which allows you to execute the commands. The commands continue to run even when the window is not visible or if you get disconnected.

Step 3

Take a backup of the application data using the appmgr backup command on both Active and Standby appliances.

dcnm1# appmgr backup
dcnm2# appmgr backup

Copy the backup file to a safe location outside the DCNM server.

Step 4

Log on to the /root/ directory by using the su command.

dcnm1# su
Enter password: <<enter-password>>
[root@dcnm1]# 
dcnm2# su
Enter password: <<enter-password>>
[root@dcnm2]# 
Note 

Ensure that you have access to the /root/ folder before you mount the ISO to the directory.

Step 5

On the Active node, perform the inline upgrade.

  1. Create a folder named iso using the mkdir /mnt/iso command.

    [root@dcnm1]# mkdir /mnt/iso
  2. Mount the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file on the Active node in the /mnt/iso folder.

    dcnm1# mount -o loop dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso /mnt/iso
  3. (Optional) Stop the HA applications on the Standby appliance using the appmgr stop ha-apps command.

    dcnm2# appmgr stop ha-apps
  4. Navigate to /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/ location and run the ./inline-upgrade.sh script.

    [root@dcnm1]# cd /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/
    dcnm1# ./inline-upgrade.sh
    Note 
    If some services are still running, you will receive a prompt that the services will be stopped. When prompted, press y to continue.
    dcnm1# Do you want to continue and perform the inline upgrade to 11.3(1)? [y/n]: y
  5. Provide the new sysadmin user password at the prompt:

    Enter the password for the new sysadmin user: <<sysadmin_password>>
    Enter it again for verification: <<sysadmin_password>>

    After the upgrade is complete, the appliance reboots. After reboot, the SSH \root access is disabled by default. Use sysadmin user.

  6. Ensure the DCNM application is functional, by using the appmgr status all command.

    [root@dcnm1]# appmgr status all
    Note 

    Ensure that all the services are up and running on the Cisco DCNM Active node before proceeding to upgrade Standby node.

  7. Verify the role of the Active node, by using appmgr show ha-role command. Current role must show as Active.

    [root@dcnm1]# appmgr show ha-role
    
    Native HA enabled.
    Deployed role: Active
    Current role: Active
    
    Warning 

    We recommend that you do not continue to upgrade the Standby node, unless the Active node Current role is Active.

Step 6

On the Standby node, perform the inline upgrade.

  1. Create folder named iso using the mkdir /mnt/iso command.

    [root@dcnm2]# mkdir /mnt/iso
  2. Mount the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file on the Standby node in the /mnt/iso folder.

    dcnm2# mount -o loop dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso /mnt/iso
  3. Navigate to /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/ location and run the ./inline-upgrade.sh script.

    [root@dcnm2]# cd /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/
    dcnm2# ./inline-upgrade.sh --standby
    Note 
    If some services are still running, you will receive a prompt that the services will be stopped. When prompted, press y and continue.
    dcnm2# Do you want to continue and perform the inline upgrade to 11.3(1)? [y/n]: y
  4. Provide the new sysadmin user password at the prompt:

    Enter the password for the new sysadmin user: <<sysadmin_password>>
    Enter it again for verification: <<sysadmin_password>>

    After the upgrade is complete, the appliance reboots. After reboot, the SSH \root access is disabled by default. Use sysadmin user.

After the upgrade is complete, the appliance reboots. Verify the role of the appliance, using the following command:

[root@dcnm2]# appmgr show ha-role
Native HA enabled.
Deployed role: Standby
Current role: Standby
Step 7

Terminate the screen session, by using the exit command.

[root@dcnm1]# exit
[root@dcnm2]# exit
Step 8

Unmount the dcnm-va-patch.11.3.1.iso file in both Active and Standby node of the DCNM setup.

Note 

You must terminate the screen session before unmounting the .iso file.

[root@dcnm1]# umount /mnt/iso
[root@dcnm2]# umount /mnt/iso

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

Verify the role of both the appliances using the appmgr show ha-role

dcnm1# appmgr show ha-role
Native HA enabled.
Deployed role: Active
Current role: Active
dcnm2# appmgr show ha-role
Native HA enabled.
Deployed role: Standby
Current role: Standby

Verify the status of all applications using the appmgr status all command.

Inline Upgrade for DCNM Compute Nodes

You can upgrade the DCNM compute nodes from Release 11.2(1) to Release 11.3(1) using the inline upgrade. Inline upgrade allows you to upgrade the compute node by imposing the new DCNM version to the existing compute node.

Perform the following task to upgrade the DCNM compute node in both Standalone and Native HA modes.

Before you begin

Cisco DCNM Servers in either Standalone node or Native HA mode must be upgraded to Release 11.3(1), before upgrading the DCNM compute nodes.

Procedure


Step 1

Log on to the Cisco DCNM Compute console.

Caution 
Don’t perform an Inline Upgrade from an SSH Session. The session may timeout and result in an incomplete upgrade.
Caution 

If the system requirements do not meet the minimum resource requirements, every time you log on to DCNM via the console or SSH, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed. Modify the system requirements logon to DCNM via Console/SSH.

OR

Run the following command to create a screen session on the compute node.

dcnm-compute# screen

This creates a session which allows you to execute the commands. The commands continue to run even when the window isn’t visible or if you get disconnected.

Step 2

Unzip the dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso.zip file and upload the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file to the /root/ folder in all the compute nodes.

Step 3

Create folder that is named iso using the mkdir /mnt/iso command, on all the computes.

dcnm-compute# mkdir /mnt/iso
Step 4

Mount the DCNM 11.3(1) ISO file on the compute node in the /mnt/iso folder.

mount -o loop <DCNM 11.3(1) image> /mnt/iso
dcnm-compute# mount -o loop dcnm-va.11.3.1.iso /mnt/iso

Mount the ISO on all the compute nodes.

Step 5

Navigate to /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/ and run the ./inline-upgrade.sh script.

dcnm-compute# cd /mnt/iso/packaged-files/scripts/
dcnm-compute# ./inline-upgrade.sh
Do you want to continue and perform the inline upgrade to 11.3(1)? [y/n]: y
Note 
If some services are still running, a prompt to stop the services appears. When prompted, press y to continue.
Step 6

Provide the new sysadmin user password at the prompt:

Enter the password for the new sysadmin user:<<sysadmin_password>>
Enter it again for verification:<<sysadmin_password>>

After the upgrade is complete, the compute node reboots. After reboot, the SSH \root access is disabled by default. Use sysadmin user.

Step 7

Verify that you have successfully upgraded to Cisco DCNM Release 11.3(1), using the appmgr show version command.

dcnm-compute# appmgr show version 

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
Version: 11.3(1)
Install mode: Compute
Step 8

Terminate the screen session, by using the exit command on all compute nodes.

dcnm-compute# exit
Step 9

Unmount the dcnm-va-patch.11.3.1.iso file from all compute nodes of the DCNM setup.

Note 

You must terminate the screen session on all compute nodes before unmounting the .iso file.

dcnm-compute# umount /mnt/iso

What to do next

You must upgrade all the three compute nodes in the cluster.

After the Upgrade process is complete, each compute node will reboot and join the cluster automatically. On the Cisco DCNM Web UI, choose Applications > Compute to verify if the compute node appears as Joined.