Upgrading the Software


Revised June 30, 2011

The following topics describe how to upgrade the software on the Cisco TelePresence Exchange System:

Requirements for Upgrading the Software

Upgrading the Database Servers

Upgrading the Administration Servers and Call Engine Servers

Requirements for Upgrading the Software

Cisco strongly recommends that all six nodes in the server cluster run the exact same software version. Nevertheless, the system is designed to support the following requirements:

Each database server must run the exact same software version as its peer database server.

Each administration server and call engine server must run the exact same software version as the other administration and call engine servers in the cluster.

See the Release Notes for the Cisco TelePresence Exchange System for your specific release for any restrictions on software version compatibility. The release notes are available at http://www.cisco.com/go/ctx-relnotes.

If you plan to upgrade all six nodes, which Cisco recommends, then upgrade the database servers before you upgrade the administration and call engine servers.

Upgrading the Database Servers

Before You Begin

Read the "Requirements for Upgrading the Software" section.

The database server upgrade process requires a scheduled maintenance window of system downtime, because you need to back up the database, shut down the database servers to install the new software, restore the database, and then synchronize the database servers. Minimum required maintenance windows are as follows:

For a parallel installation (which means that you install the new software on both database servers at the same time), you will need at least 3 hours of system downtime.

For a serial installation (which means that you complete the installation on one database server before you begin the installation on the other database server), you will need at least 4 hours of system downtime.


Note If you plan to also upgrade all the other Cisco TelePresence Exchange System nodes, Cisco recommends that you extend your maintenance period by 3 hours. You will also need to confirm that a Cisco customer support representative is available during your planned maintenance period to perform the upgrade procedure for your administration and call engine servers. See the "Upgrading the Administration Servers and Call Engine Servers" section.


Schedule the maintenance period and notify all users about your system downtime. If possible, block users from scheduling meetings that will occur during this maintenance period.

Verify that your Cisco TelePresence Exchange System installation DVD has the latest software version. If you are not sure, or if you do not have the DVD, download the latest software from the following URL, and burn the disk image onto a DVD: http://www.cisco.com/go/ctx-download.

Procedure


Step 1 From the administration console, back up the database.

For instructions, see the "Performing a Manual Database Backup" section on page 23-3.

Step 2 Stop the administration and call engine servers:

Enter the utils service adminserver stop command in the CLI of each administration server.

Enter the utils service sipserver stop command in the CLI of each call engine server.

Step 3 Shut down both database servers by entering the utils system shutdown command in the CLI of each database server.

Step 4 Install the new software on the database servers by completing these tasks:

Installing the Database Server Software, page 5-4

Checking the Initial High-Availability Role of the Database Servers, page 5-8

Step 5 Synchronize the database servers by completing these tasks:

Synchronizing the Database Servers, page 5-10

Verifying Synchronization and Network Connectivity of the Database Servers, page 5-12

Step 6 If you had planned to upgrade all Cisco TelePresence Exchange System nodes in the server cluster during this maintenance period, then contact the Cisco customer service representative now to upgrade the administration and call engine servers for you.

Whether or not the administration and call engine servers were upgraded, proceed to the next step.

Step 7 Start the administration and call engine servers:

Enter the utils service adminserver start command in the CLI of each administration server.

Enter the utils service sipserver start command in the CLI of each call engine server.

Step 8 From the administration console, restore the database by using the backup from Step 1.

For instructions, see the "Restoring a Database Server Backup" section on page 23-4.


Note To log in to the administration console, use the default username admin and password cisco. After the database is restored, you can log in with the username and password that you used before beginning this upgrade procedure.


Step 9 Complete the procedure in the "Verifying Data Connectivity Among the Servers" section on page 5-22.

Step 10 Close the maintenance window and notify your users that they may now use the system.


Related Topics

Command Reference, page C-1

Upgrading the Administration Servers and Call Engine Servers

Before You Begin

Read the "Requirements for Upgrading the Software" section.

Procedure


Step 1 Contact a Cisco customer service representative to schedule a time to upgrade the administration and call engine servers.

Step 2 Schedule a maintenance window of 3 hours to begin at the time you scheduled in Step 1.

Notify all users about your system downtime.

If possible, block users from scheduling meetings that will occur during this maintenance period.

Step 3 At the scheduled time for the administration and call engine server upgrades, contact the Cisco customer service representative, who will upgrade those servers for you.

Step 4 When the Cisco customer service representative confirms that the upgrades are complete, close the maintenance window and notify your users that they may now use the system.


Related Topics

Upgrading the Database Servers