CS1000 Geographic redundancy upgrade

[optman10]

Hi all

I will upgrade a live system CS1000 Rls 7.0 to Rls 7.6 runing in geographic redundancy mode, the customer don't like long downtime during the upgrade.

I suggest to take backup of both Call Server and Signalling server and restore them to the new cards (CS and SS‚) with version 7.6, then switch all ip phones and media gateways to the secondary server, after this switch we can change easily the CS and SS cards by prepared cards.

Then swhitch again to the primary server and upgrade the secondary.

Please could you provide your suggestions of upgrading CS1000 in geographic redundancy mode ?


Thanks & regards

 

[KCFLHRC]

What type of CPU's are you using? What type of SS are you using? Is it an HA system or just Geographic redundancy with a single cpu and alternate CS? Is it a CoRes machine or VxWorks?

 

[optman10]

Thanks for your reply, it's only geographic redundancy without HA (Primary and alternate‚), CPPM VxWorks is running as Call Server on both sites, and CPDC Linux base system is running as SS on both system (Primary security domain UCM, and Backup security domain on UCM‚).

All users are IP Phones with redirection configuration.

Thank you

 

[KCFLHRC]

You will have to upgrade your Primary Security Server first, otherwise you wont be able to do your Backup. What kind of maintenance window do you have? You could upgrade the CS VxWorks at the Geo site and upgrade the SS Linux at the Geo site and do the 3 base patches and stop there until you can upgrade the main site. After the main site is upgraded then you can finish with the Security Configuration on your Geo Site. Remember Loadware for the MGC's too, that's about a 15 minute process per MGC for them to upgrade their loadware. There is a good chance you will have to flatten those MGC cards for them to upgrade properly. It's a fairly easy upgrade, just takes time. The only other option would be to load up 2 new hard drives with the 7.6 already loaded and everything deployed. You will still have the MGC issue though.

 

[KCFLHRC]

Don't forget to back up your NRS. You will also have to Sync your node properties and restart applications when done. As well do a cut over and commit on the NRS and restart those applications.

 

[KCFLHRC]

Here is the procedure to flatten the MGC card

MGC Default to Gold Image

To get the MGC Card to boot to the Gold Image you must get to the MGC bootrom prompt. Use the following steps to do this.

1. Reboot the MGC Card
2. as it is booting type <CTRL> B just after the creation date is printed and the
{VxWorks Boot} prompt should be displayed.
3. at the prompt type in “test”
4. choose option b to change boot options
5. select option 2 to force csp to boot from gold image once
6. select option 0 to return to previous menu
7. press return key to exit menu and return to prompt
8. enter @ at the prompt
9. the mgc will boot to the gold image

To format the compact flash from the gold image you must press <CTRL> I when prompted during the MGC gold boot. This will bring up a VxWorks prompt ->, At the prompt enter, diskformat “all” This will format the MGC’s internal compact flash. Reboot the MGC and when it registers to the call server it will automatically upgrade.

 

[optman10]

Many thanks for those procedure, I want to use the second option, I have two new cards (1 CPPM as CallServer + 1 CPDC as SS‚) with security dongle and keycode of Rls 7.6, I would like to prepare these cards with Rls 7.6 software + patching then restore the backups on them.

Go to the main site and change the both SS + CS with new cards, then prepare the second site with the existing cards.

My question is which backups you suggest me to take:

1. Backup customer database of CS.
2. Backup Signaling server (linux base‚)


Thanks & regards

 

[KCFLHRC]

Definitely a back up of the CS. All the backup of the SS does is backup the IP addresses, that's it. If you know the IP scheme, which you should, there is no need for a back up of the SS, it's a waste of time. But definitely backup the tar file from the NRS and backup the CS database.

 

[optman10]

What about node IP and Routing table on NRS , they were be saved also in my tar backup, or I need to do it manually again ?

For the Call Server I will need two security dongle (Primary CS and alternate‚)to be installed on the both CPPM.

Many thank

 

[KCFLHRC]

The Node information resides in the Call Server database. The NRS as I said earlier can be backed up to your laptop, it's a Tar file. Yes, you need 2 dongles. Typically those get reused on upgrades.

 

[KCFLHRC]

It would be odd if you are going from 7.0 to 7.6 to get new dongles.

 

[optman10]

Thank you lot,

Have a great day