Symp express 4.2 server upgrade

[IWIF]

I am currently running Symposium express 4.2 with Windows 2000. We are looking at upgrading this server to Windows 2003 and wanted any advice on this. I am going to ghost an image of the server as a fall back (unsure if this will work) shut down symposium and then go through the upgrade and hopefully all comes back online. Also, is Express 4.2 end of life, could not find anything on Nortel site?

Thanks,

Robert D.
Maryland

 

[sandyml]

You won't be able to just upgrade your O/S. There are some very specific steps that you will need to follow, and you'll find them all detailed in the Planning, Installation, and Administration Guide (297-2183-116).

What you will need to do instead is to get a backup (from the Symposium Express backup utility, not a Windows backup), get a platform migration/recovery disk (it's a set of files, again this is a utility on the SECC). Remove the application. Then - you have to do a fresh O/S install, not an upgrade. Once you've done that, you will reinstall the application and do a restore.

The NTP will give you very specific instructions.

 

[IWIF]

Thank you- Didn't think it would be that easy. I will review the NTP and prepare for this.

RD

 

[Milesprower]

Go ahead and make your image of the old platform first as a fall back in case you run out of time on the upgrade. Far easier to restore the old image than reinstall the application on the old OS and import the SECC backup.

 

[sandyml]

Very true. I was wondering what revision of the installation CD IWIF has -- it could even be a pre-2003 compatible cut, since SECC 4.2 has been around for a long time. In that case, the ghost image will really be a good thing to have.

 

[sandyml]

I just went back in my old bulletins for SECC. IWIF, check to see if the code on the label of your SECC 4.2 installation CD is NTHF01AD Revision 4 or later.

Compatibility with Windows 2003 server was announced in April 2005 - previous versions required Windows 2000 Server and were not compatible with W2003. Bulletin SM-2005-0130-Global.

 

[IWIF]

The version is NTHF06AE/A0503511 Version 1.0. We have a rather small call center here, but still may look at Nortel contact center as a project for next year. Almost completed my upgrade to Call Pilot from Mermail- still have a few menus to build in App. Builder (My brain hurts on this alone :>) and just replaced 450 M2008 with M3903's. Also what is the validity of a tech telling me this week that Symposium is coming to end of life?

Thanks-

RD

 

[sandyml]

Symposium as a name was obsoleted a few years ago, replaced with "Contact Center." In Symposium, there were a range of different products; in CCM, everything was essentially rolled into one DVD and is controlled by license.

Contact Center 7 is in Beta, but I'm not sure if it's GA yet. The Symposium Express never really progressed into Contact Center, and at this point I have given up on it ever doing so. Don't know for sure yet.

Looks like you are stuck on Windows 2000 Server. Nortel charged for the 2003 version for customers wanted to get off 2000.

P.S. CallPilot will grow on you. I have grown fond of it.

 

[Milesprower]

There was discussion of including Express in Contact Center 7. The documentation for CC7 is starting to come out, but I haven't had a chance to verify if Express is included.

 

[sandyml]

I don't see it mentioned anywhere..

 

[IWIF]

Thanks for all the info- I will use the above discussion to present to our network engineer the reason I need to stay put on the current OS. Another day.... Another upgrade

RD