[cisco-voip] How Many Docs Does it Take to Prep for an Upgrade?

Sat Oct 17 06:14:59 EDT 2015

Thanks for sharing Ryan

On Sat, Oct 17, 2015, 3:03 AM Ryan Huff <ryanhuff at outlook.com> wrote:

> and now here is the attachment ..... sheesh.
>
> ------------------------------
> From: ryanhuff at outlook.com
> To: avholloway+cisco-voip at gmail.com; lelio at uoguelph.ca
> Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2015 03:01:52 -0400
>
> Subject: Re: [cisco-voip] How Many Docs Does it Take to Prep for an
> Upgrade?
> CC: cisco-voip at puck.nether.net
>
> Here is the Excel spreadsheet that I use during UC upgrades. Don't beat me
> up too bad ;) .... it is a collection of 'O wait, I need that too's'; it
> could probably use some consolidation / tweaking.
>
> This is the version 1. In the 'version 2' I am making I am adding a
> testing plan section and I have also been experimenting with some AXL calls
> that will auto populate some of the 'discovery' stuff from the pre-upgraded
> nodes.
>
> If anyone finds it to be useful in whole or part; have at it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ryan
> ------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2015 14:52:11 -0500
> From: avholloway+cisco-voip at gmail.com
> To: lelio at uoguelph.ca
> Subject: Re: [cisco-voip] How Many Docs Does it Take to Prep for an
> Upgrade?
> CC: cisco-voip at puck.nether.net
>
> When you say Prime, I will assume you mean Prime Collaboration Deployment
> (PCD).
>
> I have used PCD a few times now, but it's far from being the savior one
> might think it is.
>
> First, PCD really only shines when migrating to v10 on new hardware.  Or,
> the same hardware, but you have twice the space.  You can jump straight
> from CUCM 6.1(4) to 10.5(2) without COP files, or intermediate versions.
> That's because PCD is actually installing v10 fresh, and just moving the
> data for you.  At least it tries to.  There are a few things it doesn't
> move yet.  E.g., DHCP Server TFTP Option 150.  Yes, I saw someone using
> that in CUCM!
>
> Second, if your doing any other kind of upgrade in PCD, you're not really
> saving yourself from having to read all the documentation.  As your still
> bound to all the same restrictions and COP files, and whatever else.  You
> can look at PCD in this scenario as an intern who you've given instructions
> to and he/she just executes them while you go play GTA V on your Xbox you
> won in an Engineering Deathmatch
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZGWBkGkifM>.  The intern really isn't
> doing anything special for you, other than allowing you to look away while
> the upgrades happen.  And even then, I've seen them fail more times than
> they have succeeded.  YMMV.
>
> Lastly, on the topic of PCD migrations, which are it's bread and butter,
> it only does this for CUCM and IM&P.  Not CUC, nor CER, not UCCX, or
> anything else.  So, if you go migrate with PCD, then your stuck with COBRAS
> for CUC, BAT for CER, and who knows what else for the rest.  I'll leave
> that as an exercise to the reader.
>
> At the end of the day, their maybe some environments where you can just
> pull the trigger and upgrade the system without reading any documentation,
> and just gamble, but for a professional of their craft, that's just not
> acceptable.
>
> On Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 2:02 PM, Lelio Fulgenzi <lelio at uoguelph.ca> wrote:
>
> I've never made a spreadsheet like yours, but I've done something similar.
> Typically with compatibility checking. You do have to visit a number of
> documents and/or links. It's quite frustrating to say the least.
>
> The process of upgrading is a difficult one to say the least, especially
> with things like you mention, where gotchas are hidden deep in documents
> that you may not read front to back.
>
> My biggest issue is when you skip versions, it's not really clear which
> documents to read with respect to changes. For example, when I upgraded
> from 7.1 to 9.1, I found myself printing (eeeek!) a number of documents
> which had duplicate information, but I wasn't sure on where to look.
>
> And then there's the issue that each application will have different
> rules, so CUCM might say only print the latest minor version notes, any SU
> or a/b/c release will have everything you need. Where Connection or Unity
> Express might do something different.
>
> It's not fun to say the least.
>
> But isn't Prime supposed to make it easy to upgrade now?
>
>
> ---
> Lelio Fulgenzi, B.A.
> Senior Analyst, Network Infrastructure
> Computing and Communications Services (CCS)
> University of Guelph
>
> 519‐824‐4120 Ext 56354
> lelio at uoguelph.ca
> www.uoguelph.ca/ccs
> Room 037, Animal Science and Nutrition Building
> Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
>
> ------------------------------
> *From: *"Anthony Holloway" <avholloway+cisco-voip at gmail.com>
> *To: *"Cisco VoIP Group" <cisco-voip at puck.nether.net>
> *Sent: *Friday, October 16, 2015 2:38:40 PM
> *Subject: *[cisco-voip] How Many Docs Does it Take to Prep for an Upgrade?
>
> Does anyone else do this?  Gather all of the documentation ahead of time,
> because inevitably you're going to revisit a document more than once?
> There are a lot of documents to gather!  Anything I could be doing better?
> Tips?  Tricks?
>
> I create a spreadsheet of all of the pertinent documents I need to review
> or reference, like in this screenshot.  There's over 90 documents in this
> list.  Granted, I don't read them all front to back, but some I do, and
>  for others I need to reference information within them nonetheless.  You
> never know when you might find a small font hidden note in there.
>
> E.g., From the 8945 Release Notes
>
> *"Release 9.4(2)SR1 can only be upgraded from 9.3(4) and later. Releases
> prior to 9.3(4) have to be upgraded to 9.3(4) first."*
>
> *Source: 8945 9.4(2)SR1 Release Notes
> <http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/cuipph/8941_8945/firmware/9_4_2SR1/english/release_notes/P415_BK_RB1FD4B7_00_release-notes-942sr1.html#P415_TK_IA5F5D63_00>*
>
> I actually missed this one recently, and unlike 7900 series phones, they
> phone will just brick itself and never register.  Causing you to walk to
> every phone and reset power to it, or walk the mac address tables of your
> layer 2 network and shut/no shut the ports.
>
> [image: Inline image 1]
>
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