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

Sat Oct 17 11:02:57 EDT 2015

So what I have come up with is some vbscript/macros in the spreadsheet that invoke a php script via Apache (a.k.a web service). PHP is doing the heavy lifting with Administrative XML. Then I am using PHP to target cells and worksheets in the spreadsheet.

I imagine it could be collapsed into vbscript entirely however, since I speak php very fluently and stare at .NET and classic VB with distain and disappointment; it is much easier for me to just figure out how to get control over to PHP where my capabilities are almost limitless.

My other thought is to just make a separate application altogether for the discovery and have it cache data or inject it into excel directly. I thought it would be much cooler though if it all happened in one spreadsheet.

Thanks,

Ryan

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 17, 2015, at 9:55 AM, Anthony Holloway <avholloway+cisco-voip at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Haha, no worries Ryan.  Thanks for publishing to the list.  You've done a great job with this workbook.  I'm curious, did you mean that you would have the AXL integration built right into the workbook, or as a separate app and you'll just paste the data into the spreadsheet?
> 
>> On Sat, Oct 17, 2015 at 2:03 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.  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
>> 
>> 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.
>> 
>> 
>> 
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