CM8

[trilogy8]

I've built several s8300's with system platform / cm templates. I know system platform is no longer used and I'm asking if installing CM8 should be straightforward and installable by the customer.

 

[kyle555]

Yeah. It's real VMware for the most part. Called AVP

The management functions of CDom migrated into Solution Deployment Manager which you run on your PC or on System Manager. It can do things like have a software library and patch, upgrade, even flip S8300Ds and Es on 6.3 to 7.0 from System Platform to AVP.

Otherwise, if you don't use SDM, it's not different than deploying a VMware image and the same old update_unpack unpack_activate commands work

 

[avayaguy23]

Just remember there are a lot of bugs with CM 8. Keep that in mind and come up with a good test plan.

 

[phoneguy55]

It is. My suggestion is to get a lab and setup your current version. Then figure out and document what it takes to go from A to B. IMO, the Avaya docs are crap and you really need to hunt around to find what the parts you need and ignore the parts you dont.

 

[avayaguy23]

Correct. For instance, you can now cluster session managers together for your trunk groups.

 

[trilogy8]

I really have no use case to go through this upgrade exercise. I'm being forced because I'm unable to purchase any additional licensing because of the current license model I'm on.

With that said,, what has proven to be buggy? I'd have thought they are a bit past the first version of 8.x.

 

[trilogy8]

Also, when going through an upgrade of all of these elements it's not possible to do in a weekend. Is it ok to be running SMGR / SM 8.x and AES and CM 6.x for a few weeks? And is running lsp sites at 8.x against a core 6.x ok for the short term?

 

[dialtonebone]

trilogy8, you may want to verify with the Compatibility Matrix for those questions. These are all on the support site. These upgrades typically need to be done in multiple steps, at least for sanity's sake. You could very well stage/prep ahead and upgrade everything in one night too, but it will depend on the components. SMGR needs to go before any other product. The upgrade order is spelled out in the upgrade guides.

 

[dialtonebone]

Also, 8.x is having trouble being backward compatible to LSPs on 6.3 and some 7.0 so far. It's been because the new systems have newer cypher sets for security. The end result in the CM Core + LSP scenario is that your LSP are not getting translations daily. This is possibly okay if you do not have a ton of MACD occuring at the LSP site.

 

[trilogy8]

Yes, I'll look at that. I know the order, I just was unsure of if you upgraded SMGR with the data migration utility one weekend and left the current SM's on the current version until the following.. and so forth down the stack. Standing in parallel would be ideal, but if you wanted to retain the same IP's and such it sounds like it can cause more work.

Also, we were quoted an astronomical pro-services cost for this. These deployments are all something we've done internally, but modular. Not massive bang. No disrespect to any of what's entailed, but these are all virtual servers and don't take long to deploy and config. There'd be no chance of justifying this number. I guess I'll work them on the SOW to reduce what they'll do vs our team.

 

[dialtonebone]

Upgrade SMGR with DMU - it can talk to most older systems. ASM worst case if you won't have visibility or management of it until you upgrade ASM, best case is it keeps working.
I would recommend deploying the ASMs with a different management address. The upgrade then consists of shutting down the old ASM and turning the new one up (initTM/test).

Those pro services prices are typically because you can set and forget. An Avaya Partner (hopefully you didn't get the quote from APS) will typically be experienced at these tasks and won't require you except for a few deployment steps. It's not that crazy if you figure in the experience/faster resolution times for most of the tasks.

 

[phoneguy55]

I'm in the process of going to 7 (not 8 like you). Currently on 6. Plan is to upgrade System Manager week 1. Upgrade 1/2 of the SM's week 2. Upgrade the other 1/2 of SM's week 3. Upgrade CM's week 4 through week X (not sure yet). When CM is done upgrade AES's.

 

[kyle555]

Hey phoneguy, careful what releases of 6.3 if you got BSMs.

 

[avayaguy23]

Make sure your business partner has your licensing correct. Avaya changed system/session manager licensing on a per instance basis in aura 7.

 

[phoneguy55]

@kyle555. I have 0 BSM's. I'm currently current or 1 behind on everything 6.3.
@avayaguy23. I'm in plds now trying to sort out the licenses. Its a mess. Figuring out how to go from 6 to 7. Difficult. Figuring out how to get licenses from PLDS, even harder.

 

[avayaguy23]

You need to involve your business partner. They need to place a $0 order for the upgrade entitlements. I can promise you if you are doing this on your own then you will have licensing issues. I learned the hard way.

 

[phoneguy55]

I'm doing it on my own as I do everything on my own. Everything is should be in PLDS, I just need to spend some time to sort things out.

 

[avayaguy23]

Well I can tell you one area where you will run into issues. When you upgrade system manager from 6.3 to 7.x it will require a system manager 7 instance license. System manager 6 did not require licensing. You will not have an entitlement in plds. You will need to contact your business partner. It is a $0 order but usually takes 30 days depending on if your business partner knows what they are doing.

 

[phoneguy55]

yup. Got that covered.

 

[kyle555]

and the SM instance licenses - those weren't in 6.3 either. System Manager will just let you click ok after 10 seconds but the SMs will be in no license mode and not work.

AVP 7.1 needs licenses too