Order the upgrade via my Cisco Entitlements

If your licenses are listed in software.cisco.com you can use the wizard to change from traditional licensing to smart licensing.

Go to Cisco Software Central > Product License Registration

Click on the CUCM License and click on Convert to Smart Licensing

Otherwise, reach out to the licensing TAC and they will assist. 

Verify Lincenses from Prime License Manager

• Convert Traditional Licenses to Smart License
• Take a screenshot of license usage in PLM

Go to Fulfillment > Generate License Request.

This give you a token, Cisco Licensing will ask this token.

Go to Cisco Software Central > Product License Registration

Click on the CUCM License and click on Convert to Smart Licensing

Go back to Cisco Software Central > Smart Software Licensing > Inventory > Licenses

Ciscocm.preUpgradeCheck-00024.cop.sgn

This file Checks the required free disk space for upgrade, NTP any network related errors, database status, License.

Go to Cisco.com > Software Download to downloadthe preUgrade cop file

Upload the cop file to datastore of ESXi.

From the OS Administration, go to Install and Upgrade.

Connect to the datastore using SFTP.

You receive a list of files, select the cop file and click on Next.

The tests are executed and a report is displayed that shows the test results and recommendations.

Ciscocm.free_common_space_v1.6.cop.sgn if needed

This cop file is used to free up the disk space so that upgrade is successfully
completed.

You can Delete Device firmware if needed

To do that, go to device settings > Firmware Load Information.

Verify HDD, RAM, NIC match current template 12.5

Lookup  CUCM Virtualization using the following link :

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/uc_system/virtualization/virtualization-cisco-unified-communications-manager.html#v12.5s2

Shutdown and make necessary changes if needed

If no changes are necessary just do a reboot

Restart via OS Administration GUI or via CLI using the utils system restart command (not mandatory).

Order of upgrades in a cluster

Upgrade CUCM Publisher via console

Mount the Bootable ISO 12.5 image to DVD/CD of the VM.

Execute the utils system upgrade initiate command.

3 (DVD/CD)

or

1 (SFTP)

directory:

server:

username:

password:

Available options: and upgrade

1 .sgn.iso

2 .cop.sgn

3 .cop.sgn

Please select an option: 1

Switch to new version if the upgrade is successful (yes/no): no

Start refresh upgrade (yes/no): yes

Note : this option does not exist for unity connection.

Once the upgrade is finished.

Login to the console.

“We are still in the old version”

Verify the active and the inactive version.

show version active

show version inactive

Do the same thing for all cluster nodes.

Return to Publisher. Next, you will need to switch the version of CUCM using SSH and entering the command utils system switch-version.

utils system switch-version

Enter (yes/no): yes

Once finished and completed

Login to the CLI to see the new version.

show version active

Execute the utils system switch-version on all subscribers.

Update the vm compatibility – requires a reboot

utils system shutdown

Right click on the VM, then upgrade VM compatibility then select ESXI 6.7 U2.

Verify the Guest OS, change it to CentOS 8 (64-bit).

Start the VM

Verify vm compatibility and VMware tools

Verify licensing

System > License Management

You will see Smart Software Licensing “Unregistered“

Go to Smart Software Licensing website

Request a token and go back to License web page

Click “Register” and copy the token

Ciscocm.postUpgradeCheck-00024.cop.sgn

Use the postUpgradeCheck cop file to check the upgrade under the OS Administration.

Go to Cisco.com > Software Download to downloadthe postUgrade cop file

Upload the cop file to datastore of ESXi.

From the OS Administration, go to Install and Upgrade.

Connect to the datastore using SFTP.

You receive a list of files, select the cop file and click on Next.

The tests are executed and a report is displayed that shows the test upgrade.

Check the database replication

Once all CUCM servers of the cluster are upgraded, check the replication between all servers is good using CLI, Unified Reporting and Cisco’s RTMT (Real Time Monitoring Tool).

Connect to the Publisher through CLI and use the utils dbreplication status command followed by the utils dbreplication runtimestate.

OrAccess Cisco Unified Reporting  > System Reporting  >  Database Status Report  > Generate a new report. Check all the servers have a replication status of 2.

Or In RTMT, Choose CallManager  > Service > Database Summary. Again check all servers have a replication status of 2.