Category Archives: Cisco Video Conferencing

Jun 24

Cisco CMS Upgrade – Resilient Split Deployment

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Just a quick blurb on upgrading this CMS beast.. the key is to backup configs, certificates and license files.. if you do that.. you can easily restore if all goes bums up!

Step 1a. is take a Manual Backup, I say manual as the guide recommended not to rely on on the automated backup that the system uses once the upgrade kicks off.. I like to errr on the side of safety and peace of mind.. so take a separate manual backup.
Step 1b. Download the backup file to your local PC Drive..
Step 2. While you on the SFTP/FTP Client.. copy the cms.lic file to your PC Drive
Step 3. Now copy all… ALL certificates, Certificate Chains and Certificate Keys to your PC Drive..
Step 4. Download the upgrade ZIP from Cisco.com. Extract to your SFTP Directory ready for upload.
Step 5. Upload the extracted content (upgrade.img) to the root directory of all CMS Servers.

Before we go any further, for a resilient deployment, we should be upgrading slaves first, the the master. We need to ensure the Database cluster is in-sync before we proceed with any upgrade.

Step 6. Check database status and confirm which CMS Server is the current DB Master. > database cluster status

Step 7. NOW jump onto the MMP and run the upgrade starting with the slave Database cluster servers.. command is “upgrade upgrade.img no-backup”

cms-upgrade-1

Wait until each CMS Server has rebooted and connected back into the database cluster (> database cluster status) before proceeding to upgrade the next CMS Server. Repeat until all CMS Servers have been upgrade (with the Master being the last node to be upgraded).

Step 8. Once we have upgraded all CMS Server and the database cluster is again in-sync we can progress to updating the database schema (if required by the upgrade version).

Log into the Database Master CMS Node, and run the database cluster upgrade_schema.

Check the upgrade with > database cluster status. Enable = success.

Confirmation Checks

Command is “version”

cms-upgrade-2

Then validate the cms.lic, certificate keys etc are still residing on the CMS Server. Fingers Crossed! (seriously.. all should be good)

Commands to use:

“pki list” to display keys and certificates.
“license” to display active licensing

If something is missing.. simply upload required files from your PC Drive..

cms-upgrade-3

Just a screen shot to show validation from the Web Admin portal

cms-upgrade-4

Jun 14

Cisco Meeting Server Displaying Reconnecting for the Web Admin

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Deploying a cluster of CMS servers, I had one host that didn’t want to play the game. After enabling the Web Admin service for port 445 I could not reach the Web Admin portal. The CMS Server just sat at “Reconnecting”.

I changed the Web Admin port back to 445. No Luck
I tried both Chrome, IE and Firewfox browsers. No Luck
I used both IP Address and CN Name to access the Web Admin. No Luck.

Version was 2.1.5 (the version Cisco ships with CMS as of June 2018).

I proceeded to download the latest CMS Server version which is 2.3.4 (31st May Release Date). I upgraded the CMS Server, change the Web Admin port back to 445 and I can now access the Web Admin portal.

Not too sure why I only had this issue on this one CMS Server.. I had deployed 4x CMS Server exact same version same hardware.

Webadmin status command output.
webadmin status - cms