Side by side Migration
In a side by side migration, a new Enterprise Server is created, separate from the current production Enterprise Server. This recommended practice facilitates thorough testing and staged client updates and supports rollback, if required, by retaining the old platform.
A side by side migration carries the lowest level of risk in upgrading but may require purchasing additional hardware depending on your current configuration.
Additional licensing is not required when running a second Enterprise Server for the purposes of migration or to create a sandbox environment. To mitigate risk, consult a certified technician before configuring a second server. Once a license has been migrated, support will be provided for the latest release only. Support will not be provided for the older server with the previous release or the sandbox server.
A side by side migration is strongly recommended when upgrading an environment that currently uses voice and other media types. With a direct upgrade, Multimedia Contact Center functionality is lost while you configure your new email settings. In a side by side migration, where you install the new version on a new server, this situation is mitigated. There is only a temporary loss of functionality when you move your live data from the old system to the new system.
In a side by side upgrade, contact centers must implement a new version 8.1 Chat or Contact Us configuration using the new files in version 8.1 and add their previous chat and Contact Us settings to the 8.1 files. For information on Chat and Contact Us configuration, see "Enabling chat" and "Enabling Contact Us".
After restoring the configuration backup to the new server, data collection, synchronization, and voice contact control on the production PBXs begins. This ensures a minimal gap in reporting data. If the data directory is copied and the database restored outside of business hours, there is no reporting data gap.
Synchronization is enabled and changes to the telephone system will be reflected in both the new and production servers after the maintenance cycle or upon completion of a manual summarization. If write back is enabled, settings take effect on the other server only after synchronization is complete.
We recommend testing your new configuration by creating a test email queue, a test chat queue, a test SMS queue, and a test agent on the new server and validating that email, chat, SMS, and open media are being correctly routed to queues and agents. Run reports to verify accuracy. Confirm that email aliases or distribution groups and URL redirects for chat have been correctly implemented.
In a side by side migration, once the new server is installed and all of the devices configured we recommend you then proceed to upgrade one client and ensure the system is functioning correctly before upgrading all other clients. If you choose to upgrade on top of your current system, the clients are automatically updated during the upgrade process.
- By default, MiVoice Business supports three ACD and three SMDR connections to the same PBX. The existing system and the new system use one ACD and one SMDR connection each. When migrating servers, data collection will resume on the new server upon restoration of the configuration backup. As a result, two connections to the SMDR and ACD ports will be used until one of the servers has been decommissioned. Ensure the number of connected devices to these ports does not exceed three per IP port.
Note: MiVoice Business supports 3 ICP connections by default, but the number of supported ICP connections can be increased. Exceeding the number of supported connections will impact the collection of data on the server.
- When using voice contact control through MiContact Center Business for business hours queues may be closed by the new server if business hours are reconfigured. To ensure no voice contact control is performed until testing or migration, stop the MiContact Center Business MiTAI Proxy Server service on the Enterprise Server.
- You must ensure queue schedules are identical on both systems.
- Reporting discrepancies can occur due to differences between software versions or if data collection is interrupted.
- IVR Routing services must be shut off on the new server until you are ready to switch over or assign new ports.
- You must ensure queue schedules are identical on both systems.
- Reporting discrepancies can occur due to differences between software versions or if data collection is interrupted.
- IVR Routing services must be shut off on the new server until you are ready to switch over or assign new ports.
For more information, see https://mitel.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1011100/loc/en_US.