Archiv der Kategorie: General

Sametime 9 ready for download

IBM announced the new version for Sametime today for download

Prepare your machines and get the software download (and extra harddisk space …)

BUT – you can´t update form earlier ST-Websphere Version (8.5.x) to 9.0 because of change of the IBM Websphere platform from 7.0.0.15+ to version 8.5.5.
Reason: WAS 7.X = 32Bit vs. WAS 8.5.5 = 64Bit

Only Sametime Community „Domino“ Server (for chat and awareness function) could be updated directly, BUT keep in mind –> NO „classic“ meeting in ST9Community Server.

Upgrade path should be available soon on IBM Wiki Administering Sametime 9.0 documentation – but here is a short snapshot.

Moving to Sametime 9 from an earlier release of Sametime involves leaving your Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 environment as it is, creating a separate Sametime 9 environment with a fresh installation, reusing the DB2 database so all data is preserved, then migrating your WebSphere Application Server custom configuration settings from WebSphere Application Server 7 to WebSphere Application Server 8. In-place upgrades of data from earlier versions of Websphere Application Server are not supported. There is no automated tool for end-to-end migration and the manual steps are complicated, leading to error. To ensure a smooth transition to Sametime 9, best practice dictates that a new Sametime 9 environment be built from scratch and data be migrated using WebSphere Application Server 8.5 data migration tools.

Overview of migration steps:

  1. Leave the Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 environment in-place while bringing up Sametime 9 in parallel.
  2. You can continue using Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1 while installing Sametime 9.
  3. Re-use the same DB2 data stores for all the product servers so data is preserved.
  4. Plan your deployment, install, and configure security. Certificates can be migrated but require manual changes if the host name changes.
  5. Configure Single Sign-On.
  6. Re-install portlets.
  7. Once Sametime 9 is functional, configure manually the same Websphere Application Server custom settings and tunings that you created on Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1.
  8. Modify load balancers, TURN servers, and re-configure proxies (SIP, HTTP)
  9. Transition any other Sametime custom configuration you have made in the 8.5.2 IFR1environment to Sametime 9.
  10. Shutdown Sametime 8.5.2 IFR1.

Internesting statement is point 3 „re-use … DB2 data store“ – i never could reuse STSC database with new installations because there where mapping problems within (table & schema) so the SSC Server gets error on it; my way was to CREATE a new & empty STSC databse an RE-CONFIGURE Sametime again – Meeting and Advanced Database could be migrated without problems.
Maybe there will be a sql script to get this ex/imported into the new ST9 SSC … to be continued ….

The biggest change will come with the licensing (Sametime Advanced is now part of the Community license – aka Sametime Standard) and the Media Server (mulitple Videos, mobile Support), but i am happy that IBM finally implemented the REMOTE CONTROL function inside the Websphere Meetings (juhuuu … some things take a little bit longer)