Coordinate upgrades in a dedicated SaaS deployment

When you are ready to upgrade IXIA CCMS, you can ask MadCap Software to perform the upgrade and then you can configure any new features.

CAUTION: Do not make any unrelated configuration or code changes, such as stylesheet updates or requests for customization, in the time span between the start for the first upgrade to Test and the end of the last successful upgrade phase to Production.

To coordinate upgrades in a dedicated SaaS deployment:

  1. Decide when to upgrade:
    1. Make sure you receive all MadCap Software release announcements.
    2. Each time MadCap Software release an upgrade, review the new features and release notes for functionality that might be useful for you and your team.
  2. When you are ready, submit an OTRS ticket to IXIA CCMS Customer Support to begin the upgrade process.
    Note: Use this OTRS ticket to track all related activity and all communications related to your upgrade.
  3. Review the information in the OTRS reply, which provides links to the documentation about the new features and configuration options in each of the new versions.
  4. Decide whether you need to make any configuration changes, and then document the planned changes so that you can make them to each environment after it is upgraded.
  5. After the Operations Manager replies in the OTRS ticket with proposed dates for the upgrade, negotiate until you agree to mutually acceptable dates.
  6. Take the following actions during the scheduled upgrade to the Test Environment:
    1. Stop using IXIA CCMS on your Test Environment while the Operations team upgrades it. This process typically lasts several hours.
    2. Once you receive notification that the upgrade is successful, make your configurations to the features introduced in the upgrade to the Test Environment.
    3. Conduct your final user acceptance testing (UAT) to assess its functionality and usability after the upgrade and your modifications.
      Note: Your primary focus should be on testing your configurations and the new features.
  7. Choose one of the following actions:
    • If UAT is not successful, create and submit a new OTRS ticket for each discrete issue. If the issues are significant enough halt the upgrade, reply in the originating OTRS ticket requesting a delay in the upgrade schedule.
    • If UAT is successful, reply in the originating OTRS ticket that you are ready to upgrade the Production Environment.
    Important: Until the upgrade is completed on Production, please avoid making any changes to the Test environment that are not directly related to the upgrade. Also, if you use OGAT, note that no OGAT changes can be pushed until the upgrade is completed on Production.
  8. If your deployment has a Staging Environment, take the following actions during the scheduled upgrade to the Staging Environment:
    1. Stop using IXIA CCMS on your Staging Environment while the Operations team upgrades it. This process typically lasts several hours.
    2. Once you receive notification that the upgrade is successful, make your configurations to the features introduced in the upgrade to the Staging Environment, since MadCap Software does not copy configuration changes from one environment to another.
  9. Take the following actions during the scheduled upgrade to the Production Environment:
    1. Stop using IXIA CCMS on your Production Environment while it is upgraded. This process typically lasts several hours.
    2. Once you receive notification that the upgrade is successful, make your configurations to the features introduced in the upgrade to the Production Environment, since MadCap Software does not copy configuration changes from one environment to another.
  10. Notify your team that the upgrade successfully completed.