Ask the Expert: Upgrading Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) to Version 9.1 (Drive to 9)

Question

Welcome to the Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. Learn from experts Vijay Rao and Amit Singh about simplified upgrade process and focused support from Cisco to migrate to version 9.1. 
This is a continuation of the live Webcast
Drive to 9 is a comprehensive and holistic program designed to help you upgrade the current Cisco® Unified Communications Manager installed base to version 9.1 or higher. This upgrade will enable customers to have next-generation collaboration experiences.
During the live event, Cisco subject matter experts Vijay Rao and Amit Singh focussed on the simplified upgrade process and focused support from Cisco to migrate to version 9.1. They also talked about the changes made to the licensing model of User Connect Licensing and Cisco Unified Workspace Licensing.
Vijay Rao is a Network Consulting Engineer and is currently a unified communications (UC) consultant for Bank of America. He has been providing consulting assistance to the bank for the past 6 years. He helps design complex UC networks for large enterprise customers. He was previously part of Cisco IT in the Asia Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) region and was instrumental in designing and implementing the Bangalore campus. He has been working with Cisco for 9 years and has 12 years of UC experience. He has a Cisco CCVP® certification. 
Amit Singh is a customer support engineer at the Cisco Technical Assistance Center in Bangalore, India. He has 7 years of experience in his areas of expertise: wireless, Cisco Unified Communications Manager, multiservices, Cisco Unity®, and Cisco Unified Contact Center Express. He has been involved in various escalation requests from India, Singapore, and Australia and is currently working as a technical lead for the Voice team in Bangalore, India. He is a computer science graduate.
Remember to use the rating system to let Vijay and Amit know if you have received an adequate response.  
Vijay and Amit might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Remember that you can continue the conversation on the Collaboration, Voice and Video sub-community   forum shortly after the event. This event lasts through July 19, 2013. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other community members.
Webcast related links:
Webcast Video
FAQ from the live webcast
Slides from the live webcast

Answer 1

Hello Robert,
Apologies for a delayed response, some days get very hectic.
In CallManager, we only define the SRST reference, and CUCM version and SRST version are independent of each other.
The only thing, which is related and will change with CUCM upgrade is Phone F/w version.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/compat/ccmcompmatr1.pdf
You may just want to check your, phone f/w compatibility with the SRST version running on your ISR G1 Gateways:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2169/products_device_support_tables_list.html
For Example: SRST version 7.1
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6788/vcallcon/ps2169/data_sheet_c78-520521.html
You may want to do some lab testing with CUCM 9.1 and an SRST supported f/w on your phones.
If you decide to run the old Phone/F/w to support the SRST version, you may not be able to take advantage of new features.
Also, you can try and upgrade your phones(Wih CUCM 9.1) and test them with your SRST version.
It should work fine, but from a troubleshooting perspective, TAC may request you to come into a Cisco Supported combination.
Please, let me know if this clarifies your doubt or we can have a quick phone call.
Regards
Amit Singh