Are there step by step (or any) instructions for migrating from C5 to C7?

Maybe it's just me but I would think that instructions on how to migrate to C7, assuming there are any, would be prominently displayed and easy to find but after over half an hour of searching I'm asking if they exist and where to find them?

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There is currently no automatic migration process and not much that is special about "manually" migrating to a C-7 compared to any other hub model, so that's probably why it doesn't exist. :slight_smile: The long-awaited Hub Protection Service will help with automatic migrations but is not currently available and is reported to cover only Z-Wave and not Zigbee. At the moment, that doesn't really matter since you'll have to do both on your own, anyway.

To move from any hub to another, you'll currently have to do something like this:

  1. Download the backup from your "old" hub
  2. Upload (restore) the backup to the "new" hub
  3. Re-pair and potentially re-associate all devices:
    • simply re-pairing a Zigbee device will cause the hub to recognize it as a previously joined device, so this is easy enough; if they were used in any Zigbee groups, I'd open that Groups and Scenes child app and hit "Done" to restore those, however
    • Z-Wave is tricky, but the safest option is to pair all devices like new, then swap them out for the old one in all apps, then remove the old device--but see below for a trick that may help.
    • most LAN devices should be good (unless they care about the IP or MAC of your hub or something else that may have changed, then you'll need to update those as needed)

For Z-Wave, this is something staff posted a while back that may alleviate some of the above pain, but it's still a manual process. I also don't think it will work if you pair a device with different security to the C-7 than it was with the C-5 (the C-7 supports S2, so that's a notable difference; some devices may also pair with S0 that wouldn't have on the C-5). Parent/child devices also will not work this way. But it may still save a bit of time if you feel like it:

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Basically here is a reiteration of Bruce's steps. However I reorganized them a little to make more sense to me. It may or may not be helpful for you.

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If you haven't used Hub Mesh before, it can make a migration much easier by taking a lot of the time pressure off the migration.

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I transferred from my C4 to C7 without/before hub mesh. I simply left the devices on the C4 then one by one moved them to the C7. During the transfer both hubs were running without being connected.
I'm not sure having the hubs connected would have been much help.

If the nice folk at Hubitat want more of my money, they will have to make it possible for me to plug in a C7, type a few commands and such, and walk away.

Till then, I think my C5 is just lovely.

Mike M.

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Not much reason to migrate now, especially if you are on a C-5. Your patience may pay off with an easy (or easier) migration path.

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I am puzzled as to how one is expected to restore a backup to a new (c7) hub when the old hub died, leaving devices without a hub for a bit.

It looks like the "backup" will need each and every device cited in an app or automation to be re-paired, and the existing code reworked for the "new" devices.

But I expected that DNIs would help the new hub to re-associate the existing devices that are "new" to it, but still cited by apps and such. I expected that this "mac address" would be the glue to allow one to re-pair devices without also having to revisit all one's code.

What am I missing here?

That would be the reason I download a backup copy every day.

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I always download a backup of my hub after each firmware upgrade, and after I make any changes to the hub.

For those wanting a more seamless experience in migrating from a failed hub to a new hub, Hubitat offers their Hub Protection Subscription. This includes an extended hardware warranty and automated cloud backup service.

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But I have a local backup, and restoring it to the new C7 left me with quite a bit of work to do.

I DO subscribe to the hub protection for the hardware warranty but "automated cloud backup" is both unnecessary and requires a hole in the firewall, so no thanks.

So, to repeat, I restored a backup from a C4 to a C7.
What did I do wrong if no z-wave devices could be utilized until each was excluded and then re-included, then leaving me with new device numbers and duplicate Z-Wave "Devices" in the device table? What is the correct process?

I'm currently of the opinion that the backup that an owner can do is of no value at all, if it cannot restore the hub to the time of the snapshot, with devices all working properly.

You did nothing wrong. When the Hub Protection service was released, it was made clear that only Z-Wave devices would be automagically migrated from a C5 to a C7. The C3/C4 hubs used external Z-Wave radio sticks, which are not supported for the automated migration to a new hub. Also, I believe Zigbee devices have to be re-paired, but at least they hop right back into the old 'device' they were previously using.

Now that you're on a C7 hub, hopefully migrations in the future will be much simpler for you, but you will need to allow the hub to communicate with the Hubitat cloud server to perform cloud backups. Only the cloud backups can be restored from one C5/C7 to another new hub and automagically move all of the Z-Wave devices over.

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Local backups are extremely useful if you need to restore your existing hub to settings (devices/apps) that were functional at the time of the backup.

Anyone who has had to perform a soft reset can attest to that utility.

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I agree 100%.

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So, what is the command sequence to do that locally? If they want the money to "enable the feature", they can have the money, but to "allow the hub to communicate with the Hubitat cloud server" abrogates one of the most significant reasons one buys a Hubitat as opposed to other products - local control and security/privacy.

Hub Protect Backups require the Hubitat Cloud. There is no other option. Your hub has to be connected to the Hubitat cloud for firmware updates as well.

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The user has the choice of when he/she updates, and can manually open the firewall for that purpose during a maintenance window. This is what those of us in the industry call "adequate security practices".

It is annoying that one must expose the Hub itself to a download of only purported validity from the big bad internet, rather than the usual practice of allowing the download of code to a workstation, where checksums can be verified, and thence uploaded to the Hub, as all other vendors of real network equipment do. This approach would also allow one to keep the last few revisions on hand, and allow dropping back at the whim of the user to verify that a "new" problem is not collateral damage caused by the latest update.

I’m sure it hinges on one’s definition of real network equipment, but it’s not that uncommon for home consumer-level devices to offer only a one-click firmware update feature from the cloud, is it?

Most home users don’t know what a checksum is. Many probably don’t even know what a workstation is (in this specific context, that is).

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Not uncommon at all! Google, Amazon, SmartThings, Ecobee, Nest, and many other simply force firmware updates upon their customers. Others, like Hue, allow the user to choose when to upgrade, but offer no means to revert. The fact that Hubitat at least provides the option whether or not to upgrade, as well as the option to revert to the previous firmware, is pretty good IMHO. Sure, I'd like the option of being able to restore any version of firmware that I might want to...but that hasn't been a deal breaker for me thus far.

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Sorry, maybe I'm a little late to the party. Is there an Official document from support for migrating from my c5 (that now has to have a restart every 72 hrs - 1 year old) to the new c7 that amazon was nice enough to deliver? I checked the docs site, and if it's there, I can't find it.