Manual Migration/Restore using Swap Apps Device feature

[brianwilson]

I would like to attempt to migrate my C5 (using a C4 z wave/zigbee dongle) to a C7. Hub protect won’t work in this situation, so I’ll be moving things by hand. I have a ton of custom stuff (Node-red runs all automations, custom integrations I’ve written, etc), so I was planning on using the Swap Apps Device feature for the Z-wave devices (I believe zigbee will “just work” (i.e. retain existing device linkage) if I re-add them to the new hub). What am I missing here?

1. Create a backup on C5
2. Create place holder virtual devices for all my z-wave devices.
3. Swap Apps Device from primary z-wave device to the new virtual devices.
4. Create another backup of C5. Shut down C5. (I could probably exclude/remove all z-wave devices in this step too)
5. Restore backup of C5 to C7.
6. Exclude devices (with z-stick) in order I plan to add them to the C7 - aeontec repeaters, mains-powered devices, locks, then other battery powered devices
7. Swap Apps Device back from Virtual -> New devices on C7.
8. Change DHCP reservation for C7 to be old C5’s IP.
9. Validate cloud service connectivity as Hub ID GUID will have changed (Alexa, Internet-accessible Dashboards)
10. Profit…

Am I missing anything? Will this go horribly bad? My main motivation for upgrading is to get the advanced zwave tools. These Schlage locks suck (I know, I need to replace them), and I’m hoping starting over with repeaters at the beginning of the mesh will help ease that pain. Is that a fools errand?

Questions:

• Is there a point in the first backup? Once I exclude a device using a z-stick, it’s not like I can “get it back in the original state” without re-adding the z-wave devices and “Swap Apps Device” back from the place holder.

Thanks in advance!

[neonturbo]

I think you have it mostly right. At least there isn't anything fundamentally wrong that I can see.

In theory you could skip the virtual device stuff and just do a swap device from the old "dead" device to the new one. I would go through and rename the former device "old" or something like that so you know which "kitchen light" you are keeping and discarding before pairing any new device. Just remember that swap doesn't work for child/parent devices. For those, the virtual device or some careful editing of rules might be in order, or even a backup of the individual rule just in case.

Some have even done a hub mesh keeping the Z-wave devices temporarily on the old hub but running rules and Zigbee on the new hub and one at a time bringing Z-wave devices over and then disable/delete them on the old hub. That way you aren't down for a day or two, and if something goes sideways you have only affected a couple devices and not the whole Z-wave network.

Pair everything you can with no security on the C7 (those Schlage will have to pair S0). Do the C7 Z-wave firmware update on the Z-wave details page before pairing anything. Watch for incomplete pairings and other oddities in the Z-wave details and/or failed pairings in logs. Stop and fix any failed pairings before moving on.

I don't think it would hurt to do the double backup, but by doing so at least you could go back to before the virtual devices if necessary.

Good luck!