Being sent a replacement hub, how do I migrate?

General Discussion
#7

@Ben - Although I agree with this, it is becoming more of a problem with the level of external integrations available. For example, I use SmartRules - I have about 10 rules in there. I need to rebuild each one of them as well…manually. Then there is my Amazon Echo integration and IFTTT. With the integrations, that is A LOT of screenshots and rebuilding. And, my install is not complex at all. In fact, I’m one of your smaller, simpler installations!

So, you can see that the tool is really needed now more than ever. I’m fine with excluding and re-including…that makes sense that it is necessary (I’m an IT guy, so I understand what is happening there). But, there needs to be a tool to at list say “I’m replacing device A with device B” and all the SmartApps and integrations don’t care since it is a replacement at the “device level.” I get the sense that in ST, the hardware IDs are not abstracted from the smartapps and that is why this is taking so long?

#8

Not overly confident at moment with coding and IDE, but I copied the code into odd and polished last time, but on your above statement do you mean I’ll have to do the rules that I’ve made up from scratch again?

Thanks

#9

Yeah you got it. Your rules won’t transfer to the new hub.

#10

Oh how I wish a migration tool existed…

I had a new v2 hub sent to be because mine wouldn’t accept firmware updates. I have 250+ device, many automations, etc, etc.

Migrating was not a fun process, and I’m still not done.

#11

Dare I ask what procedure you did please? Screenshots?

#12

@R2D2 OK, here you go!

First:

  • I left my old v2 hub alone. I removed nothing and deleted nothing. It was up and running until the very end.
  • I added the new v2 hub as a new location via the phone app using the Welcome Code that came with it.
  • Now I have 2 v2 hubs on my home network.
  • I took screen shots of every smartapp installed on the old hub, as well as capturing the device and Room list into a spreadsheet to do a before/after compare when I was all done.
  • So far so good.

Next:

  • After letting the new hub sit for a couple days and monitoring the Event Log, I moved it to it’s final location.
  • Moved the old hub to another room with a network port.
  • On the old hub, I removed every single device from every single SmartApp - SHM, Smart Lighting, Rule Machinne, etc, etc., and then I uninstalled/removed it from the phone app - NOT the IDE - it’s still fine in the IDE. When I was done, there was no device tied to any SmartApp. It was a naked hub with just a list of devices.
  • On the new hub, I created all the Rooms.
  • So far so good.

Next:

  • Time to move house-powered zigbee devices, which in my case were several Iris Smart Plugs.
  • I took the time to plan out where these would go since they were repeaters, which was easy - 1 in each room strategically placed so you can’t see them. About half controlled nothing. I wanted them as just zigbee only repeaters. The others controlled TV’s and a bar frig. I did not use any of these as zwave repeaters/devices.
  • Zigbee is easy to move since there’s no exclude process. Just a reset at the device while waiting for Connect New Device. This is where I also added them to the Room I created earlier.
  • Once all plugs were connected and up and running, I powered down the hub (batteries and all) for 30 minutes, and then powered it back up. Waited for any zigbee issues in the Event Log, and for the zigbee mesh to rebuild and optimize.
  • So far so good.

Next:

  • Time to move house-powered time consuming zwave devices - GE switches, dimmers, outlets, fan controllers, Aeon metering switches, and an HEM, and the dreaded Vizia RF 2-button scene and load controller, there were a few Mimolites I had to do too. Here comes the fun part…
  • Had plenty of beer chilled and ready to go. Also, having a second device (old S4 phone) is very helpful. I had 1 managing the old hub, devices, and location, and the other managing the new hub, devices, and location. My Aeon minimote could have been used as well, but I preferred the removal process I’m about to describe.
  • So far so good.

Next:

  • Starting with the closest device to the hub in it’s final location, I Removed the device from the old hub, tripped the air gap switch (or tripped a breaker instead), and Included the device to the new hub and put it in the Room I wanted.
  • I did this process for every house-powered zwave device in each room throughout the house, including a couple outside outlets. I also did a zwave repair every so often, maybe about every 25 devices or so.
  • As I moved further and further away from the hub, the join process took longer as well. I got the to point where I couldn’t get a device to join, and that’s where I broke out a 100’ network cable and 100’ power cord. I did all remaining devices this way, and it really was a faster method in the long run. I had zero problems joining my devices, even the dreaded Vizia.
  • My wife loved me at this point BTW…

Next:

  • Now that all the zwave house-powered devices have been removed from the old hub to the new hub, my old hub/location contained just the battery powered devices I had to move; but before doing that, it’s time to force both zigbee (again) and zwave mesh networks to rebuild.
  • I pulled the batteries and powered down the hub for an hour, and then powered everything back up. BUT, before doing that, I made sure it was in it’s final location for good.
  • Again, no zigbee issues, but zwave was a different story - but not to worry! I expected this since I joined devices by moving the hub around, and I knew the mesh would be wonky.
  • After powering up the hub and letting it settle for an hour, I started the first zwave repair - and I did it when nobody was home, and zero SmartApps were running. It wasn’t pretty. Tons of “couldn’t update mesh” errors, but again I knew that.
  • I kept running zwave repairs back to back, with a reboot thrown in for good measure, for a very long time. Each one took around 30 minutes, and each had fewer and fewer errors, until finally - a perfect zwave repair - no errors. Done for now!

Next:

  • I followed a very similar process for battery powered devices, both zigbee and zwave.
  • For most devices I was able to get them to join where they were currently installed, including some of my zcombo smoke detectors. If any device didn’t behave properly, or didn’t report battery (Ecolinks are terrible for this), I brought those to the hub.
  • As each Room was “cleared” of devices from the old hub, I deleted the Room.
  • I have a lot of battery powered devices, and this took me a long time.

Next, and finally:

  • I began redoing all my settings (modes) and SmartApps - Smart Lighting was first, then SHM, then Routines, and then my own or community developed ones like Rule Machine. You should not have deleted any of your SmartApps or Device Handlers at all during the migration process, you just need to make sure no device is part of a SmartApp.
  • This was also one of the most time consuming parts of the migration process.
  • This was also a great opportunity to streamline automations, reduce the number of SmartApps I needed, and assess my overall HA environment.

Lessons learned:

  • Have device documentation handy in case you can’t remember the exclude process.
  • Take your time, take your time, and take your time.
  • If the device isn’t working right, rejoin it right next to the hub somehow.
  • Have spare batteries handy.
  • If things just won’t join - reboot the hub. Trust me on this one.
  • Build your mesh right the first time. It’s the perfect time. If a device just won’t work or behave, just replace the stupid thing, or come back to it later.
  • Always keep your beer cold.

I may come back and edit a few things as I remember more that are important to pass along.

13 Likes
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#13

Yeah, I’m going to be moving soon. I think I’ll buy my new hub then and tear it all down. There are a lot of messes that I created over time and can’t wait to be forced to get rid of them.

#14

Yeah, those integrations are a pain to rebuild. I have IFTTT, Echo, MyQ garage, Action Dashboard - to name a few.

#15

from my experience with an RMA… basically… welcome yourself as a new customer because you’re starting over (other then your location and your account)

#16

Those integrations are a major reason I have not swapped out my v1 hub with the v2 that is currently setting on the shelf collecting dust.

#17

Any idea on time? If not long then I’ll wait a bit until it’s ready

Thanks

#18

Long. :confused:

…

When will there be a migration tool?
Alex, will you or won't you provide a migration tool as promised?
#19

Any way there could be some interim steps, such as being able to export settings or something like that? There has to be something (anything) we can do in the short-term other than screenshots? …I ask wishfully…

#20

Do you have to delete all my things, ST branded and others, from my original hub before I connect them to my new hub?

Someone mentioned excluding, how is this done? I the IDE?

Thanks

#21

Yes you need to exclude your zwave devices:

#22

This is super helpful. Just printed out! Wish me good luck :slight_smile:

I’ll come back and will add my “lessons learned”. Hopefully not many (any?!)…

1 Like
#23

My first lesson learned!!! Refresh batteries while you’re up on the ladder. And don’t ever buy sensors with odd battery types! CR2 need a couple, AAAA need a couple. I am thinking for what is worth, to replace these odd sensors with AAA and CR123…Painful, painful, major PIA…

1 Like
#24

Another lesson learned! DO NOT BUY SmartSense Multi 2015…They have the worst design ever!!! I am throwing away two of them!..

#25

Hi Ben, was this ever achieved? Thanks, Anton

#26

No. It’s manual. Make screenshots or print stuff out.

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