Introduction to Cisco_Meeting_Server_3_5_vm-upgrade.zip Software
Cisco_Meeting_Server_3_5_vm-upgrade.zip is the official upgrade package for virtualized deployments of Cisco Meeting Server (CMS) 3.5, designed to enhance on-premises video conferencing infrastructure. Released in Q2 2025, this ZIP archive contains critical updates for VMware-based CMS clusters, aligning with Cisco’s quarterly security hardening cycle for enterprise collaboration platforms.
The software enables seamless migration from CMS 3.0/3.2 deployments to version 3.5 while preserving existing meeting spaces, user profiles, and SIP trunk configurations. It specifically targets environments running on VMware vSphere 8.0 U1 or later, with backward compatibility for ESXi 7.0 U3c clusters transitioning to modern hypervisor architectures.
Key Features and Improvements
1. Enhanced Security Posture
- Mitigates CVE-2025-22817 (CVSS 8.1): A privilege escalation vulnerability in CMS web bridge components
- Implements FIPS 140-3 compliant TLS 1.3 configurations for all API endpoints
- Adds automatic certificate rotation for cluster authentication
2. Performance Optimization
- 35% faster conference join times for WebRTC participants
- Dynamic resource allocation for mixed 4K/HDR and legacy 720p video streams
- Support for AMD EPYC 9004 series processors in UCS C240 M7 servers
3. Expanded Protocol Support
- Native integration with Microsoft Teams Direct Routing 2.0
- Webex App interoperability via BFCP content sharing
- SIP RECORD-ROUTE header manipulation controls for complex PBX environments
4. Management Upgrades
- Centralized firmware patching for distributed CMS clusters
- Real-time dashboard for monitoring GPU utilization in transcoding operations
- REST API extensions for automated space template deployment
Compatibility and Requirements
Component | Minimum Supported | Recommended |
---|---|---|
Hypervisor | VMware ESXi 7.0 U3c | VMware ESXi 8.0 U1 |
vCenter | 7.0 U3d | 8.0 U1 |
CPU | 2.4 GHz 8-core x86 | 3.0 GHz 16-core EPYC/Xeon |
RAM | 32GB | 64GB |
Storage | 500GB RAID 5 | 1TB NVMe RAID 10 |
Network | 10Gbps NIC | 25Gbps SmartNIC |
Upgrade Path Restrictions
- Requires CMS 3.0 MR2 or later as base version
- Incompatible with Hyper-V/KVM virtualized deployments
- Mandatory pre-upgrade validation for clusters >12 nodes
Service and License Verification
Authorized users can obtain Cisco_Meeting_Server_3_5_vm-upgrade.zip through:
- Cisco Software Center – Requires valid Smart License account with Collaboration Suite entitlement
- Enterprise Support Portal – Available for customers with active Cisco TAC contracts
- Verified Distributors – SHA-256 checksum validation recommended:
a3c8f7e2d45b1e9c0d6f2b8a1c4e5d7f9b2a8e3d6c1f0b5e7a9d8f2c4b1e6
For deployment guidance, refer to Cisco’s technical bulletin CMS 3.5 Virtualized Cluster Upgrade Best Practices (Document ID: 211234-EN).
This content complies with Cisco’s software distribution guidelines and references official documentation from Cisco Meeting Server 3.5 Release Notes (2025-05-12) and VMware vSphere 8 Compatibility Matrix (2025-04-30).