VOSS Automate Documentation

Latest Release: VOSS Automate 24.1-PB1

Welcome to VOSS Automate 24.1 Patch Bundle 1! This maintenance release for Automate 24.1 addresses a range of defects, adds performance optimization, and introduces a number of small enhancements. For example, we now support the ability to manage authorized admin users for Microsoft Call Queues and Auto Attendants, and provide greater flexibility around SSO configuration. Additionally, we've enhanced the Microsoft offboarding and onboarding functionality, and include several important security updates for Self-service. For a comprehensive overview, be sure to review the Release Notes.

Highlights in Automate 24.1-PB1

Add Authorized Users Configuration to MS Call Queues and Auto Attendants

This feature allows configuration of Authorized users on Call Queues and Auto Attendants, which can only be done from MS Teams Portal.

SSO Integration Support - Configurable Schema for User Identifier

This change allows for and uses custom attribute from Identity Provider for authentication.

Small Enhancements and Bug Fixes

In addition to the new features and enhancements in this release, we've added several small enhancements and a number of bug fixes in the Admin Portal. You can find further details, including links to the relevant topics, at What's New by Feature.

Highlights in Automate 24.1

VOSS Copilot

This release introduces "Wingman", the new VOSS copilot that leverages powerful machine learning capabilities in the product, allowing admins and users to ask questions about the product and to query platform data.

This permanent chatbot feature is now available within the Admin Portal so that admins and users can ask any questions about the product and receive summarized answers along with reference links to the documentation portal. Users can also inquire about platform data, and Wingman will provide a count of data along with a direct link to the relevant filtered list. Wingman is enabled by default, but can be switched off. You can also allow or deny permissions for using Wingman via the access profiles.

Visualization Options and Configurable Dashboards for the Automate Portal

We've revamped the concept of Landing pages in VOSS Automate 24.1. Landing pages are now Dashboards. Dashboards deliver new visualization capabilities and enable powerful, flexible options for consuming and presenting Automate data.

The system ships with a range of resources (analyzed data and metrics) that admins can use to create or customize the user experience. We've included controls for configuring data visualization, including data processing elements, such as counts and trends. Admins can now offer an enhanced user experience that provides quick access to key Automate metrics and data via visual elements such as various charts formats, counter widgets, and trending metrics. A range of out-of-the-box Dashboards are also provided in key areas, such as Subscriber and Transactions, to use and to refer to as working examples. Dashboard integration in Automate also enables scenarios where admins may want to create specialized data consumption roles, for example, to offer basic analytics aimed at users requiring key metrics without the need to execute MACDs.

The new Dashboard functionality significantly expands the possibilities for delivering great experiences to meet the needs of both technical and business users.

Music on Hold Support for MS Teams

Voice and telephony engineers frequently use the Music on Hold feature for MS Teams. VOSS Automate now supports the ability for admins to upload and manage Music on Hold audio files directly within the Admin Portal. Admins can now effortlessly create or modify Call Hold Policies and their associated audio files. Quick Add Groups can be created with templates that include predefined Call Hold Policies for efficient onboarding and updating of Teams users. This feature streamlines operations, providing a centralized platform for managing Music on Hold and Call Hold Policies, enhancing efficiency and productivity for administrators and engineers alike.

Ops Tool for Setting Emergency Location on Unassigned Microsoft Calling Plan Numbers

Previously, when ordering new calling plan numbers, it was not possible to assign them to new users if they did not have an emergency location set. This feature implements a new Ops Tool that now allows you to set emergency locations on unassigned numbers.

Support for Application Registration for MS Teams PowerShell

VOSS Automate now offers robust support for application registration in Microsoft Teams PowerShell configuration, effectively replacing basic authentication and service accounts. This feature ensures the most secure and controlled method for VOSS Automate to access the customer's tenant. By eliminating the need for a service account with basic authentication, which required the Teams Administrator role, customers can now use certificate or secret app authentication. This enhancement allows for seamless provisioning and management of Teams administration tasks using VOSS Automate.

If you're upgrading to Automate 24.1, we've created a guide for the pre- and post-upgrade steps to add application registration. For new installs, see the Microsoft Quick Start Guide to set up new tenants and your app registration.

Webex Enhancements

This release includes further enhancements and usability improvements, primarily for Webex devices. For example, we now allow full MACDs on Webex phones, ATAs, and WiFi devices. It's also easier to add a Webex device using the Quick Add Device feature, which can be used to add templated devices and optionally create workspaces in the same operation. Once provisioned, devices can be replaced simply using a replace device utility. The feature also includes enhancements to Webex Scheduling.

Automate Portal Enhancements 24.1

This feature introduces several usability and performance improvements to the Automate Admin Portal. For example, the toolbar Transactions icon now displays a counter to indicate the number of transactions in progress, failed asynchronous transactions are now also listed, the transaction poll interval has been increased, and it's now possible to filter transactions by rolled back status.

Platform and Database Upgrades

This release includes a range of updates to enhance various elements of the platform, ensuring it remains current in terms of functionality, support, and security:

• The Automate operating system has been upgraded from Ubuntu 18.04 to Ubuntu 20.04.5
• The Automate database has been updated to the latest major version of MongoDB to benefit from security updates and to unlock new features such as change notification and more flexible indexing. The new indexing improves the system's capabilities around sorting and filtering and allows for future improvements in this area.
• TLS v1.1 has been deprecated and removed from Automate 24.1. TLS v1.2 is now automatically enabled in the system.

These updates continue VOSS's ongoing commitment to deliver a secure platform that is trusted in a range of deployment types, including highly secure environments.

IPv6 Support for VOSS Automate

This feature introduces native IPv6 support in VOSS Automate to cater for customers transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6. Although IPv4 is still prevalent, IPv6 delivers several key benefits:

• Address Space Expansion: IPv6 implements a 128-bit address space, providing room for future growth.
• Improved Routing Efficiency: IPv6 simplifies and improves routing efficiency by reducing the size of routing tables and enabling hierarchical address allocation, leading to faster and more efficient packet forwarding.
• Enhanced Security: IPv6 includes IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) support as a standard feature, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and authentication at the IP layer.
• Better Performance: Features such as StateLess Address Auto Configuration (SLAAC) and Network Address Translation (NAT) elimination streamline network configuration and management, reducing latency and improving overall performance.

Allow Existing Deployments to Move from HCM-F integrated to no HCM-F

This feature allows partners to transition their existing Automate deployment rather than to rebuild from scratch.

New Macros for Customizing the Default Quick Add Group for Quick Subscriber

This feature adds four new macros for setting the default Quick Add Group values that initially display in the drop-down on each of the Quick Subscriber tools (for Cisco, Microsoft, Webex, and Hybrid). The following new macros can be cloned to a lower hierarchy and modified, if required:

• Default_Quick_Add_Group_Cisco_Subscriber
• Default_Quick_Add_Group_Microsoft_Subscriber
• Default_Quick_Add_Group_Webex_Subscriber
• Default_Quick_Add_Group_Hybrid