VOSS Automate 21.4 Documentation#
This release delivers significant updates for Webex Calling, extends our commitment to making Automate more accessible for users with disabilities, and includes a number of enhancements that improve the overall usability and functionality of the product.
Release 21.4 PB5 is the fifth Patch Bundle release for the 21.4 release and contains the following highlights and enhancements:
This release delivers enhanced Microsoft Exchange user mailbox integration to expand the scope of user mailbox settings that can be managed as part of subscriber MACDs (move, add, change, delete), allowing admins to manage a range of additional mailbox settings. VOSS Automate supports the provisioning of user mailbox settings as part of onboarding and offboarding using Quick Subscriber and Quick Offboard Subscriber. Support for Exchange has been streamlined to include automation that addresses high-volume use cases, saving time and effort for previously unsupported scenarios.
Exchange settings can now be seamlessly configured during user setup, and are automatically adjusted when a user is offboarded. When onboarding, Automate Quick Add Subscriber seamlessly stamps mailboxes with templated settings to update Exchange. When offboarding, Exchange settings are automatically adjusted. For example, an offboarded user’s mailbox can now be automatically converted to a shared mailbox, allowing admins continued access to that mailbox even if the user’s license is no longer available and their mailbox is purged. Retention policies, email forwarding settings, automatic replies, mailbox archiving, and custom attributes can now be included in the automated integration templates and workflows, and can be managed in Automate. Custom attributes can also be used for filtering in a sync. Automate also ships with example templates that can be used with Exchange mailboxes for onboarding or offboarding.
This integration complements Automate’s support for other Microsoft services to provide admins with a cohesive experience.
This feature delivers more granularity and control for providers and enterprises around key use cases, enabling further automation benefits in a Microsoft environment:
Partitioning of the tenant data in the system - easier to separate pools of users out of the overall tenant into different hierarchies in Automate for administration domains, such as divisions or agencies.
Providing additional mechanisms to identify a subset of users to sync into the system, for example, when a provider is only managing part of the Tenant, or in an Enterprise when an IT Team only has responsibility for some agencies or divisions within the organization.
Additional user data, which can be used for driving Auto Move and Flow through Provisioning logic. For example, to identify a site to move the user to, or a profile to apply during automated onboarding.
We’ve extended support on the Microsoft user record to include the extended attributes, and include support for custom attributes. This provides a wide range of extra settings to use across syncs, moves, and flow through. You can apply model instance filters on these fields to filter your syncs so that only users matching the criteria you define - for example, users with extendedattribute5 value of “VOSS Managed”. Additionally, you can use the fields in your model filter criteria for moving users and for initiating onboarding through flow through provisioning. For instance, you could have a custom attribute containing the user type/profile to the user for onboarding to match the appropriate services for automated onboarding. Find out more around the setup and suggested use cases for this feature in the Best Practices Guide.
Automate 21.4-PB5 improves the VOSS Automate license audit process so that it’s easier to understand and provides greater visibility of license consumption from within the Admin Portal. You’ll be able to see two views of the license information - an overall license count by hierarchy (same as the file), and you can see which users in the system are consuming a license. The license count and user consumption is updated daily so that you have regular access to this information, instead of just once a month. Automate’s user management view also makes it easier to see all of a user’s related services, providing clarity around why a user is or is not consuming a license. Additionally, the format of the generated monthly audit file is far simpler, and uses the already calculated values visible via the GUI. This means that the file is simply a reporting mechanism to VOSS rather than a primary means of viewing your license consumption (as was previously the case). You can find out more about this feature in the Licensing and Subscriber Data Export Guide
This release allows you to decouple Automate from Cisco HCM-F. By installing an optional patch after completing the upgrade to 21.4-PB5, you can remove all HCM-F data Automate. Once installed, any further provisioning from Automate - for example, of entities such as Customers, Sites, and CUCM/CUCxn clusters - will no longer provision the data to or from Cisco HCM-F.
Existing data on the Cisco HCM-F as well as license integration with the UC Apps won’t be affected. For installation details, refer to the guide, MOP-VOSS-1094-21.4-PB5_patch.pdf, available in the Download directory for the patch.
We’ve improved the user experience for Cisco-only Subscriber Management to enable the user of the specific list view as well as the custom subscriber details layout. If you’re only using Cisco UC, this means you now have the option for a customized, Cisco-specific list view combined with the card-based service layout when choosing a user to view their details. This provides the best overall user experience and is the recommended path for Cisco-only customers who aren’t leveraging the Multi Vendor Subscriber feature.
By default, as part of the upgrade, if you’re using “relation/Subscriber” in your current menu setup (for the custom list view), then when selecting a user you’ll see the card-based service layout instead of the classic detailed view. If you wish to retain the classic detailed subscriber view, you can change your menus and landing pages to access the “Cisco Advanced Subscriber” view. For more details on the setup, see the Automate documentation.
This release provides additional options for overbuild of Microsoft environments to ensure the process minimizes the time and effort to realize the benefits of automation. In many cases it’s known where numbers belong in the hierarchy due to geographical or emergency purposes, so we’ve added the ability to move users to a site based on their assigned number. In this case, it will use the hierarchy of the number in the inventory to determine where the user assigned that number should be moved. This provides another mechanism to determine the move logic where traditional location data in Microsoft Entra ID is typically not accurate or useful - for example, “City”.
New summary attributes have been added for updating device/spark/User in a number of Webex models, including device/spark/Location, device/spark/WorkspaceLocation, and device/spark/HuntGroupupdate. As a result, you’ll have more information for the user in Automate than in Webex Control Hub, for example, you’ll be able to see which Webex users have associated work numbers. We can now also add in a user’s address and region details, and their first and last name.
The Number Inventory Audit workflows now support Webex App Calling to ensure these numbers have their correct status set in in Automate.
In addition to the new features and enhancements in this release, we’ve added several small enhancements, included a number of bug fixes, and implemented a number of usability improvements to the Admin Portal. You can find further details, including links to the relevant topics, at What’s New by Feature.
| HTML | Description |
| Release and Upgrade Notes for 21.4-PB5 (latest) | Release Notes provide build details, and a list of all new features, enhancements, and bug fixes in the relevant release. Upgrade notes are included in the release notes, and describe configuration changes that may be required as part of the relevant upgrade. |
| HTML | Description |
| MOP for 21.4-PB5 Install (latest) | The Method of Procedure (MOP) document accompanies the Upgrade Notes, providing download and install details specific to the relevant patch release. |
| HTML | Description |
| VOSS Automate Compatibility Matrix | Application and VOSS Automate Adaptation version compatibility, as well as tested browser and VM versions. |
new_releases Docs: What's New by Feature
Guides for deploying, managing, and operating VOSS Automate and associated UC apps, using the command line and GUI.
| Core Feature Guide | Assists administrators with the configuration and management of the system from the Administration GUI. |
| Platform Guide | Describes how the VOSS Automate platform supports high-level functions such as: Installation, upgrades; Application and process manipulation; Clustering of multiple nodes with High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) capabilities; Backup creation and restore; Scheduling of tasks; Security implementation and System diagnostic. |
| Self-service | Provides instructions on using the Self-service interface to: View basic telephone information such as phone numbers and lines; Add, edit or delete personal phones; Manage aspects of a phone's lines such as line label, management of missed calls, visual and audible message waiting indicator (MWI) setting, and ring settings; Configure telephone services such as Voicemail, Do Not Disturb, Call Forwarding and Speed Dial. |
| Best Practices Guide | Provides best practices for critical VOSS Automate operations, including: Web weights; Overload limits (session and throttle limits); Onboarding customers and users; General data sync principles; Sync with Cisco Unified CM Sync, Cisco Unity Connection, LDAP, Webex App, etc.; API Performance; Transaction archiving and Administration portal setup. |
Guides for installing VOSS Automate.
| VOSS Automate Compatibility Matrix | Application and VOSS Automate Adaptation version compatibility, as well as tested browser and VM versions. |
| Architecture and Hardware Specification Guide | Describes best practices on how to deploy VOSS Automate as either: a single node, or a cluster of multiple nodes with High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery (DR) qualities. |
| Install Guide | Provides an overview of the deployment of the VOSS Automate system on VMware. |
| Upgrade Guide with ISO | Provides the steps to upgrade the VOSS Automate system using the ISO. |
| Upgrade Guide with Delta Bundle | Provides the steps to upgrade the VOSS Automate system using the Delta Bundle. |
| Health Checks for Cluster Installations Guide | Provides a brief checklist for VOSS Automate installation, deployment and maintenance. |
Advanced administration and configuration.
| Multi-Cluster Deployments Technical Guide | Provides an overview of VOSS Automate's current support for multi-cluster customer deployments. It offers several best practice recommendations pertaining to: Global Directory Search, User Integrations, Day 2 User and Feature Provisioning, Dial Plan Management, Overbuild, etc. |
| Advanced Configuration Guide | Describes specific high level tasks performed by administrators higher than Provider level, for example: System Monitoring; Login Banners; Business Admin Portal Configuration - for example, which features are exposed in the Business Admin Portal; Feature Package Customization, e.g. Field Display Policies |
| BulkLoader Provisioning Guide | Briefly describes the methods available to bulk load information into VOSS Automate: VOSS Automate Administration Tools Menu; Bulk Load Templates; Bulk Loader Template Reference Set |
| Provider HCS Dial Plan Management Support Guide | The main purpose of the Dial Plan Model is to create a pre-integrated baseline configuration of Unified Communications Manager applications. Describes how the Dial Plan Model can be integrated into the platform and the service provider infrastructure with minimal effort. The Dial Plan Model configures not only end customer equipment like Unified CM or on-premises routers, but also the interaction with aggregation layers using products such as Cisco Session Management Edition, or Session Border Controller for those functions. The standard configurations are provided, but the service providers must customize parts of the model for a particular environment. |
| API Guide | The REST-based API covers all functionality provided by the product and includes a comprehensive JSON-based schema with schema rules, metadata and data that simplifies integration. |
| API Reference | VOSS Automate API reference available alphabetically by model name and by model type. |
| Language Pack Guide | Assists administrators with the configuration of language packs. Outlines the alternative languages on VOSS Automate and their use. When a preferred language is activated, it overrides the default setting and the user is presented with their language choice in both the Administrator and Self-service User Interfaces. |
| Licensing and Subscriber Data Export Guide | Outlines license activation and how licenses are applied. |
| Named Macro Reference | Reference of named macros available. |
| Open Source License Usage | Open source components used by VOSS Solutions in the VOSS Automate application. |
You can find the download location of the MOPs and release notes in the Software Details
| NBI Technical Description and Deployment Guide | Technical specification and deployment guide for the NBI module for VOSS Automate |
| NBI Install Guide | Generic installation guide for the NBI module for VOSS Automate |
| NBI Troubleshooting Guide | Troubleshooting guide for the NBI module for VOSS Automate |
This page provides resources for previous releases of Automate, including release and upgrade information. We recommend that you upgrade Automate often to stay current with the latest fixes and enhancements.
| HTML | Description |
| Release Notes for 21.4-PB4 | Release Notes provide build details, and a list of all new features, enhancements, and bug fixes in the relevant release. |
| Release Notes for 21.4-PB3 | |
| Release Notes for 21.4-PB2 | |
| Release Notes for 21.4-PB1 | |
| Release Notes for 21.4 |
| HTML | Description |
| Upgrade Notes for 21.4-PB2 | The Upgrade Notes describe configuration changes that may be required as part of the relevant upgrade. Note: from Release 21.4-PB3 onwards, the Upgrade Notes are integrated into the Release, Upgrade Notes. |
| Upgrade Notes for 21.4-PB1 | |
| Upgrade Notes for 21.4 |
| HTML | Description |
| MOP for 21.4-PB4 Install | The Method of Procedure (MOP) document accompanies the Upgrade Notes, providing download and install details specific to the relevant patch release. |
| MOP for 21.4-PB3 Install | |
| MOP for 21.4-PB2 Install | |
| MOP for 21.4-PB1 Install |
2024.03.26 19:12