Phones

Overview

This topic describes how to manage Cisco Phones in the VOSS Automate Admin portal.

View Phones

This procedure displays existing phones.

1. Log in to the Admin Portal as a Provider, Customer, or Site admin.

   Note

   Only a subset of fields are available to Site admins.

2. Go to (default menus) Subscriber Management > Phones to open the Phones page summary list view.

4. View the list of existing phones.

   

   Note

   An administrator with the required access profile can click Fetch real-time phone status on the toolbar to fetch the CUCM phone IP address and status directly from the CUCM. Data is fetched in real-time and displays read-only values in the following columns:

   • Registration Status column (for example, “None”, “UnRegistered with CUCM-11-5-IP2”, “Registered with CUCM-11-5-IP2”)

   • IP Address column

   Fetched data is not cached or stored in the database, and cannot be exported or filtered. Real-time data displays the latest data for the current list of phones on the Admin Portal. Prior to fetching real-time status updates, existing column values display cached values from the RIS data collector (if enabled).

   The Activate Phone Status Service setting is enabled by default and can be managed by system level administrators. See the Advanced Configuration Guide for details.

   If the Registration Status and IP Address columns are not visible at a hierarchy level, run the following command from the CLI:

   voss migrate_summary_attributes device/cucm/Phone
   

Add a Phone

This procedure adds a new Cisco phone via the Phones page.

Note

It is recommended that you use Smart Add phone to add standalone phones (not associated to any subscriber) and use Quick Add Subscriber to add phones to subscribers. See Smart Add Phone and Quick Add Subscriber.

Before you start

Before adding phones in VOSS Automate, you will need to add and configure the following items on CUCM, and then import these items into VOSS Automate:

• Softkey templates (Softkey templates can be set up on CUCM or in VOSS Automate)

• Phone button templates

• Service parameters and enterprise parameters for subscriber services

• Custom SIP profiles

• Service profiles for Jabber

• Phone services

To add a phone (CUCM users):

1. Log in to the Admin Portal as a Provider, Customer, or Site admin.

   Note

   Only a subset of fields are available to Site admins.

2. Go to (default menus) Subscriber Management > Phones to open the Phones list view.

3. Click the toolbar Plus (+) icon, then choose the hierarchy where you want to add the phone.

4. On the Phones > New Record page, fill out details for the phone you’re adding:

   

   • In the Phone panel/tab:

     • Fill out the device name, including a prefix, for example, SEP0C0011010003, choose the product, for example, Cisco 8865, and (optionally), fill out a description.

       Note

       If you don’t see the phone or endpoint you want, you’ll need to install a COP file for the endpoint you want, in CUCM. Install the COP file only once for the CUCM instance where the endpoint is added. In VOSS Automate you will need to import the phone button template from CUCM.

       When adding a device name, add a prefix, such as SEP, before the mac address. For example, if the mac address is 000000000AB1, the device name must be SEP000000000AB1.

     • Choose a device protocol.

       Note

       The phone type you’re adding must support the protocol you wish to use. A default protocol can be defined in the site defaults (Device Defaults tab). Some phone types support multiple protocols (for example, Cisco 7960 with SCCP and SIP), and some phone types support only one protocol (for example, Cisco 9971 with only SIP). If the phone type you’re adding does not support a selected protocol, the protocol defaults to the one set up in the site defaults. You can choose or update the protocol (if allowed by the phone type), when adding a phone, when adding a subscriber, or when adding a phone to an existing subscriber.

     • Choose a phone button template for automatic configuration of settings, and a device pool name.

     • If this is a standalone phone, leave Owner User ID blank, else, choose a subscriber to associate with this phone.

       Note

       If you’re adding the phone at a site, the subscriber (Owner User ID) may exist at a higher level in the hierarchy, such as customer level.

   • In the Lines panel, click the Plus (+) icon to add a line, then configure line settings:

     • Choose a line template.

     • Choose an inventory filter.

     • Choose a directory number (mandatory).

     • Specify a label for the line.

     • Specify a display.

5. Click Save to add the phone.

Update a Phone

This procedure updates an existing phone.

1. Log in to the Admin Portal as a Provider, Customer, or Site admin.

   Note

   Only a subset of fields are available to Site admins.

2. Go to (default menus) Subscriber Management > Phones to open the Phones page summary list view.

3. Click on the phone you wish to update to open its settings.

   

4. View existing settings, and update as required. Note the following:

   Note

   • Displayed fields are based on the device type and device protocol (for example, SIP or SCCP).

   • The supported features available for each phone type are retrieved from the related CUCM.

   Setting	Description
   Quick Actions	Provides quick access to one or more predefined actions, such as restart, reset, or replace phone, or generate PRT. You can add also access some of these actions via the overflow toolbar menu (vertical ellipsis).
   Phone	Default values are applied for some fields (such as Device Protocol, BAT Phone Template, and Device Security Profile), based on the device (product) type. Vendor Config settings are related to the phone type. To override the default Phone Button Template, either choose another template, or enter a custom value. The new value is applied on the CUCM if it allows that phone type. If you don’t see a template that you’re looking for in the drop-down (for example, for Phone Button Template, Device Security Profile or SIP Profile), edit the template on CUCM, and then sync the template into VOSS Automate to have it appear in the drop-down. It is possible to choose an Owner User ID at a higher hierarchy, for example, if the phone is at the site, you can choose an Owner User ID at the customer level and save your changes.
   Lines	This panel displays all lines associated with the device and allows you to associate additional lines. When adding a line, the system checks that a line exists, and if it doesn’t exist, the line is added. If Number Inventory is enabled, you can select a number from the list of available numbers. Choose a directory number from the Pattern drop-down At Monitoring CSS Name, set the Monitoring Calling Search Space as the CSS that is configured in the Calling Search Space field on the Lines page. At the Busy Trigger field, enter a busy trigger value, for example, 1. At the Max Num Calls field, enter the maximum number of calls value, for example, 2.
   Speed Dials	On this panel you can configure speed dials for the device. Available speed dials depend on the device’s Phone Button Template. The order in which Speed Dial entries are added matches the slots that are available on CUCM.
   Services	On this panel you can set up IP Phone services. Once you choose the IP phone service, the system retrieves the URL and a custom parameter (if any, for example, ext1 and ext2) from device/cucm/IpPhoneService, and populates the URL field.
   Busy Lamp Fields	In this panel you can configure busy lamps for the device. Available busy lamp fields depend on the device’s Phone Button Template.

   Setting	Description
   Blf Directed Call Parks	This panel allows you to configure Busy Lamp Field directed call parks for the device. Available BLF-directed call parks depend on the device’s Phone Button Template. Create BLF-directed call parks in Call Routing > Directed Call Parks on CUCM before configuring them in this panel. The available BLF-directed call parks match those created for each specific Route Partition Name.
   Dual Mode Settings	These settings display only for phones that support Dual Mode, and allow you to configure mobile identity and remote destinations.
   Certificate Authority Functions	The settings on this panel are only relevant to a Dual Mode Phone, Spark Remote Device, or CTI Remote Device, and allows you to enter enter the relevant Mobile Identity and Remote Destination (or CTI Remote Destination) parameters for the device. These parameters include Name, Destination Number, Owner User ID, Dual Mode Device Name (or CTI Remote Device), and Answer Too Soon and Too Late Timers. The date-time value must be added manually as: CCYY:MM:DD:HH:MM

   Note

   • For more information about Certificate Authority Functions, see Certificate Authority Functions.

   • When updating the phone, the phone and user remote destination are updated.

   • Where a phone activation code has expired and needs to be generated, the user’s dummy phone must be deleted and a new dummy phone re-added, following activation steps: Phone Onboarding with Cisco Activation Codes.

   • For phones supporting the activation codes and the MRA feature will have the allowMraMode and mraServiceDomain fields available provided a sync has been run that updates the phone types in VOSS with the supported feature set.

   • If you need to enable Extend and Connect in VOSS Automate, perform these steps while creating a CTI Remote Device:

     1. Fill out the Device Name. For example, CTIRD<USERID>.

     2. Choose the product as CTI Remote Device.

     3. Choose the Owner User ID from the drop-down.

     4. Choose the SUBSCRIBE Calling Search Space name from the drop-down.

     5. Choose the Rerouting Calling Search Space name from the drop-down.

Delete a Phone

This procedure deletes one or more phones or phone settings.

1. Log in as a Customer or Site administrator.

   Note

   If you’re logged in as the Customer admin for a specific site, all fields described in this procedure are available to you. If you’re logged in as the Site admin, only a subset of fields are available to you.

2. Choose a site.

3. Go to (default menus) Subscriber Management > Phones.

4. Choose one of the following methods to delete phones or phone settings:

   • Choose an individual phone to be deleted by selecting its check box in the far left column, then clicking Delete. From the popup window, click Yes to confirm the deleted phone.

   • Delete multiple phones at once by selecting the relevant check boxes, then clicking Delete. From the popup window, click Yes to confirm the deleted phones.

   • Remove phone settings as required by removing them from the relevant tab of a selected phone. Click Save.

   Note

   Deleting a phone removes the remote destination first so that the VOSS Automate cache remains in sync with CUCM.

   Lines are not affected when a phone is deleted.

Certificate Authority Functions

This table provides details on the available fields for Certificate Authority Functions when adding or configuring phones.

Title	Description
Certificate Status	Shows the current security certificate status of the phone. The field is read-only.
Certificate Operation *	From the drop-down list box, choose one of the following options: No Pending Operation: Displays when no certificate operation is occurring (default setting). Install/Upgrade: Installs a new or upgrades an existing locally significant certificate in the phone. Delete: Deletes the locally significant certificate that exists in the phone. Troubleshoot: Retrieves the locally significant certificate (LSC) or the manufacture installed certificate (MIC), so you can view the certificate credentials in the CAPF trace file. If both certificate types exist in the phone, Cisco Unified CM creates two trace files, one for each certificate type. By choosing the Troubleshooting option, you can verify that an LSC or MIC exists in the phone. For more information on CAPF operations, see the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Security Guide. Default: No Pending Operation
Authentication Mode	This field allows you to choose the authentication method that the phone uses during the CAPF certificate operation. From the drop-down list box, choose one of the following options: By Authentication String: Installs/upgrades, deletes, or troubleshoots a locally significant certificate only when the user enters the CAPF authentication string on the phone. By Null String: Installs/upgrades, deletes, or troubleshoots a locally significant certificate without user intervention. This option provides no security; Cisco strongly recommends that you choose this option only for closed, secure environments. By Existing Certificate (Precedence to LSC): Installs/upgrades, deletes, or troubleshoots a locally significant certificate if a manufacture-installed certificate (MIC) or locally significant certificate (LSC) exists in the phone. If a LSC exists in the phone, authentication occurs via the LSC, regardless whether a MIC exists in the phone. If a MIC and LSC exist in the phone, authentication occurs via the LSC. If a LSC does not exist in the phone, but a MIC does exist, authentication occurs via the MIC. Before you choose this option, verify that a certificate exists in the phone. If you choose this option and no certificate exists in the phone, the operation fails. At any time, the phone uses only one certificate to authenticate to CAPF even though a MIC and LSC can exist in the phone at the same time. If the primary certificate, which takes precedence, becomes compromised for any reason, or, if you want to authenticate via the other certificate, you must update the authentication mode. By Existing Certificate (Precedence to MIC): Installs, upgrades, deletes, or troubleshoots a locally significant certificate if a LSC or MIC exists in the phone. If a MIC exists in the phone, authentication occurs via the MIC, regardless whether a LSC exists in the phone. If a LSC exists in the phone, but a MIC does not exist, authentication occurs via the LSC. Before you choose this option, verify that a certificate exists in the phone. If you choose this option and no certificate exists in the phone, the operation fails. Note The CAPF settings that are configured in the Phone Security Profile window interact with the CAPF parameters that are configured in the Phone Configuration window. Default: By Null String

Title	Description
Authentication String	If you chose the By Authentication String option in the Authentication Mode drop-down list box, this field applies. Manually enter a string or generate a string by clicking the Generate String button. Ensure that the string contains 4 to 10 digits. To install, upgrade, delete, or troubleshoot a locally significant certificate, the phone user or administrator must enter the authentication string on the phone.
Authentication Server	Enter the URL that the phone uses to validate requests that are made to the phone web server. If you do not provide an authentication URL, the advanced features on the Cisco Unified IP Phone that require authentication will not function. By default, this URL accesses a Cisco Unified Communications Self Care Portal window that was configured during installation. Leave this field blank to accept the default setting.
Key Order	keyOrder can be updated only if certificateOperation field is Install/Upgrade,Delete or Troubleshoot. Default: RSA Only
Key Size (Bits)	For this setting that is used for CAPF, choose the key size for the certificate from the drop-down list box. The default setting equals 1024. Other options include 512 and 2048. If you choose a higher key size than the default setting, the phones take longer to generate the entropy that is required to generate the keys. Key generation, which is set at low priority, allows the phone to function while the action occurs. Depending on the phone model, you may notice that key generation takes up to 30 or more minutes to complete. Note The CAPF settings that are configured in the Phone Security Profile window interact with the CAPF parameters that are configured in the Phone Configuration window. Default: 1024
EC Key Size (Bits)	ecKeySize can be updated only if certificateOperation field is Install/Upgrade,Delete or Troubleshoot. Default: 384
Operation Completes By	The completion deadline for the operation (CCYY:MM:DD:HH:MM)

View and Update Phone Vendor Config Settings

The Vendor Config settings will display if the Field Display Policy (FDP) allows it.

You can access the vendor configuration settings for a phone as follows:

1. In the Admin Portal, go to (default menus) Subscriber Management > Phones.

2. On the Phones list view, click on a phone to open its settings.

3. On the Phones page, locate and then click on Vendor Config to open the configuration screen:

   Enable or disable settings, as required. Ensure you’re setting values correctly for Bulk Loaders, the API, or in custom Configuration Templates, where values must be defined as key-value pairs:

   • On CUCM, in some cases the value 0 is “Enabled” and in other cases 0 is “Disabled”.

   • It is recommended that settings on CUCM are configured manually on a sample phone to the value you want, before exporting the phone. Then use the example settings as the basis for your Bulk Loaders, API, or custom Configuration Templates.

   • The required value may change depending on the setting being applied, for example:

     To enable the “Web Access” for a phone, configure the following:

     • Key: webAccess

     • Value: 0

     To disable “Web Access” for a phone, configure the following:

     • Key: webAccess

     • Value: 1

     To enable “Settings Access”, configure the following:

     • Key: settingsAccess

     • Value: 1

     To disable “Settings Access”, configure the following:

     • Key: settingsAccess

     • Value: 0

Generate Problem Reporting Tool (PRT)

Individual phones can have the Problem Reporting Tool (PRT) triggered to generate PRT log collection on the phone and upload it to the log server configured on the Unified CM in the “Customer support upload URL” parameter at the Enterprise, Profile, or Device level.

1. Select the phone from the Phones list view (default menu Subscriber Management > Phones):

2. Click the Generate Prt Phone action to generate PRT log collection.

Sync in Phone Updates from CUCM

After you make changes to any phone model specific data in CUCM, for example by loading a new BAT file, editing phone button templates, security profiles, and so on, then in order to utilize that data in VOSS Automate, you need to do a sync of the CUCM.

Include the following models in the data sync (depending on what you changed):

Models	Notes
device/cucm/PhoneType	Should always be included. This includes the expansion models as well as the phone types.
device/cucm/PhoneButtonTemplate	Include if button templates were changed.
device/cucm/PhoneSecurityProfile	Include if phone security profiles were modified

Perform a full sync or full import to make the changes available in VOSS Automate. However, between full syncs, it is best practice to create a sync setup with a model type list that includes the above model types. This allows you to run an ad-hoc sync with a very limited scope as needed - if changes are made in the CUCM that require a sync.

If adding new phone types to the system, you may also need to edit your device groups and entitlement profiles (if used) to have them show as options to the correct users.

Phone Onboarding with Cisco Activation Codes

VOSS Automate supports the Cisco Unified CM (CUCM) capability for device onboarding using Activation Codes. This provides a simplified method to register a new phone in the system. This is supported from CUCM version 12.5 and later.

This feature allows administrators to create phones without MAC addresses and then share automatically generated activation codes with end users via Self Service or email. The end user can then enter the activation code into the physical device to initiate auto registration.

Once the phone has been activated and registered, the correct phone association takes place in VOSS Automate.

For more information on the detailed functionality of the Cisco Activation Code Device Onboarding capability, including supported devices, refer to the Cisco documentation.

The setup of the feature has been incorporated into our various Subscriber/Phone Management capabilities:

• Phones

• Subscribers

• Quick Add Subscriber

• Smart Add Phone

Note

The selected phone type must also be included in the Subscriber’s entitlement profile.

Phone Setup and Onboarding Workflow

The high-level setup steps in VOSS Automate for phone onboarding with Cisco Activation Codes are as follows:

1. Initial setup - enabling Phone types for activation code.

2. Per Subscriber/Device - setup of the phone details and generation of the activation code.

3. Provide the activation code to the user for use to onboard the device.

Complete the initial setup and enable the phone type(s) for activation code use

1. Login as Customer administrator or higher.

2. Navigate to the hierarchy level of the cluster(s) you want to enable.

3. Enable activation code based registration for a target phone type:

   1. Go to (default menus) Apps Management > CUCM > Device Defaults.

   2. Click the Model, e.g. Cisco 7821 on which you want to enable the phone registration activation code feature. Note the device column in the list view to ensure it is the device type on the right UCM cluster.

   3. Select the Prefer Act Code Over Auto Reg check box.

   4. Click Save.

Complete the per Subscriber/Device setup to prepare the phone for onboarding:

1. Once enabled, you can add the phone, using any of the prescribed Subscriber Management methods (see above), making sure to select the Use Activation Code Onboarding check box. This will remove the device name as a BATXXXXXXXXXXXX device name will be generated when adding the phone.

2. Once the phone is successfully added, an activation code is generated and displayed along with the code expiry time on the relevant Phones form (Subscriber Management > Phones).

   Note

   The phone activation code must be used to register the phone before the specified expiry date.

3. The activation code is available in the end user’s self service if the device was associated to a user. Alternatively email the activation code to the end user.

4. The end user registers the phone by entering the activation code into the physical device.

5. To see the list of phones that have been setup for activation codes but not yet activated, you can filter the phones list view for device names starting with, BAT, as once they register they have the appropriate device name prefix (e.g. SEP).