Hi RonZ,
Can you please help with these 3 questions,
(1.) Has anyone actually tried the Backup/Restore XML method (under Windows 10) going between different firmware versions? For example, can config.xml backup files created with "1.4.1SR1" firmware be restored to "1.4.1SR5" without any problem?
First some context since I found the ATA191 naming unclear at first, and I'm relying on the Moderator to correct any errors...
Cisco's ATA strategy seems to have two vectors: a domestic product for individuals and small & medium enterprises, and a corporate product for large organisations which need centralised administration (secure O/S and configuration updates from a server during business hours, unified numbering and functionality, etc.).
The SPA devices have reached end-of-life, and there are now two replacements, the ATA191-MPP for domestic and small-business use, and the ATA191 corporate version which ONLY works with Cisco's provisioning server. The ATA191-MPP "multiplatform" implementation is also, confusingly, sometimes known as the ATA191-3PW-K9; I think "K9" refers to US export laws concerning encryption.
All these flavours can be configured using an XML file, which specifies differences between the factory-default config for a given ATA and changes made by the sysadmin. The old GUI configuration model where saves & restores can be done with .cfg files is completely incompatible AFAIK (see below).
Except where exceptions are specifically noted, I think all Cisco's ATA products have compatible XML syntax which is defined in the appropriate Provisioning guide, so for example:
<DTMF_Relay_MIME_Type ua="na">application/dtmf-relay</DTMF_Relay_MIME_Type>
has the same effect on an SPA112, SPA122, ATA191-MPP, etc.
(2.) What are the benefits of updating from firmware 1.4.1SR1 to 1.4.1SR5? Does Cisco have a bug/change list? Otherwise it might not be worthwhile to update from 1.4.1SR1, since it seems to be working perfectly.
I'd strongly suggest upgrading the firmware to SR5 before doing anything else because that upgrades the embedded-Linux O/S and fixes many security and other bugs in the process; all configuration changes should be preserved because they're stored in a different area of memory. But first dump the existing configuration in the .cfg format you're familiar with so you can recover from any disasters, then upgrade the O/S to SR5.
When that's done, I'd suggest dumping the existing config as an XML file. Just login as the SPA "admin" as usual and go to <ATA IP address>/admin/config.xml This XML file can then be saved from the browser's File menu, and you can inspect the result at your leisure.
(3.) I have 2 config files that need to be flipped around and restored every few days. One config file has settings optimized for voice, the other is optimized for FAX. Can the service provider passwords be edited into the lines, with a text editor,
<Password_1_ ua="na"/>
<Password_2_ ua="na"/>
or will something more be needed after each restore?
It's better than that! The bulk of the configuration can be saved in one xml file, say "common.xml". Then the differences only need to be configured in, say, "Voice.xml" and "FAX.xml".
Alternatively, why not use one FXS interface for FAX and the other for Voice, and configure both just once? You might have to use one service at a time, but you could also just have two numbers, one for each service, even with different providers.
Let's know how you go...
D30
