Configuration templates or Daily system restores for Endpoints?

[shawn.kennedy30]

Hi,

Looking for a little advice on how to manage my endpoint configurations.  Right now, the endpoints have limited Configuration Templates applied to them that cover the very basics but I'd like to get into specifying Video inputs/outputs, audio volume, and other options that are frequently specific to each room.

I have about 30 endpoints (All Tandberg/Cisco) and the majority of them are managed in room with the Tandberg/Cisco remotes.  I only have a couple rooms that are integrated into Crestron and Extron systems (these rooms are not a problem).  I am also using TMS 14.2.2.

I'm thinking there are 2 ways I could go with this:

     1.  Create individual Configuration Templates for each system based off the one I'm using now.  (the most work but probably the way to go)

     2.  Schedule daily system restores based on a pristine backups on each system.  (sounds like an easy solution but not sure of the reliability of the restore function)

The other question I'd like to throw out there that's related is - Can these options (video inputs etc) be locked down?

Thanks,

Shawn

[shawn.kennedy30]

And to clarify - I'm looking for this info because I don't believe there is a way to lock down all of the settings on a device.

(Example:  users often switch the Primary camera input to "PC" and do not switch it back.  this causes huge problems for the next group of users who come in)

[Paulo Souza]

Hi,

Have you considered the possibility to totally block end users from access admin settings? You could set a menu password in the endpoints, so that users won't be able to change admin settings unless they have the password.

By using TMS, you can schedule a restore backup job to run recurrently, but I think that the simplest way would be to totally disable end users from change system settings.

I hope this help.

Paulo Souza

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[shawn.kennedy30]

Hi Paulo,

I have the admin settings setup with a password right now but that doesn't restrict access to the following options that can cause issues.

Main source

Call settings

Langauge

Locking these down would ultimately solve my problem but have yet to find anything online that says it's possible.  That's why I'm trying to decide between using config templates to reset the config every morning or the restore function.

Any ideas?

[Paulo Souza]

Hi,

In this case, you can use the backup/restore feature of TMS. You can perform a backup with all the correct configuration of your endpoints, then you schedule a backup job to run daily. Take a look at the page System >> Configuration Backup >> Perform restore:

I hope this help.

Regards

Paulo Souza

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[shawn.kennedy30]

Hi,

I'm finding I'm having to reboot the endpoint for H323 and SIP to register.  Obviously not great behaviour if I want to use this to manage daily configuration restores.  It seems as though the backup/restore throws the H323 and SIP auth passwords away?..  Thus, a reboot is required for the endpoint to pick up the information from the config template.

I've tested this by deleting the H323/SIP authentication configuration lines from the config template.  Rebooting the system and having it register properly.  Then backing up the system and then restoring it.  Once it's been restored, the system does not authenticate.  Putting the passwords into the "Edit settings" page in TMS does not fix the problem.  The 2 ways I can then get it to register are by going to the device via the web interface and entering it there or applying a config template with the H323/SIP auth information and applying it.

My question is:  Does the H323 and SIP password information get recorded during a backup?

Thanks for all the help so far!

Shawn

[shawn.kennedy30]

I'm now running TMS 14.2 along with TC6.2.0.20b1616 for my endpoints.  My challenge remains without a great solution.

Question remains:  Does the H323 and SIP password information get recorded during a backup?  More specifically, is it supposed to?

I would love to be able to backup an endpoint and then restore it and have it register it's H323 and SIP addresses without having to force a config template update.