QMS Cisco Phone Controls

The QMS Cisco Phone Controls is an XML-based application, hosted as an application within Internet Information Services (IIS), that provides a menu of call recording control options for a Cisco IP Phone. A phone service is defined within Cisco UCM, which is then added to each phone’s Subscribed Cisco IP Phone Services list as needed. The functionality provided by the Phone Controls will work if the QMS user has the necessary permissions to perform each action (start/stop/pause recording).

The Phone Controls start, stop, pause and resume recordings through the QMS Client Service on port 8002, and follow the agent’s call state through the Agent State Service over net.tcp on port 8015. Both ports on the QMS server must be reachable from the server that hosts the Phone Controls.

IIS Configuration

The first step in setting up the QMS Cisco Phone Controls is to create a Web Application in IIS to host the application.

When upgrading a previous installation of the Cisco Phone Controls, simply do steps 3-5 under Add an application to IIS below, copying the files into the existing folder under inetpub\wwwroot that contains the previous version. Restart the World Wide Web Publishing Service to reinitialize the app with the new files. All other steps below can be skipped.

The Phone Controls reach the Agent State Service over net.tcp (port 8015); the http connection (port 8003) is no longer available. If the Phone Controls are not hosted on the QMS server, check the Client Service and Agent State Service endpoints, described in step 4 below, so that they point at the QMS server.

  1. Add an application to IIS:

    1. On the server that will host the Phone Controls application, open a Windows Explorer window and navigate to the inetpub\wwwroot folder.

    2. In the inetpub\wwwroot folder, create a folder named QMSCiscoPhoneControls.

    3. Extract the contents of the QM Suite (or QM Suite with Prerequisites) zip file into a temporary folder.

    4. Navigate down to the Installers\Cisco Support\Cisco Phone Controls folder.

    5. Copy the contents of the Cisco Phone Controls folder into the QMSCiscoPhoneControls folder.

    6. Start IIS Manager.

    7. Navigate down to Default Web Site under the Connections pane.

    8. Right-click on Default Web Site, and click Add Application.

    9. In the Alias field, enter QMSCiscoPhoneControls.

    10. Click Select… next to the Application pool field.

    11. From the Application pool drop-down, select a pool that supports .NET CLR Version 4.0 and has Pipeline mode of Integrated.

    12. Click OK.

    13. Click the browse button next to the Physical path field.

    14. Navigate to the inetpub\wwwroot folder.

    15. Select the QMSCiscoPhoneControls folder.

    16. Click OK

  2. Verify the application was created successfully:

    1. Under the Default Web Site in IIS Manager, right-click QMSCiscoPhoneControls.

    2. Click Manage Application.

    3. Click Browse.

    4. A web browser window should open to URL http://localhost/QMSCiscoPhoneControls.

    5. The web page should display QMS Controls for Cisco IP Phones.

  3. Update Security settings for logging:

    1. Open a Windows Explorer window, and navigate down to the inetpub\wwwroot folder.

    2. Right-click the QMSCiscoPhoneControls folder and click Properties.

    3. Click the Security tab.

    4. Click Edit…

    5. If the IIS_IUSRS user is already in the list under Group or user names click on it to select it, and skip to Step j.

    6. Click Add.

    7. In the Enter the object names to select field, type IIS_IUSRS.

    8. Click Check Names, which should cause IIS_IUSRS to be underlined.

    9. Click OK.

    10. Check the Allow checkbox for the Modify permission.

    11. Click OK on the Permissions for QMSCiscoPhoneControls window.

    12. Click OK on the QMSCiscoPhoneControls Properties window.

  4. Update the Web.config settings:

    1. Open a Windows Explorer window, and navigate down to the inetpub\wwwroot\QMSCiscoPhoneControls folder.

    2. Open the Web.config file in a text editor.

    3. Under <appSettings>, find the logLevel key.

    4. Set the logLevel key to the appropriate level. Normal production systems should have this set to 3 or 4. When troubleshooting, this value should be set to 0, 1, or 2, depending on how much information is to be collected.

    5. The loginKey, passwordKey, and extensionKey values are the corresponding Parameter Names for the Cisco IP Phone Service as described below. The default values should be sufficient, unless there is a specific need to change them.

    6. The useConfiguredAccount key chooses which QMS credentials the Phone Controls log in with. Agents never log in on the phone in either case: the Agent Extension of each phone’s service subscription selects the agent whose recording is started, stopped or paused.

      1. true (the default): every phone uses the username and password in Web.config. Set them to a QMS user created only for the Phone Controls, such as phonecontrols, which works as a service account. Do not use an agent’s account or admin. Give its security profile the Recording Permissions Initiate User Recording, Pause User Recordings and Stop Recording. The Login Name and Password of the phone service subscriptions are not used, and can be left blank. QMS records this user as the one who started, stopped or paused each recording.

      2. false: each phone logs in with the Login Name and Password entered on its phone service subscription, normally the agent’s own QMS username and password, which then need the same permissions. The username and password in Web.config are not used. A phone whose subscription has no Login Name and Password shows an error. The credentials are sent in the address of every request from the phone, so serve the Phone Controls over HTTPS in this case.

    7. The Phone Controls read each phone’s call state as the account they log in with, so that account must be able to see the users whose recordings it controls: give its security profile Add/Edit Users, with Users in all profiles or with those users' security profiles selected, or make those users its direct reports. A phone whose user the account cannot see always shows Not in call.

    8. In contact-center mode, for example with UCCX, a phone’s Agent Extension belongs to a device user. The Phone Controls cannot follow a device user’s call state, so such a phone always shows Not in call.

    9. Under <system.serviceModel>, <client>, the endpoint named CustomBinding_IClientService is the Client Service address, http://localhost:8002/ClientService, and the endpoint named NetTcpBinding_IAgentStateService is the Agent State Service address, net.tcp://localhost:8015/AgentStateService. Leave them as they are when the Phone Controls are hosted on the QMS server. Otherwise replace localhost with the QMS server’s name in both. When the Phone Controls site is served over HTTPS, the Phone Controls use https://servername:8002/ClientServiceBasic instead, with the server name of the CustomBinding_IClientService endpoint. When QMS runs over SSL, change the NetTcpBinding_IAgentStateService endpoint’s bindingConfiguration to NetTcpBinding_IAgentStateService_Secure, and use the server name the QMS server certificate is issued for in its address.

    10. Save any changes and close the Web.config file.

    11. Restart the World Wide Web Publishing Service in Windows Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Services to pick up any changes made to the Web.config file, and to make sure the Phone Controls application is initialized properly.

PBX Configuration

Configuration in Cisco UCM for the QMS Cisco Phone Controls occurs in two main areas: IP Phone Services, and Phone Devices. The IP Phone Services configuration must be completed first, followed by configuring the IP Phone devices that need the Phone Controls.

  1. IP Phone Services Configuration:

    1. Log into the Cisco UCM Administration site as a user with admin-level privileges.

    2. Click on the Device menu.

    3. Click Device Settings.

    4. Click Phone Services.

    5. Click the Add New button to bring up the IP Phone Services Configuration view.

    6. In the Service Name field, enter QMS Phone Controls.

    7. In the ASCII Service Name field, enter QMS Phone Controls.

    8. In the Service Description field, enter QMS Phone Controls for Cisco IP Phones.

    9. In the Service URL field, enter http://<hostname_or_IP_address>/QMSCiscoPhoneControls/main.aspx.

    10. In the Service Category drop-down, select XML Service.

    11. In the Service Type drop-down, select Standard IP Phone Service.

    12. Check the Enable checkbox.

    13. In the Service Parameter Information area, three parameters need to be added:

      1. Click New Parameter.

      2. In the Parameter Name field, enter ext.

      3. In the Parameter Display Name field, enter Agent Extension.

      4. In the Parameter Description field, enter QMS Agent Extension.

      5. Check the Parameter is Required checkbox.

      6. Click Save and Close.

      7. Click New Parameter.

      8. In the Parameter Name field, enter login.

      9. In the Parameter Display Name field, enter Login Name.

      10. In the Parameter Description field, enter Optional Login Name for Service Authentication.

      11. Click Save and Close.

      12. Click New Parameter.

      13. In the Parameter Name field, enter password.

      14. In the Parameter Display Name field, enter Password.

      15. In the Parameter Description field, enter Optional Password for Service Authentication.

      16. Check the Parameter is a Password checkbox.

      17. Click Save and Close.

    14. Click Save on the IP Phone Services Configuration view.

    15. Click Update Subscriptions.

  2. IP Phone Devices Configuration:

    1. Log into the Cisco UCM Administration site as a user with admin-level privileges.

    2. Click on the Device menu.

    3. Click Phone.

    4. In the Find and List Phones view, enter search criteria if needed, and click Find.

    5. Find the phone that needs the Phone Controls from the list, and click on the corresponding link in the Device Name column.

    6. In the Phone Configuration view, select Subscribe/Unsubscribe Services in the Related Links drop-down.

    7. Click Go, which will cause a Subscribed Cisco IP Phone Services pop-up window to appear for the phone.

    8. In the Select a Service drop-down, select QMS Phone Controls.

    9. Click Next.

    10. Enter the appropriate value in the Agent Extension field, which is required.

    11. Leave the Login Name and Password fields blank when the Web.config useConfiguredAccount key is true (the default). When it is false, enter the QMS username and password the phone logs in with, normally the agent’s own.

    12. Click Subscribe. QMS Phone Controls should appear in the Subscribed Services section.

    13. Click Save.

    14. Close the Subscribed Cisco IP Phone Services window.

  3. Verify the Phone Controls are accessible on the IP Phone’s Services menu:

    1. Press the Services button on the phone.

    2. One of the Services should be QMS Phone Controls.

Assigning Cisco Phone Controls to an IP Phone’s Hard Key (optional)

From a usability perspective, it can be advantageous to assign the Cisco Phone Controls to a Cisco IP Phone’s hard key, if one is available. Assigning the Cisco Phone Controls to a hard key (or speed dial button, in this case) is also the only way an IP Phone that does not have a Services button can use the Controls. This section outlines the steps needed to add the Cisco Phone Controls to an available hard key or speed dial button on a Cisco IP Phone.

  1. IP Phone Devices Configuration:

    1. Log into the Cisco UCM Administration site as a user with admin-level privileges.

    2. Click on the Device menu.

    3. Click Phone.

    4. In the Find and List Phones view, enter search criteria if needed, and click Find.

    5. Find the phone that needs the Phone Controls from the list, and click on the corresponding link in the Device Name column.

    6. Under the Association Information section, click the Add a new SURL link.

    7. From the Button Service drop-down, select QMS Phone Controls.

    8. The Label and ASCII Label fields auto-populate with QMS Phone Controls. It is recommended to shorten the two labels to QMS Controls.

    9. Click Save, then click Close.

    10. Back on the Phone Configuration page, click Modify Button Items.

    11. In the Associated Items box, select an item from the list that is to be replaced. Make sure no "Line" entries are selected, unless a secondary line is not needed.

    12. Click the Down Arrow under Associated Items, to move the selected item to the Dissociate These Items box.

    13. In the Unassigned Associated Items box, select QMS Controls.

    14. Click the Left Arrow between the Associated Items and Unassigned Associated Items boxes to move QMS Controls over to the Associated Items box.

    15. The Up and Down Arrows between the Associated Items and Unassigned Associated Items boxes can be used to position QMS Controls in the desired hard key on the IP Phone.

    16. Click Save, then click Close.

    17. Verify the corresponding hard key on the IP Phone displays QMS Controls.

CUCM User Options Configuration (optional)

This section describes the rare case of agents configuring their own devices. Such agents will have their own CUCM user account, and are responsible for administering their own phone devices. The following directions can be distributed to the agents that fall under this category.

Depending on the version of Cisco UCM installed, the steps needed to complete the configuration may be slightly different from those specified below.

  1. Configuring device options:

    1. Log into the Cisco UCM User Options site with your UCM user credentials.

    2. Click Phone Services. If Phone Services does not appear on the toolbar, add the Standard CCM Phone Administrator group to your UCM user account.

    3. Click Add New on the Find and List IP Phone Services page.

    4. In the Select a Service drop-down, select QMS Phone Controls.

    5. Click Next. The IP Phone Service Configuration page will display, containing the Agent Extension, Login Name, and Password fields.

    6. Enter your extension in the Agent Extension field.

    7. Ask your QMS administrator whether the Phone Controls use a shared account. If they do, leave the Login Name and Password fields blank; anything entered there is not used. If they do not, enter your QMS username and password in the Login Name and Password fields, respectively; if these are left blank, the Phone Controls show an error.

    8. Click Save