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This page contains instructions on how to add and set up configuration templates for equipment provisioning.

Overview

You can add new device models by importing their corresponding configuration templates. Other than the configuration options, such templates contain all the other parameters required to provision the equipment.

Also, you may use the import tools to update the configuration templates of the existing devices with your own customized versions. To do so, download an existing template, modify it to meet your requirements, and upload it again from the VoipNow web interface.

Add configuration template

Templates can only be imported if they follow the default format as detailed in the Configuration Template Format section. If the upload is unsuccessful, VoipNow displays an error message that points to the exact problem, helping you address it efficiently.

To add a new configuration template, click the Import Template icon under the Tools area. In the Import Equipment Template pop-up panel, enter the path to the file and upload it to the system.

Configuration template format

In order to be able to upload a customized configuration template in the system, you must make sure that the XML file has the default structure:

<provision>
  <template>
    <file>
    .
    .
    .
    </file>

    <equipment>
    .
    .
    .
    </equipment>
  </template>
</provision>

Parameters

Each of the sections in the template above contains specific information as detailed below.

  • <file></file> tags: They include the template name, its type, and all the configuration parameters specific to the device that you want to provision. The settings specific to each device and required for the automatic configuration are available on the internet.
TagDescription
<name>tpl_name.xml</name>The template name, usually related to the device type/model that it is using these settings.
<default>1/0</default>This parameter shows if the template is the default one (1) or it was customized (0).
<body> </body>All the configuration settings (e.g. NAT and SIP settings, call features, subscriber information, audio configuration, etc.) specific to the chosen device can be found in this section.

  • <equipment></equipment> tags: They include device specific details like brand, model, number of supported lines, time zone, firmware. Each device has a unique identification number stored in the database, included in the <equipment> tag. If not present, you do not have to manually add this as it is automatically generated for each device when the template is uploaded in the system.

TagDescription
<brand>device_brand</brand>The device manufacturer (e.g. Cisco).
<name>manufacturer_name</name>The generic name of the device manufacturer (e.g. Cisco).
<model>device_model</model>The device model (e.g. SPA-508G).
<type>device_type</type>The device type (e.g. phone).
<vendor>vendor_id</vendor>The label that identifies the device manufacturer, usually the first three letters of his name (e.g. cis).
<oui>device_id</oui>The device's identification number (e.g. 002699).
<lines>lines_number</lines>The maximum number of extensions that can be assigned to the device. (e.g. 8).
<web_access>1/0</web_access>You must set this parameter to 0 if the device cannot access the internet and to 1 if it supports an internet connection.
<vn_timezone> </vn_timezone>The mapping between the VoipNow extension(s)' time zones and the phone device's time zones is done using this structure.
You must include it in the configuration template only if you want to provide time zone support in the interface.
  • <firmware></firmware> tags: They include details about the device's firmware. Each device has an unique firmware version identification number stored in the database, included in the <equipment> tag. If not present, you do not have to manually add this as it is automatically generated for each device when the template is uploaded in the system.
TagDescription
<name>firmware_version</name>The device's firmware version (e.g. 7.4.4)
<interface>protocols</interface>The protocols used by the selected device to access the configuration files on the provisioning server.
  • Required parameters: They include timezone-related tags.
TagDescription
<timezone_option>1/0</timezone_option>This option controls the availability of the time zone selector in the interface. If set to 0, the time zone selector will not be displayed in the interface.
<phone_timezones> </phone_timezones>These are all the valid timezones available on this phone device, that can be selected in the interface. The parameters for each time zone are included between the <phone_timezone> </phone_timezone> tags:

<phone_tag> </phone_tag> - The time zone's identification detail. A time zone description can be also added in order to be displayed in the interface. The following details are available:

<template_var name="TIMEZONE">time_zone_code</template_var> - The name of the template variable that will be replaced, usually the three letters time zone code (e.g. CET).

The <template_var> parameter is different based on the template you want to generate, for example, for Aastra devices, you can have:

<template_var name="AASTRA_TZ_NAME">NL-Amsterdam</template_var>

<template_var name="AASTRA_TZ_CODE">NLX</template_var>

<template_var name="AASTRA_TZ_MINUTES">60</template_var>

<vn_mappings> </vn_mappings>- The standard timezone key. If it is missing, the interface cannot provide any hints:

<vn_map>region</vn_map> - It is possible that a phone tag to be valid for multiple standard time zones and therefore you must specify all of them within these tags.

Below you can find a schematic example illustrating the <file></file> tags for a Cisco SPA-508G phone device:

<file>
  <name>spa508g.xml</name>
  <default>1</default>

   <body>
     <![CDATA[
     <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
     <flat-profile>

     <!-- Cisco SPA-508G Configuration Parameters -->
      .
      .
      .
     </flat-profile>
      ]]>
   </body>
</file>

Below you can find an example illustrating the <equipment></equipment> and the <firmware></firmware> tags for the same Cisco SPA-508G phone device:

<equipment id="cddb32b1f7f86472ac200d10106f1094">
<brand>Cisco</brand>
<name>Cisco</name>
<model>SPA-508G</model>
<type>phone</type>
<vendor>cis</vendor>
<oui>002699</oui>
<lines>8</lines>
<web_access>1</web_access>
<vn_timezone>
  <timezone_option>1</timezone_option>
  <phone_timezones>
    .
    .
    <phone_timezone>
      <phone_tag description=""GMT+02:00 Athens, Rome EET (Eastern European Time), MEST (Middle European Summer Time), ">
		<template_var name="TIMEZONE">EET</template_var>
      <vn_mappings>
      <vn_map>Europe/Berlin</vn_map>
      <vn_map>Europe/Zürich</vn_map>
      <vn_map>Europe/Gibraltar</vn_map>
      <vn_map>Europe/Rome</vn_map>
      .
      .
      .
      </vn_mappings>
    </phone_tag>
  </phone_timezone>
  .
  .
  .
  </phone_timezones>
</vn_timezone>
<firmware id="51731d509ffc7ece8ccd5a03576a84b7">
<name>7.4.4</name>
<interface>tftp,http</interface>
</firmware>
</equipment>

Configuration files differences

Screenshot: Example of a pop-up window showing the differences between two configuration files

To read the differences between two configuration files, please follow the explanations below.

  • The lines that were modified, @@ - line_no + line_no @@, where - line_no represents the location of the line(s) that were edited or removed and + line_no of those that were edited or added.
  • Both values can be identical if the changes were made inside a line. In the pictured example, line @@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ was edited and no other line was removed or added.
  • The original content of the modified or removed line is displayed with a - sign in front and on red background. In this case, the original syntax was -line2_name: "" ; Line 2 Extension\User ID.
  • The new customized content is displayed with a + sign in front and on white background. In this case, the new syntax is +line2_name: "TEST DEVICE" ; Line 2 Extension\User ID.


Related topics
Customize template files

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