Voicemail Pro Server Upgrade

6 techniques for a successful implementation

In this post “Voicemail Pro Server Upgrade – 6 techniques for a successful implementation”, learn the steps and ways to implement the new VMPRO software onto the designated PC/Server. From Learning Operating System requirements, hardware capacities, understand the upgrade process, and finally, post-upgrade testing and software validation.

As technicians, we find ourselves helping customers installing software to fix bugs, adding features to their VoIP solution, and for those customers looking into getting their system under a maintenance contract.

The upgrades might seem simple to implement, but if it is done wrong, you might corrupt the Voicemail Pro database. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to share with you some techniques that helps me along the way.

Here are the six techniques

• 1.- Getting the site ready
• 2.-Pre-Upgrade, know your hardware
• 3.- Operating System / Kernels
• 4.- Preparing the software
• 5.- Upgrade procedure
• 6.- Software validation

 1.- Getting the site ready

Never assume the customer knows where, and which machine is running the Voicemail services. Create a punch-list detailing all of the components associated with the voicemail solution. To give you an idea, you can include=

Room Accessibility – You have to gain access to the IT Room to connect any Jump-drives, KVMs, or any other peripherals.

System Administrators – Schedule the SysAdmin to be with you, or available remotely for any Network or Software changes.

Network Switches – As a good practice, ask for VoIP network switches’ name, and port IDs. You need to have the network components documented to help you troubleshoot any link issues, IP Conflicts, Duplex mismatch, and others.

Server Identities  – Record the Server’s name, NIC – Mac Address, and any other relevant information related to the VMPRO.

2.- Pre-Upgrade, know your hardware

It is important to know the server specifications before installing or managing any new software packages. The Avaya IP Office and Voicemail Pro suite of applications are supported in most of the new server configurations. Keep in mind that when adding another type of database to the Voicemail Pro machine there are requirements that you need to follow in order to have an optimized computer.

Lets take a look at the most common components:

Memory – 512MB is the lower memory size that you can allocate to the server, and it is based on the Avaya’s minimum specs.

Processor speed = Between 1.4 and 1.7 GHz (AMD or Intel).

Storage – Avaya recommends 2Gigs of minimum storage. As you go adding new components to the voicemail server, there are some other considerations that you might follow, from HDD partitions to increasing the drive capacity.

It is important to know that a voicemail message gets a 0.5 megabyte per minute of disk space.

NICs – This is how the Voicemail Pro Server communicates with the IP Office system, and the rest of other resources needing to access the voicemail services. For best practices you should hard-code the duplex and speed settings to 100 Megs or 1G of speed, with Full Duplex when connecting the voicemail server to the LAN. For those connecting to the IP Office, leave the speed and duplex setting set to auto-negotiate.  It is important to know The IP Office LAN Ports are set to auto-sense.

LAN Redundancy – During the site discovery process, ask the network admins if they have any redundant switches providing failover functionalities. A secondary Network Interface Card (NIC) is required to connect to the second stack of switches, and allow the Voicemail Pro Server continuous network communication with the IP Office.

Backup – Have the System Administrator setup a backup-job to run every weekend. Backups are normally stored on FTP sites/servers not part of the Voicemail Pro machine.

External-removable storage – If for some reason you can’t get the backups done on a remote server, then request an external hard-drive, and use the Microsoft Scheduler to run the weekly backups. Keep in mind  that this is the most non-secure way to do your backups.

KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) Switches – It shares all of these three components between servers by pressing keystrokes in your keyboard, or by manually selecting the computer number/letter physically attached to the KVM Switch.

For those customers sharing their hardware utilizing a KVM switch, I suggest that you list the instructions and procedures in how to access the Voicemail Pro Server’s Console. 

Server BIOS – Depending on the server type and model, there are many features that allows you to optimize the server performance under the BIOS. I suggest that you take time going through them. Discuss these features with your customer and see which ones they might be interested in implementing.

Some of these features are=

AES-NI (Advanced Encryption Standard Instruction Set) Even though this technology has been developed for a while now, some servers might need a BIOS update in order for it to work properly. This technology helps encrypt/decrypt faster the data processed by the CPU, and it is available in both AMD and Intel.

Power-On Boot – Like the name states, it allows the server to boot whenever there’s power available, without manual power-on operation.

Boot-Sequence – Determine which drives should boot first.

 

3.- Operating System / Kernels

The Voicemail Pro program is available for Micro-Soft Windows, Linux with Server Edition, and installed on a Virtual Machine utilizing the Server minimum requirements.

User and Administrator Accounts – When preparing the Server you have to assign the local server User account to the Server Administrator’s Group.

Windows User Account Control (UAC) – The UAC protects the Windows Operating System from undesirable events, forcing unregistered or uncertified software to run without admin permission  . I suggest that you allow each Avaya IP Office and Voicemail Pro applications when those pop-ups show up. When WIN10 or Server 2016 sees the IP Office Applications, it considers them as legacy apps hence the UAC elevation is required.

Windows Firewall Exceptions – Avaya released a batch file years ago that might work on the new Windows, I haven’t gotten the chance to test it on those environments yet. The Batch file auto creates rules by scanning any exiting Avaya apps installed in the local computer. You can add each exception rule manually if needed.

Domain Controller Environment – Depending on Domain policies, local Voicemail Pro Server rules might get overwritten by the Domain rules. Work closely with the System Admin to allow or turn off any rules blocking the Voicemail Machine to operate.

Before installing or upgrading the Voicemail Server, logon to the local environment with the local domain account. One you have logged on to the server, make sure that your logon account is part of the local Voicemail Server Administrator’s account.

Voicemail Pro installed on a Virtual Machine Running Windows Server 2008R2 or 2012(R2).

The same rules apply to the dedicated server and virtual servers, when customizing the Windows Operating System.

Running Voicemail Pro in a Virtual Environment through IP Office Server Edition.

Avaya Voicemail Pro software allow us SysAdmins to run it in VMs via OVAs or ISOs. For a better and precise installation you want to run the OVA file, then make modifications to the VM as needed.

CentOS is used as the main Distro to run the voicemail server. The directory structure is different from MS-Windows, but the same rules apply when it comes to Server Users and Administrators accounts. There are two main directories that you should be aware of=

opt/vmpro –  Packages or Applications get installed in the OPT folder just like Window’s Program-Files. This directory houses the Backup, Accounts, Greetings, and Names subdirectory, among other ones, such as the Modules, and default system greetings.

opt/IPOffie – This directory houses the IP Office files including some voicemail pro files.

The ‘etc’ directory is very similar to the MS-Windows System32 directory, where the system configuration files are stored. The voicemail Pro stores some files in the “etc” directory, therefore permission to access this folder is also required by the local Voicemail Pro account.

Voicemail Pro Client – The VMPRO Client is used to connect to the local Voicemail Pro database. You can update the Call Flows and perform some Voicemail Pro maintenance such as updating Users, Hunt-Groups, Backups, working directories, Housekeeping rules, SMTP/MAPI/EWS, and others.

A login and password has to be created under the Voicemail Pro / Administrators in order to connect the Voicemail Pro database.

 

4.- Preparing the software

Each download contains a CheckSum value where you can verify if the software was downloaded correctly.The most common way to package and deliver the software it is on zipped file, where you can then extract the files to a local temp folder.

The installation consists on executable files, depending on the Domain environment you might need permission to install the package(s).

For those implementing the UCM, a kick-start jump-drive is needed. And if you  are upgrading the Voicemail Pro on a SE environment, I suggest that you upload the ISO or OVA to the local Datastore.

 

5.- Upgrade procedure

Now with the Server and Software ready, it is time to start the installation procedures. Start by backing-up the Call Flows, Accounts, Greetings and names folders, then run a backup through the Voicemail Pro client.

Windows Installer or MSI – This application is launched by selecting the setup.exe located in the Voicemail Pro directory. As you go through the installer select the languages, components, directory and account responsible for running the Voicemail Pro services, as well as the SMTP/email settings.

Domain Environment Deployment – The domain account should have Admin-rights to the local file structure to be able to install, modify, write and remove components as needed.

IIS (Internet Information Services) – Before selecting the “Web Management Option”, the IIS has to be installed.

.NET – This Framework is used by the Avaya IP Office and Voicemail Pro, and it is a requirement.

UAC and Windows Firewalls configuration settings are configured after the Voicemail Pro package has been installed.

Database Restoration – This feature is available whenever you need to bring back system configuration. You can use the voicemail client feature called ‘Import/Export’, to import the backed-up Call-Flows.

6.- Software validation

With Server Software installed and database restored, move forward by testing the Automated Attendants, Time Stamp in the voicemail messages, verify that each menu option directs you to where it suppose to, check MWI, General Mailboxes, Zero Out options, etc.

As you go through your testing plan, there are a few other features that you should be aware of, things like=

Voicemail Pro Licenses Audit – This feature of the voicemail checks for valid licenses normally stored in the IP Office system or a WeBLM License server.

Voicemail Pro Client – Use the Voicemail Pro Client Administrator account to connect to the Voicemail Pro database. You need to enter the VMPRO FQDN or IP Address.

Question – When upgrading the Voicemail Pro Server, what is the first step you take?