Automation -- extension creation

[wpetilli]

Anyone doing anything with regards to scripting extension creation? We still use ASA and are being asked if there's a way for automated creation of extensions. We can schedule data exports to run and store somewhere, but if something had to be scripted how would it get re-imported.

 

[Ronster]

Data imports can be scheduled in ASA.

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Everyone seems to have a very short attention... etc.

 

[jimbojimbo]

I typically set it up via Active Directory and System Manager. Can create PBX Station, Mailbox, Presence etc. through User Profiles and station templates.

 

[trilogy8]

About the A/D.. is there a specific template/filter that SMGR requires for the sync and any necessary fields in A/D that are specific to this?

 

[wpetilli]

Couple of questions on this also..
1. What if your A/D consists of many users who do not have phone numbers assigned? Is there a way to filter those out from adding into SMGR?
2. If still using CM as en Evolution server with majority of h.323 stations is there any value in setting up the A/D sync?
3. Is there a license limitation on amount of users defined in SMGR?

 

[Wanebo]

We have a considerable amount of users that do not have phone numbers assigned or that have requested a general phone number be recorded instead of their DID in A/D. We use System Manager to scrape A/D for users but we do NOT have it assign extensions or extra attributes to the users. We simply have it create or delete users in system manager and then we edit the user to assign phone numbers, voicemail, conferencing, etc. Since our telecom department has no control over A/D edits we felt that A/D simply was not accurate enough to rely upon it for anything beyond user creation.

We do find value in using the A/D synch simply because it makes sure we are holding a relatively solid listing of all possible users, but we are using all SIP on the CM as a feature server.

No license limitation that I know of beyond loading the correct SMGR and ASM template (small, medium, large)and the inherent limitations on user amounts that each of them has. I think large has a user base of 10,000 and beyond that you will see performance degradation, but that isn't a licensable limit.

 

[wpetilli]

Interesting- I can't imagine how one can auto create extensions w/o manually intervention. In my case I own thousands of DID's in just one city that have different area codes/exchanges and get allocated depending on the department they're in. That, in addition to the mixing of announcement, vdn's and other non user numbers has to be challenging.

 

[Wanebo]

We do have a field in A/D for telephone number and it is possible to use that to assign attributes to the associated user. Again, we decided not to go down that road.

 

[jimbojimbo]

Many many ways to work it. For large AD or where only a portion of the users should be pulled you can create a filter on memberOf and assign a unique memberOf group to each user to be imported. For example: avayasipuser.

Yes there are multiple fields required for import. Avaya documentation lists the 5 mandatory. I like SMGR7 since you can import the user with roles and profile. Also works for System Administrator role however I would suggest you create custom roles such as AvayaAdmin so they are easily identifiable in AD.