Course14:IT Connect - 10.1 The TechAssist App

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How to use the TechAssist App for site maintenance.

TechAssist

The Install has added another really useful App to your system which is aimed at helping you in maintaining a healthy installation. The way it works is to collect dynamic live data from your entire system and analyze it for consistency and common configuration issues.

The data is collected by connecting to your Devices instance and through this to all of your devices. In other words, the TechAssist App analyzes all devices which are known to your Devices App.

In addition to that, the App has a number of test scripts which are executed against the data collected. Whenever a script detects an issue, it is added to the list of failed tests. An administrator then can consult the list and determine any issues that might be present.

Adding it to an upgraded system

As said before, the Install has already added TechAssist to your new system. However, if you come across a system that has been upgraded from an older version where TechAssist did not yet exist, then you can add it using the AP app installer PBX Manager plugin.

If this is interesting to you, read fish-help.png Concept App Service TechAssist.

Overview

The screenshot.png Overview page has a number of tiles, almost all of them can be safely ignored. However, the number shown under the Failed tests headings should be zero.

If it is not, then probably something is wrong with your system and you should dive into what TechAssist found. You do so simply by clicking on the Failed tests tile. This will open the list of all tests (which you of course also can reach through the navigation menu on the left).

Failed tests

In the list of all tests, there are the following categories:
  • Pending
    These tests are not yet executed. Simply wait a while and try again

  • Failed
    Tests that have identified issues. These should be observed and acted upon accordingly

  • OK
    Tests that have not identified issues. Of course, you can also look at these tests if you are curious and want to satisfy your Faustian urge. But you can also just leave it alone wink

  • Disabled
    These are tests that were previously deactivated for some reason. It might be useful to check from time to time whether it would be better to run them again after all
In your installation, there should be no failed tests right now.

However, we can provoke an error case very easily.
For this, we need to stop the test mode, which lets the PBX behave as if we would have an infinite amount of licenses of any type:
  • go to the advanced user interface of your IP411LEFT at General / License ]]
  • if there is a link labeled stop test mode, click on it (if there is no such link but a link labeled test mode instead, the test mode has already expired and you're done)
  • have a good cup of coffee until the PBX and the AP have rebootet
  • then start the TechAssist App again
There should now be exactly one test that fails: PBX Objects with unlicensed licenses. You can click on any failed test to see further details.

So click on it now to reveal whats wrong here.

This is what you see:
Last Execution: 27.03.2024 13:58 | Last Duration: 2 seconds | Interval: 1h

------------
Todo: Please check the listed users and either remove the missing licenses or add / buy the needed licenses to your PBX.
------------
IP411 / 0090334000b3 / PBX - hq.dvl-ckl.net / Mario Rossi: uc
IP411 / 0090334000b3 / PBX - hq.dvl-ckl.net / Jean Dupont: uc
IP411 / 0090334000b3 / PBX - hq.dvl-ckl.net / Lisa Svensson: uc
IP411 / 0090334000b3 / PBX - hq.dvl-ckl.net / ChristophKünkel: uc
So what is wrong here?

You have four users with a UC license assigned (indirectly through the Config User template). However, you don't have enough such licenses. In fact, you have no licenses at all as we are using the test mode throughout the course without any real license.

OK, that means that during the course this is not really a problem.

(Further Hints) If you identify a failed test as irrelevant for the moment, it is a good idea to disable it so that it does not constantly appear in the list of failed tests (possibly hiding new failed tests).

So click on the screenshot.png disable symbol for this test.

The test will move to the Disabled section and in the overview there will be no more failed tests.

Fixing issues

If you fix your system configuration due to a failed test, you must re-execute the test thereafter. This can be done using the screenshot.png refresh button. This will
  • Retrieve all data relevant to the test from your devices
  • Re-run the test and update the results
Please try that as follows:


(Further Hints) As of firmware 14r1 sr1 IP411[14.1.0485] (which is the one this course was developed with), it is not possible to remove a license assignment using the Templates PBX Manager plugin. However, you can as well screenshot.png explicitly inhibit it.
     

License overview

Another very useful feature of the TechAssist App is the License overview.

As you know by now, you assign licenses either directly to users or indirectly through templates. This is quite handy to use.

However, when it comes to figuring out which licenses have been assigned to whom, it becomes a pain. Here, the License overview comes to a rescue. It lists all PBX objects (with templates shown in a different color) along with the licenses assigned to them, either directly or indirectly. You can filter the list by Node, PBX, object type (Pseudo) and license assignment state.

To see screenshot.png all user objects that have a UC license assigned
  • open the License overview
  • select the Pseudo type "-" (which is user objects)
  • select the X in the uc column

(Further Hints) The total number of assigned licenses can be seen on the screenshot.png bottom of the PBX/Config page in the advanced UI.

Support information

If you need to open a support case, be sure to include the current state of all tests in the case.

Here isscreenshot.png how:
  • open the All tests area
  • click on the Download results for supportcases button
  • save the download on your PC
  • attach it to the mail you send to support@innovaphone.com
We will discuss the details of submitting a support case to innovaphone in a later book (How to create a support ticket).

(Further Hints) If you are afraid that there might be sensitive information disclosed in this file be advised that it only includes the results of all tests executed (both successful ones and failed ones).