View source for Howto:Merging of phone configs stored in the PBX

==Applies To==
This information applies to

* innovaphone PBX Systems V8 and up

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==More Information==

===Problem Details===
Traditionally, phone configurations used to be stored on the respective phones directly. While this is easy and convenient, it turns out to be a problem when many phones need to be managed. Often, similar settings shall be applied to several phones, which is difficult and error prone to do. Also, when a phone is replaced, its configuration needs to be restored from a recent backup.

This is the user-specific part of the phone configuration can be stored in the PBX. To enable this feature, tick the [[Reference9:PBX/Objects#Object_Properties | Store Phone Config ]] check-mark in the user object's User configuration tab. You will then find a link '''config''' in the Phone column of the PBX's tab. The phone configuration is now shown both in the PBX's configuration UI (by clicking on the config link) and the phone's configuration UI.

Normally, any existing configuration on a phone is retrieved and saved in the PBX's phone configuration. However, it is possible to discard any phone configuration. See the [[Reference9:PBX/Objects#Object_Properties | Store Phone Config and Discard Config on Phone ]] properties for more details.

Phone configurations can also be stored in [[Reference9:PBX/Objects/Config_Template | configuration templates ]]. If a configuration template includes a phone configuration and this template is assigned to a PBX (User) object, the user will inherit the phone configuration from the template.

If the user itself has a phone configuration stored in the PBX, the template's and the user's configuration are merged and then applied to the actual phone.

Finally, a configuration template can inherit up to 4 other configuration templates. This can be used to build a template tree.

This article will explain how the merging of config settings stored at different PBX objects(config template and user object) works works. 

===Resolution===
====Config at User Object====
To understand the merging of 'Config Templates', we must understand how 'Store Phone Config' activated and 'Discard Config on Phone'.

[[Image:Merging of phone configs stored in the PBX 1.png]]

If 'Store Phone Config' is activated, then the current configuration of the registered IP phone is merged into the configuration at the respective PBX User object. New settings from the phone configuration are added to the user configuration. The settings from the phone - configuration overwrite the other settings in conflict situations (e.g. different function key at same position). 

If 'Discard Config on Phone' is also activated, the phone configuration is not included in the resulting, final configuration of the PBX user object. The result is one configuration for this specific User object. The configuration at the registered phone and the configuration stored in the PBX is equal. If a change is made on either side(i.e. PBX or phone), the change is applied at the phone as well as in the configuration stored at the PBX. 

====Config Templates====
It is possible to assign a Config Template to a User Object. As already mentioned, phone configuration settings can be stored also in Config Templates. Moreover Config Templates can be nested, so that a Config Template inherits the settings of another Config Template. To understand this merging process, we will use an example with two nested templates and one user object.

[[Image:Merging of phone configs stored in the PBX 2.png]]

Each object, the 2 Config Templates and the User Object, has its own configuration settings. In order to apply all settings to the phone, the PBX sends all separated configuration settings to the phone. It is the phones task to do the merging.
After receiving all configuration settings, the phone will build a configuration settings tree - starting with the configuration settings of the root template, followed by settings of nested templates. The last branch of the tree is always the User Object configuration.

Now the phone will start the merging process of all configurations. The settings of the User Object configuration will have precedence in conflict situations. Settings that don't overlap/conflict are combined and stored in the resulting configuration.

Note: The same merging process is done by the PBX, every time you edit/display the 'User Object configuration'. This way, an PBX administrator always sees the complete phone configuration as used at the phone.

===Known Problems===
As already described, the 'Discard Config on Phone' setting is used when initially merging the PBX user object configuration with the configuration stored at the registered phone. Afterwards, users can make configuration changes at their phone or in the PBX.

The role of 'Discard Config on Phone' is often misunderstood, people tend to believe that it will hinder users to make configuration changes by using their phone. As said before, this is not true. If such a setup is needed, the administrator must enable [[Reference7:Fine_grained_function_locking | function locking]] or [[Reference9:Concept_Fine_grained_function_hiding | function hiding]] at the phone.

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