Adding a switch connection

Last Updated : Feb 10, 2025 |

About this task

You must administer a switch connection for all applications except DMCC applications that use device and media control.

If you have a DMCC application that uses device and media control: To administer a switch connection to use the gatekeeper feature, see Administering switch connections for DMCC applications that use Registration Services -- assigning H.323 IP addresses.

Procedure

  1. From the AE Services Management Console main menu, select Communication Manager Interface > Switch Connections.
  2. On the Switch Connections page, in the Add Connection field, type a switch connection name (For example, Switch1).

    The switch connection name can be any name you want to use, but it must consist of alphanumeric characters and be less than 14 characters.

  3. Click Add Connection.
  4. On the Connections Details page, do the following:
    1. In the Switch Password field, type the password that the Communication Manager administrator assigned when the node name of the AE Services Server on the IP-Services form was administered. For more information, see Enabling AE Services.
    2. In the Confirm Switch Password field, retype the password.
    3. In the Msg Period field, accept the default (30 minutes).
    4. For the Cluster Mode check box, do one of the following:

      • Leave it as blank if you are not configuring a Kafka integration.

      • Select the Cluster Mode check box if you are configuring a Kafka integration.

      The Processor Ethernet check box is enabled by default in cluster mode.

      Note:

      The Cluster Mode field is reserved for future use.

    5. For the Provide AE Services certificate to switch check box, do one of the following:

      • For Communication Manager Release 6.3.6 or later, accept the default. This check box is selected.

        Ensure that Communication Manager recognizes the Certificate Authority used by the AE Services certificate.

      • For any previous release of Communication Manager, clear the Provide AE Services certificate to switch check box.

    6. For the Secure H323 Connection check box, do one of the following:

      • For Communication Manager Release 6.3.6 or later and TLS for the H.323 Signaling Channel (generally associated with FIPS Mode), select the Secure H323 Connection check box.

      • For any previous release of Communication Manager without TLS for the H.323 Signaling Channel, clear the Secure H323 Connection check box.

        For information about Communication Manager media servers that support a Processor Ethernet connection, see Enabling AE Services.

    7. Select the Processor Ethernet check box if you use a processor Ethernet connection.
    8. Select Enable TLS Certificate Validation to enable the hostname, key usage, and extended key usage validation between Communication Manager and AE Services for a CTI connection.

      The Enable TLS Certificate Validation field is accessible only if the Processor Ethernet field is selected.

      Note:

      Enable TLS Certificate Hostname Validation is available from Release 8.1.3 and later.

      From Release 10.1.0.1, the label changes to Enable TLS Certificate Validation. The validation of the hostname, key usage, and extended key usage depends on the value you select for this check box.

      From AE Services Release 8.1.3 onwards, support for Communication Manager hostname validation is added to validate the Communication Manager hostname in a Communication Manager server identity certificate. Enabling the Hostname Validation feature enables AE Services to validate the Subject Alternate Name or Common Name field of the Communication Manager identity certificate with the Communication Manager hostname during a TLS connection. If the validation fails, the TLS connection will be dropped.

      The Communication Manager identity certificate must have the following values to establish a secure connection between the AE Services server and Communication Manager:

      • Key Usage: Digital Signature, Non Repudiation, Key encipherment

      • Extended Key Usage: serverAuth

        Note:

        Extended Key Usage is an optional field. It must have the mentioned values only if it is present in the certificate configuration.

      The connection will be dropped if either the Communication Manager identity certificate does not meet the above criteria or the certificate does not have the Key Usage field.

      Note:

      Use Subject Alternate Name (SAN) in place of Common Name (CN) while configuring certificates because the support for Common Name (CN) will be removed from future releases.

    9. Click Apply.

      AE Services adds the switch connection and returns you to the Switch Connections page. The new switch connection name appears in the Connection Name column.

Related information
AE Services administration
Connection Details - connection name field descriptions
Administering switch connections for DMCC applications that use Registration Services - assigning H.323 IP addresses
Enabling AE Services
Logs
Viewing log files
Downloading log files
Remote syslog server overview