Managing Session Manager in a Geographic Redundancy solution

Last Updated : Sep 03, 2018 |

Either the primary or the secondary System Manager server manages Session Manager in different geographic redundancy scenarios.

1. Determining which System Manager manages each Session Manager

Session Manager Release 6.3 and later.

To view the System Manager server that manages a particular Session Manager, see the Managed By column in the Inventory > Manage Elements webpage. The status can be Primary, Secondary, or Unknown. The Unknown value means that the System Manager instance cannot get the status from Session Manager. An active System Manager automatically refreshes this status in a periodic manner. Click Get Current Status to refresh the status for each Session Manager.

Session Manager releases earlier than 6.3 version

Session Managers of releases earlier than 6.3 version are not Geographic Redundancy-aware. These Session Manager instances can belong to the earlier deployments of System Managers. Usually, this System Manager instance is the primary server but can also be the secondary server. Run the smconfig command at the Session Manager command prompt to view the System Manager that manages the Session Manager.

Note:

For Session Managers of releases earlier than 6.3 version, the Inventory > Managed Elements web page displays Not Supported in the Managed By column.

2. Session Manager administration

This section provides information about the Session Manager administration for different Geographic Redundancy scenarios.

Sunny day scenario

In this case, the primary System Manager manages all Session Manager instances. The primary System Manager replicates administration changes to all Session Manager instances. The secondary server is in the standby mode and you cannot make any administration changes using this server.

Rainy day scenario

In this case, the secondary System Manager manages all Session Manager instances. The secondary System Manager replicates the administration changes to all Session Manager instances. The primary server is offline and you cannot make any administration changes using this server.

Split-network scenario

Caution:

Before making administration changes, you must assess the extent of the enterprise network split. The network split results in partitioning of Session Managers and other elements into two groups. The primary System Manager manages one group and the secondary System Manager manages the other group.

Before making administration changes, the administrator must confirm the group membership using the Inventory > Managed Elements webpage. The administrator must perform the administration changes on the primary System Manager for the Session Manager instances that the primary server manages. Similarly, the administrator must perform the administration changes on the secondary System Manager for the Session Manager instances that the secondary server manages. Each System Manager replicates the administration changes to the respective Session Manager instances. Administration changes must also be compatible with the non-Session Manager elements in the split network. For example, one System Manager must manage all elements that are referenced in a user Communication Profile.

Split-network warning messages

The call routing administration, the user administration, or the network administration webpages display a warning message when the System Manager server detects that the administrator is configuring for a split-network scenario. The primary System Manager can detect the possibility of a split-network configuration if:

  • The primary System Manager does not manage all Session Managers.

  • The secondary System Manager is not reachable on the network.

  • The secondary System Manager is active.

The secondary System Manager can detect the possibility of a split-network configuration if:

  • The secondary System Manager is active.

  • The secondary server does not manage all Session Managers.

For example, see the following warning message. When the system displays a warning message, click the Session Manager Management Status link to go to the Inventory > Manage Elements webpage. In this webpage, view the status of the System Manager that manages each Session Manager. Click Minimize to hide the warning message.

Applicability

The following table lists all Session Manager administration related functionality for the respective webpages. When you make administration changes using any of these pages, System Manager replicates these changes only to those Session Manager instances that the System Manager manages.

Webpage

Functionality

Notes

Routing

Change the SIP call routing data.

Session Manager > Session Manager Administration.

Add, edit, delete the Session Manager instances.

Session Manager > Communication Profile Editor

Edit the Session Manager profiles for the administered SIP users.

Only one System Manager must manage all elements that are linked with the Communication Profile of a user. For example, Session Managers and Communication Managers that are referred in a user Communication Profile.

Session Manager > Network Configuration

Change the Session Manager network configuration.

Session Manager > Device and Location Configuration

Change the device and the location settings.

Session Manager > Application Configuration

Change the Session Manager application sequencing configuration.

Inventory > Manage Elements

Add, edit, or delete the Session Manager instances

User Management > Manage Users

Change the SIP user configuration or the endpoint configuration.

Only one System Manager must manage all elements that are linked with the Communication Profile of a user. For example, Session Managers and Communication Managers that are referred in a user Communication Profile.

3. Session Manager Status and Maintenance

This section provides information about using a System Manager to view the Session Manager status and perform maintenance operations on Session Managers. For example, you can view the status of Session Manager on the Session Manager > Dashboard webpage or run the maintenance tests on Session Manager using the Session Manager > Maintenance Tests webpage. For a full list of applicable status webpages and maintenance webpages, see the Applicability section.

Sunny day scenario

In this case, the primary System Manager manages all Session Manager instances. Using the primary System Manager, view the Session Manager system status and perform maintenance operations. The secondary System Manager is in the standby mode. You cannot use the secondary server to view the Session Manager system status or perform maintenance operations.

Rainy day scenario

In this case, the secondary System Manager manages all Session Manager instances. Using the secondary System Manager, view the Session Manager system status and perform maintenance operations. The primary System Manager is offline and you cannot use the primary server to view the Session Manager system status or perform maintenance operations.

Split-network scenario

In this case, the administrator must assess the extent of the enterprise network split before viewing the Session Manager system status or performing maintenance operations on Session Manager. The network split results in partitioning of Session Managers and other elements into two groups. The primary System Manager manages one group and the secondary System Manager manages the other group.

The administrator must confirm the group membership using the Inventory > Managed Elements webpage. You must view the Session Manager status and perform maintenance operations using the System Manager server that manages the Session Manager instance.

Split-network warning messages

The Session Manager status webpages and the maintenance webpages display a warning message when the current System Manager detects a split-network scenario. The primary System Manager can detect a split-network configuration under the following conditions:

  • The primary System Manager does not manage all Session Managers, and

  • The secondary System Manager is not reachable on the network, or

  • The secondary System Manager is active.

The secondary System Manager can detect a split-network configuration under the following conditions:

  • The secondary System Manager is active, and

  • The secondary System Manager does not manage all Session Managers.

See the following example of a warning message. If a webpage contains a list of Session Managers, then each Session Manager instance that the System Manager does not manage, remains highlighted with a warning icon. When the system displays a warning message, click the Session Manager Management Status link to go to the Inventory > Manage Elements webpage. In the webpage that contains a list of Session Managers, the system highlights each Session Manager instance that the System Manager does not manage with a warning icon. Click Minimize to hide the warning message.

Applicability

The following table lists all system status functions of Session Manager and maintenance operation functions for the respective webpages. The listed functions are only available for Session Managers that the System Manager manages.

Webpage

Functionality

Notes

Session Manager > Dashboard

  • View the Session Manager system status.

  • Accept or deny the new SIP service.

  • Shut down or restart Session Manager.

Session Manager > System Status

  • View the SIP Entity monitoring status.

  • View the managed bandwidth status.

  • View the security module status and maintenance operations status.

  • View the user registration status and maintenance operations status.

Session Manager > System Tools

  • Run the maintenance tests for Session Managers.

  • Configure and view the SIP traces.

  • Run the Session Manager call routing tests.

Replication

Perform the Session Manager replica maintenance operations.

You can repair the Session Manager replicas from a System Manager that manages the Session Manager.

Inventory > Manage Elements

View and edit the trusted and the identify certificate configuration of Session Manager.

4. Fault Management (Alarming and Logging)

This section provides information on viewing the Session Manager alarms and the logs using the primary and secondary System Managers.

Sunny day scenario

Both the primary and the secondary System Manager collect alarms from all Session Managers. You can view all Session Manager related alarms from the primary System Manager using the Events > Alarms webpage. The secondary System Manager runs in the standby mode and you cannot view alarms.

Collect logs from a Session Manager server using the Events > Logs > Log Harvester webpage of the primary System Manager. The secondary System Manager is in the standby mode. You cannot collect logs using the secondary System Manager.

View Session Manager audit logs from the primary System Manager using the Events > Logs > Log Viewer webpage. These logs provide details of administration changes made from the primary System Manager. The secondary System Manager runs in the standby mode. You cannot view these logs on the secondary System Manager.

Rainy day scenario

The secondary System Manager collects alarms from all Session Managers. After you configure the secondary System Manager into the active state, view the following alarms using the Events > Alarms webpage:

  • Alarms collected when the secondary server was in the standby mode.

  • New Session Manager related alarms.

The primary System Manager is offline. You cannot view alarms using the primary System Manager.

Collect logs from a Session Manager server using the Events > Logs > Log Harvester webpage of the secondary System Manager. The primary System Manager is offline. You cannot collect logs using the primary System Manager.

View Session Manager audit logs from the secondary System Manager using the Events > Logs > Log Viewer webpage. These logs provide details of the administration changes made after the activation of the secondary System Manager. The primary System Manager is offline. You cannot use the primary System Manager to view these logs.

Split-network scenario

In the split-network scenario, both the primary and the secondary System Manager collect alarms from any Session Manager that are reachable on the enterprise network. View these alarms from the Events > Alarms webpage. If Session Manager cannot connect to a System Manager because of the network split, the Session Manager forwards all logs to that System Manager when the network connectivity restores. Use the Inventory > Manage Elements webpage to view the status of the network connectivity from the current System Manager to each Session Manager instance.

View the logs collected from a Session Manager server using the Events > Logs > Log Viewer webpage of the primary or the secondary System Manager that manages the Session Manager server. You cannot collect logs from Session Manager that the current System Manager does not manage.

View the Session Manager audit logs from both the primary and secondary System Manager using the Events > Logs > Log Viewer webpage. Each System Manager displays audit logs for the administration changes made on that System Manager after the server became active.

5. Performance Management

This section provides information on the performance data collection and the performance data analysis of Session Manager.

Sunny day scenario

The primary and the secondary System Manager collect the performance data from all Session Managers based on the configuration settings. The configuration settings are available on the Session Manager > Performance > Data Collection webpage of the primary System Manager. Analyze the data in the primary System Manager using the webpages under Session Manager > Performance. The secondary System Manager is in the standby mode. You cannot analyze the collected performance data using the secondary System Manager.

Rainy day scenario

The secondary System Manager collects the performance data from all Session Managers based on the configuration settings on the Session Manager > Performance > Data Collection webpage of the secondary System Manager. Analyze the data on the secondary System Manager using the webpages under Session Manager > Performance. The primary System Manager is offline. You cannot analyze the collected performance data using the primary System Manager.

Split-network scenario

The primary and the secondary System Manager collect the performance data from all Session Managers that are reachable on the enterprise network. The system performs the performance data collection on each System Manager based on the settings configured on the Session Manager > Performance > Data Collection webpage of the System Manager.

Note:

You cannot collect the performance data from Session Manager that is not reachable on the network from System Manager. When the connectivity restores, the system resumes the performance data collection. Use the Inventory > Manage Elements webpage to view the status of the connectivity from the current System Manager to each Session Manager.

Both the primary and the secondary System Manager can analyze the performance data using the Session Manager > Performance webpage. A System Manager server cannot collect the performance data from Session Manager that is not reachable. This results in data gaps for the unobtainable data until the connection to all Session Managers restores.