6 The Configuration Tab Display and Operations

The Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller (ESBC) Web GUI provides access to the dialogs and controls that you need to set up, administer, and maintain the configuration objects used on your session border controller through the Configuration tab.

Note:

The Web GUI Guide does not provide instructions for setting up the configuration objects. Use the ACLI Configuration Guide to get the instructions by transposing the path given to reach the object in the ACLI onto the Web GUI and you will reach the configuration dialog.

Configuration Tab Display and Operations

The Configuration tab displays configuration objects in the navigation pane organized much like they are on the ACLI command line. When you click a top-level object in the navigation pane, the center pane displays the sub-objects in alphabetical order. You can also click the twister by the high-level object in the navigation pane to display an alphabetical list of the sub-objects in the navigation pane. The Configuration tab header displays the system identification at the left end of the banner and the Notifications alarm and the User menu at the right end of the banner. Below the banner, the page displays the controls for View Configuration, Search, Discard, Verify, and Save.

This screen capture shows the whole Configuration tab. The View Configuration button displays at the top left. The parent configuration categories display in the navigation pane on the left. The child configuration objects display in the center pane. The save, verify, discard, and search buttons display at the top right.

See Configuration Tab Controls.

Configuration Tab Controls

The Configuration tab displays controls to help you find, review, and work with the configurations that you set on the Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller.

This screen capture shows the controls described in the following text.

Device Name IP Address Build Number—Use to identify the system and the software version. When you deploy your SBC in a High Availability (HA) pair, the system identification also states whether the device is the Active or Standby peer.

View Configuration—Use to see the configuration Inventory, Editing Configuration Short, Running Configuration Short, Configuration Version, and Realm Specifics.

Search—Use to find and display configuration objects to edit. The first time you place the cursor in the search field, the Web GUI displays a drop-down list of all the configuration objects in alphabetical order. You can refine your search by entering a parameter, an attribute, a value, or an object. When you use Search and switch to another tab, the system retains the search criteria when you return to the Configuration tab.

Discard—Use to undo all configuration changes made in the current session. The system can only discard the changes that you saved. It cannot discard any changes that you activated.

Verify—Use to validate the configuration is valid before saving.

Save—Use to save the current configuration session. Upon Save, the system displays a prompt with a choice of whether or not to activate the configuration. If you do not activate the configuration, you can continue to make changes and Save again. When finished, you can save and activate all of the configuration changes.

View the ESBC Configuration Inventory

When you want to see aggregated information about the state of the configuration on the Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller (ESBC), click View Configuration on the Configuration tab. The Web GUI displays the Configuration Inventory page by default with tabs for the other views.

The following screen capture shows the default landing page after you click View Configuration.

Note:

When you set the process level or system log level to DEBUG, the Web GUI may not display any configuration information for large configurations when you click "View Configuration".

This screen capture shows the default landing page after you click View Configuration. It shows the default page, titled Inventory, and the other available tabs described in the text that follows this screen capture..

View Configuration Tabs

Inventory—Shows the Element list, Running Count, Changes Not Activated Total Count, Changes Not Activated Added Total Count, Changes Not Activated Modified Count, and Changes Not Activated Deleted Count.

Editing Configuration Short—Shows only the modified attributes in the editing configuration.

Running Configuration Short—Shows only the modified attributes in the running configuration.

Configuration Version—Shows the configuration version number table, which shows both the Current Version and the Running Version.

Realm Specifics—Allows you to set the Realm parameter and Auto Refresh interval.

Controls

Each tab, except for Realm Specifics, displays a set of controls in the upper right corner. The following list includes all of the available controls, but note that the controls vary per tab.

This screen capture shows the four possible controls, as described in the following text.

Refresh—Use to manually refresh the data on the tab.

Settings—Use to set the Auto Refresh Interval and to enable the option to Show Only Differences.

Download—Use to download data to the Configuration Inventory.

Description—Use to see a description of the view.

Show or Hide Advanced Configuration Objects in the Navigation Pane

Each category of configuration objects includes additional objects that are not required to complete a basic configuration. Such objects are called Advanced objects, which you use to customize your configuration. If you do not need to see the advanced objects, you can hide them from view with the Show All toggle located at the bottom of the navigation pane. The Show All toggle affects all categories of configuration objects. You can toggle between show and hide at anytime.

The following screen capture shows the navigation pane with the Show All toggle in the hide position. In this example, media-manager displays only five configuration objects because the Advanced configuration objects are hidden.

This screen capture shows the navigation pane with the Advanced configuration objects hidden because the Show-Hide toggle is in the hide position.

The following screen capture shows the navigation pane with the Show All toggle in the Show All position. The Web GUI displays the advanced elements in italics.

This screen capture

Show or Hide Advanced Configuration Parameters

Configuration dialogs can contain both Basic and Advanced parameters. You can choose to see only the Basic parameters or to see both the Basic and Advanced parameters by using the Show Advanced toggle. The Web GUI displays the toggle on every configuration dialog that contains both Basic and Advanced parameters.

The Web GUI defaults to displaying only the Basic parameters, even when a configuration contains Advanced parameters. Use the Show Advanced toggle to see all the parameters.

When all parameters in a configuration are Advanced, the Web GUI turns on Show Advanced by default.

When all parameters in a configuration are Advanced and you toggle Show Advanced off, the Web GUI hides all parameters for that configuration.

When you highlight an Advanced parameter during Search or Verify, the Web GUI activates Show Advanced and displays all the Advanced parameters for the configuration.

When an error occurs upon submission of input for an Advanced parameter, the GUI turns Show Advanced on automatically.

When you leave the Configuration tab for another tab and return to the Configuration tab, the Show Advanced state remains as it was before you left the tab.

When you turn Show Advanced on while configuring a multi-instance object and click OK, the Show Advanced state persists when you open any instance in the table. When you configure another instance and turn Show Advanced off, the off state persists when you open any instance in the table.

Show the Configured Parameters of a Configuration Object

After you add a new configuration or modify an existing one, you might want to view the settings to confirm your work before activation. Every configuration object includes the Show Configuration button in the title banner, which you can click to see the editing version of the configuration.

The following screen capture shows the Show Configuration button, which is located at the right end of the configuration object title banner.This screen capture shows the Show Configuration button located at the right end of the configuration object title banner.

When you click Show Configuration, the Web GUI displays a list of the parameters that you edited and the values you set.

Note:

The list shows only the parameters you edited.
The following screen capture shows an example of how the Web GUI displays an edited configuration.

This screen capture shows an example of how the Web GUI displays an edited configuration. It shows only the edited parameters.

Descriptions of the Show Configuration Controls

The Show Configuration page displays the following icons in the upper right corner that you can use to work with the configuration.

This image describes the Show Configuration controls.

Configuration Dialogs Behavior

Drop-Down Lists

To make configuration easier, the Web GUI displays drop-down lists for selecting values for configuration parameters. Drop-down lists behave in the following ways:

System Populated—The system populates the list. You can only select an item that exists on the list and you cannot edit the list. For example, the system populates the list for the Strategy parameter in the Add Session Group configuration dialog.

This screen capture shows an example of a system-populated drop-down list for a configuration parameter. You cannot edit this kind of list.

User Populated—You can populate the list by configuring the objects in advance or by entering text in the field. For example, in the Add Realm configuration, the Ice Profile parameter can display a drop-down list of Ice Profiles. You create the list by configuring one or more profiles in the Ice Profile configuration.

This screen capture shows a user-created list in the Ice Profile. This list will display in the Ice Profile parameter in the Realm Config.

In Realm Config, the system displays the name of each Ice profile that you created in the Ice Profile drop-down list. You can either select an entry from the list or enter the name of one that you plan to create.

This screen capture shows the list the user created in the Ice Profile configuration as it displays in the Ice Profile parameter in Realm Config.

Note:

Some configuration parameters allow you to select multiple items from the drop-down list.

Options Fields

Options fields require you to enter each option separately with a delimiter between options. Without delimiters the system considers all of the entries as one, which can lead to unpredictable behavior. The Options text box accepts commas, semi-colons, full stops, and parens as delimiters.

To add one option:

Type the name of the option.

This screen capture shows the Options text box with Option 1 entered as text.

Click outside of the text box and the GUI sets the option in its own tab.

This screen capture shows the Options text box after you enter the name of the option and click outside of the text box. The text box now displays a tab for the option. The tab contains an X button, which you can click to remove the option.

To add multiple options:

Type the name of each option, separated with either the comma, semi-colon, or space characters. The following example shows commas as the delimiters.

This screen capture shows the Options text box with Option 1, Option 2, and Option 3 entered as text separated by commas.

Click outside of the text box and the GUI sets each option as a separate tab.

This screen capture shows the Options text box after you entered the names of the options separated with commas and clicked outside of the text box. The text box now displays a tab for each option. Each tab contains an X button, which you can click to remove the option.

If you have a list of options in a text document and they are delimited with a comma, semi-colon, full stop, or parens, you can copy the list into the Options field and the system will add each option as a separate tab as soon as you click outside of the tab.

To delete an Option, click the X on the tab.

Unsaved Changes Persistence

While working in a configuration dialog, you can switch to another tab before you save the changes you made and expect your work to persist when you return to the dialog.

Controls for Managing Multi-instance Configurations

Some configuration objects allow you to create multiple instances of the configuration, which the system displays in a list on the configuration object landing page. You can manage multi-instance configuration objects with the buttons and controls displayed on the landing page and within the configuration dialog. Buttons display at the top of the dialog and controls display when you right-click elements of the configuration in the list.

Controls for Managing Configuration Lists

Web GUI configuration pages display controls for managing lists of multi-instance configurations. You can use certain controls to affect multiple instances, while others can affect only one instance at a time. When you select an operation that the system cannot perform on multiple instances, the GUI instructs you to select one instance at a time for the operation.

Global Controls

At the top of a multi-instance configuration list, the Web GUI displays the controls for managing the list. The Add, Delete All, Download, and Upload controls (1., 2., 3., and 4. in the following screen capture) are always active. You must select a configuration before the Edit, Copy, and Delete controls (5., 6., and 7. in the following screen capture) become active.

This screen capture shows Add, Delete All, Upload, Download, Edit, Copy, and Delete one row buttons that display above a multi-instance configuration list.

1. Add—Click to add a configuration instance to the list.

2. Delete All—Click to delete all instances. You do not need to select the instances, just click the Delete All icon.

3. Upload—Click to upload one or more CSV configuration files to the configuration displayed.

4. Download—Click to download one or more configurations to a CSV file.

5. Edit—Click to edit the selected configuration.

6. Copy—Click to copy the selected configuration.

7. Delete—Click to delete the selected configuration.

Note:

When you Add, Edit, or Copy in a table, the table reloads and returns to the record you were on.

Row Controls

You can also access the Edit, Copy, and Delete controls from a row in the list. Either click the ellipses or right-click the row. When you right-click, the menu also includes the sorting choices.

This screen capture shows two more ways to display the edit, copy, and delete controls.

Controls for Sorting Table Rows

Controls for Showing and Hiding Column Headers

Controls for Sorting Table Rows

You can set the order of the instances displayed in a multi-instance configuration list to either ascending or descending alphabetically. Right-click the list, and the system displays the control menu that includes Sort. Click Sort, and click either Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.

This screen capture shows the menu that displays the sorting choices for the rows, when you right-click on a configuration in a multi-instance configuration list.

You can also set the sort order by clicking the arrow in the column header.

This screen capture shows the arrow in a column header that is a toggle for ascending and descending sort order.

Controls for Showing and Hiding Column Headers

Each multi-instance configuration list supports a unique array of column headers and you can choose the ones that you want displayed and hidden. Right-click a column header to display the list of column headers that is available for the table displayed.

This screen capture shows an example of the menu that displays when you right-click a column header. You can select which items that you want to display or hide.

Note:

The same list displays regardless of which column you click.

Configuration Error Messages

If you save a configuration that contains errors, the system displays the following error message: There were errors! Are you sure you want to activate the configuration?

The system displays a list of errors at the bottom the page. Click an error to go to the location in the configuration where the error occurred and edit the configuration as needed.

Configuration States and Behavior

The Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller (ESBC) uses three states of memory to manage configuration changes, which allows you to make changes and decide when you want them to take effect.

At any time, the following three versions of the configuration can exist on the ESBC.
  • Editing—The editing configuration is the version that you are making changes to from the Web GUI. The editing version is stored in the ESBC volatile memory. The editing version cannot survive a system restart.
  • Saved—The saved configuration is the version of the editing configuration that the system copies into the non-volatile memory when you click Save on the Web GUI. The changes do not take effect on the ESBC until you activate the saved configuration. Note that the system does not load the saved, but unactivated, configuration as the running configuration upon restart. The Saved configuration requires activation, first.
  • Running configuration—The running configuration is the configuration that the system is using. When you activate the saved configuration it becomes the running configuration. Most configuration changes can take effect upon activation. Some configuration changes require a system restart. Upon restart, the system loads the running configuration.
The process for saving and activating a configuration, includes the following steps.
  1. OK—All configuration dialogs display an OK button that saves changes to the editing memory. If you restart before the next step, the ESBC does not save the changes.
  2. Verify—(Optional) Oracle recommends verifying the validity of the configuration before saving because saving shows any errors after saving. Verify displays the configuration changes and any errors found, before saving.
  3. Save—The Save button on the Web GUI toolbar verifies the configuration, saves the current configuration to the last-saved configuration, and displays errors. Save stores the configuration on the ESBC. The system displays any errors at the bottom of the Configuration page.
  4. Activate—After you finish making one or more configuration changes, OK and Save from the last configuration dialog that you need to edit at this time. The system displays the Confirmation dialog containing the Activate button. When you click Activate, the ESBC activates all of the saved configuration changes and saves the new configuration to the running configuration. If you cancel the activation function, the ESBC saves the configuration in a file and does not change the running configuration. You can continue to make changes to the configuration.

Media Manager Configuration

Use the Media Manager configuration object to define the settings for the media steering functions performed by the Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller (ESBC), including timer limits, logging, and trust levels.

You can configure the following Media Manager objects from the Configuration tab on the Web GUI. See the documentation specified in the following list for explanations of these configuration objects and how to set their parameters.

Security Configuration

The Oracle® Enterprise Session Border Controller (ESBC) can provide security for VoIP and other multi-media services. ESBC security includes access control, DoS attack, and overload protection to help secure service and protect the network infrastructure. ESBC security lets legitimate users place a call during attack conditions, while protecting the service itself.

ESBC security includes the numerous features and architecture designs of the Net-SAFE framework. Net-SAFE is a requirements framework for the components required to provide protection for the ESBC, the service provider's infrastructure equipment (proxies, gateways, call agents, application servers, and so on), and the service itself.

You can configure the following Security objects from the Configuration tab on the Web GUI. See the documentation specified in the following list for explanations of these configuration objects and how to set their parameters.

Session Router Configuration

You can configure the following Session Router objects from the Configuration tab on the Web GUI. See the documentation specified in the following list for explanations of these configuration objects and how to set their parameters.

System Configuration

You can configure the following System objects from the Configuration tab on the Web GUI. See the documentation specified in the following list for explanations of these configuration objects and how to set their parameters.