Create and assign templates, understand template types, states, parameters, and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ8O5mOEvDMPhonism templates are used to set bulk changes across many devices by removing the need to build xml files and/or learn the model-specific configurations, which can be difficult when managing devices across different manufacturers and firmware versions. Instead, a template provides a simple GUI to set all the parameters you want to configure and apply to devices in bulk. Configure any make/model/firmware combination within a single interface.
Templates include line settings, SIP server, time server settings, dial plans, contacts, etc. You can also use templates to configure line keys, BLFs, speed dials and more.
Uses for templates:
Create settings that auto-apply to new devices upon boot up (Zero-Touch-Provisioning)
Perform bulk changes across a department, office location, or entire network
Create test settings for troubleshooting one-way audio or other issues
Custom settings to be built for each customer or use case
Create as many templates as you'd like
Compile multiple templates together in real-time for easier management
TEMPLATE TYPES
Tenant templates
Tenant templates reside at the tenant-level. There is no “Auto-apply” option for tenant-level templates. They are “Assignable.” See the Template States section below for more details.
Tenant templates must be assigned to a phone to have their settings applied. Only one tenant-level template can be assigned to a phone.
Assigned templates are automatically reapplied to all the affected phones, when modified.
Domain templates
Domain templates have a Tenant drop-down menu to select the specific tenant this template will be applied to. Domain templates can be created globally and applied to all the compatible phones under all of the tenants when auto-apply is selected.
To create a global template, select Unassigned (Global Template) in the Tenant drop-down menu.
Note: For the customers that use a non-hierarchy account, only tenant and domain-level templates are available. Domain-level templates can be auto-applied and tenant-level templates can be assigned to a phone.
Hierarchy templates
Hierarchy templates can be made at the Account, Service Provider, and Enterprise levels. With the hierarchy templates, you can create templates at any level of the hierarchy that are automatically applied to all compatible devices within the hierarchy without any user input.
This provides the flexibility to enforce global settings at higher levels in the hierarchy without dealing with each phone individually as well as providing the extra ability to define specific parameters overwritable at lower-levels.
Hierarchy templates are created based on manufacturer/software/model combination and those should match with the phone’s to be applied. Hierarchy templates are only applied to phones within the sub-hierarchy.
Hierarchy templates are cascading, meaning an account-level template overrides a service provider template, a service provider template overrides an enterprise template, and an enterprise template overrides a tenant template.
This means that if the same setting is enabled in the service provider template and again in the tenant template, the setting in the service provider template is the one applied to the phone.
TEMPLATE STATES
Disabled
The Disabled state is usually reserved for older templates that you want to archive or maybe templates that are still in the process of being built.
When a template is in the Disabled state, it is not automatically applied to phones and is not assignable.
Auto-Apply
When the Auto-apply state is assigned to a template, these templates are automatically applied to all supported phones at the same level of the hierarchy or below where the template resides.
These templates cannot be assigned to phones.
The Auto-apply state is not available for templates created at the lowest level (the tenant level).
Assignable
When the Assignable state is assigned to a template, the template can be assigned to phones at the same level of the hierarchy or below where the template resides.
These templates only apply to phones they have been assigned to.
They are most often used for creating troubleshooting test cases or non-standard configurations for special use cases like fax machines.
TEMPLATE PARAMETER CONTROLS
No Control
The template doesn't modify the parameter and has no impact.
This is the default.
If the parameter is not enforced by any template in the hierarchy, then it is editable by the phone.
Enforce Value
The parameter is enforced to the value set.
Think of this as non-negotiable.
Enforce & Overwritable
The value is applied unless that parameter is reconfigured by the phone or a lower-level template.
Think of this as “default.” For example, I want all the phones to be set in my timezone. However if they want to change it to their timezone, they can overwrite it, as they choose.
Exclude from Config
Similar to “Enforce“ except it is excluded from the configuration output files. This is useful for phone settings that may be controlled by something outside of Phonism, like a Softswitch or PBX.
Following is an example for exclusion from output files. Parameter “Language“ is set as “Exclude“ at one of auto-applied higher level templates.
Before exclusion:
Español
192.168.254.206
After exclusion:
192.168.254.206
Exclude & Overwritable
This parameter is excluded from the configuration output files, and is particularly useful for phone settings that may be controlled by something outside of Phonism, like a Softswitch or PBX.
Lower level templates in the hierarchy may overwrite the value.
CREATE A TEMPLATE
Select the Templates tab.
Click Add.
Enter a name for the template.
Select the Brand.
Select the Software Version.
Select the phone models that this template will support. By default, all compatible models are selected. You can change this at any time.
Click Continue to save.
EDIT A TEMPLATE
Editing a template is like configuring a device with a few key differences. You can’t configure line-specific parameters like VoIP Credentials. Those are device-specific and not intended to be applied to multiple devices. To edit a template, follow these steps:
Select the Templates tab.
Find the template you’d like to edit and click the Edit icon in the Actions column.
CLONE A TEMPLATE
In the Hierarchy model, There is no real reason to clone a template at the Account, Service Provider, or Enterprise level. If, for instance, you do want all Service Providers to have some of the same settings, create the template at the Account level for the brand of manufacturer. (For example, one template for Polycom, one for Yealink, etc.) and all the service providers will auto-inherit it, nothing else needs to be done.
At the Tenant levels, cloning a template is often helpful to create multiple templates for the same manufacturers and selectively assign to devices that you want to inherit those settings. You may end up with three Yealink templates at the Tenant level, and each one is only slightly different from the other.
To clone a template, follow these steps:
Select the Templates tab.
Find the template you’d like to edit and click the Clone icon in the Actions column.
ASSIGN A TEMPLATE TO A PHONE
Select the Phones tab.
Find the phone you’d like to add a template to.
Click the link in the Domain/Tenant Template column.
Select the template you’d like to assign to the device.
(Optional) Choose to enable the following settings, if applicable:
Overwrite Phone Custom Config - A template will overwrite any phone custom config instead of merging. This is a one-time overwrite. Subsequent template applications will merge custom config.
Overwrite Phone Custom Contacts - A template will overwrite any phone custom contacts. This is a one-time overwrite. At this time we do not merge custom contacts from templates.
Click Continue to assign the template to the device.
AUTO-APPLY A TEMPLATE TO A PHONE
When the template in the phone’s hierarchy is set to Auto-Apply and manufacturer/software/model combination matches with the phone's, it is automatically applied to the phone. When the phone is edited, “Auto Applied Templates“ show which templates are applied.
Templates should be created at the required levels of the hierarchy based on the common configuration needs on the account. When creating a template, manufacturer, software and model information is set. This should match with the phone’s data to be applied and software version is applicable to the phones with equal and lower software releases.
Phones can have multiple auto-applied templates meaning that all the levels in the hierarchy can have an auto-applied template on the phone. However, only one template can be assigned at a time.
When a phone is edited, all the auto-applied and assigned templates are seen.
When the phone is edited, if a parameter is enforced/excluded by a template, a pop-up appears providing the information of which template enforces/excludes that parameter.
PARAMETER VALUE ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLES
These tables show the parameter value assigned to the phone according to the different settings at different levels of hierarchy.
Key:
= Any control is applicable to the template
RED = Parameter is not editable on the phone
GREEN = Parameter is editable on the phone
GREY = No effect on the logic
STATE CHANGE SCENARIOS
Changes to a template’s state or model compatibility take effect immediately. Below are some examples of what happens when the template state is changed.
Note: Software version in a template can not be changed after the template is created.
Disabled to Auto-Apply
The template is automatically applied to all selected models/software of the phone .
Disabled to Assignable
The template is now assignable to selected models/software of the phone within its hierarchy.
Auto-Apply to Disabled
The template no longer automatically applies to selected models/software of the phone.
All phone parameters previously configured by the template are editable after the change.
The last configured value remains.
Auto-Apply to Assignable
The template no longer automatically applies to selected models/software of the phone.
The template is assignable to selected models/software of the phone within its hierarchy.
All phone parameters previously configured by the template are editable.
The last configured value remains.
Assignable to Disabled
The template is no longer assignable to selected models/software of the phone within its hierarchy.
Any phones assigned the template are unassigned.
All phone parameters previously configured by the template are editable.
The last configured value remains.
Assignable to Auto-Apply
The template is no longer assignable to selected models/software of the phone within its hierarchy.
Any phones assigned the template are unassigned.
All phone parameters previously configured by the template are editable.
The last configured value remains.
The template begins to automatically apply to selected models/software of the phone.
MODEL COMPATIBILITY CHANGE SCENARIOS
Changes to a template’s state or model compatibility take effect immediately. Below are some examples of what happens when the template model is changed.
Model Added to Compatibility
Depending on the template state, the template is now available for auto-apply or assignment for all phones of the newly selected model.
Model Removed from Compatibility
All phones of that model that have been assigned the template are unassigned.
All phones (of the removed model) parameters that have had parameters previously configured by the template are editable.
The last configured value remains.