AppManager for VoIP Quality

Version 7.0.98.0

Readme

Date Published: January 2012

 
 

 

For most organizations, managing voice over IP (VoIP) systems and networks is essential to keep mission-critical resources up and running. AppManager for VoIP Quality helps you optimize call performance and ensure the availability of your VoIP systems and networks by providing automated problem detection and correction.

This release improves usability and resolves previous issues. Many of these improvements were made in direct response to suggestions from our customers. We thank you for your time and valuable input. We hope you continue to help us ensure our products meet all your needs. You can post feedback in the AppManager forum on Qmunity, our community Web site that also includes product notifications, blogs, and product user groups.

This document outlines why you should install this module, lists installation requirements, and identifies known issues. For more information about installing this module, see the AppManager for VoIP Quality Management Guide, included in the download package.


Why Install This Release?

This release of AppManager for VoIP Quality resolves the following issue:

  • Data streams do not display properly for VoIPQuality_CallPerf* Knowledge Script jobs. This release resolves an issue where running any VoIPQuality_CallPerf* Knowledge Script generated a single data stream for each combination of Talker endpoint (E1) and Listener endpoint (E2), but these data streams did not account for multiple Quality of Service (QoS) settings. With this release, you can enable a new parameter to generate separate data streams based on QoS settings as well as Talker and Listener settings. (ENG312399)

This release also includes the following enhancement:

  • An updated version of the Windows version of the NetIQ Performance Endpoint is included in this release. This release of AppManager for VoIPQuality includes an updated Windows version of the Performance Endpoint that addresses the following issues:
    • Type of Service (ToS) error displays when starting a Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2 computer with endpoints. This release resolves an issue in which an error might occur on an endpoint computer running Windows 7 or Windows 2008 R2 if you started up the computer and the endpoint service started running before the Quality Windows Audio Video Experience (qWAVE) service started. The error message states that CHR0125: Endpoint 1 does not support the following function(s) required to run this test: TOS bit settings for UDP or RTP. With this release, an update to the code for the endpoint prevents the error from occurring by ensuring the qWAVE service is running properly. (ENG313608)
    • Running the endpoints resulted in excessive memory consumption. This release resolves an issue in which the endpoint application consumed a large amount of memory, up to 100 MB per day, on the Listener endpoint (E2) when the source and destination port numbers were set to user-specified values. (ENG305797)
    For more information, see the Performance Endpoints page.

To get the updates provided in this release, you must install the module to the AppManager repository (QDB) and on the agent computer, and then propagate changes to any running jobs for the Knowledge Scripts that were updated in this release. AppManager 7.x does not automatically update renamed or copied Knowledge Scripts. For more information, see the "Upgrading Knowledge Script Jobs" section in the management guide.

This release of AppManager for VoIP Quality replaces all Previous Releases.

Return to Top


System Requirements

For the most recently updated list of supported application versions, see the AppManager Supported Products page. Unless noted otherwise, this module supports all updates, hotfixes, and service packs for the releases listed below.

AppManager for VoIP Quality has the following system requirements:

  • AppManager 7.0 or later installed on the AppManager repository (QDB) computer, on the proxy agent computers, and on all console computers
    Note Support for Windows Server 2008 on AppManager 7.x requires AppManager Windows Agent hotfix 71704 or later. For more information, see the AppManager Suite Hotfixes page.
  • One of the following Microsoft operating systems installed on the Performance Endpoints or proxy computers:
    • Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit)
    • Windows Server 2008 R2

    • Note Support for Quality of Service (QoS) settings on Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 endpoints requires the NetIQ Performance Endpoints version 5.1.15368.0 or later.
    • Windows Server 2008 (32- or 64-bit)
    • Windows Server 2003 R2 (32- or 64-bit)
    • Windows Vista (32- or 64-bit)
      Note Windows Vista does not support DSCP-based QoS.
    • Windows XP (32-bit)
  • AppManager for Microsoft Windows module installed on the AppManager repository (QDB) computer, on the proxy agent computers, and on all console computers
    Note Support for Windows Server 2008 R2 on AppManager 7.x requires the AppManager for Windows module, version 7.6.170.0 or later. For more information, see the AppManager Module Upgrades & Trials page.
  • NetIQ Performance Endpoints version 5.1.15368.0 or later. The AppManager for VoIP Quality module ships with the most recent version of the Performance Endpoints, or you can download the Endpoints for your operating system from the Performance Endpoints page.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7.0 or later installed on the agent computers
  • Cisco IOS version 12.0 or later. Monitoring for delay requires version 12.2(2)T or later.
  • Port 10115 configured in your firewall to permit bidirectional TCP and UDP packets:
    • Source: [local machine]:10115  Destination:[any machine]:[any port]
    • Source: [any machine]:10115   Destination:[local machine]:[any port]
  • Port numbers of your choice configured in your firewall to permit bidirectional TCP and UDP packets. You can use these port numbers in the Advanced Configuration parameters in the VoIPQuality Knowledge Scripts.

For more information, see the AppManager for VoIP Quality Management Guide, included in the download package.

Return to Top


Contents of the Download Package

AppManager for VoIP Quality includes several managed objects, and Knowledge Scripts to discover and monitor VoIP quality. The download package includes this Readme, a management guide, Help for Knowledge Scripts, and several files that are used during installation:

  • AM70-VoIPQuality-7.0.98.0.msi, the application module setup program.
  • AM70-VoIPQuality-7.0.98.0.ini, a configuration file used with the AppManager setup program.
  • AM70-VoIPQuality-7.0.98.0.xml, a configuration file used for deploying the module with Control Center. This is the file you check into the Control Center Web Depot.
  • AM70-VoIPQuality-7.0.98.0-RepositoryFiles.exe, a compressed file that contains the QDB and console files. You do not need to run this file during installation.
  • ckVoIPQuality.exe, the pre-installation check used with the AppManager setup program.

When you download the module, these files are copied by default to the local folder on the download computer. Consider copying these files to the \windows_installation\setup\Setup Files directory on the same distribution computer on which you saved your main AppManager software and documentation. By doing so, you maintain all AppManager software in one location that is easily accessible when you want to add more repositories, management servers, or agents.

Return to Top


Installing This Module

Run the module installer to install the module components in the following locations:

  • On the proxy agent computers to install the agent components
  • On all console computers to install the Help and console extensions

Run the module installer only once on each of these computers.

You must also install the Knowledge Scripts and, where relevant, the Analysis Center reports. You can install these module components to either local or remote databases:

  • When installing to each QDB, select the option to install Knowledge Scripts, and then specify the SQL Server name of the server hosting the QDB, as well as the case-sensitive QDB name.
  • If Analysis Center reports are available for this module, select the option to install Analysis Center reports, and then specify the SQL Server name of the server hosting the Analysis Center Configuration Database.

Important This release provides SQL stored procedures. To ensure module functionality, run the module installer for each QDB attached to Control Center.

You need to install Knowledge Scripts and Analysis Center reports only once per database. The module installer now installs Knowledge Scripts for each module directly into the QDB instead of to the \AppManager\qdb\kp folder as in previous releases.

Ensure you install the Performance Endpoint on the remote computer and the AppManager for VoIP Quality module on the proxy agent computer. Module installation installs the latest endpoint. However, automatic installation of the Performance Endpoint might fail on computers where you have enabled User Access Control (UAC). If you have UAC enabled, disable UAC during installation or install the Performance Endpoint manually. You can download the free endpoint software from the Performance Endpoints page.

For more information about installing this module, see the AppManager for VoIP Quality Management Guide, included in the download package.

Return to Top


Known Issues

NetIQ Corporation strives to ensure our products provide quality solutions for your enterprise software needs. There are no known issues at this time. If you need further assistance with any issue, please contact Technical Support.

Return to Top


Previous Releases

This release of AppManager for VoIP Quality includes enhancements added in previous releases.

Release 7.0.91.0, August 2011

This release of AppManager for VoIP Quality resolved the following issue:

  • Giving a Knowledge Script a new name with more than 40 characters causes the VoIPQuality_Report scripts to fail. This release resolves an issue where when you changed the name of a Knowledge Script with a CallPerf_ prefix to a name with more than 40 characters, the VoIPQuality_Report scripts failed. With this release, a change to all the VoIPQuality_Report scripts lets you give a VoIPQuality script a name containing up to 256 characters, which prevents the report scripts from failing. (ENG278554)

This release also included the following enhancement:

  • An updated version of the Windows version of the NetIQ Performance Endpoints is included in this release. This release of AppManager for VoIPQuality includes an updated Windows version of the Performance Endpoints that addresses Quality of Service (QoS) issues with endpoints running on Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 computers. For more information, see the Performance Endpoints page. (ENG308850)

Release 7.0.80.0, January 2011

  • Support for Windows Server 2008 R2. This release provides support for monitoring VoIP quality in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 environments.
  • Support for Windows 7. This release provides support for monitoring VoIP quality in Microsoft Windows 7 environments.
  • Support for 64-bit Windows 2003. This release provides support for monitoring VoIP quality in 64-bit Microsoft Windows 2003 environments.

Release 7.0.67.0, June 2009

This release resolved the following issue:

  • VoIPQuality scripts generate duplicate dynamic legends. Before you install this release, the VoIPQuality_CallPerf Knowledge Scripts generate duplicate dynamic legends for the data they collect. NetIQ Analysis Center interprets the duplicate dynamic legends as belonging to the same data stream, and averages the data from all scripts into one data stream. After you install this release, the dynamic legend names include the codec associated with the Knowledge Script job, resulting in unique dynamic legend names for the data generated by each script. (ENG260277)

Hotfix 71429, February 2009

This release resolved the following issues:

  • No support for Windows Server 2008. Before you install this release, you cannot install AppManager for VoIP Quality on computers running Microsoft Windows Server 2008. After you install this release, you can install the module on 32- and 64-bit Windows Server 2008 computers. (ENG252548, ENG259751)
  • Error when selecting computer for RvalueSummary report. Before you install this release, an error occurs at line 293 when you select Computer in the Computer selection by parameter of the Report_RvalueSummary Knowledge Script. After you install this release, an update in the code of the Knowledge Script allows you to successfully select Computer when using the Computer selection by parameter. (ENG255111)
  • Performance Endpoint not installed on 64-bit Windows Server 2008. Before you install this release, the Performance Endpoint is not installed on 64-bit Microsoft Windows Server 2008, although the pre-install check indicates that the endpoint will be installed automatically. After you install this release, the endpoint is successfully installed. (ENG260514)

Release 7.0, January 2008

This release changed the threading model for the module to allow multiple Endpoint1-Endpoint2 jobs to be run from the same proxy computer. Without the changes in this release, if a given VoIP Quality job has multiple E1-E2 pairs, it runs them serially, allowing the possibility of missed or overlapping data points. With this release, jobs with E1-E2 pairs are run in parallel and all associated data points are captured. (ENG237429)

Also with this release, the AppManager for VoIP Quality Management Guide includes a new chapter titled "Reporting with Analysis Center." This chapter contains the contents of a reporting chapter previously included in the Analysis Center User Guide.

Return to Top


Contact Information

Our goal is to provide documentation that meets your needs. If you have suggestions for improvements, please email Documentation-Feedback@netiq.com. We value your input and look forward to hearing from you.

For detailed contact information, see the Support Contact Information page.

For interactive conversations with your peers and NetIQ Corporation experts, become an active member of Qmunity, our community Web site that offers product forums, product notifications, blogs, and user groups.

Return to Top


Legal Notice

Return to Top