Avaya MM - Mailbox Manager + Automation.

[DocEvil]

Hi all, hope I'm in the right Forum. I was hoping to get some help here & perhaps find some other poor soul who has been through the same expereinces.

We've just rolled out a HUGE Avaya Modular Messaging solution Org wide. My Team has the joyous task of Administering the system & the biggest hassle is the creating of Mailboxes & resetting of passwords (damn users). We do about 50+ creations per day & about the same of pwd resets. The WEB based Avaya tool we use is rubbish unfortunately we're stuck with it because there is a Firewall between our MAS & MSS (Don't ask - long story) so we can't use mailbox manager.

Anyway as a bit of a script NERD I was wondering if anyone has any idea how I can write some scripts to directly manipulate the Database for PWD resets & MBX Creations. Ideally my goal is to beable to create some simple VBS or Perl app to give to the Helpdesk so they can reset PWDs on the Frontline. At the moment it's too complicated for the to Remote into the MAS, open the browser, fins th mailbox & do the reset.

Any help, direction or better still examples would be greatly apprecaited. I need to hang on to the remaining hair I have left.

Thanks.
~

 

[joeOctel]

I think that the problem you will run into is the fact that the MSS has the voicemail mailbox Databases and when you add a mailbox or modify a security code you need to do it on the MSS. The MSS sends the updates to the FEDB.mdb file on the MAS. I don't think that you will be able to modify the FEDB.mdb file on the MAS and have it change the Database in the MSS. I could be wrong on that.

I believe that the Mailbox Manager is sending all the changes via LDAP to the MSS. Would it be possible to change the Firewall to allow certain ports to connect to the MSS?

 

[DocEvil]

Ahh thanks Joe, so it's a one way update kind of thing? MSS -> Mdb on the MAS. If it's LDAP it shouldn't be too hard to tune, I spend large parts of my day knee deep in Active Directory LDAP.

Do you know where I might be able to gather some info on the structure of the Databse on the MSS?

 

[joeOctel]

Here is a link to the LAN port usage for Modular Messaging:

http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/mm_r2_0/MM_LAN_port_usage.pdf

I don't know where you would get information on the structure of the database on the MSS. Maybe another way to use Mailbox Manager would be to install it on a separate PC (dedicated Mailbox Manager server PC) which is allowed to access the MSS through the Firewall. Then use the multiple PC configuration in Mailbox Manager and send all changes to the dedicated server PC from the client workstations??

Also maybe Unimax, the developer of Mailbox Manager, would be a source for information or solutions to the problem.

 

[KenMeans]

Just a question about mailbox manager. The mailbox manger does not talk to the MAS so what would a firewall between the MAS and the MSS have to do with adding the PC that mailbox manger is on as a trusted server in the MSS? Sorry I am new to the MMA system and have only installed a few. I have the port numbers that mailbox manager uses to the MSS if you need them.

Thanks


Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

 

[joeOctel]

Probably need DocEvil to clarify how the firewall is being used, but yes I think the Mailbox Manager is connecting to the MSS using LDAP port 389, so why couldn't you have the PC with the Mailbox Manager allowed to connect to the MSS or open up that port on the firewall? I think that some of the installs have the Mailbox Manager installed on the MAS so maybe that is where there is some confusion, but as long as you setup the trusted server the Mailbox Manager can be installed on any PC.

 

[KenMeans]

Very true but they tell you not to install the MBM on the MAS unless somthing has changed.

Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com

 

[joeOctel]

I don't know if something has changed. I have seen it installed on the MAS. I think part of the problem is that the trusted server setup requires a fixed IP address so in some cases it was installed on the MAS since the customer was using DHCP. I would say the preferred method is to install it on the PC of the admin if possible.

 

[KenMeans]

Even if you install it on the mas you still need to add a trusted server on the MSS just for mailbox manager but you are right that if you are using DHCP you are screwed.

Ken Means

http://www.tel-is.com