What is stored on Avaya phones in non-volatile memory (NVRAM)? 1

[cgogan13]

Hi,

I'm looking for some info on what is stored in non-volatile memory versus what is deleted when an Avaya phone powers down. Does any one have a link, guide etc? I searched online but couldn't find anything.

Thanks

 

[kyle555]

What parts are you concerned about? There's a support article about which parameters are retained. Ext/pass and everything it needs to get online. There are a few call center related settings that aren't preserved across reboots without the 46xx. I'd imagine trustcerts has to be in there. Haven't checked if a PKCS12 is, but I reckon it'd have to be. Either the phone gets it delivered by settings file, or it gets it via SCEP. You can't just SCEP all day long/every time you reboot - the authority might enforce only renewing with <20% validity time left - so the phone would be useless if it didn't remember it's cert.

 

[cgogan13]

Hi Kyle,

Thanks for answering another of my posts. His one is a different project . We’re recycling a bunch of old phones and we’re wondwronf what’s stored in that we might need to be concerned with. Like IP addresses etc. Certs are stored in NVRAM

Ciara

 

[kyle555]

nothing that going into the craft menu and clearing them wouldn't erase

Otherwise, they remember enough to get back online.

And obviously because you guys are a bunch of tin foil hat wearing schizophrenics, that means the government is snooping around your trash, getting your old phones and sneaking into your offices at night to make prank calls

Sorry, I had to!

 

[cgogan13]

Ha, funny guy!!!

We were hoping not to have to wipe the phone (we have over 100 of them and they’ve taken the POE from the site already so it would be a giant PITA to power them one by one my brick to wipe them. Do you have a link to the doc that describes what is stored by any chance?

 

[kyle555]

Presuming SIP 7.1:

https://downloads.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/101038499

p32/33

Now, those are configured options relative to the settings file. It still stores the username/password in RAM so that you can reboot it and not need to key in your extension again.

And if you're SIP, it stores certain PPM values as well. Personal Profile Manager data is what Session Manager feeds the phone by HTTPS. It's like a settings file, but of information specific to you. So, your primary/secondary/branch Session Manager, contacts, call logs, etc.

Example: It's a best practice to put just your 2 core SMs as SIP controllers in the settings file. Once the phone registers, it downloads the survivable branch one via PPM and retains that through reboots.

If you look up the FIPS stuff in there, there are options about whether it'll retain a cert through a reboot - implying that it's possible.

Otherwise, no, there is no doc for exactly what you're looking for. Sorry

 

[jimbojimbo]

I've asked Avaya multiple times to clearly document the NVRAM values but with little luck. There are also some interesting interactions when changing the software from H.323 to SIP and what is retained depending on the specific version of software you are at. If you look at the MIB for the phones, it does seem at least an attempt has been made to use "NV" to indicate non-volatile values however I have not seen anything officially documenting this is true.

 

[Wanebo]

Certs and PSK's are definitely stored in a phones NVRAM. Otherwise a remote phone would never be able to reconnect via VPN or SIP proxy without manual intervention. As a matter of fact if you are having cert issues Avaya will tell you to set TRUSTCERT to " " to wipe the certs from the phone and then to reset up TRUSTCERTS to the proper certs after a reboot.

I'd say if you are worried about what is retained you should set up a couple of power bricks and clear them.

 

[cgogan13]

Thanks everyone