CUCM Backup: How to Backup Cisco Unified Communications Manager

Cisco Unified Communications Manager is a software-based call-processing system developed by Cisco Systems. The software tracks all active VoIP network components including phones, gateways, conference bridges, voicemail boxes and more. Due to the business-critical nature of the system, automated, secure backup is a requirement.

Cisco Systems, Inc. has recommended Titan FTP Server Enterprise Edition as an approved backup server for Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Cisco UCM has the ability to back up sound files to a server using SFTP. Backing up to Titan FTP Server could not be easier or more effective, and can be done by completing two simple tasks:

1. Setting up an SFTP server
2. Configuring Cisco Unified Communications Manager for backup

The steps above are simple and well-documented. SRT offers a Quick Start Guide to assist customers with this process.  The Quick Start Guide is located at:

http://webdrive.com/wp-content/uploads/Configure-Titan-FTP-with-Cisco.pdf

For CUCM Administrators looking for an on-premise solution, a free 20-day trial of Titan FTP Server enables Cisco UCM customers to configure and test this configuration in their own environments before making a purchase. Once a trial has been configured, all settings are retained for the licensed version. The administrator simply enters the registration code into the trial server to enable the fully licensed version to run. The purchase includes 12 months of maintenance.

Access more information on Titan FTP Server,  or download the trial to begin your evaluation.

Server Upgrade Best Practices

It may seem mundane, but remembering to do little things, such as upgrading server software from time to time, can make life much more easy and manageable. One simple upgrade can help ensure that you are receiving all the most recent maintenance updates, patches and fixes, and news about your particular product. To make this process run even more smoothly, be sure to follow these best practices for upgrading server software.

•Find out what windows service packs should be applied and apply them.

•Assure that your maintenance is up-to-date and that you are using the correct registration codes for your product as old or outdated registration codes can delay the upgrade process. You can easily find this out by running the “check for program updates” utility in your product’s program group.

• Back up your database/registry/configurations. The backup procedures can be found in the program administrator under HELP… Help Contents… Contents Tab… Configuring Servers… Backing up Servers.

Cornerstone – To back up your database: Use the standard backup functionality built into SQLServer to backup the SQLServer Database. For more information about backing up your SQL Server database, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187510.aspx or contact your SQL Server Administrator. To back up the Cornerstone Registry: Using Regedit – export the Server’s directory under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\South River Technologies\Titan FTP Server. Save the .reg file and copy it to your computer (or a new computer). Copy that .reg file to the new computer and then, while on the new computer, double-click on the .reg file to import the information into the registry. Repeat this process for the information stored under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI as this contains information related to the SQLServer connection used by Cornerstone to communicate with your SQLServer Restart the computer for everything to take effect properly. Once you have restarted the new machine, launch your Cornerstone Administrator, and make sure that the IP settings for each server have been changed to the new server address.

Titan – To back up your Titan server configuration, reun RegEdit and export the Server’s directory under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\South River Technologies\Titan FTP Server. Notify your users in advance of when the server will be offline so they can plan appropriately.

• Schedule the server upgrade after business hours if possible. If operations are 24X7, it is a good idea to be running in a clustered environment so that you can take a server offline without impact.

• Have a plan for how to roll back if there are any issues with the upgrade.

• Even if you are sure you know what you are doing, it doesn’t hurt to read any instructions or help files that come with the software. You might learn something you did not know.

Don’t forget to keep up with important installs. Following the correct steps can save you from unnecessary stress and keep your operations running smoothly.

What’s the real cost?

The recent data breach at Bethpage Federal Credit Union has compromised 86,000 consumer debit account records.  The breach was the result of a simple human error, and the lack of policies to ensure that such errors would not happen.

This is no small issue forBethpage, given the costs associated with the cleanup:

• Reissuing 86,000 credit cards
• Paying for credit monitoring for the 86,000 customers affected by the breach
• Loss of customers
• Loss of reputation
• Hiring security firms to monitor access to the files

Plus, they still have to put a long-term solution in place to prevent a similar breach from occurring in the future – a solution that they should have had in place a long time ago.  The solution needs to have multiple levels of security, and should ideally make use of all of the following:

1. Disable anonymous access to their servers.  This alone could have potentially prevented the servers from being indexed by Google
2. Use server software that forces selection of strong passwords
3. Install a reverse proxy server outside of their firewall to enable closing inbound ports
4. Encrypt the data on the server
5. Enforce policies about where sensitive data can be posted

These steps are inexpensive and easy to implement, which begs the question:  why weren’t these technologies in place a long time ago?  And if they were, why were internal policies unclear or unknown to employees?  Other credit unions should take heed.  While this data breach shows no indication that data was actually downloaded and used, hackers will certainly take notice and test other credit unions for similar situations.

Implementing an MFT solution like Cornerstone MFT now can save a tremendous amount of expense, effort and embarrassment later.  Cornerstone includes a web interface that can easily be made available to any or all employees who may need to post data on company servers.  A simple policy requiring users to only post sensitive data through this interface would eliminate the possibility that the user will erroneously believe that a server is secure.

WebDAV vs. FTP

In many conversations with our customers, I often run into a common question:  “What’s the difference between WebDAV and FTP?”  There seems to be confusion about the differences between the two protocols.  Since SRT’s products support both WebDAV and FTP, I thought it would be a good topic to cover in this week’s blog.

Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV), by definition, is a set of extensions to the HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), which allows users to edit and manage files collaboratively on remote Web servers.  One of the major features in WebDAV is the ability to lock files automatically to prevent data being overwritten by another user.  WebDAV also supports XML properties so users can access data about the file, the author, the date the file was modified and namespace manipulation, which allows resources to be copied or moved.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a simple network protocol based on IP, which allows users to transfer files between computers on the Internet.  FTP service is based on a client/server architecture.  An FTP client program initiates a connection to a remote computer running FTP server software.   Once a connection is established, the client can send and receive copies of files.  To connect to an FTP server, the client typically requires a username and password.  There are also public FTP archives that follow a special convention that accepts a username of “anonymous”.

There are several file transfer protocols available:

FTP – the plain FTP protocol, which has been around since the 1970’s.  It usually runs over TCP port 21, and is not secure.

FTPS – which stands for FTP over TLS/SSL.  It is often called Secure FTP and runs over TCP port 21 or 990.

SFTP – another file transfer protocol that has nothing to do with FTP.  The acronym stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol.  SFTP runs over an SSH session, usually on TCP port 22.  The protocol has been around since the 1990’s.

The FTP protocol supports two modes of data transfer, plain text and binary, and usually defaults to plain text.  Unlike the WebDAV protocol, FTP does not support automatic file locking, which can lead to users accessing the same file and potentially overwriting changes made to that file by the initial user.

SRT’s WebDrive , often used as an FTP client, supports a variety of protocols.  WebDrive can be used as a WebDAV Client to map a drive letter to WebDAV servers, including Sharepoint.  WebDrive also supports SFTP and Amazon S3.   WebDrive is now available as a Mac OSX FTP, SFTP and WebDAV Client.

SRT’s Titan Editions support FTP, SFTP, and FTPS.

Maximizing LinkedIn

LinkedIn, which recently reached the 50 million user milestone, has long been considered the social networking site for professionals. If you’re in business, it is basically expected that you have a profile there.

Personally, LinkedIn has helped me in many ways. I guess the most significant would be providing me with the opportunity to join South River Technologies .

LinkedIn is even more effective for B2B businesses- 45% of B2B businesses acquired a customer directly from LinkedIn (only 26% B2C)

But, how do you maximize LinkedIn for your company and yourself? Well, I have found a few ways that have worked for me.

1. Acquire & Share Expertise —> LinkedIn has over 300,000 LinkedIn Groups that you can join.  Each group has its own Discussions Board, News Board, and Jobs postings. You can join a group about pretty much any subject matter. This gives you an opportunity to establish yourself as a subject matter expert. This is actually how the team here at South River Technologies and I were able to connect. Being that SRT is a Managed File Transfer solution provider, our CEO was a member of the Managed File Transfer group. I had posted some personal background information on the group’s message board. This led to an initial conversation with our CEO, Michael Ryan.

 

Furthermore, the LinkedIn Answers boards has more than 2,000,000 answers to a variety of questions for you to peruse.  The subject matter in both Groups and Answers covers a wide enough of topics that there is value for everyone to be participating.

2. Complete your profile!

Remember, LinkedIn profile completeness is not just about increasing chances for new leads. It’s about you and your personal brand

3. Create a company profile

In addition to your personal profile; Company Profiles are used to provide additional information about the company, its products and specialties, employees and company news. Your company profile can be a great tool to drive traffic back to your Website, as well as a way to reach out to other businesses.

 

For more ideas on maximizing LinkedIn visit the LinkedIn Blog.

For more information on South River Technologies please visit our website, http://www.southrivertech.com/

Managing License Activations

All of South River Technologies applications include a feature that permits them to run in trial mode for a specified number of days. This feature permits a potential customer to run the application in their environment for a while to determine if it meets the requirements.

As is the case with most trials, it all comes to an end at some point and the software must be either purchased, or removed from your system. Of course, it’s our preference that you will decide to move ahead with the purchase.

Once a registration code is purchased and entered into the program (eliminating the annoying nag screens), the program is activated. The registration code purchased determines how many times the software may be simultaneously activated. Multi-seat WebDrive licenses can be installed on multiple systems, server products can be installed on a single computer.

SRT has set up a Customer Activation Portal where an end user may manage the activations on a given registration code. Using the Portal you have the ability to view your current activations, download the list of activations in XML format, deactivate one (or all) computer activations, edit the customer registration information for the registration code, and manage any SRT email mailing list subscriptions.

South River Technologies Announces Cornerstone MFT Platform

New Managed File Transfer Solution Closes Gaps in Security and Improves Visibility Into Data Flows and Processes 

ANNAPOLIS, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–South River Technologies, Inc. (SRT), an innovator in managed file transfer and file collaboration software, today announced the release of its Cornerstone Managed File Transfer platform. Cornerstone closes gaps in security that can be left by traditional file transfer servers and offers unprecedented visibility into system activity and data movement. 

“Having visibility into your data flows gives you the ability to glean both business intelligence and to understand potential for risk and proactively address that issue.” 

Cornerstone MFT is a rebranded version of SRT’s popular Titan MFT solution. The new Cornerstone solution has been re-architected as a platform for adding specific modules that address the security, process, and data intelligence needs of SMBs and large enterprises. The suite of Cornerstone add-on modules enables customization of the Cornerstone solution, enabling the solution to evolve as the customer’s business needs change. 

Cornerstone Modules include Real-time PGP, an encryption module for data at rest; FIPS Certification module, a module that certifies FIPS compliance for government customers; QuickSend ad hoc file transfer module, to avoid the security and performance issues associated with emailing attachments while enabling users to work in the ways the are accustomed to working; StatsTrack reporting and auditing module provides unprecedented visibility into data flows and system activity to enable decision makers to anticipate rather than react; and a Web User Interface module that provides simple access to files without the requirement of installing software on individual PCs. 

Cornerstone MFT also works with SRT’s DMZedge Server, which reduces the risk of network intrusion, and the WebDrive virtual drive technology. WebDrive is a unique and innovative way to access files in Cornerstone, and other remote locations, from the convenience and familiarity of a drive letter. 

“Businesses are beginning to understand that a comprehensive IT security strategy requires more that just an encrypted file transfer,” says Michael Ryan, CEO of South River Technologies. “Having visibility into your data flows gives you the ability to glean both business intelligence and to understand potential for risk and proactively address that issue.” 

About South River Technologies 

South River Technologies is an innovator in secure file management and collaboration software. The Company’s software allows users to access, manage, and share files over the Internet in order to automate and streamline business processes and enhance productivity. SRT’s products enhance customers’ existing applications by instantly enabling secure access and Internet file sharing within those applications. More than 65,000 customers in over 112 countries use SRT’s software to make remote file access and collaboration more efficient for their customers, partners, and distributed workforce. For more information, please visit www.southrivertech.com. 

 

Contacts

South River Technologies
Tracy Welsh, 410-266-0667
tracy@southrivertech.com 

 

 

What’s in Your Virtual Stocking?

 Christmas time; it is a time for giving. All around the world, people are preparing holiday feasts, spending money on those, “must have” gifts of the season, and finding every reason to get into the spirit of the holiday. Here are two gifts that you will want to put in those virtual stockings, or give yourself this year:  

Happy Holidays! From South River Technologies

Webdrive for Mac

Why give WebDrive for Mac?

 WebDrive for Mac integrates FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, SFTP, or GroupDrive servers into OS/X Finder by mounting the server as a local device. This allows you to use your favorite Macintosh applications to edit files and save them directly to the server. The WebDrive for Mac client includes many advanced features like Secure FTP, SFTP, Passive Mode, and Unix file permission support. Read more   https://southrivertech.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/sneak-peek-webdrive-for-mac/

 Titan FTP Server

 Titan FTP Server is a powerful secure multi-threaded FTP/SFTP Server for Windows. Users  can setup multiple servers running simultaneously on different IP address/port combinations. Features secure file transfers using SSL; SFTP; Virtual Folders; user based access; file & directory permissions, disk quotas, UL/DL ratios, bandwidth throttling, local and remote administration. The last version included a web interface add-on, and a FIPS 140-2 compliance option for the Managed File Transfer Edition.  The latest version (7.12), is even further modified to delay timeouts and enhance performance for loading users and groups from storage.

 More reasons to give the Titan FTP server:

•  SSL Support. Allows you to transfer files securely over an encrypted channel.
• Unlimited user accounts
• Allowance to customize the maximum bandwidth given to any server/user.
• S/KEY Password Encryption
• Ability to configure Upload/Download Ratios (with Free Files List).
• Ability to set Disk Quotas (with Free Files List).
• Ability to configure Custom Messages for logon, logoff, etc.

 

Contact Sales today to inquire about pricing, or trial before you buy

Sales – Sales@southrivertech.com

20- day Trial – http://southrivertech.com/download/index.html

 Compare Titan FTP features – http://southrivertech.com/products/titanftp/compare.html

Where’s the Remote?

Not long ago, my husband and I spent 20 minutes searching for the remote control in our bedroom.  We wanted to watch the news, so with the TV less than 5 feet away from us, I finally walked over and push the “power on” button – whew, crisis averted!    But with regard to technology, remote control is an essential technical support tool.  The days of walking a user through steps over the phone, or getting in a car to travel to a customer’s site, are almost things of the past.  Nowadays, technical support operates like Domino’s pizza delivery service;  if I (the Technical Support Engineer) can’t get your problem fixed in under 30 minutes, a link will be provided allowing me access to  fix the problem remotely.

Here at South River Technologies, our Support and Development Engineers use remote control software daily to solve customer problems; issues ranging from, “I can’t activate the license on my Titan MFT Server,”  to, ” My WebDrive will not connect to my WebDAV server.”  With SRT having customers all over the world, remote access saves us a bundle in long distance calls,  and there is no need to travel to a customer site. As long as we have the Internet, we can provide “on site” support.  I can’t describe the anxiety that washes over me when someone declines remote control access to their site.  You mean I actually have to walk you through this over the phone or write instructions? Someone please call the Police!

So, some may argue that remote control devices have made us lazy because now we sit back and watch someone else do the work, but aren’t lazy people the most inventive?   Think about it.

Cybersecurity Awareness

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.  The website StaySafeOnline.org encourages you to make cybersecurity a priority and provides some “top tips” on how you can protect your business. While some of these tips are seemingly common sense (for example, “Know who you’re dealing with online.”), other tips speak directly to the capabilities of the software that you choose:

This tip immediately made me think of our secure FTP server solution, Titan MFT Server. Titan MFT Server is a managed file transfer solution, which, along with many other features that address cybersecurity (such as highly granular security settings that can restrict IP access and help to prevent DoS and FXP attacks) also provides strong authentication options and the ability to force complex password rules.

Titan MFT Server supports a variety of user authentication options, including native Titan Authentication, Windows NT/SAM authentication (for Windows 2000 Servers), Windows Active Directory authentication, LDAP authentication, and ODBC authentication.

Titan also provides S/Key password encryption and the ability to force the user to create passwords that are strong, which helps to prevent brute force password cracking. When this feature is enabled, passwords must be at least eight characters long with no spaces and must contain:

• one or more Latin uppercase letters (A through Z)
• one or more Latin lowercase letters (a through z)
• one or more digits (zero through nine)
• one or more non-alpha characters, such as ! # $^& , -+=

To learn more about how you can protect your business from cyberthreat by using Titan MFT Server, contact our sales team at sales@SouthRiverTech.com.