Branding

Branding

Branding in CMS refers to customization of prompts and backgrounds for Call Bridge and Web Bridge in order to present a user experience that reflects your company more personally. In some cases, it can enhance the experience for your users, such as when removing the prompts that play when joining an ad-hoc conference bridge call. In earlier versions, branding required a separate license and could only be hosted on an external web server. Since CMS 2.4, no special license is required for branding and CMS version 2.5 introduced the ability to host a single set of branding files on the Call Bridge server itself. This is the scenario we will configure in this lab.

There are 4 different types of customizations:

  • The CMS Web App sign in background image, sign in logo, text below sign in logo and the text on the browser tab
  • IVR messages
  • SIP/Lync call messages
  • Some text on the meeting invitation

In each case, a ZIP file with the appropriate audio, images, and/or configuration files is required. If an image is larger than the specified maximum size or a particular audio file is missing (even if you didn't intend to modify that file), there is no attempt to fall back to default resources. That means that a missing background image from a customization file will result in a black background. A missing prompt file will result in blank audio in its place.

In this lab, we will illustrate changing the default background image of the Spaces we call in to. To do this, we only need to create a zip file with the relevant images, and then TFTP the file to all of the CMS servers running the Call Bridge service (and then restart Call Bridge).

NOTE: We have provided a custom background image. This image must be in .jpg format, less than 500kB in size and a maximum of 1920 pixels wide and 1200 pixels high. Similarly prompt files would require each prompt to be single track PCM format, 16 bits per sample, mono, 8, 16, 22.05, 32, 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rate. Additionally, a single file must be less than 1000 kB and the sum of all audio files less than 400 kB. To create these, Audacity is highly recommended and the only tool tested.

Perform these steps:

  1. Download the default US-English prompt set for Call Branding. These are also available from the Cisco web site under Cisco Meeting Server 2.4 and later Call Branding example - US
  2. Download a custom background image.
  3. Double-click the CMD icon on the Desktop (or open up a local command prompt by entering cmd in the search or Start > Run box.
  4. Change to the Downloads folder by entering cd %userprofile%\Downloads
  5. Expand the Prompts file. This file contains all the SIP and IVR call customization files. Enter: PowerShell Expand-Archive -Path CMS-2-4_callBranding_example_US.zip -DestinationPath call_branding -force
  6. Copy the clus2020-cms-background.jpg file over the default call_branding\background.jpg by entering copy /Y clus2020-cms-background.jpg call_branding\background.jpg

    NOTE: The local customization file only supports a single background image. Customization using an external web server supports additional ones, such as ones for passcode entry.
  7. Now that we have all the necessary files we need in the call_branding folder, we can compress it to call_branding.zip. Enter: PowerShell Compress-Archive -Path call_branding/*.* call_branding.zip -force
  8. You now have a single call_branding.zip file containing all the default prompts, plus the updated background.jpg image. Next, we copy the file to each of the CMS CallBridge servers.
    psftp admin@cms1a.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123 put call_branding.zip exit psftp admin@cms1b.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123 put call_branding.zip exit psftp admin@cms1c.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123 put call_branding.zip exit
  9. Now we need to restart all the CallBridge services on each CallBridge.

    Cisco Meeting Server Name Password
    cms1a.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123
    cms1b.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123
    cms1c.pod8.cms.lab c1sco123
  10. First connect to cms1a.pod8.cms.lab
    • Enter the callbridge restart command. Other customizations, such as WebRTC customizations, also require restart of the WebBridge service.
  11. Next connect to cms1b.pod8.cms.lab
    • Enter the callbridge restart command. Other customizations, such as WebRTC customizations, also require restart of the WebBridge service.
  12. Finally, connect to cms1c.pod8.cms.lab
    • Enter the callbridge restart command. Other customizations, such as WebRTC customizations, also require restart of the WebBridge service.
  13. To make sure there are no issues or missing files, log into Webadmin on CMS1a (username: admin, password: c1sco123) and see if there are any Fault conditions registered on the Status > General.
  14. Now place a call to pod8user4.space@conf.pod8.cms.lab and observe the updated Space background.


             

 

SECTION COMPLETE!

You've finished this portion of the lab. We have multiple other optional lab sections, depending on your time and interest, to continue on.