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Polycom VVX 601 does not get Directory from 3cx

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George Ts

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Hello,

I have noticed a strange behavior on our Polycoms VVX 601.
Not sure if this is a 3cx-related issue, but thought of asking anyway.

We got two VVX 601's, let's say Polycom1 and Polycom2.

- Polycom1 comes straight from factory. We connect it, start taking traces and see that after it gets the latest Firmware, it wakes up and asks for file 000000000000-directory.xml via HTTP. 3cx responds, and Polycom1 gets the company's directory list. Later on, Polycom1 also asks for file <MAC>-directory.cfg but 3cx responds with 404 Not Found.
- Polycom2 comes straight from the factory as well. We connect it, start taking traces and notice that it only asks for <MAC>-directory.cfg. It receives a 404 Not Found response, so it never gets the company directory book.
- We factory reset Polycom1. It now only asks for <MAC-directory.cfg> as well. It never asks for 000000000000-directory.cfg so it does not get the company directory book, anymore.

Question:
What triggers a Polycom to ask for 000000000000-directory.cfg?
Is it a parameter configurable in the template?
I strongly doubt, but I would like our input, as well.

@3cxnub might have some useful input to provide here.

Thank you,
George
 
Last edited:
Hello,

I have noticed a strange behavior on our Polycoms VVX 601.
Not sure if this is a 3cx-related issue, but thought of asking anyway.

We got two VVX 601's, let's say Polycom1 and Polycom2.

- Polycom1 comes straight from factory. We connect it, start taking traces and see that after it gets the latest Firmware, it wakes up and asks for file 000000000000-directory.xml via HTTP. 3cx responds, and Polycom1 gets the company's directory list. Later on, Polycom1 also asks for file <MAC>-directory.cfg but 3cx responds with 404 Not Found.
- Polycom2 comes straight from the factory as well. We connect it, start taking traces and notice that it only asks for <MAC>-directory.cfg. It receives a 404 Not Found response, so it never gets the company directory book.
- We factory reset Polycom1. It now only asks for <MAC-directory.cfg> as well. It never asks for 000000000000-directory.cfg so it does not get the company directory book, anymore.

Question:
What triggers a Polycom to ask for 000000000000-directory.cfg?
Is it a parameter configurable in the template?
I strongly doubt, but I would like our input, as well.

@3cxnub might have some useful input to provide here.

Thank you,
George
Hi George,
The 000000000000-directory.cfg file is the main directory that Polycom phones are asking on the first provisioning. After the phone is provisioned, it starts to ask only for the MAC-directory.cfg directory file.
I don't know how you reset your Polycom, but on my side the fully factory reset Polycom is always asking for the 000000000000-directory.cfg file fist.

About "Not found" issue for the MAC-directory.cfg file.
The MAC-directory.cfg file is not creating when the Polycom phone is newly added, but 3CX adds it when you modify something. And it makes seance.
When the phone is just provisioned (first time) it asks for the 000000000000-directory.cfg file which already contains all existed contacts. The phone also asks for the MAC-directory.cfg file, but it doesn't exist for the newly added Polycom phones yet. In reality, the phone don't need it for now due that all existed contacts are in the in the 000000000000-directory.cfg file.
When you update the contacts list (add/rename extension, or add a new entry in Contacts page) 3CX will update the 000000000000-directory.cfg file (for the upcoming new Polycom phones), update existed MAC-directory.cfg files and CREATE and new MAC-directory.cfg file for the Polycoms there were newly added.

This is how it works, so don't worry about the "Not found" messages.
 
@Aram thank you very much for your prompt response.
I followed the procedure described here in order to factory reset the VVX 600:
https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/factory-reset-polycom-vvx/
In brief:
- Rebooted
- Pressed "Cancel" while the phone was "Loading Application"
- Pressed 1,3,5 for VVX 601
- Entered the Phone's MAC address
And watched it being factory reset.

Interestingly, it never asked for 000000000000-directory.cfg after that reset.

Besides, the Polycom2 device mentioned above, just got out of the box and it never received the compan's phonebook / directory list. As per the trace, the reason is that it never asked for 000000000000-directory.cfg (HTTP GET).

So, I am a bit confused here. Any further comments would be more than welcome.
Thank you,
George
 
@Aram thank you very much for your prompt response.
I followed the procedure described here in order to factory reset the VVX 600:
https://www.3cx.com/sip-phones/factory-reset-polycom-vvx/
In brief:
- Rebooted
- Pressed "Cancel" while the phone was "Loading Application"
- Pressed 1,3,5 for VVX 601
- Entered the Phone's MAC address
And watched it being factory reset.

Interestingly, it never asked for 000000000000-directory.cfg after that reset.

Besides, the Polycom2 device mentioned above, just got out of the box and it never received the compan's phonebook / directory list. As per the trace, the reason is that it never asked for 000000000000-directory.cfg (HTTP GET).

So, I am a bit confused here. Any further comments would be more than welcome.
Thank you,
George
George, It's very strange - my VVX always asking for the 000000000000-directory.cfg after the factory reset. So, when I reset the phone, put provisioning URL and reboot the phone, it always asking for the 000000000000-directory.cfg file.
What version are using? Our supported version is 5.6.0.17325.
Also, the URL that you sent is good to reset the phone when user forgot the password and can't login to phone's web UI. I'm always resetting the phone from the UI. Due that your phones are new you can:
* Login to the phone - https://PHONE_IP and default password 456
* Navigate to Utilities->Phone Backup & Restore->Global Settings and press the Restore button
upload_2018-7-18_16-55-6.png

Check the FW version, reset the phone in my way and tell us the results.
 
Hello @Aram
Both VVX 601's are running the exact Firmware that you mentioned, 5.6.0.17325, which by the way they obtained via the 3cx server after their initial connection to the network.
Unfortunately, I tried your method and nothing changed.
As seen in the attached, the file 00000000000-directory.xml is never requested by the Polycom device.
To sum up, for a reason I cannot tell, one of our two devices only asked for it during its very first connection, after the FW upgrade.
The second Polycom VVX 601 never asked for it.
Ever since, no matter how I factory reset them, they never ask for the generic directory file.

I tend to believe that the only workaround here will be to manually create a contact on the user's desk phone, so that the <MAC>-directory.xml file is created on the 3cx and so that the users can actually have a Contacts list.

Really disappointed that this happens on IP Phones costing 450 euros each.

Any idea, comment, or thought could be useful here.

Regards,
George
 

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@Aram
An interesting note:
After I manually added a contact on the phone, I noticed the following:
- VVX 600 tries to HTTP PUT the <MAC>-directory.xml file (with the new contact) to the 3cx
- 3cx replies with 404 Not Found
- I rebooted Polycom
- It starts by requesting <MAC>-directory.xml
- It receives 404 Not Found by the 3cx
- It now asks for 000000000000-directory.xml

- 3cx responds with 200OK

The screenshot proves the above. The timestamps are quite indicative of when/what happens.
Thoughts?

Thank you,
George
 

Attachments

  • Polycom_HTTP2.jpg
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@Aram
An interesting note:
After I manually added a contact on the phone, I noticed the following:
- VVX 600 tries to HTTP PUT the <MAC>-directory.xml file (with the new contact) to the 3cx
- 3cx replies with 404 Not Found
- I rebooted Polycom
- It starts by requesting <MAC>-directory.xml
- It receives 404 Not Found by the 3cx
- It now asks for 000000000000-directory.xml

- 3cx responds with 200OK

The screenshot proves the above. The timestamps are quite indicative of when/what happens.
Thoughts?

Thank you,
George
Hi George,
Please follow the steps that I wrote.
1. Go to Extensions page, edit/add needed extension and navigate to the Phone Provisioning tab
2. Press +Add button, select your Polycom model in the "Choose from available models" drop-down list and put the MAC address of your phone. Press OK.
3. Check the provisioning settings and press OK button on the top.
4. Factory reset the Polycom (as I told you) and provision it as it's described here
5. If you want see that the phone is getting the MAC-directory.xml file too, just go to Contacts page add any contact there (put the name and mobile number). After that the MAC-directory.xml file will be created and Polycom can download it too.
 
@Aram
I have followed the procedure exactly as you suggested, apologies if this was not clear in my previous comments.
I factory reset the Polycom via its Web Management GUI (Utilities - -> Phone Backup&Restore-->Global Settings-->Restore)
The result is the one in my previous comment:
After the factory reset, the phone never asks for the 000000000000-directory.xml file.
It just asks for the <MAC>-directory.xlm file, which does not exist in the 3cx.

If I add a contact manually in the Polycom's phone GUI the following sequence takes place:
1. It tries to HTTP PUT the <MAC>-directory.xml file into the 3cx but receives a 404 (Frame 3168 in [email protected])
2. After a reboot / reproving, it asks for the <MAC>-directory.xml but also receives a 404 by the 3cx (frame 5181 in [email protected])
3. It is only then that it eventually asks for the 000000000000-directory.xml file and actually gets it. (frame 5216 in [email protected])
So, it does not ask for 00000 after a factory reset, but only if i manually add a contact and reboot it.
Rebooting without adding a contact first, also does not work.

As per the above, a good workaround is that after we install a new VVX 601, we manually add a contact via the phone GUI and restart it. That way it will eventually ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file.

If my understanding is correct, what you suggest is that I add a new contact in the general Contacts tab of the 3cx after each Polycom's provisioning, so that 3cx creates a <MAC>-directory.xml file.
Is that correct?

That would be one more workaround, but not a solution, assuming that we may need to provision a lot of those.

Kindly waiting for your feedback.
George
 
Last edited:
@Aram
I have followed the procedure exactly as you suggested, apologies if this was not clear in my previous comments.
I factory reset the Polycom via its Web Management GUI (Utilities - -> Phone Backup&Restore-->Global Settings-->Restore)
The result is the one in my previous comment:
After the factory reset, the phone never asks for the 000000000000-directory.xml file.
It just asks for the <MAC>-directory.xlm file, which does not exist in the 3cx.

If I add a contact manually in the Polycom's phone GUI the following sequence takes place:
1. It tries to HTTP PUT the <MAC>-directory.xml file into the 3cx but receives a 404 (Frame 3168 in [email protected])
2. After a reboot / reproving, it asks for the <MAC>-directory.xml but also receives a 404 by the 3cx (frame 5181 in [email protected])
3. It is only then that it eventually asks for the 000000000000-directory.xml file and actually gets it. (frame 5216 in [email protected])
So, it does not ask for 00000 after a factory reset, but only if i manually add a contact and reboot it.
Rebooting without adding a contact first, also does not work.

As per the above, a good workaround is that after we install a new VVX 601, we manually add a contact via the phone GUI and restart it. That way it will eventually ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file.

If my understanding is correct, what you suggest is that I add a new contact in the general Contacts tab of the 3cx after each Polycom's provisioning, so that 3cx creates a <MAC>-directory.xml file.
Is that correct?

That would be one more workaround, but not a solution, assuming that we may need to provision a lot of those.

Kindly waiting for your feedback.
George
Hi George,
It's not workaround, it's how the provisioning for the Polycom phones works.

I'll try to explain you this with the real example.
So, I have PBX with the following existed extensions:
* Ext.100 (Marios Petrides) and Ext.101 (Socratis Nicolaou)
* I have Polycom VVX601 with the 000413788956 MAC address
* I want to provision it to extension 100
* I reset the phone to factory settings
* When it comes up, I put the Provisioning URL to the phone and reboot it (the same can be done using the DHCP option 66).
* After the reboot the Polycom will take the config file and will ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file. That file contains 2 entries and will be provided to the phone:
1) 100 Marios Petrides
2) 101 Socratis Nicolaou
So, technically speaking, the phone will have all existed contacts in own directory

* During the boot-up, the phone will also ask for the 000413788956-directory.xml file which we don't have yet. It will be created later.
The Polycom VVX phones has 2 type of contacts:
1) 000000000000-directory.xml file - shared contacts
2) MAC-directory.xml file - personal contacts
On 3CX PBX we don't have the contacts separation yet, so for ALL supported phones the contacts are shared.

* So, we have the provisioned phone and it has all existed contacts that it got from the 000000000000-directory.xml shared contacts file. Perfect - I can use it and dial the numbers using the phone's directory.
* Now I want to add, let say, another extension on my PBX - 102 Ioannis Kadis.
Here the trick starts. Due that the provisioned Polycom VVX phone will never ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file, we are creating the 000413788956-directory.xml file and putting all existed contacts there - 100 Marios Petrides, 101 Socratis Nicolaou and 102 Ioannis Kadis
* I'm going to Phones page of 3CX PBX and re-provisioning my Polycom phone. It reboots, asks for the 000413788956-directory.xml file and updates own directory. Now I have 3 contacts on the phone.

On the last step, we will also update the 000000000000-directory.xml shared contacts file (for the future Polycom phones) and the existed MAC-directory.xml files (so you can re-provision and update the directory of that Polycom phones too).

You will ask Why we are not creating MAC-directory.xml files from the beginning?
Very easy, some Polycom phones are don't have support for the personal contacts (MAC-directory.xml file) and works only by using the shared contacts (000000000000-directory.xml file).
This is why we need to have this type of functionality and "satisfy" all them;).

This is how it woks and need to be used.
 
@Aram that was a great explanation.
Thank you very much for your time on this, it is really appreciated (honestly, would not expect to get such a detailed response via a community forum, kudos to 3cx Support team).
On my two Polycoms I see the following inconsistencies from your described / expected behavior:

Diff #1
This step is always missing
"..After the reboot the Polycom will take the config file and will ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file..."

After the factory reset - they get the provisioning URL via DHCP Option 66, but once they contact the 3cx server via HTTP they never ask for 000000000000-directory.xml !

Diff #2:
One more difference from your described behavior, is that (if my understanding is correct) the Polycoms should never ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file again.
Well, mines actually do.
And they ask for it at their next provisioning (after I manually add a contact and reboot them).

The above sound like a Polycom-related issue to me.
If I could somehow manage to fix difference #1 and make the Polycoms ask what they are supposed to ask after a factory reset (000000000000-directory.xml), I believe that everything would be ok.

Again, many many thanks.
If you have any further suggestions, please let me know.

Καλημέρες στο team,
George
 
@Aram that was a great explanation.
Thank you very much for your time on this, it is really appreciated (honestly, would not expect to get such a detailed response via a community forum, kudos to 3cx Support team).
On my two Polycoms I see the following inconsistencies from your described / expected behavior:

Diff #1
This step is always missing
"..After the reboot the Polycom will take the config file and will ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file..."

After the factory reset - they get the provisioning URL via DHCP Option 66, but once they contact the 3cx server via HTTP they never ask for 000000000000-directory.xml !

Diff #2:
One more difference from your described behavior, is that (if my understanding is correct) the Polycoms should never ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file again.
Well, mines actually do.
And they ask for it at their next provisioning (after I manually add a contact and reboot them).

The above sound like a Polycom-related issue to me.
If I could somehow manage to fix difference #1 and make the Polycoms ask what they are supposed to ask after a factory reset (000000000000-directory.xml), I believe that everything would be ok.

Again, many many thanks.
If you have any further suggestions, please let me know.

Καλημέρες στο team,
George
ευχαριστω George,
For Diff #1
It's a some limitation from the Polycom phones that needs to reported to them.
So, when the phone is provisioned using the Option66 it asks for the configuration file and not for the directory, logo...
If the phone provisioned using the Provisioning URL (put Provisioning URL directly to the phone and reboot) everything works perfectly.

To fix the Option66 issue just simply restart the phone after it provisioned (provision using Option66, wait it to come up and restart again). I did the same and restart fixed it for me:
upload_2018-7-20_12-42-11.png

For Diff #2
They can ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file when:
1. The phone didn't download it after the provisioning (Diff#1)
2. You add/edit/delete the contact manually and phone tries to update/synchronize all (shared & personal) contacts.
 
We certainly have a difference here.
Using option 66 after a factory reset, my Polycoms ask for the configuration file <MAC>.cfg and a few milliseconds later (almost instantly), they ask for the logo, the <Mac>-directory.xml, etc as well.
One more reboot after that provisioning still does not trigger them to ask for 000000000000-directory.xml.
I will report this to Polycom and see what they say.
Please let us leave this thread open for a couple of days.

Many thanks,
George
 
Hi @Aram
Polycom came back mentioning that this is a known issue, published in 5.6.2 Release Notes:

"After a factory reset, the VVX business media phone is unable to download the directory files for the first time from the provisioning server"

https://support.polycom.com/content...-notes/en/uc-software-5-6-2-release-notes.pdf

So, I am not quite sure how in your case, a factory reset Polycom actually asked for 000000000000-directory.xml after a factory reset.

Regards,
George

 
Hi @Aram
Polycom came back mentioning that this is a known issue, published in 5.6.2 Release Notes:

"After a factory reset, the VVX business media phone is unable to download the directory files for the first time from the provisioning server"

https://support.polycom.com/content...-notes/en/uc-software-5-6-2-release-notes.pdf

So, I am not quite sure how in your case, a factory reset Polycom actually asked for 000000000000-directory.xml after a factory reset.

Regards,
George
Hi George,
Are you carefully read the steps that I wrote in my "real example"?
Please have a look again:
....
* I reset the phone to factory settings
* When it comes up, I put the Provisioning URL to the phone and reboot it (the same can be done using the DHCP option 66).
* After the reboot the Polycom will take the config file and will ask for the 000000000000-directory.xml file.

....
As you can see, I wrote that the phone asks for the "00000-directory" after "I put the Provisioning URL to the phone and reboot it". The phone can't ask for the directory when it's reset to factory settings - it don't have the URL to ask for it.
In your case, due that you are using the DHCP Option 66, the scenario a bit different.
After the factory reset the phone boots up and takes the config server URL from the Option 66. Using that URL, the phone is requesting the config file form 3CX PBX and gets it. Register, provisioned, but not asking for the directory.
In my case - the phone is requesting 0000-directory after I reboot it at the second time.
In your case it's requesting the MAC-directory only and I have no idea why.

Anyway, as a workaround for your particular case, I can suggest the following:
* Take all your existed Polycom phones that you are planning to use on your PBX
* Add the MAC addresses of these Polycom phones to the appropriate extensions (you don't need to turn on and provision them now - just add the MAC addresses).
* After the all MAC addresses will be added, go to Extensions page of 3CX PBX and add one fake extension (with First Name and Last Name ). Later you can delete it.

As soon as you will do this, the MAC-directory files will be created for all existed Polycom phones and you will be able to turn on and provision all your Polycom phones at any time.

If it's not a solution for you, I think, you need to open a support ticket, so our guys will check why your phones are not asking for the 0000-directory file.
 
Hi @Aram
We were having the parameter PERS_PHBK_ONLY set to 1, probably this is why the Polycom never asked for the generic directory file after its first provisioning.
Worth to mention that before figuring this out, i tried the steps you suggested above:
- Added one fake extension under the extensions tab (suggested in your latest comment)
- Added one fake contact under the Contacts tab
None of them triggered 3cx server to create the <MAC>-directory.xml file.
Creating a contact directly on the desk phone made the Polycom get the whole directory, however, as it happened since my first comments.

Since we have now found the solution (PERS_PHBK_ONLY = 0) , this is of low importance, but I would still be curious to know why the specific MAC directory file was never created after adding a new extension and/or a new contact.

Regards,
George
 
I built a simple little directory app for our VVX 500s and 600s. We use the VoipTools modules to export data from our 3cx server then a simple web app to build a searchable directory and add it to the apps on these phones.

It may not be the official way, but it works out well and is always up to date.

Thanks,
David
 
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