timeout session when inactive

[bit101]

Hi there,

does anyone know if there is a possibility to set a timeout after X minutes or hours when a webclient is not active because of closing the app/browser or when the computer is off?

regards

 

[NicholasP_3CX]

No this is not possible because the endpoint still maintains an active session.

 

[bit101]

Hi @NicholasP_3CX ,

thanks for the info! Do you know if the API supports an "logout" from Webclient when the computer is shutting down? If so i could write a script.

 

[DanielMaximiano]

No, it’s not possible because 3CX has a poor design in this regard.

 

[VoIPTools]

I am not sure how far down the rabbit hole you want to go with this, but it is certainly possible for Windows to identify when the user is idle and display a screen saver. It is also possible to capture when a logout, or shut down event happens in Windows. Further, it should be possible to identify when the web client is being closed.

Doing all of these things would require a service or client of some kind installed and running on each computer to monitor for these events... and then do something about it. One option might be to change the user's status to Away. Add that to the list of requirements and what that requires.

I am fairly confident we could capture the majority, if not all, of the important events. While it might take a week or two to build a prototype client service, taking the prototype and making it a "real" solution is going to add significantly more time (time is money one way or another).

I always have to ask the question -- of all the priorities I have sitting on my desk, is this the most important thing I need to focus on for the next month? Is it worth the effort? I'm going to need to create a service, an installer, and because I have 1000 endpoints, I'm going to need to support automation because I do not want to run around to 1000 PCs every time there is an update, and that includes recognizing when an updated version is available, and then present a "upgrade now" button, and installation guides, etc., etc., etc.

The first questions should be (1) Is it technically possible (yes), (2) how far down the rabbit hole do I want to go with features/polish, and (3) does the effort required justify the necessary investment in time/money?

I performed a quick ChatGPT asking if there was a free utility that could capture the events for you. Maybe not all the desired events, but even Windows Task Scheduler can apparently detect and take actions on idle, logout, or shutdown. If that's good enough, then you just have to figure out how to call the 3CX xAPI to change the user's presence status. Is this approach easily distributable to 1000 computers?

 

[Vali_3CX]

We already tried this 6-8 years ago on a desktop client and we had to rollback due to these major showstoppers:
- if no network when closing the laptop's lid -> unable to toggle, remain Available
- switching to Away/DND/Not Registered when closing laptop's lid -> no incoming (aka lost important) calls on mobile apps

 

[VoIPTools]

I should point out that It was never mentioned "why" this feature is needed.

• Interesting how closing the lid disables the network before you can send an API call. Glad I said we could probably capture "most" events.
  
  
• No doubt, changing your status to "Away" is global for the extension and impacts more than just your web client. But for many environments, if you are away from your desk, you are not available -- for example, a call center agent.
  
  
• You could set your "Away" status to route calls to your mobile phone (if you still want to get calls when you are away from your desk).
  
  
• While a company-wide policy may be desirable, it seems reasonable that some people -- roaming supervisors for example -- might need the ability to opt-out of the utility (or temporarily disable).
  
  
• There is only so much we can do to protect people from themselves. If they choose to close the lid on their laptop without first switching their status, well...
  
  
• You have more experience with this feature than many, so I will defer. Apparently, in your environment / tests, the utility drawbacks were worse than nothing. I can see that, for sure. However, I can also envision scenarios where having no utility is worse than nothing.
  
  
• Perhaps the problem we are trying to solve is people walking away from their desk while still logged into a queue. You do not want callers waiting while the absent agent's phone rings needlessly. Another approach to the problem might be to count missed calls. Our 3CX Queue Notifier tool monitors agents for missed calls. If they miss consecutive calls (you set the threshold), we log them out of the queue automatically and notify the manager / user by email that they were logged out due to inactivity. Maybe that is an option?