Fully-Qualified Domain Names

A domain name is the part of a network address that identifies which domain the address belongs to. You're probably familiar with the term as being the address of a website that you type into a browser's address bar, such as nice.com. Not all domain names are associated with websites.  Some domain names are used by applications and services to identify the host computer or server of that application or service. Most of the domain names that you need to allow for CXone are this kind of domain name.

A fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) is a complete domain name that includes a hostname, domain name, and top level domain (TLD). It specifies the exact location of a computer, resource, or host.

The syntax for FQDNs is: hostname.domain.TLD. For example, C4.incontact.com is one of the FQDNs required for instances of CXone on the C4 cluster. FQDNs can include subdomains, too, such as with this example, which is a globally-required FQDN for all clusters: production-uk-eu-west-2-screen-recording-bucket.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com.

Required FQDNs in CXone

CXone requires certain FQDNs be allowed through your organization's firewall. This permits CXone applications to function properly. Best practice is to allow all required FQDNs. If an FQDN is not allowed and a CXone application attempts to contact it, an error or failure can result. This can cause delays and a loss of business for your organization.

NICE CXone uses FQDN templates based on the following variables:

• {cluster} corresponds to the name of the cluster where your CXone system is located. In the lists of FQDNs, this variable has already been replaced with the cluster name.
• {custom} corresponds to a custom hostname requested by your organization. The custom variable can be assigned through several different CXone product features.
• {num} corresponds to an Engage QM Integrated host assignment.
• {businessunit} corresponds to your business unit number. You can find this in the CXone ACD application on the Business Unit page.

In the cluster-specific lists of FQDNs, some of the domain names include one of these variables. For example, screen{num}.engage.incontact.com. When you see them in the list, replace the variable with the appropriate information when adding the FQDN to your allowlist. If you're unsure how these variables apply to your CXone system, contact your CXone Account Representative for clarification.

If your organization has requested custom hostnames, they will follow one or more of the FQDN templates that include the {custom} variable. It's your responsibility to know about and configure this information, as well as to know what data center your custom hostname directs traffic to. Once you know the data center, you must allow the corresponding IP address blocks.

Discover Your Required FQDNs

To find the list of cluster-specific FQDNs required for your CXone system, you need to know your cluster name. This is a letter followed by a number. Clusters are region-based, and the letter in the name indicates the region where the cluster is located: 

• A: Australia
• C: North America, including FedRAMP
• E: Europe
• J: Japan
• L: Great Britain
• M: Canada

As a rule, the numbers are assigned to clusters in the order they're created within each region.

Other FQDNs are part of the requirements for voice implementations or for specific applications that your organization uses. To discover your FQDNs, you need to know: 

• Your cluster name.
• The complete list of CXone applications your organization is using.
• Whether your organization is using Integrated Softphone.

When you know this information, use the Discover Connectivity Requirements online help wizard to find the required FQDNs for your organization.