Uptivity Server Management Overview

Server Maintenance

As with other IT systems, your Uptivity system server(s) may be subject to planned shutdowns or restarts for maintenance windows, as well as occasional unplanned Windows server outages.

A common reason for maintenance windows is the application of Microsoft server updates (patches, hot fixes, and so forth), since these usually cause system restarts. NICE inContact has found that Microsoft updates typically do not affect Uptivity. However, there is no guarantee that this statement will always hold true.

Points to consider when planning server maintenance include:

  • Uptivity applications and modules are typically installed as Windows services, and are configured to automatically start when the server restarts. NICE Uptivity Survey, when using traditional telephony, is not typically configured to start automatically; contact Uptivity Support if you have questions.
  • If calls are being recorded when the system is shut down, those calls are lost. A file of the recorded audio is retained, but no call record is created, and the audio file is not transcoded (if applicable).
  • The system does not restart calls that were in the recording process at the time of the shutdown.
  • If the Transcoder is processing a call when the system is shut down, the Transcoder will reprocess that call after the restart unless the maximum number of attempts has already been reached.
  • If your system includes NICE Uptivity Speech Analytics and a call is being analyzed at the time of restart, the speech analytics engine will reprocess that call. NICE Uptivity Speech Analytics is installed on one or more dedicated servers, apart from other Uptivity applications and modules, so the only effect of work on the primary Uptivity server should be an interruption in calls available for processing.
  • If users are performing evaluations or creating evaluation or survey forms, all unsaved changes are lost.
  • Scheduled processes (for example, report subscriptions) can be affected by shutdowns. As an administrator, you should be aware of when these processes occur and schedule server maintenance windows accordingly.
  • The sequence in which Uptivity applications and modules are started or stopped does not matter.

You should shut down any Uptivity applications and services prior to scheduled server maintenance, shutdowns, or restarts. The preferred method is to use the Service Manager in the NICE Uptivity Web Portal. Windows Task Manager can be used for any applications that are not available in the Service Manager.

When the server is restarted, the Uptivity applications and modules should restart and function normally. You can verify this in the Service Manager. You should always confirm that recording and all other functions are operating normally after completing any server maintenance.

Disk Space Management

If Uptivity servers do not have adequate disk space, critical system functions may stop, including voice recording, screen recording, or both. This section explains common disk space management issues and how you can address them.

Plan for Growth

During the sales and installation processes, Uptivity Sales Engineers use your data to recommend the amount of disk space needed. Estimating future growth and changes is difficult. These common changes can alter the amount of disk space required for your system:

  • Adding voice channels
  • Adding NICE Uptivity Screen Recording to your system or adding workstations to be recorded
  • Changing desktop resolution on recorded workstations
  • Changing recording retention periods
  • Increasing call volumes

If your organization is or will be experiencing changes of this nature, contact Uptivity Support for assistance in recalculating disk space requirements.

Remove Patches and Installers

Files used during installation and maintenance may not need to remain on the server. Examples include Uptivity or Windows software patches, download wizards, and installation wizards. Uptivity Installation and Support engineers attempt to remove all unnecessary Uptivity files. Be sure to remove any unnecessary software when you do maintenance work, such as changes to the server operating system.

Set Up Disk Space Notifications in Uptivity

Disk space management can also be affected by settings on several Uptivity features. The default settings are adequate for most environments, but changes or specific situations may require setting adjustments.

Disk Space Notifications can be configured to warn you if space becomes an issue on any drive accessible to the Archiver service. If lack of disk space is a recurring issue, talk to Uptivity Support for a review of the following settings:

  • Logging — Make sure the system is not logging excessively and that files are not being saved longer than necessary.
  • Archiver and Archive Actions — Confirm files are being purged after they are no longer needed.
  • Recording Schedules — Confirm schedules do not have excessive retention days and are tied to Archive Actions or purging.
  • Transcoder

Delete Files from Content Library Upload Directory

Files uploaded to the Content Library through the NICE Uptivity Web Portal are stored on the Uptivity server. When a file is deleted from the Content Library in the NICE Uptivity Web Portal, only the reference to the file is deleted. The actual file remains stored on the server with the filename updated to the timestamp of the deletion.

If disk space becomes an issue, you may want to manually delete any files from the server that have been deleted through the NICE Uptivity Web Portal. Contact Uptivity Support for assistance if needed.

Delete Log Files after Issues Are Resolved

During service issues, log files grow significantly. After an issue is resolved, you can clear disk space by manually deleting or editing these files if they are no longer needed. You can also reset any logging levels that were increased for troubleshooting purposes, adjusting them to a normal level.

Automatically Delete Temporary Files

Windows and IIS generate many temporary files that are retained indefinitely. These log files are mainly for troubleshooting and reviewing security. If neither of those issues is of immediate interest to you, the files can be deleted periodically. Contact Uptivity Support for assistance.

Related Tasks

Related References