Configure TelePresence Management Suite Provisioning Extension

Prerequisites

  • Cisco TMS software release 15.0 or later must be installed.

  • Cisco TMSPE software release 1.5 or later must be installed and enabled in Cisco TMS.

  • WebEx must be configured on Cisco TMS.

    • Cisco WebEx option key

    • One or more WebEx sites

Single sign-on or specified WebEx credentials for each user.

Cisco highly recommends that Single Sign On is configured for Cisco TMS and WebEx for easy addition and management of users.


Note

If Single Sign On is not configured In Cisco TMS, you must manually add a WebEx username and password for each Cisco TMS Smart Scheduler user that will schedule meetings with WebEx.

For details on how to configure Cisco TMS, see Configuring Single Sign On in Cisco TMS.

  • Smart Scheduler requires one of the following browsers:

    • Microsoft Internet Explorer - version 10 or later

    • Mozilla Firefox - version 29 or later

    • Apple Safari - version 7 or later for Mac OS X and iPad

    • Google Chrome - version 34 or later

Introduction

Smart Scheduler is a part of the Cisco WebEx and TelePresence solution, allowing users to schedule telepresence meetings with WebEx.

With Smart Scheduler users can schedule Cisco TelePresence meetings with and without WebEx.

Any bookable system in Cisco TMS can be scheduled directly. Any system that is not supported by Cisco TMS booking can be scheduled as a call-in participant, including devices provisioned by Cisco TMSPE.

The option to include WebEx in a meeting is available in the Smart Scheduler booking form if Cisco WebEx has been set up with Cisco TMS.


Note

The default date and time format for a new meeting is dd.mm.yyyy and 24-hour time format. Each user can change these default settings by clicking their name or the wrench icon in the upper-right portion of the Smart Scheduler window. This setting is saved as a cookie in the each browser used.

User Access to Cisco TMSPE

Users with the necessary credentials can reach Smart Scheduler using:

http://<Cisco TMS Server Hostname>/tms/booking/ 

Example: http://example-tms.example.com/tms/booking/


Users who already use Cisco TMS can also click the portal icon in the upper right corner to go to Smart Scheduler and FindMe.

Creating a Redirect to Smart Scheduler

It is also possible to create an HTTP redirect using the following HTML code:

<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Refresh" CONTENT="0; URL= https://<Cisco TMS Server Hostname>/tmsagent/tmsportal/#scheduler"> <title>Cisco TelePresence Management Suite Smart Scheduler</title> </head> <body> </body> </html>

Access Rights and Permissions

Access to Smart Scheduler works the same as access to Cisco TMS.

Users must have one of the following accounts:

  • A local account on the Cisco TMS Windows Server

  • A domain account that the server trusts through Active Directory. By making the server a member of the domain, all trusted domain users can automatically use their existing Windows credentials.

A Cisco TMS user account will be created for them when they access the site if one does not exist already.


Note

The actual booking is not created directly by the individual user, but on their behalf by the Cisco TMSPE service user added during installation. Booking permissions will therefore be the same for all users.

Time Zone Display

Bookings are created using the time zone of the user's web browser (determined by the time zone of the user's operating system).

Within the scheduler itself, the time zone of the web browser and operating system is displayed.

How Smart Scheduler Works

Procedure
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1When a domain user signs into Smart Scheduler and books a meeting, the request is passed to Cisco TMS.   
    Step 2This communication goes through the Cisco TelePresence Management Suite Extension Booking API (Cisco TMSBA).   
    Step 3The Cisco TMS user entered during installation of Cisco TMSPE is the service user for Smart Scheduler. This user creates the booking in Cisco TMS on behalf of the Cisco TMSPE user.    
    Step 4If the Cisco TMSPE user does not already exist in Cisco TMS, it will be created at the same time as the booking.   
    Step 5When the booking is complete, Cisco TMS sends an email confirmation to the user who booked the meeting. The message containing meeting details including route, scheduled systems, WebEx information, and so on, may then be forwarded to the other meeting participants.   

    Limitations

    Cisco strongly recommends that meetings scheduled in Cisco TMS not be modified using Smart Scheduler, as this interface and does not support all features and options that may have been chosen for the meeting in Cisco TMS.

    • Exceptions to recurrent meeting series are not supported in Smart Scheduler. Any modification will be applied to all instances.

    • Smart Scheduler will rename call-in participants added from Cisco TMS.