Authentication for CTI, JTAPI, and TAPI Applications
Unified Communications Manager allows you to secure the signaling connections and media streams between CTIManager and CTI/JTAPI/TAPI applications.
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We assume that you configured security settings during the CiscoJTAPI/TSP plug-in installation. We also assume that the Cluster Security Mode equals Mixed Mode, as configured in the Cisco CTL Client or through the CLI command set utils ctl. If these settings are not configured when you perform the tasks that are described in this chapter, CTIManager and the application connect via a nonsecure port, Port2748. Cisco's CTL client is no longer supported from Release 14. We recommend that you use the CLI command to switch the Unified Communications Manager server to Mixed Mode instead of the Cisco CTL Plugin. |
CTIManager and the application verify the identity of the other party through a mutually authenticated TLS handshake (certificate exchange). When a TLS connection occurs, CTIManager and the application exchange QBE messages via the TLS port, Port 2749.
To authenticate with the application, CTIManager uses the Unified Communications Manager certificate — either the self-signed certificate that installs automatically on the Unified Communications Manager server during installation or a third-party, CA-signed certificate that you uploaded to the platform.
After you generate the CTL file through the CLI command set utils ctl or the Cisco CTL Client, this certificate is added automatically to the CTL file. Before the application attempts to connect to CTIManager, the application downloads the CTL file from the TFTP server.
The first time that the JTAPI/TSP client downloads the CTL file from the TFTP server, the JTAPI/TSP client trusts the CTL file. We recommend that the download occur in a secure environment because the JTAPI/TSP client does not validate the CTL file. The JTAPI/TSP client verifies subsequent downloads of the CTL file; for example, after you update the CTL file, the JTAPI/TSP client uses the security tokens in the CTL file to authenticate the digital signature of the new CTL file it downloads. Contents of the file include the Unified Communications Manager certificates and CAPF server certificate.
If the CTL file appears compromised, the JTAPI/TSP client does not replace the downloaded CTL file; the client logs an error and attempts to establish a TLS connection by using an older certificate in the existing CTL file. The connection may not succeed if the CTL file has changed or is compromised. If the CTL file download fails and more than one TFTP server exists, you can configure another TFTP server to download the file. The JTAPI/TAPI client does not connect to any port under the following circumstances:
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The client cannot download the CTL file for some reason; for example, no CTL file exists.
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The client does not have an existing CTL file.
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You configured the application user as a secure CTI user.
To authenticate with CTIManager, the application uses a certificate that the Certificate Authority Proxy Function (CAPF) issues. To use TLS for every connection between the application and CTIManager, each instance that runs on the application PC must have a unique certificate. One certificate does not cover all instances. To ensure that the certificate installs on the node whereCisco Unified Communications Manager Assistant service is running, you configure a unique Instance ID for each Application User CAPF Profile Configuration or End User CAPF Profile Configuration in Cisco Unified Communications Manager Administration, as described in Application and End User CAPF Profile Configuration Settings .
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If you uninstall the application from one PC and install it on another PC, you must install a new certificate for each instance on the new PC. |
You must also add the application users or the end users to the Standard CTI Secure Connection user group in Unified Communications Manager to enable TLS for the application. After you add the user to this group and install the certificate, the application ensures that the user connects via the TLS port.