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Running your system
Looking after your server safely. Choose a guide by its title and summary, or start with the beginner lessons if you are new to VICIdial.
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Guides for running your system
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B01Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 1What VICIdial doesUnderstand how an administrator prepares calling work and an agent uses VICIdial to call a contact and record the result.B02Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 2What user, phone, campaign, list and lead meanLearn five VICIdial building blocks using one small practice campaign, and distinguish an agent's account from the station used for audio.B03Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 3Check your practice systemFind your two HTTPS addresses, check the SIP/WebRTC prerequisites and prepare the exact internal route before creating the course records.B04Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 4Open Admin and find your waySign in to the practice Admin interface and find the menus used to create your lab records.B05Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 5Create a user group and agentMake a small lab group and a level-one agent, then check the saved records before adding a phone.B10Running your systemBeginner course · Lesson 10Log in as an agent and check your audioUse the phone and agent logins in order, then prepare the lab webphone while paused.B11Running your systemBeginner lab · Lesson 11Make your first practice callCheck every prerequisite, preview one synthetic lead, test internal Echo audio and match the saved disposition to a report row.F01Running your systemStart here · foundationsLinux terminal basics: safely move around a serverGet a disposable lab VM, then learn the shell prompt, paths, commands and safe inspection before you ever touch a VICIdial host.F02Running your systemStart here · foundationsLinux files and text: create, read and search safelyUnderstand files, directories and text streams, then practice on a file you create and a real file that already exists, before reading configuration or call logs.F03Running your systemStart here · foundationsLinux users and permissions: read access before changing itLearn ownership, rwx permissions and sudo boundaries by contrasting a file you create with two real system files, without weakening a server.F04Running your systemStart here · foundationsLinux packages: apt, zypper and safe updatesDetect which package manager a host actually has, then inspect Debian/Ubuntu and openSUSE packages safely before installing telephony software.F05Running your systemStart here · foundationsInspect Linux services and logs for VICIdialUse systemctl and journalctl to inspect the affected service and incident window without restarting it.F06Running your systemStart here · foundationsSSH basics: connect and verify a server identityMake an SSH connection safely, understand host keys and avoid accepting an unexpected server.74Running your systemStage 4 · Stock ViciBox labInside a running ViciBox lab: processes, screens and AsteriskTour a running ViciBox Express lab from the command line: find the screen sessions astguiclient depends on, ask Asterisk directly about its own health, and confirm the supporting services are active — all before you trust a browser login alone.75Running your systemStage 4 · Stock ViciBox labInside a running ViciBox lab: the VICIdial filesystem mapTour the VICIdial filesystem map on a running ViciBox lab: where the Perl scripts live, where their logs land, which configuration keys are safe to read, and why the completed-recordings folder is looked at but never listed in full.76Running your systemStage 3 · Debian-family pathUbuntu and Debian basics before a VICIdial installRecognize a Debian-family host by its package tooling, and understand why this curriculum's hands-on lab path is ViciBox — an openSUSE-based appliance — rather than a from-scratch Ubuntu or Debian install.77Running your systemStage 3 · Generic openSUSEGeneric openSUSE basics for VICIdial learners: zypper, firewalld and servicesLearn generic openSUSE administration — zypper and firewalld — without pretending that a plain openSUSE host is a stock ViciBox installation.78Running your systemStage 3 · Platform choiceViciBox vs generic openSUSE vs Ubuntu/Debian for VICIdial beginnersCompare three starting points and land on one answer for this curriculum: the stock ViciBox appliance is the lab path, while generic openSUSE and Ubuntu/Debian are explicitly not — because ViciBox couples the base system to a working telephony stack that this library actually walks you through.79Running your systemStage 3 · Version statusViciBox version status: why ViciBox 12 and ViciBox 13 are lab-only lessonsA dated safety boundary for ViciBox learners: ViciBox 12 is based on Leap 15.6, now confirmed end of life, and ViciBox 13 remains beta. Treat both as isolated labs, not production defaults, until the vendor's own status changes.80Running your systemStage 4 · Stock ViciBox labWhat stock ViciBox is: the appliance, phases and safe lab boundaryUnderstand what the stock ViciBox appliance changes, what Phase 1 and Phase 2 do, why this curriculum's install path stops short of a production recommendation, and what your lab VM needs before you boot the ISO.81Running your systemStage 4 · Stock ViciBox labViciBox 12 Phase 1 lab checklist: ISO boot, target disk and first loginA safety-first checklist for observing ViciBox 12 Phase 1 in a disposable VM: the confirmation dialog before disk destruction, the first-root-login wizard, its own password shortcut you should not take, and how to tell Phase 1 actually finished.83Running your systemStage 4 · Stock ViciBox labCreate a read-only database account for safe VICIdial queriesSet up a local SELECT-only login, store it in a root-only MariaDB option file, and prove which account and database your next query will use. Includes the complete lab recipe and recovery for each failed check.FB3Running your systemCall capacity · safe triageVICIdial overlapping calls: triage overload before changing dial settingsPredictive pacing counts agents it believes are free the instant it decides to dial; when that headcount is stale, the surplus connects arrive with nobody available. Measure the pacing setting, live agent state, and the PDROP-versus-DROP split before touching anything.34Running your systemFirst loginSign in to VICIdial Admin and AgentOpen the Admin and Agent screens and identify which credentials each form asks for.42Running your systemInbound queue tuningConfigure an inbound queue and its exitsReview agent selection, call time, no-agent behavior and timeout destinations for SALESDEMO.49Running your systemLinked training syllabusVICIdial admin training: a practical path from lab access to checked resultsFollow the current browser course in order, verify each saved dependency, then choose the separate carrier, inbound and reporting tasks your role needs.46Running your systemScaling architectureScaling VICIdial: designing a multi-server cluster for 500+ agentsSplit VICIdial's web, database, dialer/telephony, and archive/reporting roles onto separate servers, understand why the database usually hurts first, and learn what a report slave and cluster-wide shared state actually require before you promise a 500-agent number.52Running your systemServer lockdown checklistAudit VICIdial SSH, firewall and service accessBuild a verified access map for SSH, SIP, web and management services. Inspect effective policy, test permitted and denied paths, and record exact changes and recovery instead of inferring security from a port listing.58Running your systemAppliance installation pathInstall ViciBox 12 in a lab and reach a secure first loginBoot the correct ViciBox 12 ISO, complete the Phase 1 base operating system install and root wizard, run Phase 2 with vicibox-express (or vicibox-install for a cluster), confirm Asterisk and the web stack actually came up, then change the default 6666 password before the box is reachable from the internet.59Running your systemPlatform decisionInstalling VICIdial on AlmaLinux 9 or Rocky Linux 9What genuinely differs between the RHEL family and the Debian family for a VICIdial install, how SELinux, PHP and package sources affect the decision, where to inspect community-maintained installers, and a straight decision rule for choosing between ViciBox's lab-only appliance path, a from-scratch RHEL-family build, or the scratch-install instructions posted on the VICIdial forum for the Debian family.60Running your systemPlatform migrationMigrating VICIdial off CentOS 7: what to carry, what to verify, before cutoverCentOS Linux 7 stopped receiving updates in mid-2024. Pick a replacement target, carry the database, recordings, configuration, cron and carrier setup across deliberately, and verify the new server before any carrier trunk points at it.21Running your systemPlatform decision worksheetCompare Talkdesk and VICIdial using workload, responsibilities and total costSeparate billed users from peak simultaneous agents, compare the same workflows and complete a cost and acceptance record with clearly labeled fictional examples.67Running your systemCurrent quote questionsRingCX vs VICIdial: questions for a current quoteCompare RingCX published plan information and a current written quote with VICIdial hosting, carrier and operating costs.68Running your systemCCaaS licensing comparisonGenesys Cloud CX vs VICIdial: the license model is the decisionCompare current Genesys Cloud CX licensing terms against VICIdial operating costs using a verified roster, session history and written quote.71Running your systemGrowth signals, measured not guessedWhen to outgrow VICIdial: test the requirement before decidingBuild an evidence record for the actual unmet requirement, compare a bounded improvement with a managed alternative, and test the workflow on both. VICIdial has native chat and inbound email; channel names alone do not establish feature fit.72Running your systemSafety and complianceEmergency calling from a VICIdial agent desk: verify the route and locationA source search cannot establish how an installation handles emergency calls. Check the installed dialplan, carrier configuration and location handling with the provider and qualified counsel; use only the provider’s designated test procedure.11Running your systemCapacity planningVICIdial VPS requirements and cost: separate a lab floor from production capacityA purchasing framework that avoids turning a tiny successful lab into a misleading production quote.14Running your systemDecision worksheetCompare managed VICIdial hosting and self-hosting on the same basisFill a responsibility matrix and comparable cost worksheet, then rule out options that fail recovery, support or integration requirements.15Running your systemRecovery designVICIdial backup and disaster recovery: design for a tested RTO/RPOA recovery architecture analysis that labels assumptions and drills rather than pretending an unobserved restore is a step-by-step guide.22Running your systemDelivery setupPlan a VICIdial sales-recording SFTP exportPlan a filtered recording export and verify authenticated SFTP delivery using synthetic data before scheduling.24Running your systemMedia security designCheck VICIdial recording access and retentionLocate a test recording and confirm access, storage and retention responsibilities with their owners.28Running your systemDefense-in-depth analysisVICIdial hardening priorities and their limitsClose the exposed ports and anonymous SIP first, then stage 2FA and IP controls with tested recovery paths; no single setting makes a dialer secure or compliant.31Running your systemDeployment decisionVICIdial cloud vs dedicated server: a testable decision frameworkCompare operating responsibilities, isolation, recovery and route evidence—not assumed capacity, benchmark figures or pricing.19Running your systemDatabase referenceInspect the VICIdial database and trace a test leadFind the configured database, inspect its tables and engines, and trace a test lead to its list and campaign using read-only queries.03Running your systemDuplicate-safe operationsDesign a duplicate-safe callback migrationResolve the intended lead, identify each scheduled callback separately, then check whether the supported write path can express that exact move before planning it.OPSRunning your systemPractical guideViciBox SSL: use vicibox-ssl, renew and troubleshootCheck your current certificate, prepare the ViciBox 11/12 wizard, verify the issued file before activation, then test HTTPS and WSS separately. Includes renewal recovery and the real lab issuance failure that the wizard mislabeled as success.OPSRunning your systemPractical guideInvestigate VICIdial performance without guessingCollect a time-bounded baseline for CPU, memory, disk, services and the database before changing configuration.OPSRunning your systemPractical guideCreate a VICIdial backup before maintenanceCreate a new private recovery set without overwriting an earlier one; keep the database and file capture inside the same approved quiet window.OPSRunning your systemPractical guideVICIdial SVN upgrade: the 3968 to 4037 lab caseStudy the recorded source and schema upgrade, identify what was actually verified, and build a version-specific rehearsal plan. The inspected revision 4037 installer’s --test flag does not prevent installation writes.96Running your systemInfrastructure · Installation choicesVICIdial installation methods: ViciBox ISO vs scratchCompare ViciBox ISO and scratch VICIdial installs: version checks, prerequisites, setup stages, validation, recovery and who should use each method.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationRecordings show Access forbidden: check the parent folder permissionsA recording link returns 403 Forbidden. If the web server cannot traverse /var/spool/asterisk, chmod 755 /var/spool/asterisk restores ordinary list and traversal permissions on that directory.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationPerl SSL stops loading after the ViciBox 12 package updateNet::SSLeay fails with undefined symbol: MD2, version OPENSSL_3.0.0; vicibox-install may then report that Internet connectivity was not detected.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationViciBox 12 PHP security update: verify the served runtimeThe official ViciBox advisory identifies critical PHP flaws and requires PHP 8.2.35 or later on ViciBox 12. There may be no visible application symptom.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationViciBox 13 Beta 4 installer cannot find the MariaDB socketvicibox-install fails with a local MySQL socket error at /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock while MariaDB is running with /run/mysql/mysql.sock.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationInbound call has dead air or delayed audioThe call connects but one side hears silence or audio starts late.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationWebRTC call does not bridge to the ready agentA browser call starts but does not join the intended ready-agent conference.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationInbound report time is wrongA report is consistently offset from the actual call time.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationCaller ID is wrong in a recording nameThe recording filename or metadata does not match the expected test call identity.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationMonitoring or whisper breaks after PJSIP migrationListen, whisper, or barge functions stop working after moving from chan_sip to PJSIP.BUGRunning your systemVersion-scoped investigationLead list work stalls on a database lockList processing stalls and the owner observes a lock or queue backlog.