Softkey Templates

Softkeys extend the functions of nearly all Cisco IP Phones (with the exception of the 7902). As shown in Figure 16-4, softkeys are buttons along the side and bottom of the IP phone liquid crystal display (LCD) that point to functions and feature options on the LCD screen. Softkeys change depending on the status of the phone.

Figure 16-4. Softkeys Available on 7940, 7960, and 7970 Cisco IP Phones

Cisco CallManager provides softkey templates for administrator convenience. Softkey templates group softkeys that are used for common call-processing functions and applications. You can use these default softkey templates to provide standard softkey definitions for devices, or you can create custom templates.

Cisco CallManager, starting with Release 4.0, includes these five standard softkey templates:

• Standard IPMA Assistant
• Standard User
• Standard Feature
• Standard IPMA Manager
• Standard IPMA Shared Mode Manager

You cannot delete or modify these standard templates. However, you can create custom (nonstandard) templates to meet the needs of your organization.

Adding Softkey Templates

To create a nonstandard softkey template, you must first copy a standard template and make the modifications desired to this copy. Choose Device > Device Settings > Softkey Templates to access softkey templates. The Find and List Softkey Templates window shown in Figure 16-5 appears. Choose the standard template and click the Copy button. The Softkey Template Configuration window then displays the softkey template name, description, and applications that are associated with the template. You must rename the template with a new descriptive name. After you have entered a unique name, click the Insert button. The standard template is copied, and when you choose Back to Find/List Softkey Templates, the new softkey template is displayed. After the nonstandard template is made, application softkeys can be added or removed from the template.

Figure 16-5. Standard Softkey Template Listing

 

Modifying Softkey Availability and Positioning

You can add or delete softkeys or modify softkey positions in a nonstandard softkey template to customize the appearance of the softkeys on Cisco IP Phones. In the Softkey Templates field, choose the template in which you want to add or delete softkeys or modify the softkey positions. In the upper-right corner of the window, click the Configure Softkey Layout link. As shown in Figure 16-6, the Softkey Layout Configuration window is displayed with call states on the left and the Selected Softkeys pane on the right. You can select the softkeys that you want displayed for each call state.

Figure 16-6. Modifying Softkey Availability and Positioning

To add softkeys, select a softkey from the Unselected Softkeys pane and click the right arrow to move it to the Selected Softkeys pane. If the number of softkeys exceeds 16, an error message is displayed that states that you must remove some of the softkeys before continuing. To delete softkeys, select a softkey from the Selected Softkeys pane and click the left arrow to move it to the Unselected Softkeys pane. Click Update after completing either procedure.

To modify softkey positions, use the up and down arrows to rearrange the positions of the selected softkeys (the top position corresponds to the leftmost softkey on the IP phone). To save the modifications that you have made to the template, click Update.

After making modifications to softkey templates, you must restart the devices that are using the template.

Assigning Softkey Templates to Devices

You can assign softkey templates to devices in several ways. The template can be assigned in the Device Pool Configuration window (System > Device Pool), through a user device profile (Device > Device Settings > Device Profile), or on the device itself (Device > Phone).

For example, you might have a (standard or nonstandard) softkey template that you assign to a device pool to configure the majority of phones in your cluster, a different softkey template that you use for a feature that requires a device profile (for example, Extension Mobility), and a different softkey template that includes the Barge, Privacy, and Immediate Divert softkeys that you assign to a device belonging to a manager.

Figure 16-7 illustrates the Accounting User Softkeys template being assigned to a device pool.

Figure 16-7. Assigning Softkey Templates to Devices

 

Deleting Softkey Templates

Standard templates cannot be deleted. Only nonstandard templates can be deleted. If you want to delete a nonstandard softkey template, the template cannot be in use by any device in the Cisco CallManager system. If the softkey template is assigned to a device pool, user profile, or Cisco IP Phone, you will receive an error message stating that the template is in use when you attempt to delete it. You must remove the template from all devices before the template can be deleted.

To determine whether a softkey template is in use, click the Dependency Records link, located in the upper-right corner of the Softkey Template Configuration window. By default, CallManager disables the dependency records function because of its high CPU consumption on CallManager servers.

Note

Dependency records functionality causes high CPU usage when it is used. After it has been enabled, this task executes at below-normal priority and might take time to complete because of the dial plan size and complexity, CPU speed, and CPU requirements of other applications.

To enable dependency records, follow these steps:

Step 1.	Choose System > Enterprise Parameters.
Step 2.	Scroll to the CCMAdmin Parameters area of the window.
Step 3.	From the Enable Dependency Records drop-down menu, choose True. A message box displays a message about the consequences of enabling the dependency records. Read the information carefully before clicking OK.
Step 4.	Click OK. The field displays True.
Step 5.	Click Update.
Step 6.	Close the browser that you are using; then, reopen the browser. This action makes the parameter take effect for the entire system.

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