Configuring Live Chat to work with BMC Helix Single Sign-On
As an administrator, you can configure Live Chat to work with BMC Helix Single Sign-On so that support agents do not have to authenticate themselves when connecting to Live Chat.
Before you begin
Ensure that you have enabled and integrated the application in which you want to use Live Chat. For example, Smart IT. For more information, see Integrating.
To configure Live Chat to work with BMC Helix Single Sign-On
- From the IT Home page, select Live Chat > Administration Console.
- Select Self Service Portal > Configuration.
On the Self Service Portal Configuration page, make sure that the following entries are enabled:
- Authentication - Remedy Single Sign On
- Authentication - People Profile (Login ID)
- Authentication - Support Agent Console
- Select the Show Disabled checkbox
- Click the entry that you want to enable.
- On the Self Service Configuration page, in the Status section, select Enabled.
- Click Save.
On the Self Service Portal Configuration page, perform the following steps to disable the following entries:
- Authentication - MidTier Sign On (Typically SSO)
- Authentication - Single Sign On (People Form)
- Click the entry that you want to disable.
- On the Self Service Configuration page, in the Status section, select Disabled.
- Click Save.
- On the Self Service Portal Configuration page, click Apply.
- Click Refresh Servlets.
The following image shows the Self Service Portal Configuration page with the enabled and disabled entries:
Live Chat configuration settings
Use these recommendations for the Live Chat/agent file-level configuration settings.
Port checks
Consider the following points for the live chat port checks:
- Make sure that the ports 6225 and 6226 are open.
- Telnet Test
Attempt a telnet session from the AR System server(s) to the Mid Tier server(s) via ports 6225 and 6226.- If the session connects, the port is open.
- If the telnet session will not connect, the port is not open.
Mid Tier file-level checks
Consider the following points for the Mid Tier file-level checks:
- Verify the file size and dates of the following ACTIVE files located in the ...\webapps directory:
- eschat.war
- programd.war
- For a Live Chat installation with no hotfixes on Windows, the ACTIVE file must exactly match the file at the following location:
.....\BMC Software\BMCVirtualAgent\VirtualAgentComponents\midtier
For installation on Linux, the location is <location>. If HOTFIXES have been applied to this version, review the hotfix manifest and see if there was an eschat.war file or programd.war file included in the hotfix. If so, the ACTIVE war files must exactly match the file in the hotfix.
- Check the cnslb parameter in the eschat_config.properties file located in …/webapps/eschat/Web-Inf/classes
- (For Live Chat 9.1.02) After installing, check the eschat_config.properties file to see whether the cnslb parameter contains a value. If it contains a value, delete the value so that the configuration is <cnslb></cnslb>.
- (For Live Chat 9.1.01) This value must contain the server name of all the other Mid Tier servers in this environment on which the Live Chat is installed, excluding the actual Mid Tier server.
Example
Assume a three Mid Tier server system.
The eschat_config.properties file resides on this_servers_name1. The other two servers in this system are this_servers_name2 and this_servers_name3.
For example: <cnslb> this_servers_name2;this_servers_name3</cnslb>
The <cns> value must contain the server name of the Mid Tier server on which it resides and uses the format as follows:
Example
<ar_tcp> | The tcp port number for the AR servers. |
<ar_p> | User password. This password will be encrypted for the first time the eschat_config.properties file is accessed by Tomcat. |
<ar_user> | It must be a Remedy admin account and must be an account dedicated to this tool. |
<ar_server> | In a multi-server environment, the <ar_server> value must be the name of the AR Server Group or AR Load Balancer VIP. |
Review the ESDVFBase.jar file:
- Compare the file size and timestamp of the ESDVFBase.jar files in the following locations (on the same server):
…midtier/LocalPlugins/ESDVFBase/
(This file is the ACTIVE file being used by the application. Make sure it matches the correct version.)
- If this installation is a Live Chat installation with NO HOTFIXES, the ACTIVE file must exactly match the file in the following location:
…\Program Files\BMC Software\BMCVirtualAgent\VirtualAgentComponents\ESDVFBase
(Linux locations will vary)
- If there have been HOTFIXES applied to this version, review the hotfix manifest and see if there was an ESDVFBase.jar file included in the hotfix. If so, the ACTIVE ESDVFBase.jar file should exactly match the file in the hotfix.
AR System server file-level checks
Consider the following points for the AR System server file-level checks, which apply to all the AR System servers in the environment:
- Compare the file sizes and dates of the following jar files:
- SupportBotPlugin.jar
- ESChatToolsPlugin.jar
- ESChatNotificationServerPlugin.jar
- ESTranslatePlugin.jar
The ACTIVE jar files are located in the following directory:
…/BMCSoftware\BMCARSystem\pluginsvr\BMCVirtualAgentPlugin
If this installation is a Live Chat installation with NO HOTFIXES, then the ACTIVE file should exactly match the file in the following location:
…\Program Files\BMC Software\BMCVirtualAgent\VirtualAgentComponents\plugins
(Linux locations will vary)
If there have been HOTFIXES applied to this version, review the hotfix manifest, and see if the jar files were included in the hotfix. If so, the ACTIVE jar file must exactly match the file in the hotfix.
Important: You can determine whether hotfixes were applied to the environment by checking the Update History tab of the Chat Administration Console.
- Check pluginsvr_config.xml file in the pluginsvr directory.
- Review the timestamp of the file.
- Confirm that the file is updated during the installation of Live Chat.
- Specifically, review the accuracy of each of the four sections that refer to the four jar files mentioned in jar files.
- Review ar.conf/ar.cfg file and make sure the accuracy of the four entries for the four relevant jar files mentioned in jar files.
General Virtual Agent administration console configuration checklist
In the Chat Admin Console verify the accuracy of the configuration items listed in this section.
The following table provides the general Virtual Agent configuration checklist:
Chat server settings |
|
Live chat hours | If the Chat application status includes Live Agent, make sure there is at least one schedule which lists the Chat Application Status as Available. |
Language translation | Check to see if the Automatic Language Translation is set to ON or OFF.
|
Notification settings | Verify the correct configuration of the Server Base URL field. Example of load balanced configuration: |
Support queues | Review to see whether the Topics and Support Queues boxes are checked. |
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