Release Notes
From LIVECHAT Developer Zone Wiki
Contents |
System Architecture
The LIVECHAT Enterprise Edition is implemented in the client-server architecture. The elements that make up the system are: the service server, media server, api server, client application (web agent, agent application) and the database.
By design, LIVECHAT Enterprise Edition is a system to be used in environments where high security is the primary focus. It has been designed from the safety standpoint ensuring user authentication, protecting data from being intercepted and limiting the possibility of carrying out attacks on its particular elements.
The system functionality starts with a customer visiting the company corporate website where the LIVECHAT Contact Center monitoring system has been implemented. The appropriate web mechanisms (monitoring code) inform the server about the online visitor. The server, then, sends the visitor’s info to the agents associated with the specific license. The customer can initiate a chat with an agent at any time using the client application. The data is saved by the server in the database as well as in the cookie files. During the consecutive website visit, the system recognizes the online customer thanks to the information saved earlier. The system identifies each operator by license number, his/her identifier (client nick) and the password. Agents within a specific license have the ability to communicate with one another.
Contact Center Server
The server is responsible for distributing information about the monitored online customers who visit websites where LIVECHAT Contact Center service is active for the agent application users. It accepts the connection through the socket (TCP protocol) and through the HTTP procotol. For the socket connection, the port can be specified in the configuration file. Two types of clients communicate via the socket: controls and agent applications. The controls residing on the www server are called using JavaScript methods (on the client’s end) that are part of HTML pages. Socket controls communicate with the chat server and provide information about online customers. The data is linked to the environment variables: - referrer’s URL; - cookie files; - date of the last visit; - type of the browser being used by the online visitor; - client’s session identifier; - client invitation information. The above information, sent through the socket control, changes depending on the online visitor’s actions. The control reacts to page browsing on any website that uses the LIVECHAT Contact Center monitoring feature. All online visitor information is generated in the structure of the server and forwarded to appropriate agents belonging to a given license.
Media Server
Media Server is a relay server, responsible for handling varied media resources:
- screen sharing
- file sharing
- SIP/RTP server
- audio/video streaming using RTMP or RTMPT (RTMP over HTTP/S), conducted by Flash Media Server (FMS).
Enterprise API Server
Server API is an API that developer should use to create server application, such as new service or integrate this software with other services.
For more information on getting started with Server API, see the following documents:
Database
Database server (MySQL) is a data storage system reponsible for preserving chat transcripts, policy rules, user settings, contacts list and event logs.
Web Agent
This is the client-side web chat application that retrieves data from the server asynchronously in the background (Ajax- asynchronous JavaScript and XML). For advanced customization refer to WebAgent customization quide.
Agent
This is the rich client application with numerous features, like:
- visitor tracking
- live chat with the visitor
- bussiness instant messenger
- VoIP
- remote desktop
- user account management
For the complete list of features refer to this website and the user manual. For advanced customization guide refer to Tutorial on start using the API.
System Requirements
Go to System requirements page for more details.
Prerequisites & Configuration
DNS server
Make sure you have full FQDN hosthame before installing the software. If your hosthame is not FQDN, please set it. If your hostname is myhost.mydomain.com, all is ok.
MySQL database
- Create the „db_livechat” database
- Create the „LC<licence_id>” database (e.g. for license 123456, database LC123456 should be created)
- Set access rights to the database for new user
The user should be authorized to use the new databases.
LIVECHAT Server
The server requires GLIBC 2.3.6 or newer. Kernel 2.4+path or kernel 2.6 is needed if epoll technique is used.
The server configuration file (lc_serv.cfg) is used to control how the server operates. For more information about this file go to Configuration file reference.
Control Panel
The Web server is used to serve LIVECHAT Control Panel. Since the LIVECHAT Enterprise server uses ports 80 and 443, the Web server should use a different port (e.g. 8443) or a different IP address. Additionally, if the Control Panel is to be accessible through the SSL protocol, the Web server should be installed via HTTPS and properly configured. The Control Panel should be available to the agents within the company.
Recommended: Control Panel should be configured to be available on a limited number of workstations, i.e. on a local network only.
- Set up a virtual host (e.g. livechat.mydomain.com)
- Warrant the use of scripts .cgi and .pl in the virtual host catalog as well as the use of symbolic links
Sample httpd.conf file:
<VirtualHost %HTTP_HOST%:8443>
ServerName %HTTP_HOST%
DocumentRoot %MAINPATH%
<Directory %MAINPATH%>
Options FollowSymLinks ExecCGI
AllowOverride FileInfo
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .php
AddHandler application/x-httpd-php-source .phps
</Directory>
AddHandler cgi-script .pl .cgi .sh
ServerSignature Off
SSLEngine on
SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/apache2/ssl/livechat.ingsecurities.pl.key
SSLCertificateFile /etc/apache2/ssl/livechat.ingsecurities.pl.crt
</VirtualHost>
Sample ports.conf file:
Listen %HTTP_HOST%:8443
Add index.php to the list of predefined files:
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.htm index.shtml
Default coding setup:
The AddDefaultCharset parameter comes standard in the configuration file for the WWW server (Apache). It needs to be changed to AddDefaultCharset 0ff.
Advanced Configuration
Starting the service
Your Linux/Unix operating system requires root privileges to run server and bind to port lover than 1024. In order to increase the security we recommend to redirect 80 and 443 ports to 13200. Use the following commands:
iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth+ -p tcp --dport 80 -j REDIRECT --to-port 13200 iptables -t nat -A PREROUTING -i eth+ -p tcp --dport 443 -j REDIRECT --to-port 13200
Important note: ports 80, 443 and 13200 must be unblocked by the firewall.
Server can be started by executing the following command:
# lc_serv -d
Server Maintenance
Our technical support offers remote assistance for the LIVECHAT Enterprise Edition. Subscribe to a Software Update Channel to get the latest recommended updates as they become available. The Update Channel is used for updating the software as well as managing the system files, database and operating system. In order to subscribe to the service you must enable remote access to your server through SSH. For security reasons this service can be limited to allow connections just from the adress pool belonging to the LIVECHAT Software company. Contact us to learn more about the service.
Log files
Log files are disabled by default. Edit the configuration file to enable this feature. Remember to create LOGS folder inside the server folder. All server logs will be stored there.
The following parameters are available in the configuration file (lc_serv.cfg):
- LOG_NAME_SHORT – enabling short log names (no date), these work better with logrotate (0/1)
- LC_LOG_PATH – log catalog path
- LOG_PACKETS – creatinge packetsXXX.log (0/1) (default=0)
- LOG_EVENTS – creating eventsXXX.log (0/1) (default=0)
- LOG_SOCKETS – creating socketsXXX.log (0/1) (default=0)
- LOG_SCRIPT – creating lc_script.log (0/1) (default=0)
- LOG_CONTROL – creating logging script.cgi, control.cgi i button.cgi (0/1) (default=0)
After changing the server configuration or deleting the log files, the folloing command must be executed:
killall –HUP lc_serv
The logrotate program can be used to rotate files, used by administrators to manage logs on Apache, MTA, syslog, uthlog or PAM.
Server files
Files associated with lc_serv:
- lc_licence.cfg – license file (required)
- lc_serv.cfg – license file (required)
- livechat.cert – required certificate for SSL
- livechat.key_nopass – private key (no password) needed for SSL
- lc_verify_pub.key – public key used to verify perameter signature in IWCS0002C
- system/server/DesktopShare5/DesktopShare.exe
- system/server/DesktopShare5/DesktopShare_en.lcs
- system/server/DesktopShare5/DesktopShare_pl.lcs
- gfx/blackpoint.gif
- gfx/flash-install.gif
- gfx/invite_en.gif
- gfx/invite_pl.gif
- mail/new_licence_en.lcs – new license email notification
- mail/left_msg_en.lcs – email template when no operator is logged in
- mail/left_msg_pl.lcs – template of email sent when no operator is logged in
- template – files required when new license is created
- test_page/test_page_en.lcs
- test_page/test_page_pl.lcs
- FlashClient.swf
- crossdomain.xml – file used by Flashopen_chat.lcs
- print.lcs
- script.lcs
Contacts
For support issues send an email to support@livechatinc.com
Enterprise sales: sales@livechatinc.com, phone: +1 (800) 961 5061
