New Features and Enhancements in Session Monitor Release 6.0

New Features List

GUI Enhancements

The Session Monitor GUI has been updated to reflect an innovative and fresh modern look. With the updated sign-in process, the new green theme that enhances clarity, the new GUI provides a seamless, refreshing user experience. The new user interface has been designed with the latest UX standards. For a summary of the enhancements made, see GUI Enhancements and New Features in Session Monitor Release 6.0.

Password Policy Changes

Session Monitor now enforces Password Policy 3 as the default and only available option. Policies 1 and 2 are no longer available due to security concerns. To proceed with the upgrade, all users whose passwords are encrypted using Policy 1 must be updated to Policy 3, as upgrades will be restricted otherwise.

Installation and Upgrade Optimization

The Session Monitor installation and upgrade process has been optimized to simplify deployment and reduce manual effort.

Separate installation of MySQL, Python and MySQL Connector are not required anymore - All necessary files required for installation and Upgrade are included with the new Session-Monitor-6.0.0.0.0.zip bundle - A newly introduced script automates the entire installation and upgrade process with a single command.

The single installation bundle - Session-Monitor-6.0.0.0.0.zip - is available on Oracle Support (MOS) and on Oracle Software Delivery Cloud (OSDC). This provides a seamless customer experience.

Supported Tech Stack Components

Session Monitor supports the following tech stack:

Oracle Linux Server Release 8.10 (with Oracle UE Kernel for Linux)
Python 3.11.11
OJET 16.1.6
MySQL 8.4.4
MySQL Connector 8.4.0

Codec Statistics Enhancement

Enables customers to see the negotiated codecs for a call and determine if the call is transcoded. For each call, a codec is negotiated during media establishment. This negotiated codec data is displayed on the Calls page under the newly introduced columns Negotiated Codecs and Transcoded Call. Additionally, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each codec supported are available. You can view the statistics of codecs used over time. New Dashboard Panels have also been introduced providing better insights into the overall negotiated codec distribution.

Custom Headers Functionality for Calls Table - Phase 2

In the previous release, the Custom Header feature allowed you to set up Custom Headers to search within SIP messages, and the first instance of the header value is displayed in the GUI as columns in the Calls page.

In Session Monitor Release 6.0, an advanced option is available for each Custom Header, allowing you to specify if the Custom header must be searched across all call legs and which SIP messages to search for. If you enable this advanced option, the Custom Header values from all call legs are collected and shown in the GUI.

Media Quality Enhancements - Phase 2

Introduces new RTP monitoring statistics for calls, and provides insights into the media parameters of each call for Session Monitor users. The media parameters include SSRC, VLAN, Marker Bit, Sequence Error, Skew, and Timestamp/gap (with respect to silence suppression). These parameters are displayed on the Media Summary and Media Details pages. These important RTP packet statistics now provide more detailed information about RTP streams and data. This information is passed from the Probe/SBC and is displayed on the Mediation Engine.

Custom Fields Configuration for Calls Tab

This feature allows the Admin user to manage the visibility of fields to be displayed in the Calls panel and also in the CSV file and bulk export for an user. While creating a new user or a new role, the Admin can define visibility of the fields displayed in the Calls panel. Fields in the Calls panel across Calls, Dashboard, Apps, Devices, User Tracking, and IP Tracking pages are displayed based on the applied visibility settings. This also applies to both simple filters and edited advanced filters.

The Add user and Edit user options under User Management display the Calls Field permission. The Calls Field Permission option allows the Admin to explicitly give only selected permissions to the new user. If option is not selected, all permissions are given to the user being created.

For CSV or bulk export, the visibility information is fetched from the user session and the downloaded CSV file is created with the fields that the user has permission to.

CDR Generation for Calls Legs with 202 Responses

A new system setting called Close Legs on SIP 202 Message has been added to decide if you want Session Monitor to mark call legs as closed on receiving 202 responses.

If enabled:
- Any call leg receiving 202 responses is marked as Finished (closed) as no further messages are expected on the leg
- The call leg is moved to closed state, and "Legs in state CLOSED" is incremented.
- Call segments in the Call Info Tab show legs with 202 as Finished.
- CDR is generated without any delay.
If disabled:
- Any call leg receiving 202 response remains in established state after 202, as any 2xx response is considered as success.
- The call leg is moved to Established state. As there are no messages further, eventually the call leg gets timed out and "Legs in state SESSION_TIMEDOUT" is incremented.
- Call segments in the Call Info Tab show legs with 202 as Timed Out.
- CDR is generated after the session times out.

Display of MySQL Storage Utilization

Displays MySQL storage utilization, available only for Mediation Engine and Mediation Engine + Probe machines. You can access this feature in the Session Monitor > Platform Setup Application > Data Retention page, showing:

Total MySQL size
Current Size Used
First call Timestamp
Graphical representation (a meter gauge) for the current size used against the total MySQL size.

One Way Audio Field in MDR

A new Audio Direction field has been added to the MDR file, which indicates the direction of audio in a call. It displays ONE_WAY for one-way audio calls and BOTH_WAY for calls with audio in both directions, aligning with the information shown in Audio column on the Calls page

Removal of Fraud Monitor and ISR

Starting with Release 6.0, Fraud Monitor and ISR have reached end of life and are no longer supported. They are not included in Session Monitor, and all associated interfaces have been removed.