Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Information is subject to change without notice. Nortel Networks reserves the right to make changes in design or components as progress in engineering and manufacturing may warrant. The process of transmitting data and call messaging between the Meridian 1 or DMS/MSL-100 switch and Communication Control Toolkit is proprietary to Nortel Networks. Any other use of the data and the transmission process is a violation of the user license unless specifically authorized in writing by Nortel Networks prior to such use. Violations of the license by alternative usage of any portion of this process or the related hardware constitutes grounds for an immediate termination of the license and Nortel Networks reserves the right to seek all allowable remedies for such breach. *Nortel, Nortel (Logo), the Globemark, and This is the Way, This is Nortel (Design mark), CallPilot, Contivity, DMS, IVR, Meridian, Meridian 1, Meridian Mail, Meridian SL, Optivity, Succession, and Symposium are trademarks of Nortel Networks. CITRIX is a trademark of Citrix Systems, Inc. INTEL, INTEL XEON, and PENTIUM are trademarks of Intel Corporation. MICROSOFT, MICROSOFT ACCESS, WINDOWS, WINDOWS NT, and WINDOWS XP are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. REPLICATION SERVER and SYBASE are trademarks of Sybase, Inc. PCANYWHERE is a trademark of Symantec Corporation.
Revision history
December 2006
The Standard 5.01 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide is released. It contains updates for CRs and for Microsoft Vista. The Standard 5.0 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide, Release 5.0, is released. It contains updates for telephone sets based on CRs. The Standard 4.0 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide, Release 5.0, is released. It contains updates required to terminology and server specifications for SU03. The Standard 3.0 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide, Release 5.0, is released. The Standard 2.0 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide, Release 5.0, is released. The Standard 1.0 issue of the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Planning and Engineering Guide, Release 5.0, is released.
December 2006
October 2006
June 2006
May 2005
March 2005
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Contents
1
Getting started
About this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Engineering Communication Control Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whats new in Release 5.0? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Product description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Contact center and self-service environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Knowledge worker environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Network traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
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Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Guidelines for the Remote Support VPN at the customers premises . . . . . 108 VPN configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
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Chapter 1
Getting started
In this chapter
About this guide Engineering Communication Control Toolkit Whats new in Release 5.0? Product description Related documents 10 12 13 14 25
Getting started
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Getting started
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Determine requirements for Communication Control Toolkit. See Chapter 3, Engineering Communication Control Toolkit. Determine switch requirements. See Chapter 4, Engineering the switch. Determine network requirements. See Chapter 5, Engineering the network. Determine the requirements of the remote support system. See Chapter 6, Setting up remote support with a VPN.
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Getting started
New features
a new easy-to-use graphical toolkit based on Windows Form Controls a reference implementationThis implementation can be used in testing, and can be easily modified to create a custom client application. support for Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition enhanced securityA secure transport layer based on TCP sockets provides authentication and security for the toolkit. firewall friendliness Citrix/Terminal Services supportThe toolkit is designed to operate in a terminal services environment. It supports both Citrix and Microsoft Terminal Services.
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Product description
Features
The Communication Control Toolkit application program interface (API) is object oriented and is implemented as a set of .NET types and interfaces. It provides the following features: Unified client integration The Communication Control Toolkit is an integration toolkit for installed clients, browser-based clients, and server-to-server integrations. The toolkit delivers a single cross-portfolio multi-channel API, which is deployed through the Developer Partner Program. The API is used to develop communication control applications or integrations. CTI coresidency In a contact center environment, the Communication Control Toolkit Release 5.0 reduces the number of CTI servers required from two to one. (Both the TAPI Service Provider and IPML products required a separate server.) Communication Control Toolkit can also coreside with the MPS 500. Note: Communication Control Toolkit cannot coreside with Symposium Agent or Symposium Web Center Portal. Database backup The Communication Control Toolkit utilizes the built-in capabilities of the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) database to provide database backup and restore operations. Database backups can be performed on an ad hoc or scheduled basis while the system is running. To restore the database, you must first shut down the Communication Control Toolkit application. After restoring the database, you can restart the application. Firewall friendliness For the protection of your system, the Communication Control Toolkit operates within a firewall.
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Getting started
Firewall traversal is achieved through the use of a single, bidirectional TCP socket connection between the Communication Control Toolkit client and server. Connections are initiated from client to server only, with any data required to be transmitted from the server back to the client (such as asynchronous event notifications) utilizing the existing connection already in place. Notes: Communication Control Toolkit clients use a single port for communication with the server. By default, this port is 29373; however, the port number is configurable (for detailed instructions, see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). If you are using a firewall, ensure that this port is open. In the case where Network Address Translation (NAT) is used by the firewall, the firewall must map the TCP port number used to reach the Communication Control Toolkit service on the internal network to the same port number on the external network. This is an inherent limitation of using the Communication Control Toolkit secure transport across a network boundary secured by a firewall. Terminal Services support The Communication Control Toolkit operates in a Terminal Services (specifically Citrix and Microsoft Terminal Services) environment. Migration path The Communication Control Toolkit Release 5.0 allows you to migrate from an existing TAPI Service Provider 3.0 or IPML 2.1 implementation. To facilitate a staged migration, Communication Control Toolkit can coexist with legacy TAPI and IPML ActiveX clients. For more information about migration paths, see Appendix A, Supported migration paths. Note: Communication Control Toolkit cannot coreside with Symposium Agent. If you are using Symposium Agent, you must install it on a separate server. Networking Communication Control Toolkit uses the existing TAPI networking layer. Therefore, it supports networking with legacy TAPI servers.
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Open switch connectivity Since it supports a variety of switch interfaces, Communication Control Toolkit can connect to a variety of switch types. The IPML Service Provider supports the following switch interfaces: Meridian Link Services (MLS) version 4.2 and greater IVR-ASAI on the Avaya G3, Release 6 IVR-GTS on the Genesys T-Server Release 10 The TAPI Service Provider supports the following interfaces: Meridian Link Services (MLS) version 4.2 and greater Application Module Link (AML) on X11 Release 25.40B and greater, or Succession Release 3 and greater Access rights All access rights to the Communication Control Toolkit server are defined through Windows user accounts using standard Windows authentication mechanisms.
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Getting started
The Communication Control Toolkit snap-in utility uses Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) to store persistent configuration information. MSDE databases can store up to 2 Gb of data. The Communication Control Toolkit does not need to store much information about each user, so the 2 Gb limit does not pose a problem.
Import tools
You can add resources manually, or you can use an import tool. The following types of import tools are available: Import IPML Data This tool allows you to import address data from IPML Service Provider into Communication Control Toolkit. It is accessible from the tree tab of the Communication Control Toolkit snap-in utility. Import M1 TSP Data This tool allows you to import addresses and terminals from TAPI Service Provider into Communication Control Toolkit. Import Active Directory Users This tool allows you to import the active directory users from the workstations and the local domain into Communication Control Toolkit. Import Workstations This tool allows you to import workstations from the local domain.
TAPI Connector
TAPI Connector provides call control and monitoring to the Nortel legacy switching platforms. It converts Communication Control Toolkit requests to TAPI API calls, and TAPI events to Communication Control Toolkit events. TAPI interfaces The TAPI Service Provider interfaces with the underlying switching platform in one of the following ways: Direct Connect(Meridian 1/Succession 1000) Direct Connect allows the TAPI Service Provider to connect directly to the switch using the
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Standard 5.01
Embedded LAN (ELAN) TCP/IP link. The TAPI Service Provider uses the proprietary Application Module Link (AML) protocol to communicate with the switch. Meridian Link Services (MLS)(Meridian 1/Succession 1000) The Meridian Link Services protocol allows the TAPI Service Provider to connect to Symposium Call Center Server, which, in turn, connects to the switch. Symposium Call Center Server communicates with the switch using AML. Meridian Link Services uses TCP/IP on an Ethernet link. Meridian Link Services is an easy-to-use proprietary protocol. No matter what the connection protocol, TAPI attempts to normalize all switching platforms to a single call model. For the most part, TAPI applications do not need to be aware of what switch they are actually controlling. Note: The Communication Control Toolkit supports TAPI 3.0 for the Meridian 1/Succession 1000. Device types Communication Control Toolkit supports all of the device types currently supported by TAPI. These device types include regular DN Controlled DN (CDN) ACD Position ID IVR port ACD-DN These devices are modeled as Address objects. It is possible to determine the underlying device type from the AddressCapabilities property of the Address object. Each address is associated with a single Terminal object. In the case of CDNs, which have no real terminal association, a virtual Terminal object is instantiated. Terminals and addresses Upon initialization, the TAPI Connector uses its database to populate the Contact Management Framework with all terminals and addresses in its domain. In general, for a telephony configuration, each terminal references one or two addresses, and each address references a single Terminal object.
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Coexistence Since the TAPI Connector is another TAPI application, existing legacy TAPI applications continue to function. A Communication Control Toolkit application and a TAPI application can both control the same device; however, there are special design requirements for the TAPI application. (For more information, see the Nortel Symposium TAPI Service Provider Programmers Guide.) Device to user mapping Communication Control Toolkit allows you to limit the TAPI devices to which its users have access. To do so, you use the Device to User Mapping function of the Communication Control Toolkit snap-in utility. For example, you can configure Communication Control Toolkit to allow User A to access only the telephone at his or her desk, and to allow User B to monitor all telephones in a contact center. The TAPI Connector has access to all configured devices and their respective addresses. However, the actual mapping of users to a device occurs in the layers above the TAPI Connector. The TAPI Connector exposes all that it knows about the underlying switch without any regard to users. Note: To define access rights for legacy TAPI applications, you must use the Microsoft Telephony Management Console. Call data Communication Control Toolkit supports three different call data types: key/value pairs string binary The TAPI Service Provider does not support the new call data types (key/value pairs and string). It only supports binary data (unstructured call data in single array of up to 4 kb). Any structuring of the TAPI call data occurs outside the TAPI Service Provider. TAPI device-specific functions The TAPI Service Provider uses line device-specific commands to perform requested operations. The commands are hidden from the Contact Management Framework and the TAPI Connector.
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Standard 5.01
The line device specific-commands are particular to the switch type to which the TAPI Service Provider is connected. SAPphone support Communication Control Toolkit is compatible with SAPphone* R/3, release 2.54, which is the soft phone interface to mySAP* customer relationship management (CRM) solutions. Note: If you use SAPphones for CRM functionality, Nortel recommends that you install the SAPphone server, release 3, on a separate server platform.
CAUTION Risk of CPU contention, increased network loading, disk access degradation
Do not install the SAPphone server on the Communication Control Toolkit server.
IPML Connector
The IPML Connector provides an interface between the Contact Management Framework and the IPML environment, thus providing access to call control and monitoring functionality on Nortel and third-party switching platforms. The IPML Connector provides a normalized interface to the switch links, exposing a single call control and monitoring model to clients. It is similar in functionality to the TAPI Connector and is used in the following environments: a contact center that employs a third-party switch (Avaya G3 or Genesys T-Server) a contact center with legacy ActiveX Toolkit Desktop clients an IVR-only implementation The IPML Connector may also be required to forward device monitoring information to the Contact Management Framework for Communication Control Toolkit agent control.
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IPML interfaces Open switch connectivity is achieved by using the TLS component of IPML. This allows the Communication Control Toolkit server to function as an active server for client connections deployed on the following CTI links: Meridian Link Services (MLS)(Meridian 1/Succession 1000) Meridian Link Services is a protocol that allows the IPML Service Provider to connect to Symposium Call Center Server, which in turn connects to the switch. Symposium Call Center Server communicates with the switch using AML. Meridian Link Services uses TCP/IP on an Ethernet link. It is a proprietary protocol that is much simpler to use than the more primitive AML. IVR-ASAIThis is the interface to the Avaya G3. IVR-GTSThis is the interface to the Genesys T-Server. Communication Control Toolkit to IPML command and event mapping Contact Management Framework manages the mapping of Communication Control Toolkit commands and events to IPML commands and events. It stores a collection of objects that describe addresses, terminals, agents, and contacts. The IPML Connector takes relevant objects from the Contact Management Framework, maintains them, modifies them, and returns them. Both the IPML Connector and Communication Control Toolkit are notified of changes on objects that they register against. Device types All currently supported IPML device types are exposed to the IPML Connector. These device types include Station Queue RoutePoint Pots VirtualQueue AgentPosition PrimaryACD SupplementaryACD
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Standard 5.01
MailBox Trunk Pseudo MonitorChannel SpecificDn CDN VDN AgentId SkillsetId AdminLine TerminalNumber Station These devices are modeled as Address objects. It is possible to determine the underlying device type from the AddressCapabilities of the Address object. Each address is associated with a single Terminal object. In the case of CDNs, which have no real terminal association, a virtual Terminal object is instantiated. Device registration and configuration IPML configuration is performed using PeriView, a graphical tool for MPS and IPML OA&M, which can be accessed via web interface from any node in the contact center environment. Configuration data is stored in XML. Devices to be monitored and controlled by IPML are defined in the CSVAPI and CSTAPI external interface configuration modules. Call data IPML supports call data in key/value pair format. 40 sets of 40-byte key/values pairs are supported, for a total of 3200 bytes of data per call. IPML sends data directly to and retrieves data directly from the TAPI Connector and a data store within Contact Management Framework (an infrastructure component that manages the states of contacts, agents, terminals, and addresses).
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Error reporting
Communication Control Toolkit uses the Windows Event Log subsystem to record errors and other significant events. In addition to the standard event logs (Security, System, and Application) Communication Control Toolkit creates and maintains the following Communication Control Toolkit-specific error logs in the Windows Event Log subsystem: NCCT SecurityRecords failed Communication Control Toolkit client logon attempts and events that may indicate attempts to breach security (invalid message signatures, message sequence errors, and so on). NCCT Audit LogRecords adds, moves, and changes of Communication Control Toolkit users, terminals, addresses, and so on, and bulk imports. NCCT Error LogRecords unexpected error conditions and program exceptions, including full stack trace. Note: The error logs mentioned above are used for new Communication Control Toolkit components only. Legacy components continue to use the logging mechanisms used in earlier releases. SNMP Communication Control Toolkit supports the generation of application-specific traps to signal the occurrence of significant events occurring on the server. Communication Control Toolkit generates Windows events. You can use a Windows utility to generate traps from these events. To use SNMP, you must enable and configure it on the server. For detailed instructions, see the Installation and Maintenance Guide. Note: For the IPML Service Provider, PeriSNMP provides an SNMP link to the alarm log file. For more information, see the IPML Distributor Software Installation Guide.
Performance monitoring
The Windows Performance Monitoring tool (PerfMon.exe) provides access to system-wide and application-specific performance counters. System-wide performance information includes information about memory utilization, CPU usage, .NET CLR statistics, and so on.
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Communication Control Toolkit implements performance counters for items such as the following: Communication Control Toolkit client statistics (number connected, failed connection attempts, connections dropped, and so on) Contact Management Framework statistics (contacts queued, contacts handled, and so on) Agent Manager statistics (agents available, agents busy, and so on)
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Related documents
This section lists the documents in which you can find additional information related to the Nortel Communication Control Toolkit.
Symposium Portfolio Server And Operating System Requirements, available on the Partner Information Center (PIC) web site, in the location Products by Family (Documentation) / Communication Control Toolkit 5.0/ Technical Guides and Reference To access this web site, go to www.nortel.com, and choose Partners Partner Information Center.
Security Guide (available on the Partner Information Center web site) Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Installation and Maintenance Guide
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Nortel Communication Control Toolkit Installation and Maintenance Guide Network Managers Guide for Symposium TAPI Service Provider for Succession, release 3.0 (Part number 213346.02)
developing applications using the API Communication Control Toolkit Online Help, available from the Developer Partners Program web site
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Chapter 2
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Architecture
The following illustrations show the architecture of the Communication Control Toolkit in contact center, knowledge worker, and self-service environments.
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Web
Internet Customer
CRM Server
IVR
ELAN
PSTN
Telephone Customer Switch
Note: Solid lines show physical connections; dashed lines show logical connections. Telephony component The telephony component is made up of the phonesets and the switch. On the Succession 1000 switch, the telephony component is purely IP-based; on the Meridian 1 switch, it is a more traditional TDM-based solution. Hybrid solutions can be deployed for businesses that want to adopt a more evolutionary approach to IP telephony rollout.
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Server components Communication Control Toolkit server: A client/server application that integrates a telephone on a users desktop with client- and server-based applications. The telephone is physically connected to a switch but is not physically connected to a client PC. You do not need any special telephones, connectors, circuit packs, or additional wiring for the client PC. Symposium Call Center Server: The core contact center component, which provides intelligent call routing capability. This server runs the Symposium Call Center Server application software. Symposium Call Center Server allows you to identify each agents unique abilities, or skillsets. All calls arriving at the switch are routed to the agent with the appropriate skillset. Rules for call treatment and routing can be simple or complex. Symposium Web Center Portal (SWCP) (optional): A client/server contact center application that expands contact center e-mail capabilities to allow agents to view, respond to, and track requests over the Internet. Unlike conventional e-mail requests to a single e-mail account, Symposium Web Center Portal lists all your customers requests, and records all your agents responses with the initial request. This allows you to measure and control the volume of traffic from the Internet. Supervisors and administrators can view real-time displays of contact center activities, as well as run historical reports. The agent/client interface presents the agent with a browser-based graphical user interface. Agents can use it to respond to customers requests over the telephone, by e-mail, or over the Internet. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) server (optional): An application that allows telephone callers to interact with a host computer using prerecorded messages and prompts. You can use Nortel IVR systems, such as the MPS 500 or MPS 1000, or third-party IVR systems. Note: The Communication Control Toolkit server can coreside with the MPS 500. Customer Relationship Manager (CRM): A custom or third-party application that stores customer information and preferences. Communication Control Toolkit client applications can access the CRM database to produce screen pops or otherwise determine how customer calls should be handled.
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Client component Communication Control Toolkit client PC: A client PC running a customized application that uses the Communication Control Toolkit API. The applications might include software phones, agent telephony toolbars with screen pops, and intelligent call management applications. Network infrastructure Nortel server subnet: The LAN to which your corporate services and resources connect. The Communication Control Toolkit client and server both connect to the Nortel server subnet. Third-party applications that interface with the server also connect to this LAN. Embedded Local Area Network (ELAN) subnet: A dedicated Ethernet TCP/IP LAN that connects the switch to Symposium Call Center Server (in a contact center environment) or Communication Control Toolkit (in a knowledge worker or self-service environment). Note: In a knowledge worker environment, the Communication Control Toolkit server requires two 10/100BASE-T network Ethernet ports, one connecting to the ELAN subnet and the other connecting to the Nortel server subnet. The Nortel server subnet card should always be first in the binding order. Disable NetBios on the network interface card connected to the voice switch (ELAN subnet NIC); because NetBios is not a routable protocol, NetBios traffic does not work well on multi-homed hosts. In a call center environment, the Communication Control Toolkit server requires one network Ethernet port to connect to the Nortel server subnet. A direct connection to Symposium Call Center Server provides a link to the ELAN subnet. If more than one network interface card is enabled, there may be delays in Request/Response messages between the clients and the server.
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PSTN
Telephone Customer Switch
Note: Solid lines show physical connections; dashed lines show logical connections. For a description of the components, see the preceding section.
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Self-service architecture
In a self-service environment, callers use an IVR system, such as the MPS 500 or MPS 1000, to answer queries or request services. For example, bank customers might use IVR to find out their account balance or to transfer funds. Calls are not handled by agents. In this environment, Communication Control Toolkit and the IVR server connect to the switch through Symposium Call Center Server. Communication Control Toolkit connects to the IVR system over the Nortel server subnet. The following diagram shows an overview of the architecture of Communication Control Toolkit in a self-service environment:
CRM Server
IVR
ELAN
PSTN
Telephone Customer Switch
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Components
The Communication Control Toolkit introduces new components at the client, transport, and server. The new client components simplify integration; the new transport components provide firewall friendliness, Network Address Translation (NAT), and Citrix support; and the new server components enable open switch connectivity. Communication Control Toolkit also leverages existing components of Telephony Application Program Interface (TAPI) and Integration Package for Meridian Link (IPML). The Communication Control Toolkit consists of Nortel-developed software and third-party components, as described in the following sections.
Client application
Client applications are third-party components, and can include the following: software phones agent telephony toolbars with screen pop intelligent call management applications The Communication Control Toolkit API provides three levels of API that you can use to develop a range of client applications. An easy-to-use graphical API delivers Windows Form Controls (Win Forms), which you can import into a project for rapid development of form-based toolbars. The Win Forms provide graphical API abstractions that allow rapid development of Communication Control Toolkit-enabled applications.
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Transport
A secure transport layer, based on a single, reconfigurable port on the server (default 29373), provides user authentication, digital signing (to prevent the insertion of data), and encryption (to protect data transported across the network). The Communication Control Toolkit client initiates communication with the server through a socket. The server responds and continues to communicate with the client through the same socket. This gives flexibility to solutions requiring support for Terminal Services support firewall friendliness NAT Note: If you are using a firewall, you must ensure that this port is not blocked.
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service provider between the Contact Management Framework and the Message Control Bus (MCB) on IPML. Communication Control Toolkit APIAn API that controls voice resources. The API is published as Microsoft .NET types and distributed as a Windows assembly, which is referenced by application developers.
Third-party applications
Third-party components include the following: Microsoft .NET Framework (client and server) Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) GigaSpaces Platform Infrastructure (server only) Note: Third-party applications are supported according to the guidelines in the Symposium Portfolio Server And Operating System Requirements document.
Switch interfaces
Communication Control Toolkit supports a number of different switch interfaces that provide connectivity to different switch types. Both the TAPI and IPML Service Providers support the Meridian Link Services (MLS) interface. This is a two-way communications facility that provides the interface between external computer applications and the switch to achieve computer-telephony integration (CTI). Meridian Link Services is a protocol exported as part of Communication Control Toolkit. An example of an MLS application is an inbound telemarketing contact center, where MLS provides the Calling Line ID (CLID) and Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) information from an incoming call to a third-party application. The application can use this information to retrieve databoth customer and product informationfrom a database, and present it to the agents PC before the call is even answered. In addition, the TAPI Service Provider supports the Application Module Link (AML) interface. This is the original interface created for communicating with the switch, facilitating the functional integration of computer systems and telecommunication systems.
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The IPML Service Provider also supports the IVR-ASAI and IVR-GTS interfaces, which provide connectivity to the Avaya G3 and Genesys T-Server Release 10 switches, respectively.
.NET framework
Communication Control Toolkit provides a library of .NET types to be used in developing applications. The Microsoft .NET Framework is a managed execution environment that runs on the Windows platform. This environment provides memory management, strong type safety, version management, and high performance. The .NET framework is made up of two components: the Common Language Runtime (CLR), which provides the execution environment memory management the .NET Framework class library, which includes a set of .NET types (classes) that provide access to the underlying operating system functions (including networking, security database access, and so on) additional .NET types that provide applications with communications monitoring and control functionality You can use this framework of classes to develop applications that run on the Windows .NET platform. For these applications to run, you must install the .NET Framework on the host operating system. Distribution The Communication Control Toolkit API is distributed as a .NET assembly. Assemblies are self-describing: they contain all the type information for the types they contain. Therefore, you only need to distribute the assembly. You do not need to provide a separate file (for example, header file, type library, or IDL file) for type information.
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Version management The .NET framework supports versioning and side-by-side execution of different versions of an assembly. Therefore, if a second version of an assembly is released, both versions of the assembly can run in parallel. This allows multiple generations of the Communication Control Toolkit client applications to execute simultaneously on a client. Supported programming languages As .NET types, the Communication Control Toolkit API is accessible from any .NET programming language (there are currently over 20 programming language compilers for the .NET Framework, including the Microsoft compilers for C#, C++, Visual Basic, and J#).
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Application type
Full API
Lite API
Windows UI applications Console (text-based) applications Windows Service applications Web applications
Full API
The Full API is an object-oriented API that provides a powerful, object-oriented programming interface to developers. It is used by developers with Communication Control Toolkit knowledge who want to develop complex applications. The API exposes as many features of the underlying communications platforms as possible. Primary objects The Full API allows you to control the following types of objects: SessionA representation of a users active session with Communication Control Toolkit. It is the main entry point and provides access, directly or indirectly, to all other objects. It provides users with a view of the subset of
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communications devices and functionality that they have permission to access. ContactThe abstraction of a communication (for example, a phone call). A contact may have one or more connections. TerminalA physical (or logical) endpoint, such as a telephone. It may be associated with one or more addresses. AddressThe representation of an addressable endpoint, such as a DN, position ID, or CDN. An address may be associated with one or more terminals. ConnectionA relationship between an address and a contact (for example, a leg of a phone call). TerminalConnectionA relationship between a terminal and a connection (for example, a representation that a leg of a phone call is connected to a particular telephone). AgentA user who is logged on to one or more contact distribution queues for the purposes of receiving queued or routed contacts. AgentTerminalSessionThe representation of the relationship between the agent and a terminal (for example, an agent is logged on to a contact center skillset at a particular telephone).
Lite API
The Lite API provides a programming interface that hides the complexity of the underlying communications platforms, thus enabling rapid application development of simpler Communication Control Toolkit applications. It is particularly useful to application developers who want to focus on the business application and who only require basic functionality. The Lite API provides a subset of the capabilities of the Full API and requires less Communication Control Toolkit knowledge and code development to create basic Communication Control Toolkit applications.
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Graphical API
The Graphical API abstracts the Full API to a basic button-level of complexity for developers who do not want to use the Full or Lite API and who require a graphical user interface-based business application. With the Graphical API, developers can create applications by dragging and dropping icons using Visual Studio .NET 2003. The Graphical API includes a set of Windows Form controls. Supported functions The Graphical API supports the following functions: Answer an existing contact Call supervisor Conference in a supervisor under emergency circumstances Create a new contact Drop an existing contact Generate DTMF tones on an existing contact Hold and take off hold an existing contact Initiate and complete a conference Initiate and complete a consult transfer Login and logout an agent Perform a blind transfer on an existing contact Place an agent into a ready and not ready state with a reason code Place an agent into a ready and not ready state Place the phoneset into a busy state and a ready state Set activity codes Set contact data
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Windows Forms Controls As developers design and modify the user interface of their solutions, they add, align, and position controls. Controls are objects that are contained within form objects. Each type of control has its own set of properties, methods, and events that make it suitable for a particular purpose. Windows Forms controls are reusable components that encapsulate user interface functionality and are used in client-side Windows applications. Windows Forms controls include buttons, text boxes, check boxes, and so on. Communication Control Toolkit custom Windows Form Controls are all based on an existing Windows Form Control, the basic Button (System.Windows.Forms.Button). Communication Control Toolkit contains the following Windows Form Controls:
Custom control Description
SessionStatesCtrl SessionLoginCtrl SessionReadyCtrl ContactMakeCtrl ContactAcceptCtrl ContactReleaseCtrl ContactHoldCtrl ContactTransferCtrl ContactBlindTransCtrl ContactConfCtrl
Session state and event computer control Session login and logout control Session Ready and Not Ready control Make Contact control Accept Contact control Release Contact control Put Contact on Hold, take Contact off hold Consultative Transfer of Contact control Blind Transfer of Contact control Conference Contact control
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In this chapter
Hardware requirements Operating system configuration requirements Capacity Guidelines to minimize capacity requirements 46 50 51 56
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Hardware requirements
Supported hardware platforms
Communication Control Toolkit Release 5.0 is a software-only solution, which operates on any hardware platform that meets specified requirements. This solution is referred to as Platform Vendor Independence (PVI). Platform Vendor Independence Communication Control Toolkit does not require Nortel-supplied hardware. It runs on any hardware platform with an Intel Pentium CPU Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows Server 2003 (Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition) operating system and Microsoft-certified drivers. For minimum Service Pack levels, see the Symposium Portfolio Server And Operating System Requirements. CPU speed, RAM, hard drive capacity, and hard drive speed that satisfies the capacity requirements of the contact center One or more network interface cards (NICs) is also required, depending on the type of environment. For more information, see Chapter 5, Engineering the network. For more detailed information about server requirements, see the Symposium Portfolio Server And Operating System Requirements.
CPU requirements
Communication Control Toolkit requires a processor from the Intel Pentium suite. For optimal performance, average CPU utilization should not exceed 70 percent for any 20-minute period. Note: It is expected and normal for CPU utilization to exceed 70 percent (with utilization as high as 100 percent) for short periods.
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As the number of agents, number of resources, and call loads increase, the speed of the processor required to maintain average CPU utilization below 70 percent also increases.
Memory requirements
RAM requirements Communication Control Toolkit requires at least 1 Gb of RAM. Additional RAM may be required for systems with a greater workload. To determine whether the amount of memory on your platform is adequate for your workload, use the Windows Performance Monitor. During steady state operation, the average value of the pages per second counter for a 20-minute period should not exceed 5. If it does, increase RAM and adjust the paging file size (see Paging file on page 48). You can use more than the recommended amount of RAM, but if you do, you must allow additional disk space to accommodate the increase in size of the paging file (see the following section).
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Paging file The following table shows the default paging file sizes set during the Windows installation:
Minimum paging file size Maximum paging file size
1.5*RAM 2 Gb
2*RAM 2 Gb
For a system with 512 Mb of RAM, the default minimum paging file size is 768 Mb and the default maximum paging file size is 1 Gb. To optimize performance, however, Microsoft recommends that the minimum paging file size equal the maximum paging file size. Therefore, Nortel recommends that both the minimum and maximum paging file sizes be set to 1.5 * RAM (or 768 Mb, for the preceding example). If any of the following conditions apply, the default system complete memory dump is not generated when the system stops unexpectedly: You are using multiple paging files distributed over separate disks. The paging file is not located on the system boot drive (C: drive). Physical RAM size is larger than 2 Gb. To ensure that a complete system memory dump can be generated, Nortel recommends that the paging file size not exceed 2 Gb the paging file reside on the C: partition
Modems
Communication Control Toolkit does not run on a server with a modem connected. Therefore, do not install a modem on the Communication Control Toolkit server. To enable remote support for the server, set up a Remote Support VPN (see Chapter 6, Setting up remote support with a VPN).
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Server location
The physical location of the Communication Control Toolkit server depends on the type of connection you require. In a contact center or self-service environment, the server must be collocated with Symposium Call Center Server. In a knowledge worker environment, the server must be collocated with the switch.
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Capacity
Factors affecting performance
The performance of the Communication Control Toolkit server depends on a number of factors, including number of resources (terminals, addresses, and users) number of clients number of calls per hour, call duration, and call complexityTransfers, conferencing, and attached caller-entered data all increase call complexity, and, therefore, the resources required to process a call. amount of call-attached data (see the following section) hardware configuration (processor speed, memory, and disk space available)For more information about hardware platforms, see Hardware requirements on page 46. the type of solution (TAPI, IPML, or both)A system running both TAPI and IPML requires more system resources than a system running only TAPI or IPML. debugging and logging activities Call-attached data The amount of data attached to a call has a significant impact on performance. Attached data that affects performance includes both TAPI data and IVR data. Communication Control Toolkit handles a maximum of 4096 bytes of attached data (TAPI + IVR) per call. The default call data size allowed per call is 512 bytes. To optimize performance, use the Communication Control Toolkit snap-in utility to set the call data size to match your actual call data requirements (for detailed instructions, see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). If the call data size is set higher than your requirements, performance suffers because unnecessary memory is allocated for each call.
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Debugging activities
There are four main logging sections in Communication Control Toolkit 5.0: Communication Control Toolkit Server logging Communication Control Toolkit Connector logging Snap-in logging Data Access Layer logging Each section has a number of logging levels: Communication Control Toolkit Server logging Trace Service Provider Events Trace Client Session Events Trace CMF Events Enable Debug Logging Communication Control Toolkit Connector, Snap-in, and Data Access Layer logging Verbose Information Warning Error Critical The logging level of each section is independent: you can set the logging level for the Snap-in to Verbose and the logging level for the Connector to Critical. You configure logging levels using the Communication Control Toolkit Configuration Tool.
If the logging level is set to then these message levels are output
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Critical
Critical
Messages are output to the Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility, CCTDBM.exe. Each Communication Control Toolkit main component (Communication Control Toolkit, Communication Control Toolkit Connector, Communication Control Toolkit Snap-in, and Communication Control Toolkit Data Access Layer [DAL]) outputs to its own instance of the Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility. Therefore, if logging is enabled only for Communication Control Toolkit Connector, then only one instance of the Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility runs. However, if logging is enabled for all of the four main components, then four instances of the Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility run, one for each section. The Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility can store messages to a file; it can write messages to the screen without saving them to file; or it can write messages to both the screen and a file. The Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility consumes Communication Control Toolkit server CPU. CPU utilization increases as the number of messages output increases. To reduce CPU utilization, follow these guidelines: Log only to a file. Logging to the screen and to a file is fine at low call rates, but as the call rate increases, this process consumes more and more CPU resources. Logging to the screen is CPU-intensive, and as messages cannot be read at high call rates (they scroll too quickly), it is better to log directly to a file in these circumstances. Only enable logging for relevant sections. For example, if you are writing a Communication Control Toolkit client application, then you only need to enable logging for the Communication Control Toolkit server. Always use the appropriate logging level. For example, if you are writing a Communication Control Toolkit client application, then you only need to enable the Trace Service Provider Events and Trace Client Session Events levels for the Communication Control Toolkit server.
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You must provision your server for the use of the Communication Control Toolkit Logging Utility application at peak times, with all applications running, without exceeding the 70 percent CPU utilization guideline.
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Note: A basic call is defined as an incoming call that is answered by an agent, and then (when talk time is complete) released.
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ELAN subnet traffic: In a knowledge worker environment, average ELAN subnet utilization must not exceed the limit specified on page 94. Note: Communication Control Toolkit provides a number of import utilities. Do not use these utilities while the Communication Control Toolkit server is operating in a steady state. Use them only during initial configuration of the Communication Control Toolkit server or when the Communication Control Toolkit server is offline.
Standard 5.01
NCCT Server NCCT TAPI Connector Service (if installed) Nortel Networks MPS Manager (if installed) Nortel Networks RSH Daemon (if installed)
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In this section
Client requirements 60
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Client requirements
It is the responsibility of the application developer to specify the requirements of the Communication Control Toolkit client PC. Communication Control Toolkit clients must meet the following minimum requirements. Operating system Communication Control Toolkit supports applications running on a PVI client running one of the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Microsoft Windows XP Professional Windows Server 2003 Microsoft Windows Vista Hardware requirements The client PC must meet the minimum requirements of the operating system.
Port requirements
Communication Control Toolkit clients use a single port for communication with the server. By default, this port is 29373; however, the port number is configurable (for detailed instructions, see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). If you are using a firewall, ensure that this port is open.
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In this section
Meridian 1/Succession 1000 switch requirements Meridian 1/Succession 1000 switch capacity Supported phonesets 64 67 70
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Applications
Required applications The following table lists the applications that must be installed on a Succession switch in order to support Communication Control Toolkit in a contact center, knowledge worker, or self-service environment:
Application (option) Contact Knowledge center worker Selfservice
Purpose
ISDN/AP for third parties (IAP 3P) Call ID NGCC mixed generation call center NGen new generation foundation
Optional applications The following table lists additional applications that can be installed, depending on the level of functionality required:
Application (option)
Purpose
40 41 42 43 45 50 145
Basic ACD Basic ACD B Basic ACD 3 usage reports Basic ACD C2 load management Basic ACD A ACD D used for ACD MAX applications Integrated services digital network (ISDN)
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Application (option)
Purpose
Primary rate access (PRA) Enhanced ACD routing (EAR) Customer controlled routing (CCR)
Networked ACD
The usage of Networked ACD (NACD) is transparent to Communication Control Toolkit. The call rates used in Communication Control Toolkit engineering are the total calls arriving to Communication Control Toolkit from the local switch, either directly or from Networked ACD.
ISDN
The ISDN circuits to the PSTN must be provisioned to handle the network call traffic to and from each switch. It is assumed that these circuits are provisioned in a similar manner to that of NACD.
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42 000 (TDM mode) 35 000 (IP-enabled mode) 54 782 72 000 100 800 315 000
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Notes: For more information on switch application engineering, see the Large System Planning and Engineering Guide (NTP 553-3021-120). CP2 is not supported by Meridian 1 in IP-enabled mode, or by Succession 1000M, Release 3.0.
Call complexity
The complexity of a call is defined as the number of each type of service used by the call. All calls have an EBC cost, with calls of higher complexity (that is, using a greater number of services) costing more EBCs. For example, a basic call costs 2.40 EBC; Give Music costs 0.25 EBC; Give IVR (including transfer) costs 2.29 EBC. Therefore, a call that receives IVR and Music treatments costs 2.40 + 0.25 + 2.29 = 4.94 EBC To quantify levels of call complexity, Nortel has defined several call models, which represent simple, complex, and front-end IVR systems (see AppendixC, Standard call models). You can calculate the EBC cost using the Meridian 1 Switch Capacity Spreadsheet, which is available on the PIC web site.
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For a description of the call models, see Appendix C, Standard call models. This table implies that if there are 44 000 Symposium Voice Processing type calls, then the CPP uses 193 percent of the processor capacity. In contrast, the Front-end IVR call model uses only 76 percent of the CPP for an equivalent call rate. Note: Nortel does not recommend CPU utilization greater than 100 percent.
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Supported phonesets
Communication Control Toolkit monitors and controls the telephony activities of the following telephones that are registered on a supported switch:
ATTENTION
If your telephone set supports Auto Hold Allowed (AHA), Multiple Appearance Reduction Prime (MARP), or Multiple Appearance Directory Number (MADN), you must disable the configurations. These configurations are not supported in Communication Control Toolkit 5.0. For more information about unsupported telephone configurations, see the Communication Control Toolkit Installation and Maintenance Guide. M2000 series digital telephones: M2009 M2018 M2317 Meridian modular telephones (MMT): M2006 M2008 M2216 M2616 M39xx telephones: M3901 M3902 M3903 M3904 M3905 IP phones and softphones IP Phone 2004 IP Phone 2002
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In this section
Overview Configuring the ELAN subnet (knowledge worker environment) Configuring CDNs Configuring TAPI phonesets 74 75 81 83
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Overview
The following checklist lists the tasks required to configure the switch for Communication Control Toolkit:
Description
Configure the ELAN hardware and software. See Configuring the ELAN subnet (knowledge worker environment) on page 75. Note: In a contact center environment, the ELAN is configured during installation and configuration of Symposium Call Center Server. Configure CDNs to be controlled by Communication Control Toolkit. See Configuring CDNs on page 81. Configure phonesets for use with TAPI. See Configuring TAPI phonesets on page 83. Configure IVR ports, ACD queues, and phonesets for use with IPML. See the IPML Distributor Software Installation Guide.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Assign an IP address to the switch. Define a routing table. Define the Embedded LAN (ELAN) and a Value Added Server (VAS). Enable the ELAN link. Check the ELAN link.
The latter three tasks associate the link (ELAN) with a VAS ID to allow message transmission.
where M1SERVER_A is the host name for the IP address and 47.1.1.10 is the IP address of the active Ethernet port.
CHG ELNK ACTIVE M1SERVER_A CHG MASK 255.255.255.0
where 255.255.255.0 is the local subnet mask. In a redundant system with a dual CPU, repeat this process for the backup inactive CPU, using the following template and substituting appropriate values where necessary:
> LD 117 NEW HOST M1SERVER_B 47.1.1.11
where M1SERVER_B is the host name for the IP address and 47.1.1.11 is the IP address of the standby Ethernet port.
CHG ELNK INACTIVE M1SERVER_B
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After you assign the necessary IP address(es), press the <MAN INT> button on the CPU card to manually initialize the system and activate the new IP address information.
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OAM000 PRT ELNK ACTIVE ETHERNET: PRIMARY_IP 47.48.49.50 INACTIVE ETHERNET: SECONDARY_IP 47.48.49.51 OK > LD 137 CIOD000 STAT ELNK ELNK ENABLED Ethernet (ln unit number 0): Host: PRIMARY_IP Internet address: 47.48.49.50
If the IP addresses are not identical, the IP address is invalid and you must perform the recovery procedure. Recovery procedure If the connection to the Primary IP address is lost, you can reestablish it by performing the following tasks:
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1. 2.
Manually initialize the system to reestablish a connection to the primary IP address. Perform the validation procedure again to confirm that the Ethernet connection is fully functional.
CHG CFN
NEW ELAN 16, Add/change/remove CHG ELAN 16, I/O device type ELAN 16 (AML over OUT ELAN 16 Ethernet). ELAN NAME Card type Enter a name for the ELAN port number. Use a generic name because the ELAN port is not dedicated to a specific application. Add a value added server. VAS identifier Associate VAS ID with the ELAN. Turn on security for MLS applications. Number of call registers linked to output queue Number of call registers linked to input queue Exit from overlay.
CTYP DES
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Configuring CDNs
CDNs are specialized ACD-DNs or queues on the switch. Communication Control Toolkit can control CDNs that are not controlled by Symposium Call Center Server (only one application can control a CDN). However, Communication Control Toolkit can monitor CDNs controlled by other applications, such as Symposium Call Center Server. You must configure CDNs on the switch, as well as in the Communication Control Toolkit snap-in utility. This section describes how to configure CDNs controlled by Communication Control Toolkit on the switch. Note: To monitor a CDN controlled by Symposium Call Center Server, configure the CDN as described in the Symposium Call Center Server documentation. Then, configure the DN in the Communication Control Toolkit Configuration Tool, making sure that the DN Monitor box is checked.
Assumptions
The following assumptions are made: You know the user ID and password to log on to the switch administration terminal. You are familiar with switch Change and Diagnostics overlays. You have a listing or printout of available CDNs (overlay program 23).
VSID definitions
Do not enter a VSID definition on CDNs.
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Add a CDN. Control DN data block Customer number Control Directory Number Deactivate the report control option. Default ACD-DN. The ACD-DN to which the call is routed if there is a problem on Communication Control Toolkit. DN is controlled by Communication Control Toolkit. Exit from overlay.
CNTL REQ
Yes END
What next?
You must also configure the CDN in the TAPI Configuration Tool (see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). Ensure that the DN Monitored box is checked. You must configure the CDN as a route point address in the Communication Control Toolkit Configuration Tool (see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). When developing your application, use the appropriate API call to acquire the CDN.
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What next?
You must also configure the phoneset in the TAPI Configuration Tool (see the Installation and Maintenance Guide). Ensure that the DN Monitored box is checked. You must configure the CDN as a terminal in the Communication Control Toolkit Configuration Tool (see the Installation and Maintenance Guide).
Unsupported keys
Limitations in Meridian Link prevent the Service Provider from supporting the following keys: Call park/unpark No-hold conference call Pickup
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Overview
Network connections
All Meridian 1/Succession 1000 switches use an Embedded LAN (ELAN) for system access and control. In a Communication Control Toolkit environment, you must isolate telephony traffic from data traffic. Ensure that telephony traffic is confined to the ELAN subnet and that data traffic is confined to one or more Nortel server subnets. The following sections describe how to isolate telephony traffic in contact center, knowledge worker, and self-service environments.
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Quiet subnet
To ensure that Communication Control Toolkit traffic is not affected by nonCommunication Control Toolkit data traffic, create a dedicated (quiet) subnet for Nortel voice application servers, and connect Communication Control Toolkit to this subnet. Use an Ethernet switch or router to provide routing between this subnet and your Nortel server subnet. The illustration on page 88 shows this network configuration.
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CLAN
Call Server
ELAN
Media Gateway
Signaling Server
OTM
IVR
routing switch
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To calculate the load on a LAN, assume that Answer, Hold, Unhold, and Drop operations are performed for every inbound call appearing in the contact center. The total number of bytes required for the messages related to these operations is 763 bytes per call. Therefore, to calculate the LAN requirements for Succession Link protocol messages, for 10 000 basic calls per hour, use the following formula: (763 x 10 000) / 3600 (seconds per hour) = 2120 bytes per second IVR messages The LAN requirements for IVR messages are dependent on the customer implementation. Call data networking messages between TAPI servers The network traffic overhead due to call data networking messages is directly related to the following: the number of calls overflowed from one Meridian switch to a remote Meridian switch the size of call-attached data the type of TAPI environment (for example, using either Symposium Call Center Server or direct connect) Other traffic This model does not include bandwidth allocation for the following: polling messages login/logout messages acknowledgement messages complex calls Nortel recommends that you make a generous provision for these additional requirements.
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CLAN
Call Server
ELAN
Media Gateway
Signaling Server
OTM
routing switch
Nortel server subnet traffic In a knowledge worker environment, Communication Control Toolkit adds the following elements to the Nortel server subnet traffic: client communication IVR messages call data networking messages between TAPI servers To calculate overall LAN requirements, add the bytes per second required for each of these message types. IVR messages The LAN requirements for IVR messages are dependent on the customer implementation.
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Call data networking messages between TAPI servers The network traffic overhead due to call data networking messages is directly related to the following: the number of calls overflowed from one Meridian switch to a remote Meridian switch the size of call-attached data the type of TAPI environment Other traffic This model does not include bandwidth allocation for the following: polling messages login/logout messages acknowledgement messages complex calls Nortel recommends that you make a generous provision for these additional requirements. Maximum acceptable utilization Total utilization of the Nortel server subnet must not exceed 30 percent in a shared network environment. Communication Control Toolkit utilization of the Nortel server subnet can be as high as 9 percent for a system with 500 agents. Make sure that the Nortel server subnet has enough spare capacity to accommodate Communication Control Toolkit traffic in addition to customer traffic.
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ELAN subnet traffic The ELAN subnet carries the following traffic: call processing AML traffic Maximum acceptable utilization The maximum acceptable utilization of the ELAN subnet depends on the amount of traffic on the LAN, the length of the cable, and the size of the messages. The probability of collision of packets depends on these factors and affects the average delay within the network. To minimize excessive network message transfer delays due to network congestion, ensure that steady state ELAN subnet utilization does not exceed 10 percent. (This assumes that the switch and the server in Communication Control Toolkit are both connected locally to the ELAN subnet.) If your network is operating at or near this limit, replace the shared media hub with an Ethernet switch. For more information about configuring your ELAN subnet, refer to Data Networking for VoIP.
Technical problems
The following sections describe the problems that can arise if the ELAN subnet is not kept simple, protected, and local: Propagation/queuing delays AML traffic between the switch and Communication Control Toolkit is realtime sensitive. Network devices (such as routers and firewalls) and distance cause network propagation and queuing delays. These delays are dynamic and, at a certain threshold, cause the AML to time out and initialize. Impact: Inability to treat calls. Lack of reliability or robustness When an ELAN subnet is extended across a WAN, at least three physical networks are interposed between the switch and the server. The ELAN subnet was designed for mission-critical purposes. Additional network devices increase the number of potential points of failure and, therefore, increase the chances of failure of the ELAN subnet.
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The ELAN subnet was designed to be secure and protected. Allowing external physical connectivity exposes the ELAN subnet to potential security threats. Impact: Switch initialization failure, contact center outages, unauthorized access to sensitive data. Increased maintenance and support effort If more network devices are added to the ELAN subnet (for example, for WAN connectivity), they will require additional configuration (for example, routing) maintenance (for example, firmware and software upgrades) support (it takes more time to troubleshoot a more complex network) These additional maintenance and support activities may result in a greater number of interruptions to the communication between the switch and Communication Control Toolkit. Impact: Contact center outages and recovery delays. Bandwidth contention Under the normal supported ELAN subnet configuration, bandwidth contention on the ELAN subnet is engineered by Nortel and is not an issue. However, in an out-of-specification environment, one cannot take this for granted. The switch is sensitive to heavy ELAN subnet traffic. Heavy ELAN subnet traffic (such as broadcast storms and multicast traffic) caused by other devices on the ELAN subnet (such as defective NICs or misconfigured devices) can cause the switch to initialize. Propagation delays lower the effective bandwidth availability. The illustration on page 96 shows the relationship between the average delay factor and the LAN utilization for different wire lengths. For example, for a system located in a single room (wire length between components is under 30 meters), the delay factor is 2 whenever the LAN utilization is 50 percent. That is, it takes the data packet twice as long to travel between the components as it would on an idle system. The delay
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factor X effectively reduces the LAN bandwidth by the factor of X. For example, for a delay factor of 2, the effective bandwidth of the Ethernet LAN is 5 Mbps instead of 10 Mbps. The following illustration shows the performance characteristics for Ethernet:
Plan Nortel server subnet and ELAN subnet traffic so that the delay factor is never greater than 2. Use this illustration to determine the maximum allowable utilization given the distance between Communication Control Toolkit components. For example, if the distance between the Communication Control Toolkit components is expected to be 3000 meters, then ELAN subnet utilization should not exceed 30 percent. If all of the Symposium Call Center Server components are placed in the same building and the wire length does not exceed 300 meters, then the maximum ELAN subnet utilization can be as high as 45 percent. Nortel server subnet utilization is estimated based on the maximum distance between Symposium Call Center Server components as well as your own components.
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Impact: Switchs call handling operations and contact center outages. Slow messaging when NetBios is configured on the LAN The Nortel server subnet card should always be first in the binding order. NetBios should be disabled on the NIC connected to the voice switch (ELAN subnet NIC); since NetBios is not a routable protocol, NetBios traffic does not work well on multi-homed hosts. Impact: Delays in telephony messaging on ELAN subnet.
Other problems
Multiple groups from multiple companies manage the ELAN subnet In many companies, the IT group, Network group, and the Telecom group are not in the same reporting structure, or they are outsourced organizations. With a simple embedded LAN between the switch and Communication Control Toolkit, the servicing group does not have to involve all of these groups when troubleshooting ELAN subnet problems. However, once the ELAN subnet is connected to a WAN, multiple groups and companies are required to solve any ELAN-related problems. Impact: Delays to ELAN network problem resolution. Process complications due to (security) policies when the ELAN requires external access (for example, a WAN) When end customers expose their internal network to the external network, they normally apply and enforce security policies. The resulting additional security devices (firewall, VPN, and so on) add overhead and propagation delays between the switch and Communication Control Toolkit. Additional security policies also add time delays to accomplish tasks. For example, a simple IP address change (for troubleshooting purposes) requires the approval of many groups and the signatures of many managers. Impact: Delays in maintenance activities and problem resolutions.
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Conclusion
The ELAN subnet was designed as a mission-critical link between the switch and Communication Control Toolkit. Therefore, the focus is not on the average uptime, but on the single time that the ELAN subnet can fail or cause a failure. The goal is to keep the ELAN subnet simple to minimize potential points of failures and hindrances. If you connect Communication Control Toolkit and the switch with a WAN, simplicity is replaced by complexity, thus degrading the mission-critical level of the ELAN subnet for the server and the switch.
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Network traffic
Communication Control Toolkit uses remote method calls between the client machine and the Communication Control Toolkit server. Nortel recommends that you design and develop the applications to minimize the number of remote calls and, therefore, reduce the demands on the underlying network and increase the application responsiveness. Note: The network traffic information below assumes that the client credentials were authenticated with the Communication Control Toolkit server, that all the necessary event handlers were created, and that the assigned resources were retrieved from the Communication Control Toolkit server.
Note: A typical application sends and receives more than the minimum number of requests to and from the Communication Control Toolkit server. Therefore, more memory is required for a typical application. Example of answering and dropping an incoming call A typical application requests the following information to answer and drop an incoming call:
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Contact object capabilities of the Connection object capabilities of the TerminalConnection object Calling Address property Called Address property The following table indicates the amount of memory required to complete the request mentioned in Example of answering and dropping an incoming call on page 100:
Item Typical memory requirements
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Note: A typical application sends and receives more than the minimum number of requests to and from the Communication Control Toolkit server. Therefore, more memory is required for a typical application. Example of making and dropping an outbound call A typical application requests the following information to make and drop an outbound call: Contact object capabilities of the Connection object capabilities of the TerminalConnection object Calling Address property Called Address property The following table provides the amount of memory required to complete the request mentioned in Example of making and dropping an outbound call on page 102:
Item Typical memory requirements
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Overview
Remote support for Communication Control Toolkit
If you require remote technical support, your distributor or Nortel technical support staff must be able to connect to your server. The most secure way of doing this is by means of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). While many VPN technologies and configurations are available, for the purpose of remote support of Enterprise voice equipment, Nortel is prepared to support a standard with a technology based on the Contivity 1100 (as a minimum) in a particular host-togateway configuration. This chapter provides guidelines for this standardized Remote Support VPN configuration.
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a third-party remote-maintenance product with a modem connection to the PSTN and a connection to the LAN With the above alternatives, end users assume the responsibility for setup on their premises and the risks to their equipment associated with this pass-through type of connection.
pcAnywhere guidelines
pcAnywhere is a remote support software application provided by Symantec Corporation. Nortel has tested the performance of pcAnywhere, Release 10.5, 11.01 and 11.5 with Communication Control Toolkit 5.0. The test results indicate that pcAnywhere can be used to connect to the Communication Control Toolkit server in the following ways: via an Ethernet connection over a LAN via a dial-up connection into a primary domain controller (PDC) that provides access to the Communication Control Toolkit server via a LAN Problems occur if you attempt to connect directly to the Communication Control Toolkit server via a modem, due to a potential conflict when a modem driver coexists with Communication Control Toolkits TAPI drivers on the same server.
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VPN configurations
This section describes recommended configurations that meet the needs of most customers. However, since every network is different, the exact configurations may not be practical in all environments. Use them as a starting point when creating your Remote Support VPN.
Benefits
The Nortel recommended remote support configurations provide the following benefits: They protect the customers network from unauthorized external users. They are accessible from any location, even through an analog line, but are still protected by the VPN. They provide a flexible design that can be extended to non-Nortel products, and that can accommodate customer-specific network requirements. The VPN equipment is local to the equipment it serves, resulting in network and management simplicity, while allowing for central security authentication management. The solution is cost effective. The recommended configuration is provided as a starting point for designing your Remote Support VPN. However, when you deviate from the recommended configurations, you may sacrifice some of these benefits.
Configuration types
A VPN can be configured in three ways, as shown in the illustration on page 110. Nortel recommends a host-to-gateway configuration for the Remote Support VPN:
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Host-to-Host
Illustrations
The following illustrations show the recommended VPN configurations. The illustration on page 111 shows a VPN in a non-Voice Over IP (VoIP) environment. In this illustration, the ELAN is isolated. The illustration on page 112 shows a VPN in a VoIP environment with the ELAN connected to the customers network.
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Meridian 1 switch
ELAN
Nortel Server subnet (managed Ethernet switched network, for example, Baystack 450)
modem
111
VoIP
CLAN HDX application server Call Server External Web server DHCP server POP3/ SMTP Mail server
112
ELAN CallPilot Web OTM Server CallPilot Symposium SWCP Call Agent Comm. Symposium Network Center Interface Control Symposium Web Control Agent Server Client Center SWCP server Toolkit DNS Enterprise LAN/WAN routing switch Contivity 1100 TACACS or RADIUS Firewall modem Internet PSTN modem remote support
Media Gateway
Signaling Server
Nortel Server subnet (managed Ethernet switched network, for example, Baystack 450)
Standard 5.01
Appendix A
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For more information, see the latest version of the Product Bulletin P-20030157-Global.pdf NTP 2.3 P-2003-0157-SA2_3 02 on the PIC.
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Supported features
Feature Call control features TAPI Service Provider IPML Service Provider
Make Call Dial Hold Current Call Unhold Call Drop Current Call (Release) Blind Transfer Call
Yes (For internal switch call Yes only. Network blind transfers are not supported.) Yes Yes
Yes (Multiple transfers on Yes same call are not consistent.) Yes. When initiating the conference, you must complete the conference using the same phone set (for example, physical set or soft phone) that you used to initiate the conference. Yes (three-party only DMS) When initiating the conference, you must complete the conference using the same phone set (for example, physical set or soft phone) that you used to initiate the conference.
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June 2007
Feature
Complete Conference Call Yes. (Multiple conferences on same call are not consistent). When completing the conference, you must complete the conference using the same phone set (for example, physical set or soft phone) that you used to initiate the conference. Dropping of conference controller is not supported. Call Forward Cancel Call Forward Join Conference Deflect Calls Get Status Get Call Capabilities Reconnect Get Data Delete Data Append Data Add Data Observer Remove Data Observer Make Set Busy Partial (no events) Partial (no events) No No Partial (GetCallInfo) Yes
Yes. When initiating the conference, you must complete the conference using the same phone set (for example, physical set or soft phone) that you used to initiate the conference.
No No No No Partial Yes
Yes (achievable in two steps) Yes (achievable in two steps) Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (Meridian 1/Succession 1000 only)
119
Standard 5.01
Feature
No Partial. IPML supports set UUI when making call or transfer call only for G3 Yes (Meridian 1/Succession 1000 system) No Yes No No No Yes
Send DTMF (for example, Yes on MLS connection credit card number to IVR) No on direct-connect Mute / Unmute Consult Park/Unpark No Yes (but must designate as transfer or conference) No
Yes Yes
Agent LogIn Agent Logout Set Ready Set Not Ready ACD Set Activity Code ACD Set Not Ready/ Reason Codes Work Ready Key support Activity Codes
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial (not supported for G3) No No
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June 2007
Feature
Agent Whisper Monitor (Observe) / Record Call Set Call treatment Barge In Call Supervisor Make Emergency call Answer Emergency call
Redirect to another skillset Yes (redirect at Routepoint) Return a call to the queue skillset that it came from Redirect / Route a call to another queue / skillset (effectively a blind transfer) Not Ready after Call Completed/on Disconnect Ability to return the Not Ready reason code on completion of a call Route Call No Yes
No No
Yes
No
121
Standard 5.01
Supported events
Event TAPI Service Provider IPML Service Provider
Ringing Dialtone Busy Offering Ringback Inbound Connected Outbound Connected Connected Disconnected Held Unheld OnHold Pending Conference Onhold Pending Transfer Transferred Conference Initiated Transfer Initiated Conference Shutdown Device Forward
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Partial (use Reason Code) Partial (use Reason Code) Yes Yes Yes No
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
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June 2007
Event
Status Change Notice Message Waiting Notice No Message Waiting View call structures Get Agent State Get Version Agent Logged out Agent Logged in Agent Ready Agent Not Ready Agent Busy Agent Work Ready Reserved Activity Code entered WalkAway activated WalkAway return Emergency invoked Call Supervisor invoked
Yes No No No Yes Partial (Get API Version) Yes Partial (Get NRDY event) Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Partial (Reason Code) No No No
No No No No Partial No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes (Meridian 1/Succession 100 only) No Yes (Meridian 1/Succession 100 only) No No No No
123
Standard 5.01
124
Appendix C
125
Standard 5.01
126
June 2007
Basic Call Average number of skillset queues entered per inbound call Average number of agent queues entered per inbound call Average number of controlled broadcasts in Start/Stop mode per inbound call. Never with Give RAN. Average number of controlled broadcasts in Continuous mode per inbound call Average number of collect digit services per inbound call. Two digits each time (including voice session and play prompt). Average number of Give IVR treatments per inbound call Average number of Give RAN treatments per inbound call. Never with GCB. Average number of Give Music treatments per inbound call Average number of Host Data Exchange Send Info treatments per inbound call. Only if Host Data Exchange is present. Average number of Host Data Exchange Request/Get Response treatments per inbound call. Only if Host Data Exchange is present. Average number of Intrinsic References per inbound call (Expected Wait Time, Longest Idle Agent, Oldest Call, Position in Queue)
1 2 0 3 0 1
1 2 0 0 0 0
1 2 0 1 0 0
1 1 1 1
1 3 1 1
1 2 1 1
127
Standard 5.01
Parameter
SVP
MVP
Hybrid
Average number of If Then Else treatments per inbound call Proportion of inbound calls that are transferred to another agent or DN Proportion of inbound calls that are conferenced with another agent or supervisor Proportion of conferenced calls completed by an MLS application (such as Symposium Agent) External IVR system connected to the DMS system Average number of screen pops per inbound call Average number of MLS messages per inbound call (excluding screen pops) Collected call-by-call statistics Average number of network skillset queues entered per call Proportion of calls arriving at the local node that are queued to a network skillset
128
accelerator key A key on a phoneset that an agent can use to place a call quickly. When an agent presses an accelerator key, the system places the call to the configured number associated with the key. For example, if an agent presses the Emergency key, the system places a call to the agents supervisor. ACCESS An internal protocol used by Symposium Call Center Server to directly control some of the voice services available on the CallPilot or Meridian Mail platform. access class A collection of access levels that defines the actions a member of the access class can perform within the system. For example, a member of the Administrator access class might be given a collection of Read/Write access levels. access level A level of access or permission given to a particular user for a particular application or function. For example, a user might be given View Only access to historical reports. ACD call See Automatic call distribution call. ACD-DN See Automatic call distribution directory number. ACD routing table See Automatic call distribution routing table. acquired resource A resource configured on the switch that is under the control of Symposium Call Center Server. Resources must be configured with matching values on both the switch and Symposium Call Center Server.
129
Standard 5.01
active server In a system with a Replication server, the server that is providing call processing and administration services. See also Replication server, standby server. activated script A script that is processing calls or is ready to process calls. activity code A number that an agent enters on his or her phoneset during a call. Activity codes provide a way of tracking the time agents spend on various types of incoming calls. They are also known as Line of Business (LOB) codes. For example, the activity code 720 might be used to track sales calls. Agents can then enter 720 on their phonesets during sales calls, and this information can be generated in an Activity Code report. administrator A user who is responsible for setting up and maintaining Communication Control Toolkit. agent A user who is responsible for handling customer calls. agent logon ID A unique identification number assigned to a particular agent. The agent uses this number when logging on. The agent ID is not associated with any particular phoneset. agent to skillset assignment A matrix that, when you run it, sets the priority of one or more agents for a skillset. Agent to skillset assignments can be scheduled. agent to supervisor assignment A definition that, when you run it, assigns one or more agents to specific supervisors. Agent to supervisor assignments can be scheduled. AML See Application Module Link.
130
June 2007
ANI See Automatic Number Identification. API See application program interface. application 1. A logical entity that represents a Symposium Call Center Server script for reporting purposes. The Master script and each primary script have an associated application. The application has the same name as the script it represents. 2. A program that runs on a computer. Application Module Link An internal protocol used by Symposium Call Center Server to communicate directly with the switch. application program interface A set of routines, protocols, and tools that programmers use to develop software applications. APIs simplify the development process by providing commonly used programming procedures. application server The server on which the Symposium Web Client software is installed. This server acts as the middle layer that communicates with Symposium Call Center Server and makes information available to the client PCs. associated supervisor A supervisor who is available for an agent if the agents reporting supervisor is unavailable. See also reporting supervisor. Automatic call distribution A means of automatically distributing an organizations incoming calls among a number of answering positions (ACD agents). Automatic call distribution is useful in operations where callers want a service rather than a specific person. Calls are serviced in the order they arrive and are distributed so that the workload at each answering position is approximately equal.
131
Standard 5.01
Automatic call distribution call A call to an ACD-DN. ACD calls are distributed to agents in an ACD group based on the ACD routing table on the switch. See also Automatic call distribution directory number. Automatic call distribution directory number A DN associated with an ACD group. Calls made to an automatic call distribution directory number are distributed to agents belonging to the group, based on the ACD routing table on the switch. Automatic call distribution routing table A table configured on the switch that contains a list of ACD-DNs used to define routes for incoming calls. This ensures that incoming calls not processed by Symposium Call Center Server will be queued to ACD groups and handled by available agents. Automatic Number Identification A telephony feature that provides the originating local telephone number of the caller.
call age The amount of time a call was waiting in the system before being answered by an agent. call intrinsic A script element that stores call-related information assigned when a call enters Symposium Call Center Server. See also intrinsic, A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call. skillset intrinsic, time intrinsic, and traffic intrinsic.
132
June 2007
call presentation class A collection of preferences that determines how calls are presented to an agent.call priority A numerical value assigned in a script that defines the relative importance of a call. If two calls are in the queue when an agent becomes available, and one call is queued with a higher priority than the other, the agent receives the higher priority call first. See also skillset priority. call treatment A script element that enables you to provide handling to a call while it is waiting to be answered by a contact center agent. For example, a caller can hear a recorded announcement or music while waiting for an agent. call variable A script variable that applies to a specific call. A call variable follows the call through the system and is passed from one script to another with the call. See also global variable, script variable. Calling Line Identification An optional service that identifies the telephone number of the caller. This information can then be used to route the call to the appropriate agent or skillset. The CLID can also be displayed on an agents phoneset. CallPilot A multimedia messaging system you can use to manage many types of information, including voice messages, fax messages, e-mail messages, telephone calls (including conferencing), calendars, and directories. CDN See controlled directory number. CLAN See Customer local area network. Classic Client The Windows-based client component for Symposium Call Center Server.
133
Standard 5.01
CLID See Calling Line Identification. client The part of Symposium Call Center Server that runs on a personal computer or workstation and relies on the server to perform some operations. Two types of client are available, Classic Client and Symposium Web Client. See also server. command A building block used with expressions, variables, and intrinsics to create scripts. Commands perform distinct functions, such as routing a call to a specific destination, playing music to a caller, or disconnecting a caller. Communication Control Toolkit A Nortel product that integrates a telephone on a users desktop with client- and server-based applications. Contivity VPN Switch A Nortel product that provides routing, firewall, bandwidth management, encryption, authentication, and data integrity for secure tunneling across managed IP networks and the Internet. controlled directory number A special directory number that allows calls arriving at the switch to be queued when the CDN is controlled by an application such as Symposium Call Center Server. When a call arrives at this number, the switch notifies the application and waits for routing instructions, which are performed by scripts in Symposium Call Center Server. Customer local area network The LAN to which your corporate services and resources connect. The server in Symposium Call Center Server and the client both connect to the CLAN. Thirdparty applications that interface with the server also connect to this LAN.
D
134
June 2007
deactivated script A script that does not process any new calls. If a script is in use when it is deactivated, calls continue to be processed by the script until they are completed. default activity code The activity code that is assigned to a call if an agent does not enter an activity code manually, or when an agent presses the activity code button twice on his or her phoneset. default skillset The skillset to which calls are queued if they have not been queued to a skillset or a specific agent by the end of a script. desktop user A configured user who can log on to Symposium Call Center Server from a client PC. DHCP See dynamic host configuration protocol. Dial-Up Networking See Remote Access Services. Dialed Number Identification Service An optional service that allows Symposium Call Center Server to identify the phone number dialed by the incoming caller. An agent can receive calls from customers calling in on different DNISs and, if the DNIS is displayed on the phoneset, can prepare a response according to the DNIS. directory number The number that identifies a phoneset on a switch. The directory number (DN) can be a local extension (local DN), a public network telephone number, or an automatic call distribution directory number (ACD-DN). directory number call A call that is presented to the DN key on an agents phoneset.
135
Standard 5.01
display threshold A threshold used in real-time displays to highlight a value below or above the normal range. DN See directory number. DN call See directory number call. DNIS See Dialed Number Identification Service. dynamic host configuration protocol A protocol for dynamically assigning IP addresses to devices on a network. dynamic link library A library of executable functions or data that can be used by a Windows application. Typically, a DLL provides one or more particular functions, and a program accesses the functions by creating either a static or dynamic link to the DLL. Several applications can use a DLL at the same time.
ELAN See embedded local area network. embedded local area network A dedicated Ethernet TCP/IP LAN that connects the server in Symposium Call Center Server and the switch. Emergency key A key on an agents phoneset that, when pressed by an agent, automatically calls his or her supervisor to notify the supervisor of a problem with a caller.
136
June 2007
event 1. An occurrence or action on Symposium Call Center Server, such as the sending or receiving of a message, the opening or closing of an application, or the reporting of an error. Some events are for information only, while others can indicate a problem. Events are categorized by severity: information, minor, major, and critical. 2. An action generated by a script command, such as queuing a call to a skillset or playing music. expression A building block used in scripts to test for conditions, perform calculations, or compare values within scripts. See also logical expression, mathematical expression, relational expression.
F G
first-level threshold The value that represents the lowest value of the normal range for a statistic in a threshold class. The system tracks how often the value for the statistic falls below this value.
global settings Settings that apply to all skillsets that are configured on your system. global variable A variable that contains values that can be used by any script on the system. You can only change the value of a global variable in the Script Variable Properties sheet. You cannot change it in a script. See also call variable, variable.
HDX See Host Data Exchange. Host Data Exchange A rich scripting language provided with Symposium Call Center Server to control treatment of calls.
137
Standard 5.01
Incalls key The key on an agent phoneset to which incoming ACD and Symposium Call Center Server calls are presented. Internet Protocol address An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. Networks use the TCP/IP protocol to route messages based on the IP address of the destination. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four values separated by periods. Each value can be 0 to 255. For example, 1.160.10.240 could be an IP address. intrinsic A word or phrase used in a script to gain access to system information about skillsets, agents, time, and call traffic that can then be used in formulas and decision-making statements. See also call intrinsic, A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call. skillset intrinsic, time intrinsic, traffic intrinsic. IP address See Internet Protocol address.
LAN See Local area network. Local area network A computer network that spans a relatively small area. Most LANs connect workstations and personal computers, and are confined to a single building or group of buildings. logical expression A symbol used in scripts to test for different conditions. Logical expressions are AND, OR, and NOT. See also expression, mathematical expression, relational expression.
138
June 2007
Management Information Base A data structure that describes the collection of all possible objects in a network. Each managed node maintains one or more variables (objects) that describe its state. Symposium Call Center Server Management Information Bases (MIBs) contribute to the overall network MIB by identifying Nortel/Meridian/Symposium Call Center Server nodes within the network identifying significant events (SNMP traps), such as alarms reporting specifying formats of alarms Master script The first script executed when a call arrives at Symposium Call Center Server. A default Master script is provided with Symposium Call Center Server, but it can be customized by an authorized user. It can be deactivated but not deleted. See alsoprimary script, script, secondary script. mathematical expression An expression used in scripts to add, subtract, multiply, and divide values. Mathematical expressions are addition (+), subtraction (-), division (/), and multiplication (*). See also expression, logical expression, relational expression. MIB See Management Information Base. music route A resource installed on the switch that provides music to callers while they wait for an agent.
NAT See Network Address Translation. Network Address Translation The translation of an Internet Protocol (IP) address used within one network to an IP address used within another network. One network is called the inside network and the other is called the outside network.
139
Standard 5.01
Symposium Call Center Servernetwork interface card An expansion board that enables a PC to be connected to a local area network (LAN). Symposium Call Center Servernight mode A skillset state in which the server does not queue incoming calls to the skillset, and in which all queued calls are given night treatment. A skillset goes into night mode automatically when the last agent logs off, or the administrator can put it into night mode manually. See also out-of-service mode, transition mode. NPA See Number Plan Area. Number Plan Area Area code
object linking and embedding A compound document standard that enables you to create objects with one application, and then link or embed them in a second application. ODBC See Open Database Connectivity. OEM Original equipment manufacturer OLE See object linking and embedding. Open Database Connectivity A Microsoft-defined database application program interface (API) standard. Optivity Telephony Manager A Nortel application used for switch management. It provides management simplicity and flexible control.
140
June 2007
OTM See Optivity Telephony Manager. out-of-service mode A skillset state in which the skillset does not take calls. A skillset is out of service if there are no agents logged on or if the supervisor puts the skillset into out-of-service mode manually. See also Symposium Call Center Servernight mode, transition mode. out-of-service skillset A skillset that is not taking any new calls. While a skillset is out of service, incoming calls cannot be queued to the skillset. See also skillset.
pegging The action of incrementing statistical counters to track and report on system events. pegging threshold A threshold used to define a cut-off value for statistics, such as short call and service level. Pegging thresholds are used in reports. PEP See Performance Enhancement Package. Performance Enhancement Package A Symposium Call Center Server supplementary software application that enhances the functionality of previously released software by improving performance, adding functionality, or correcting a problem discovered since the original release. phoneset The physical device, connected to the switch, to which calls are presented. Each agent and supervisor must have a phoneset. phoneset display The display area on an agents phoneset where information about incoming calls can be communicated.
141
Standard 5.01
Position ID A unique identifier for a phoneset, used by the switch to route calls to the phoneset. primary script A script that is executed or referenced by the Master script. A primary script can route calls to skillsets, or it can transfer routing control to a secondary script. See also Master script,script, secondary script.
RAN recorded announcement RAN route See recorded announcement route. RAS See Remote Access Services. Real-time Statistics Multicast An interface that provides real-time information to third-party applications in either multicast or unicast format. recorded announcement route A resource installed on the switch that offers a recorded announcement to callers. relational expression An expression used in scripts to test for different conditions. Relational expressions are less than (<), greater than (>), less than or equal to (< =), greater than or equal to (> =), and not equal to (< >). See also expression, logical expression, mathematical expression. Remote Access Services A feature built into Windows NT and Windows 95 that enables users to log on to an NT-based LAN using a modem, X.25 connection, or WAN link. This feature is also known as Dial-Up Networking.
142
June 2007
Replication server A server that backs up the Active server to the Standby server in real time. See also active server, standby server. reporting supervisor The supervisor who has primary responsibility for an agent. When an agent presses the Emergency key on the phoneset, the emergency call is presented to the agents reporting supervisor. See also associated supervisor. RSM See Real-time Statistics Multicast.
sample script A script that is installed with the Symposium Call Center Server client. Sample scripts are stored as text files in a special folder on the client. The contents of these scripts can be imported or copied into user scripts to create scripts for typical contact center scenarios. SCM See Service Control Manager. script A set of instructions that relates to a particular type of call, caller, or set of conditions, such as time of day or day of week. See also Master script, primary script, secondary script. script variable See variable. second-level threshold The value used in display thresholds that represents the highest value of the normal range for a given statistic. The system tracks how often the value for the statistic falls outside this value.
143
Standard 5.01
secondary script Any script (other than a Master or primary script) that is referenced from a primary script or any other secondary script. There is no pegging of statistics for actions occurring during a secondary script. See also Master script, primary script, script. SEI See Symposium Event Interface. server A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. Examples of servers include file servers, print servers, network servers, and database servers. Symposium Call Center Server is used to configure the operations of the contact center. See also client. service A process that adheres to a Windows NT structure and requirements. A service provides system functionality. Service Control Manager A Windows NT process that manages the different services on the PC. service level The percentage of incoming calls answered within a configured number of seconds. service level threshold A parameter that defines the number of seconds within which incoming calls should be answered. Simple Network Management Protocol A systematic way of monitoring and managing a computer network. The SNMP model consists of four components: managed nodes, which are any device, such as hosts, routers, and printers, capable of communicating status to the outside world via an SNMP management process called an SNMP Agent management stations, which are computers running special network management software that interact with the Agents for status
144 Communication Control Toolkit
June 2007
management information, which is conveyed through exact specifications and format of status specified by the MIB Management Protocol or SNMP, which sends messages called protocol data units (PDUs) site A system using Symposium Call Center Server that can be accessed using SMI. skillset A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call. skillset intrinsic A script element that inserts information about a skillset in a script. Skillset intrinsics return values such as skillsets, integers, and agent IDs. These values are then used in queuing commands. See also call intrinsic, intrinsic, time intrinsic, traffic intrinsic. skillset priority An attribute of a skillset assignment that determines the order in which calls from different skillsets are presented to an agent. When an agent becomes available, calls might be waiting for several of the skillsets to which the agent belongs. The server presents the call queued for the skillset for which the agent has the highest priority. SNMP See Simple Network Management Protocol. standby In skillset assignments, a property that grants an agent membership in a skillset, but makes the agent inactive for that skillset. standby server A server that contains an up-to-date version of the database, for use when the active server becomes unavailable. See also active server, Replication server. supervisor A user who manages a group of agents. See also associated supervisor, reporting supervisor.
145
Standard 5.01
SWCP See Symposium Web Center Portal. switch The hardware that receives incoming calls and routes them to their destination. switch resource A device that is configured on the switch. For example, a CDN is configured on the switch, and then is used as a resource with Symposium Call Center Server. See also acquired resource. Symposium Agent An agent productivity tool that enables contact center agents to provide intelligent and personalized customer care. Agents use a personal computer to access the agent telephony functions. Symposium Call Center Server A client/server contact center solution for varied and changing business requirements. It offers a suite of applications that includes call processing and agent handling, management and reporting, networking, and third-party application interfaces. Symposium Call Center Server call A call to a CDN that is controlled by Symposium Call Center Server. The call is presented to the Incalls key on an agents phoneset. Symposium Event Interface An interface that provides third-party vendors with the information they need to create complementary applications by providing call progress and resource events. Symposium Standby Server The server that contains an up-to-date backup version of the Symposium Call Center Server database, for use if the active server fails. The database is kept upto-date by the Replication Server.
146
June 2007
Symposium Web Center Portal A client/server contact center application that expands contact center e-mail capabilities to allow agents to view, respond to, and track requests over the Internet. Symposium Web Client A browser-based tool for contact center administrators and supervisors used for managing and configuring a contact center and its users, defining access to data, and viewing real-time and historical reports. The Symposium Web Client software is installed on an application server. See also application server. system-defined script The Master_Script. can be customized or deactivated by a user, but cannot be deleted. the first script executed for every call arriving at the contact center.
TAPI See Telephony Application Program Interface. TCP/IP See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TDM See Time-Division Multiplexing. telephony The science of translating sound into electrical signals, transmitting them, and then converting them back to sound. The term is used frequently to refer to computer hardware and software that perform functions traditionally performed by telephone equipment. Telephony Application Program Interface An interface between the switch and an application that allows the application to control the telephone on a users desktop. threshold A value for a statistic at which system handling of the statistic changes.
147
Standard 5.01
threshold class A set of options that specifies how statistics are treated in reports and real-time displays. See also display threshold, pegging threshold. Time-Division Multiplexing A method of transmission in which a signal is separated into multiple segments at the transmission source, and then reassembled at the receiving end. time intrinsic A script element that stores information about system time, including time of day, day of week, and week of year. See also call intrinsic, intrinsic, A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call. skillset intrinsic, traffic intrinsic. Token Ring A PC network protocol developed by IBM. A Token Ring network is a type of computer network in which all the computers are arranged schematically in a circle. traffic intrinsic An intrinsic that inserts information about system-level traffic in a script. See also call intrinsic, intrinsic, A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call. skillset intrinsic, time intrinsic. transition mode A skillset state in which the server presents already queued calls to a skillset. New calls queued to the skillset are given out-of-service treatment. See also Symposium Call Center Servernight mode, out-of-service mode. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol The communication protocol used to connect devices on the Internet. TCP/IP is the standard protocol for transmitting data over networks. treatment See call treatment.
148
June 2007
user-created script A script that is created by an authorized user on the Symposium Call Center Server system. Primary and secondary scripts are user-created scripts. user-defined script A script that is modified by an authorized user on the Symposium Call Center Server system. utility A program that performs a specific task, usually related to managing system resources. Operating systems contain a number of utilities for managing disk drives, printers, and other devices.
validation The process of checking a script to ensure that all the syntax and semantics are correct. A script must be validated before it can be activated. variable A placeholder for values calculated within a script, such as CLID. Variables are defined in the Script Variable Properties sheet and can be used in multiple scripts to determine treatment and routing of calls entering Symposium Call Center Server. See also call variable, global variable. Virtual Private Network A private network that is configured within a public network to take advantage of the economies of scale and management facilities of large networks. VPN See Virtual Private Network.
149
Standard 5.01
Wide area network A computer network that spans a relatively large geographical area. Typically, a WAN consists of two or more local area networks (LANs). The largest WAN in existence is the Internet. workload scenarios Sets of configuration values defined for typical patterns of system operations. Five typical workload scenarios (entry, small, medium, large, and upper end) are used in the Capacity Assessment Tool for capacity analysis for Symposium Call Center Server.
150
Index Symbols
.NET 14, 36, 37 Framework class library 37 programming languages 38 types 37
B
backup 14, 16, 49 bandwidth contention 95 basic call 127 cost 68 binding order 87, 91
A
access rights 16 ACD position ID 18 ACD-DNs 18 default 82 activating the IP address 77 active directory data, importing 17 Address object 40 addresses 18 administration 16 Agent Manager statistics 24 Agent object 40 AgentTerminalSession object 40 AML 16, 36 configuring ELAN for 79 API Communication Control Toolkit 36 distribution 37 Full 39 Graphical 41 Lite 40 multi-channel 14 Application Module Link 16, 36 applications, switch 65 architecture 27 ASAI 16, 21, 37 AST 83 attached data 51 audit log 23 average CPU utilization 56 delay factor 95 pages per second 56
Planning and Engineering Guide
C
call complexity 51, 68 call data 19, 22 call duration 51 call models 125 hybrid 126 MVP 126 SVP 126 call rate, maximum 68 call-attached data 51 caller-entered data 51 calls per hour 51 capacity 51 requirements, minimizing 56 switch 67 CDNs 18 configuring on the switch 81 checking the ELAN link 80 Citrix 13, 15 CLAN 31 maximum utilization 90, 93 requirements 87, 91 utilization 93 client application 34 client integration 14 clients 51 engineering 59 CLR 37 clustering 49 coexistence with legacy TAPI applications 19 commit limit 56
151
Index
Standard 5.01
committed bytes 56 Common Language Runtime 37 Communication Control Toolkit 10 API 36 client 31 client, requirements 60 hardware platforms 46 server 30, 35 server, requirements 45 communication ports 15 components, third-party 36 Computer Telephony Integration. See CTI conferencing 51 configuration 16 configurations, VPN 109 configuring CDNs on the switch 81 Contivity 108 devices 22 TAPI phonesets 83 connection object 40 contact center environment architecture 28 network requirements 87 Contact Management Framework 35 statistics 24 Contact object 40 Contivity 108 configuring 108 controlled DNs 18 coresidency CTI 14 with Symposium Agent 14 with Symposium Web Center Portal 14 cost of basic call 68 CPU requirement, Communication Control Toolkit 46 utilization, Communication Control Toolkit 56 CTI 10, 36 coresidency 14 CTI client statistics 24 Customer Local Area Network. See CLAN Customer Relationship Manager 30
D
data, importing 17 database backups 57 debugging 51, 52 dedicated subnet 87, 91 default ACD-DN 82 defining ELAN 79 routing table 77 delay factor 95 device configuration 22 registration 22 to user mapping 19 types 18, 21 devices, mapping to users 19 DFDN prompt 82 Direct Connect interface 17 direct-connect modem, support over 106 disaster recovery 49 distribution 37 DN 18 documentation 25 domain controller 50 drivers 46
E
EBCs 67 ELAN 31, 91 average utilization 57 configuring 75 defining 79 external communications on 99 link, checking 80 link, enabling 80 maximum utilization 94 OTM on 98 problems 94 requirements 93 traffic 94 Embedded Local Area Network. See ELAN enabling the ELAN link 80 engineering
152
June 2007
Index
client 59 network 85 server 45 switch 61 Equivalent Basic Calls 67 error log 23 error reporting 23 Ethernet port, assigning an IP address for 76 Ethernet switch 98 events, supported 117 external communications on the ELAN 99
I
IAPG 83 import tools 17 inbound call models 126 Interactive Voice Response. See IVR IP address activating 77 assigning to the switch 76 validating 77 IP telephony 29 IPML data, importing 17 IPML 2.1 migration from 15 ISDN 66 IVR messages 89 port 18 server 30 IVR messages 92
F
features, Release 5.0 13 filtering router 98 firewall 13, 14 ftp traffic 108 Full API 39 functions supported by Graphical API 41 functions, supported 117
G
gateway server 77 GigaSpaces Platform Infrastructure 36 Graphical API 41 graphical toolkit 13
K
knowledge worker environment architecture 32 network requirements 91
L H
hardware configuration and performance 51 configuring ELAN 75 platforms 46 requirements, Communication Control Toolkit client 60 requirements, Communication Control Toolkit server 46 hardware-RAID 49 host-to-gateway configuration 109 hybrid model 126 LD 17 79 LD 23 82 LD 48 80 legacy TAPI applications coexistence with 19 defining access rights for 19 Lite API 40 location, physical location 49 logging 51
M
M1 Switch Capacity Spreadsheet 67 mapping devices to users 19
153
Index
Standard 5.01
maximum call rate, Meridian 1/Succession 1000 switch 68 utilization, CLAN 90, 93 utilization, ELAN 94 memory Object 56 requirements, Communication Control Toolkit 47 See also virtual memory Memory Object 56 Meridian 1 PBX 63 configuring 73 Meridian Link Services 16, 36 and IPML Service Provider 21 and TAPI Service Provider 18 impact on Symposium Call Center Server performance 55 Meridian Voice Processing. See MVP Microsoft Management Console 16 Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine 14, 17, 36 Microsoft Terminal Services 13, 15 migration from TAPI Service Provider 3.0 or IPML 2.1 15 migration paths 113 minimizing capacity requirements 56 MLS 16, 36 and IPML Service Provider 21 and TAPI Service Provider 18 configuring the ELAN link for 79 impact on Symposium Call Center Server performance 55 traffic 88 model call 125 hybrid 126 inbound call 126 MVP 126 SVP 126 modems 48 support over direct-connect 106 MSDE 2000 14, 17, 36 multi-channel API 14 MVP 126
N
NCCT Audit Log 23 NCCT Error Log 23 NCCT Security log 23 Network Address Translation 15 network engineering 85 network requirements contact center environment 87 knowledge worker environment 91 self-service environment 87 networked ACD 66 networking traffic 89, 93 non-steady state 57 Nortel voice application servers 108
O
open switch connectivity 16 operating system Communication Control Toolkit client 60 Communication Control Toolkit server 46 Option 11C 64 Option 11C Mini 64 Option 51C 64 Option 61C 64 Option 81 64 Option 81C 64 Optivity Telephony Manager. See OTM OTM on the ELAN 98 traffic 108 Overlay 17 79 Overlay 23 82 Overlay 48 80
P
pages per second 56 paging file 48 Partner Information Center 25 PerfMon.exe 23 performance 51 Performance Monitor 56 Performance Monitoring tool 23
Communication Control Toolkit
154
June 2007
Index
phonesets configuring TAPI 83 supported 70 PIC 25 Platform Vendor Independence 46 platforms 46 port requirements 60 ports 15 position ID 18 primary objects, Full API 39 problems, ELAN 94 programming languages 38 propagation delays 94, 95 PVI 46
S
SAPphone 20 security 13 security log 23 self-service environment architecture 33 network requirements 87 server. See Communication Control Toolkit server services per call 68, 127 Session object 39 SNMP 23 traffic 108 software configuring ELAN 75 versions, switch 64 software-RAID 49 solution type 51 split tunneling 108 statistics Agent Manager 24 Contact Management Framework 24 CTI client 24 steady state 56 structuring of call data 19 subnet dedicated 87, 91 Nortel Server 108 Succession 1000 switch 63, 64 configuring 73 Succession 1000M switch. See Succession 1000 switch Succession releases 64 support, remote 105 SVP model 126 SWCP. See Symposium Web Center Portal switch applications 65 assigning an IP address to 76 capacity 67 configuring 73
Q
queuing delays 94 quiet subnet 87, 91
R
RAM requirements, Communication Control Toolkit 47, 56 RAS 50, 106 redundancy 49 reference implementation 13 registration of devices 22 Release 5.0 13 reliability, lack of 94 Remote Access Services 50, 106 remote support 105 VPN guidelines 108 requirements CLAN 87, 91 Communication Control Toolkit client 60 Communication Control Toolkit server 45 ELAN 93 network 85 port 60 switch 64 resources 51 restore 14 rlogin traffic 108 robustness, lack of 94
Planning and Engineering Guide
155
Index
Standard 5.01
configuring CDNs on 81 connectivity, open 16 engineering 61 interface with 17 requirements 64 software versions 64 supported 64 Symposium Agent, coresidency with 14 Symposium Call Center Server 30 performance impact of MLS 55 Symposium Web Center Portal 30 coresidency with 14
VAS ID 79 versioning 38 virtual memory Communication Control Toolkit 56 virtual memory, Communication Control Toolkit 56 Virtual Private Network. See VPN virus scanning 57 Visual Studio .NET 2003 41 VPN 105 configurations 109 remote support guidelines 108 VSID definitions 81
T
TAPI phonesets, configuring 83 TAPI Service Provider 17 3.0, migration from 15 data, importing 17 TDM telephony 29 telephony 29 Terminal object 40 terminal services 13, 15 TerminalConnection object 40 terminals 18 third-party components 36 TLS 21 tools, import 17 traffic ELAN 94 networking 93 transfers 51 transport 35
W
Windows Event Log 23 Windows Form Controls 13 Windows Forms Controls 42 Windows Performance Monitoring tool 23 Windows Server 2003 13 workstations, importing 17
X
X11 releases 64
U
users, mapping to devices 19 utilization maximum CLAN 90, 93 maximum ELAN 94
V
validating the IP address 77
156 Communication Control Toolkit
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