Caution - Extreme Definity Newbie

[MikeScally]

Our phone tech left a "Gone Fishing" message last week - and ran off with his gear and the documentation for the system. All I know is that it is a definity - but I don't even know the model number. Of course management is telling me that "It's just another computer - you'll figure it out"

I'm an IS guy - and the phone side of the house is new to me.

So your patience and help is much appreciated. A few questions:

1. How do I find the model number of this Definity. I found a serial number in the right side of the cabinet and a part number - but when I did a look up online - I found it was for the cabinet itself - not the PBX. Where do I find this on the box itself?

2. I saw our guy config this through a laptop with a Serial port connection - Do I need proprietary software - or just a terminal connection? I just need to do basic things like reset the time, change the name on some extensions etc.

Thanks again folks!

 

[mrjedi]

YOu have a long way to go my friend. Firstly, look at the front of the cabinet and on the far left, there is a processor, tell me what the TN number is on the face of the card. Also, look for a Tn799 card. If you have that you can access the switch via LAN, if not, you will need a special cable to connect to the definity and without that, you dont have any hope. If you have LAN connection, you can use non avaya software like ProComm, or you may find a copy of either ASA-Avaya site administration or DSA-definity site administration and load that into your pc. I am going on holiday from tomorrow, but Iam sure once you have the above info, more people will respond

 

[freddiespencer]

Mike,

Once you have access let the group know and I'm sure we'll do our best. If your system turns out to be a G3 Definity series there are some commonly used login/passwords that I will send to your personal email.

Good Luck.

Fried Bread

 

[mikeydidit]

One thing that I didn’t see mentioned is the command "newterm". You should have a terminal and keyboard attached somewhere that you can enter this command. This will show you the basic switch type and software load that it is configured with. I too would recommend that you get ASA software and connect to your system. The software version of your system and the packs in it will determine how you can connect. Basically the newer loads support an Ethernet type connection vs. a dialup modem connection. After that post any help you need here. Their is some good, and knowledgeable folks here that don't mind helping.

Mike Jones
LSUHSC

 

[tkinney]

Nice phone tech that went fishing! I would never do that to another human being not even the ex! Anyway I also was given the opportunity to "learn" on the job. Fortunately I was able to convince my boss (partly by showing him the patch panel) that I needed to attend the AVAYA basic admin class, it went for a week and it is hands on with great instructors that will work one on one with you plus you get books and cds to take with you. This would be a great start, also there are manuels available on line thru Avaya.com that are Little Instruction Books. I would start with the basic admin. and basic diagnostics manuels. I viewed them in PDF (Acrobat) and then printed them to our good copy machine. These manuels are written by users for users, no Bill Gates lingo...like the others said you can always count on us for assistance. You may find the voice side a wonderful place to stay!
Tina

 

[mikeydidit]

Someone should warn Mike that if he spends much time on the phone side of the house, he may not want to go back to the data side...

B-)

Mike Jones
LSUHSC

 

[MikeScally]

Wow! Thanks guys for being so friendly and so helpful. I think I like the voice side much better already!

The cards on this Definity are as follows:

TN798B Processor Card V3

TN2182B Tone Clock V1
TN767E DSI Interface V3
TN742 Analog Line V18
TN754 Digital Line V15
TN754 Digital Line V12
TN2214B Digital Line
TN568 Def Audix V3 R4

Can you guys tell by that - what kind of Definity it is?

MrJedi mentioned that if I was missing a TN799 card that I would be in trouble regarding configuring the Definity with a laptop. There is none -but I do notice a TN568 Adaptor Cable hanging off the right side between the two TDM's. It has serial and a CAT5 connections on it.

I'm going to try to connect up a PROCOMM session as spelt out by Mike Jones and in the forum FAQ and see how that goes. I don't have the ASA/DSA Software. My predecessor kept it on his own personal laptop. I see that I can't download that from the Avaya Support Site. I guess they want $$$ for it.

I downloaded those Basic Admin books that Tina mentioned (Nice Crayon Font on the Cover!) and am going through these right now.

As a side note - to prep myself and give myself something to play with in regards to Voice switching concepts- I built and configured an Asterisk PBX at home last night. Dropped a Digium TDM22B into a Linux box and it's up and going with voice mail and a hunt group, hold music, email integration etc.

I have a couple of Snom SIP IP phones running on it right now - Haven't tried plug any analog lines into the POTS FXS ports yet but it's enough to get me into this whole thing I think...

Not bad for $400 and an old PC. Going to try it with Vonage over my cable modem to see if I can get VOIP going. But mebbe that is for another group ...and another time

 

[MikeScally]

Ok...

Having gone through the card list in the cabinet. I'm thinking this is a Definity ProLogix R8Csi.

No copies of the management software on Ebay though

 

[IPSI]

Mike,
The model of the system that you have is a Prologix (aka Csi) with a software load somewhere between version 6 and version 8. This is indicated by the processor pack being a TN798B

The system is "B" or "BCS" version, which is the lower cost version of the software. This version does not have all the features that an "A" or "ECS" version has. This is indicated by the TN2214 digital circuit pack. This is one of the boards that BCS systems can use, but ECS systems can not.

If there is no SAT (system administration terminal a big old mainframe looking terminal) attached to the system, either directly or in someones office, you have at least one other option for connecting to it. First is the serial connection on the carrier. The other is to dial into the system, for this there needs to be an external modem attached to the system, if it is connected it will most likely be a little off-white US Robotics modem.

Either way you try to connect to it you are going to need a login and password. Hopefully you have these. If not, it is possible that the system may have the default passwords, which someone could most likely e-mail to you. But... If it you do not have the login and password, and the defaults do not work, you will have to get Avaya to put a new password into the system for you, and if you are not on Avaya Maintenance, this will cost you a bit.

Hopefully this helps.

IPSI

 

[stevea2Z]

maybe someone can put the management software on a tftp server to help this person. the files aren't that big, but to big for mailing anyway

 

[MenaceEnnis]

Hi ,
ASA / DSA is a nice to have software.. Procomm is just as good, maybe better actually as your are a beginner and need to get to grips with it all . To figure out what PBX you have

you can use these commands

List con all ( list configuration all )
disp sys cust ( display customer options)

When you do the last command it will give you the release of the software wich in turn will help you to find the right manuals.

As the avaya manuals a very complex and nasty a recommended tool to index PDF's is copernic desktop search, you type in search and it will guide you to the right PDF (

http://www.copernic.com

where you can find it for free)

also use this forum for your questions .. ;o}