Does ANYONE speak 'Amanda' here ??

[vtsnaab]

I am finishing up getting an ACS R8 ready for use with a very nice Amanda VM unit.
All the individual components work as they should - phone lights are good, VM works correctly, integration between the machines seems flawless...
-Except-
No message light seems possible at the operator station (X12), or any station.

I've had some very good help from TouchToneTommy here as well as great help from the only Amanda tech I know of in CA - and still, no message light.

The entire setup consists of an ACS R8, a single 308, 8 MLS-12 and 12D phones and the Amanda VM unit connected at the last 4 ext. ports.

If the message light is simply never going to work in this setup it will have to be OK - but I am posting this as a last attempt - just in case someone here knows something that has not been revealed and that may get that function working.

After this attempt - in it goes, light or no light - simple as that !!

Thanks for any help folks.

 

[TouchToneTommy]

http://theamandacompany.com/downloads/soho_flash_switch_installation_administration_manual.pdf

Make sure you’ve selected the correct telephone switching system and you
have rebooted the SOHO Flash after selecting it.
Also, make sure port 4 is connected to a working analog extension and has
the ability to enable and disable message waiting indicators.
Manually test the port to make sure it’s functional and you can turn on and
off MWI’s using a single line analog telephone or test set.

Another possibility is that the telephone system type that the SOHO Flash
is connected to is not on the default telephone switch definition list. If this
is the case you’ll need to connect to the system either via null modem or
modem (technical support can also remote in an make the appropriate
changes for you if needed) and modify the c:\amanda\pbx.db\1001.pbx file
setting the parameters ‘dl_light_on’ and ‘dl_light_off’ to the correct
DTMF sequences to enable and disable MWI’s for your telephone system
type.
Additionally, in version 4.03 you MUST run MWI.bat located in the
c:\amanda\pbx.db folder to enable KA.on and KA.off notify templates
which read in dl_light_on and dl_light_off values from the 1001.pbx file.

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks Again and Again TouchToneTommy !!
I did not even think to test the last port on the 308, but I will test all the ports today just to be 100% certain that is not the error I have missed.

I have to access the Amanda's HDD as an external via PC, and I will be doing that today in order to correct the greetings for use as a single mailbox system in the file install.cfg .
I will examine the other files you mentioned in your reply when I do that.

The unit is not a newer SOHO Flash - it is just the plain, older Amanda unit with a HDD in it.
I have used this model for years and it is highly reliable and long lasting.

The only possible switch definitions for the ACS according to their manual and the tech are 110, 111, and 112.
I have tried all of them with no change in the MWI function.

Could be this is just not a function that will work, and if so it will just be used that way.

Thanks for replying with more helpful info !!

 

[vtsnaab]

I carefully tested all 4 ports that the Amanda is using and all appears well.

The only thing I cannot do right now is tap into port 34 with a butt set to listen to the DTMF tones after leaving a new VM...I have to wait until it is in place to do that.

Configuration-wise, I have also tried all suggestions so generously provided.

In addition to the great info here, the man who still deals with Amanda units in CA gave me some more things to try, very similar to what TouchToneTommy suggested above.

In following the various directions I have tried the following 2 lines with and without the leading comma in the 1001.PBX file:

dl_light_on ,#09,%E # What to dial to light the MWI :
dl_light_off ,#10,%E # What to dial to turn off the MWI :

No MWI response either way.

It was also suggested to change the E to a U - and that didn't get it going either.

Looking at the files for 110, 111, and 112 both .ON and .OFF - they are identical.

This reminds me of my pre-DOS days when there was an older OS that ignored commands which did not have a mandatory space placed just so;
Makes me wonder if this could simply be a minor syntax error like that ??

Looking at the .PBX files for 110, 111, and 112 - it seems that 100 & 112 are the same, and that the 111.PBX file differs only slightly and also that it uses 'integration 15' rather than 10.

There are no such files in this version named MWI.bat, KA.on or KA.off - this must be an older version (I'm guessing...) that did not have those yet.

At this point - unless there is some error in what I have done that can be corrected to make the MWI work, it is most likely time to quit fussing over this one thing and just tell the folks using it to check their VM a few times a day !!

The following text is copied directly from the 1001.PBX file:

####################################################
# NAME: AT&T Partner ACS                           #
####################################################

dl_dtwait F-         # Dial code to put a caller on transfer hold         :
dl_ndtret F-         # Dial code to use when there is no transfer dialtone:
dl_rnaret F-         # Dial code to return to caller after Ring No Answer :
dl_bsyret F-         # Dial code to return to caller when there is a Busy :
dl_hupret F-         # Dial code to use after a call screening reject     :
dl_connect H         # Dial code to connect the caller to the extension   :
tmo_dtwait 4         # Number of seconds to wait for dialtone detection   :
flashtm 55           # Number of 1/100 seconds to use for Flash time      :
dt_answer            # Which DTMF tone to listen to for answer detection  :
dt_hangup            # Which DTMF tone to listen to for hangup detection  :
dl_prefix            # What to dial BEFORE dialing the User ID extension  :
dl_suffix H          # What to dial AFTER dialing the User ID extension   :
dl_init              # What to dial when the system first starts up       :
dl_stop              # What to dial when the system performs a shutdown   :
dl_pickup            # What to dial when a port goes off-hook             :
dl_conference   # What to dial to create/record a conference call         :
dl_light_on ,#09,%E    # What to dial to light the MWI                      :
dl_light_off ,#10,%E   # What to dial to turn off the MWI                   :

code 112
integration 10 '#hh###'
integration 10 '#02#ss#rr#'
integration 10 '#03##rr#'
integration 10 '#00#ee#xx#'
integration 10 '#02#sss#rrr#'
integration 10 '#03##rrr#'
integration 10 '#00#eee#xxx#'

Thanks !!

 

[vtsnaab]

Despite the age of all this stuff and the difficulties in tracking down the exact info needed, the system is finally as finished as it is likely to get.

After being advised to look in the pertinent files in the Amanda's HDD I found that 110 & 112 are exactly the same.
111 is a bit different - but also seemed to work OK.

The only oddity is that this installation is using the ACS R8 with MLS-12D phones because they are in better shape than the newer phones we got.

In the final result - and after far too many attempts to get things exactly & perfectly right, the Amanda & ACS are working fine together with a single exception:
No MWI on any station after a VM is left.

The 2 lines of code in the Amanda's settings which are supposed to make it work, can be inserted manually - but it just refuses to work no matter what was tried.

So in it goes, despite no working MWI and after many delays due to life's demands.

Thanks for the great help folks !!

 

[TouchToneTommy]

Can you configure "outcalling" on the Amanda? have it "call" #09XX where XX is the extension number you want to light up, and put a Feature-10-XX button on the phone to turn the light off after checking messages

 

[vtsnaab]

Neat idea - thanks TouchToneTommy !!
It is all ready for travel right now, but when I get it there I'll read the manuals and see if that is something it'll do - I think I remember that it does, but me olde braine isn't as reliable as looking in the manuals...

Thanks Again.

 

[redphone]

I noticed the 1001.PBX file uses comments that begin with a #, and your code for dl_light_on requires DTMF # to be played. This would make me think your dial string needs to be wrapped in quotes of some kind. The example in the admin guide seems to suggest this as well:
dl_light_on ',#63%U'
dl_light_off ',#64%U'

Have you tried wrapping your dial string in single quotes:
dl_light_on ',#09,%E' # What to dial to light the MWI :
dl_light_off ',#10,%E' # What to dial to turn off the MWI :

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks for that suggestion Redphone !!
I may have tried something like that as I noticed it, and the Amanda tech I was in contact with also mentioned removing the quotes, but;
I may not have tried it exactly as you've described.

So, the next time I'll be traveling that way will be (roughly) in a couple of weeks and if I have enough time I will try this as well as what TouchToneTommy suggested as well.

Then maybe this ACS/Amanda system can finally have a working MWI !!

Thanks.