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Info on DEFINITY ECS R8 & R9
- Thread starter RDX
- Start date
General Enhancements
Release 9.5 includes the following general telephony and system-wide enhancements.
2-digit Release Number
The standard DEFINITY software release string has been modified to accommodate 2-digit release numbers that are required for future releases.
Asynchronous Links Enhancements
Client applications with asynchronous links allow you to use TCP/IP to connect adjunct equipment to the switch via the C-LAN board. In the past these applications required an RS232 connection through a serial port with a data module or a data line port with an Asynchronous Data Unit (ADU). With Release 9.5 these applications can be connected through the local area network (LAN) via a TCP/IP port. These links can operate at a much higher data rate, and allow you to connect adjuncts without the need for data modules.
Call detail recording (CDR) devices, property management systems (PMS) & printers can be connected using asynchronous TCP/IP links. In addition, maintenance parameters can be set to allow the switch to alarm out over a TCP/IP link.
Any device that does not support a direct TCP/IP connection, but that does support an RS232 interface, can connect to the C-LAN board through a terminal server or router.
Announcement Intercept Treatment for Invalid Numbers
This feature allows the user to administer a recorded announcement to play back
when the end-user dials an invalid number. The announcement does not play back for calls that fail due to inter-digit timeout. An invalid number is any called number that cannot be resolved through the dial plan.
The announcement does not play back for calls that fail due to inter-digit timeout. You can only use this feature in single-switch environment (non-DCS, non-QSIG).
Automatic Answer Intercom Calls
Automatic Answer Intercom Calls (Auto Answer ICOM) allows a user to answer an intercom call within the intercom group without pressing the intercom button. Auto Answer ICOM works with digital, BRI, and hybrid phones with built-in speaker, headphones, or adjunct speakerphone.
Automatic Customer Telephone Rearrangement
Automatic Customer Telephone Rearrangement (ACTR) allows a phone to be unplugged from one location and moved to a new location without additional switch administration. The switch automatically associates the extension to the new port. ACTR works with 6400 Serialised phones. The 6400 Serialised phone is stamped with the word Serialised on the faceplate for easy identification. The
6400 Serialised phone memory electronically stores its own part ID (comcode) and serial number. ACTR uses the stored information and associates the phone with new port when the phone is moved.
ACTR is an enhancement to Terminal Translation Initialisation (TTI), Personal Station Access (PSA), Customer Telephone Activation (CTA). ACTR makes it easy to identify and move phones.
Busy Tone Disconnect
In some regions of the world the CO sends a busy tone for the disconnect message. With Busy Tone Disconnect, the switch disconnects analog loop-start Central Office trunks when a busy tone is sent from the CO.
Capacity Changes
Release 9.5 introduces several increased capacity limits, including an increased number of IP telephones made possible by using single extension IP phones in place of dual extension configurations.
The new Voice Announcement over LAN (VAL) feature allows greater announcement recording times, and the number of vectors and vector directory numbers (VDNs) has increased for systems with Offer Category B.
The number of ATM WAN Spare Processors (WSP) allowed has also increased. See ‘‘System Capacity Enhancements’’ on page 13 for more information.
Increased BRI Trunks to 1440
This feature increases the maximum number of BRI trunks on the G3r platform from 720 to 1440. This feature allows additional controllers and base stations to be supported by the additional BRI trunks, which allows you to have more administered wireless users.
Mixed-length Dial Access Codes
Mixed- Length Dial Access Codes (DACs) allows you to use the second digit table to assign Feature Access Codes (FAC) and DACs of different lengths depending on the second digit. This feature existed prior to R9.5, but only for first digits 0-9. In R9.5, the feature works for first digits * and # as well.
Personal Station Access (PSA) Enhancements
When a call that goes to coverage from a PSA-disassociated extension, the switch sends a message to the coverage point indicating that the call was not answered. If the coverage point is a display phone, the display shows da for don’t answer. If the coverage point is a voice messaging system, the VM system receives an indication from the switch that this call was not answered, and treat the call accordingly.
R2 MFC Enhancements
Release 9.5 contains the following enhancements to R2 Multifrequency-Compelled Signaling (MFC):
 The user can choose to include the R2 MFC Calling Party Category in the call detail record (CDR)
 The user can choose to assign the R2 MFC Calling Party Category and Called Party Category on a per-station or per-trunk basis.
 The user can administer a recorded announcement to play when outgoing R2 MFC trunk calls do not complete. This applies when the DEFINITY ECS receives either group A or B signals from the called Central Office or other switch.
Prior to R9.5, the DEFINITY system waited two seconds before sending digits on an ARS/AAR ISDN PRI trunk call. In situations where the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits dialed is small, this delay is unnecessary. This enhancement eliminates the two-second delay timer for calls when the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits is 0 or 1. The timer is set to one second if the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits is 2 or 3. If the difference is 4 or greater, the original two-second timer is set.
Voice Announcement over LAN
Voice Announcement over LAN (VAL) introduces the TN2501AP, a new integrated announcement circuit pack that
 plays announcements over the TDM bus, similar to the TN750C.
 has up to 1 hour of announcement storage time per circuit pack.
 has 33 ports
 10/100 Mb ethernet interface, allowing announcement and firmware file portability over a LAN (FTP server functions).
 supports generated .wav announcement files
Hardware Enhancements
302D Console
The 302D console provides the following enhancements to the current 302C console:
 Modular handset/headset connection
 Activate/deactivate push-button
 Two-wire DCP compatibility
 Headset volume control
 Noise expander option
 Support for Eurofont or Katakana character set.

Remotely Readable Electronic IDs
Remotely readable electronic identification allows the switch to read a serialized
DCP telephone’s part number (comcode) and serial number. Avaya can use this
information to determine the proper maintenance replacement unit or the date of
manufacture for warranty or QPPCN status. The remotely readable electronic
identification is currently only available with the 6400 Serialized DCP telephones.
TN744E/TN2182C Enhancements
The TN744E Call Classifier/Detector circuit pack and the TN2182C Tone Clock circuit pack now support Busy Tone Disconnect.
TN2302AP Enhancements
The TN2302AP IP Media Processor board now supports the T.38 standard for fax transmissions.
TN2305B/TN2306B (new vintage)
The TN2305B and TN2306B ATM interface circuit packs support the Release 9.5 ATM enhancements.
Networking Enhancements
ISDN B-Channel Maintenance
This development allows you to connect their DEFINITY ECS with other switches that use the NI-1998 B-channel maintenance standard. B-Channel Maintenance applies only to ISDN-PRI connections..
Network Call Redirection Enhancements
Changes provided in DEFINITY R9.5 are required for reliable operation with the MCI® WorldCom® Network Call Transfer network service. NCR 9.5 supports Information Forwarding for AT&T In-band Transfer and Connect network service. Enabling NCR provides Information Forwarding support for the AT&T Transfer and Connect In-band network service ISDN D-channel data forwarding capability starting with DEFINITY R9.2 load 35. The DEFINITY Information Forwarding feature forwards User-to-User Information (UUI) associated with the call to the transferred to location. When NCR is active in the DEFINITY system, transferring the call using Call Vectoring and AT&T In-band Transfer and Connect, the disconnect vector step includes the codeset UUI IE in the ISDN DISCONNECT message.
(NOT SUPPORTED IN THE UK BY NSP’s).
QSIG Stand-alone Path Replacement
Path Replacement (PR) is the process of routing an established call over a new, more efficient path, after which the old call is torn down leaving those resources free. Path Replacement offers potential savings by routing calls more efficiently, saving resources and trunk usage. Prior to R9.5, path replacement only occurred with QSIG Call Transfer. In R9.5, path replacement can exist as a stand-alone feature, or occur in the following additional cases:
 Call Forwarding by Forward Switching supplementary service, including the case where Call Diversion by Rerouting fails, and Call Forwarding is accomplished via forward switching
 Gateway scenarios where DEFINITY ECS, serving as an incoming or outgoing gateway, invokes PR to optimize the path between the gateways
 Calls in queue/vector processing even though no true user is on the call yet
 QSIG Lookahead Interflow call, Best Service Route call, or adjunct route
! CAUTION:
Depending on the version of Call Management System (CMS) you are using, some calls can go unrecorded if you administer your system for Path Replacement in queue/vector processing. Please see your Avaya representative for more information
QSIG/DCS Voice Mail Interworking
QSIG/DCS Voice Mail Interworking is an enhancement to the current QSIG feature. It integrates DCS and QSIG Centralized Voicemail via the new DCS+/QSIG gateway. Switches labeled DCS+/QSIG integrate multi-vendor PBXs into a single voice messaging system. This is an Offer Category A enhancement and works on G3r, G3si, and G3csi. It provides network flexibility, DCS functionality without a dedicated T1 and vendor independence.
ATM Enhancements
The redesigned TN2305 and TN2306 ATM interface circuit packs have more capabilities and resources, including
 Firmware monitor port on the backplane of the circuit packs
 Spare lead for WAN Spare Processor (WSP) applications
 Processor speed increased to 66 megahertz (MHz.)
 Increased hardware vintage bits
 ATM-network duplication
The increased functionality is available to both ATM-PNC and ATM-CES applications. However, both circuit packs can also function in systems designed and installed earlier than this release. The ATM WAN Spare Processor (WSP) is a processor port network (PPN) without port circuit packs and is invoked into service when there is a catastrophic failure in the network and links to the main PPN are severed. This ATM development
 Increases the number of WSPs to 15.
 Supports ATM PNC network duplication and critical reliability systems.
EC500 Extension to Cellular R2
The Avaya EC500 Extension to Cellular R2 provides the expansion of mobile services, including one-number availability, increased user capacities, flexibility across facilities and hardware, more control over unauthorized usage, enhanced enable/disable capability, increased serviceability, and support of IP trunk facilities. Avaya EC500 R2 provides flexible mobile communications that save time and increase productivity.
IP Solution Enhancements
Quality of Service (QoS) to Endpoints
You can set operating parameters to optimize the audio performance, or Quality of Service (QoS), on calls made over your IP network. These parameters include the audio codec, network priority through DiffServ capability, and the IEEE 802.1p/Q MAC-layer prioritization and segregation. Default QoS parameters are downloaded to the IP Telephone R1.5 and the IP Softphone R3 when the values are not provided by the endpoint installer or the user. Certain options can be set locally by the endpoints or via the gatekeeper. The endpoints receive the parameters when the endpoints register, and once they are registered, whenever the administered values of the QoS parameters are modified.
QoS integration with Cajun Rules
Cajun Rules provides a central repository for QoS parameters and allows comprehensive QoS management across routers, switches, and endpoints. QoS parameters and policies are assigned according to network regions on a Network Region and are distributed through Enterprise Directory Gateway to the DEFINITY ECS and to routers and switching devices.
Alternate Gatekeeper and Registration
Addresses
When an IP endpoint (including softphones, IP phones, and Avaya R300) registers with the switch, the switch sends back an IP registration address. The switch sends a different IP address for each registration according to a cyclic algorithm. If registration with the original C-LAN circuit pack IP address is successful, the switch sends back the IP addresses of all the C-LAN circuit packs in one network region, not including interconnected regions. These C-LAN addresses are called gatekeeper addresses. These addresses can also be used if the call signaling on the original C-LAN circuit pack fails. If the network connection to one C-LAN circuit pack fails, the IP endpoint re-registers with a different C-LAN. Alternate gatekeeper and registration addresses, and C-LAN circuit pack load
sharing, spread IP endpoint registration across more than one C-LAN circuit pack, increasing performance and reliability.
IP Serviceability Enhancements
The feature consists of switch-resident commands that you and service personnel can use as diagnostic/troubleshooting tools for communication problems between IP endpoints within a DEFINITY system. This feature is a collection of report-generating utilities that use existing TN799 (C-LAN) and the TN2302 (IP Media Processor) circuit packs along with new software and firmware. The following table lists these utilities:
Switch Support for IP Stations
This release contains enhancements to improve support for IP phones. These enhancements include:
 administrable options for which calling number to send to the public safety access point when an emergency call is placed from an IP phone
 single extension connection, which allows you to convert existing
 dual-extension IP phones to single extensions and free up extension
 numbers for other uses
 support for Softphone R3
 support for IP Telephone R1.5
Release 9.5 includes the following general telephony and system-wide enhancements.
2-digit Release Number
The standard DEFINITY software release string has been modified to accommodate 2-digit release numbers that are required for future releases.
Asynchronous Links Enhancements
Client applications with asynchronous links allow you to use TCP/IP to connect adjunct equipment to the switch via the C-LAN board. In the past these applications required an RS232 connection through a serial port with a data module or a data line port with an Asynchronous Data Unit (ADU). With Release 9.5 these applications can be connected through the local area network (LAN) via a TCP/IP port. These links can operate at a much higher data rate, and allow you to connect adjuncts without the need for data modules.
Call detail recording (CDR) devices, property management systems (PMS) & printers can be connected using asynchronous TCP/IP links. In addition, maintenance parameters can be set to allow the switch to alarm out over a TCP/IP link.
Any device that does not support a direct TCP/IP connection, but that does support an RS232 interface, can connect to the C-LAN board through a terminal server or router.
Announcement Intercept Treatment for Invalid Numbers
This feature allows the user to administer a recorded announcement to play back
when the end-user dials an invalid number. The announcement does not play back for calls that fail due to inter-digit timeout. An invalid number is any called number that cannot be resolved through the dial plan.
The announcement does not play back for calls that fail due to inter-digit timeout. You can only use this feature in single-switch environment (non-DCS, non-QSIG).
Automatic Answer Intercom Calls
Automatic Answer Intercom Calls (Auto Answer ICOM) allows a user to answer an intercom call within the intercom group without pressing the intercom button. Auto Answer ICOM works with digital, BRI, and hybrid phones with built-in speaker, headphones, or adjunct speakerphone.
Automatic Customer Telephone Rearrangement
Automatic Customer Telephone Rearrangement (ACTR) allows a phone to be unplugged from one location and moved to a new location without additional switch administration. The switch automatically associates the extension to the new port. ACTR works with 6400 Serialised phones. The 6400 Serialised phone is stamped with the word Serialised on the faceplate for easy identification. The
6400 Serialised phone memory electronically stores its own part ID (comcode) and serial number. ACTR uses the stored information and associates the phone with new port when the phone is moved.
ACTR is an enhancement to Terminal Translation Initialisation (TTI), Personal Station Access (PSA), Customer Telephone Activation (CTA). ACTR makes it easy to identify and move phones.
Busy Tone Disconnect
In some regions of the world the CO sends a busy tone for the disconnect message. With Busy Tone Disconnect, the switch disconnects analog loop-start Central Office trunks when a busy tone is sent from the CO.
Capacity Changes
Release 9.5 introduces several increased capacity limits, including an increased number of IP telephones made possible by using single extension IP phones in place of dual extension configurations.
The new Voice Announcement over LAN (VAL) feature allows greater announcement recording times, and the number of vectors and vector directory numbers (VDNs) has increased for systems with Offer Category B.
The number of ATM WAN Spare Processors (WSP) allowed has also increased. See ‘‘System Capacity Enhancements’’ on page 13 for more information.
Increased BRI Trunks to 1440
This feature increases the maximum number of BRI trunks on the G3r platform from 720 to 1440. This feature allows additional controllers and base stations to be supported by the additional BRI trunks, which allows you to have more administered wireless users.
Mixed-length Dial Access Codes
Mixed- Length Dial Access Codes (DACs) allows you to use the second digit table to assign Feature Access Codes (FAC) and DACs of different lengths depending on the second digit. This feature existed prior to R9.5, but only for first digits 0-9. In R9.5, the feature works for first digits * and # as well.
Personal Station Access (PSA) Enhancements
When a call that goes to coverage from a PSA-disassociated extension, the switch sends a message to the coverage point indicating that the call was not answered. If the coverage point is a display phone, the display shows da for don’t answer. If the coverage point is a voice messaging system, the VM system receives an indication from the switch that this call was not answered, and treat the call accordingly.
R2 MFC Enhancements
Release 9.5 contains the following enhancements to R2 Multifrequency-Compelled Signaling (MFC):
 The user can choose to include the R2 MFC Calling Party Category in the call detail record (CDR)
 The user can choose to assign the R2 MFC Calling Party Category and Called Party Category on a per-station or per-trunk basis.
 The user can administer a recorded announcement to play when outgoing R2 MFC trunk calls do not complete. This applies when the DEFINITY ECS receives either group A or B signals from the called Central Office or other switch.
Prior to R9.5, the DEFINITY system waited two seconds before sending digits on an ARS/AAR ISDN PRI trunk call. In situations where the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits dialed is small, this delay is unnecessary. This enhancement eliminates the two-second delay timer for calls when the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits is 0 or 1. The timer is set to one second if the difference between the minimum and maximum number of digits is 2 or 3. If the difference is 4 or greater, the original two-second timer is set.
Voice Announcement over LAN
Voice Announcement over LAN (VAL) introduces the TN2501AP, a new integrated announcement circuit pack that
 plays announcements over the TDM bus, similar to the TN750C.
 has up to 1 hour of announcement storage time per circuit pack.
 has 33 ports
 10/100 Mb ethernet interface, allowing announcement and firmware file portability over a LAN (FTP server functions).
 supports generated .wav announcement files
Hardware Enhancements
302D Console
The 302D console provides the following enhancements to the current 302C console:
 Modular handset/headset connection
 Activate/deactivate push-button
 Two-wire DCP compatibility
 Headset volume control
 Noise expander option
 Support for Eurofont or Katakana character set.

Remotely Readable Electronic IDs
Remotely readable electronic identification allows the switch to read a serialized
DCP telephone’s part number (comcode) and serial number. Avaya can use this
information to determine the proper maintenance replacement unit or the date of
manufacture for warranty or QPPCN status. The remotely readable electronic
identification is currently only available with the 6400 Serialized DCP telephones.
TN744E/TN2182C Enhancements
The TN744E Call Classifier/Detector circuit pack and the TN2182C Tone Clock circuit pack now support Busy Tone Disconnect.
TN2302AP Enhancements
The TN2302AP IP Media Processor board now supports the T.38 standard for fax transmissions.
TN2305B/TN2306B (new vintage)
The TN2305B and TN2306B ATM interface circuit packs support the Release 9.5 ATM enhancements.
Networking Enhancements
ISDN B-Channel Maintenance
This development allows you to connect their DEFINITY ECS with other switches that use the NI-1998 B-channel maintenance standard. B-Channel Maintenance applies only to ISDN-PRI connections..
Network Call Redirection Enhancements
Changes provided in DEFINITY R9.5 are required for reliable operation with the MCI® WorldCom® Network Call Transfer network service. NCR 9.5 supports Information Forwarding for AT&T In-band Transfer and Connect network service. Enabling NCR provides Information Forwarding support for the AT&T Transfer and Connect In-band network service ISDN D-channel data forwarding capability starting with DEFINITY R9.2 load 35. The DEFINITY Information Forwarding feature forwards User-to-User Information (UUI) associated with the call to the transferred to location. When NCR is active in the DEFINITY system, transferring the call using Call Vectoring and AT&T In-band Transfer and Connect, the disconnect vector step includes the codeset UUI IE in the ISDN DISCONNECT message.
(NOT SUPPORTED IN THE UK BY NSP’s).
QSIG Stand-alone Path Replacement
Path Replacement (PR) is the process of routing an established call over a new, more efficient path, after which the old call is torn down leaving those resources free. Path Replacement offers potential savings by routing calls more efficiently, saving resources and trunk usage. Prior to R9.5, path replacement only occurred with QSIG Call Transfer. In R9.5, path replacement can exist as a stand-alone feature, or occur in the following additional cases:
 Call Forwarding by Forward Switching supplementary service, including the case where Call Diversion by Rerouting fails, and Call Forwarding is accomplished via forward switching
 Gateway scenarios where DEFINITY ECS, serving as an incoming or outgoing gateway, invokes PR to optimize the path between the gateways
 Calls in queue/vector processing even though no true user is on the call yet
 QSIG Lookahead Interflow call, Best Service Route call, or adjunct route
! CAUTION:
Depending on the version of Call Management System (CMS) you are using, some calls can go unrecorded if you administer your system for Path Replacement in queue/vector processing. Please see your Avaya representative for more information
QSIG/DCS Voice Mail Interworking
QSIG/DCS Voice Mail Interworking is an enhancement to the current QSIG feature. It integrates DCS and QSIG Centralized Voicemail via the new DCS+/QSIG gateway. Switches labeled DCS+/QSIG integrate multi-vendor PBXs into a single voice messaging system. This is an Offer Category A enhancement and works on G3r, G3si, and G3csi. It provides network flexibility, DCS functionality without a dedicated T1 and vendor independence.
ATM Enhancements
The redesigned TN2305 and TN2306 ATM interface circuit packs have more capabilities and resources, including
 Firmware monitor port on the backplane of the circuit packs
 Spare lead for WAN Spare Processor (WSP) applications
 Processor speed increased to 66 megahertz (MHz.)
 Increased hardware vintage bits
 ATM-network duplication
The increased functionality is available to both ATM-PNC and ATM-CES applications. However, both circuit packs can also function in systems designed and installed earlier than this release. The ATM WAN Spare Processor (WSP) is a processor port network (PPN) without port circuit packs and is invoked into service when there is a catastrophic failure in the network and links to the main PPN are severed. This ATM development
 Increases the number of WSPs to 15.
 Supports ATM PNC network duplication and critical reliability systems.
EC500 Extension to Cellular R2
The Avaya EC500 Extension to Cellular R2 provides the expansion of mobile services, including one-number availability, increased user capacities, flexibility across facilities and hardware, more control over unauthorized usage, enhanced enable/disable capability, increased serviceability, and support of IP trunk facilities. Avaya EC500 R2 provides flexible mobile communications that save time and increase productivity.
IP Solution Enhancements
Quality of Service (QoS) to Endpoints
You can set operating parameters to optimize the audio performance, or Quality of Service (QoS), on calls made over your IP network. These parameters include the audio codec, network priority through DiffServ capability, and the IEEE 802.1p/Q MAC-layer prioritization and segregation. Default QoS parameters are downloaded to the IP Telephone R1.5 and the IP Softphone R3 when the values are not provided by the endpoint installer or the user. Certain options can be set locally by the endpoints or via the gatekeeper. The endpoints receive the parameters when the endpoints register, and once they are registered, whenever the administered values of the QoS parameters are modified.
QoS integration with Cajun Rules
Cajun Rules provides a central repository for QoS parameters and allows comprehensive QoS management across routers, switches, and endpoints. QoS parameters and policies are assigned according to network regions on a Network Region and are distributed through Enterprise Directory Gateway to the DEFINITY ECS and to routers and switching devices.
Alternate Gatekeeper and Registration
Addresses
When an IP endpoint (including softphones, IP phones, and Avaya R300) registers with the switch, the switch sends back an IP registration address. The switch sends a different IP address for each registration according to a cyclic algorithm. If registration with the original C-LAN circuit pack IP address is successful, the switch sends back the IP addresses of all the C-LAN circuit packs in one network region, not including interconnected regions. These C-LAN addresses are called gatekeeper addresses. These addresses can also be used if the call signaling on the original C-LAN circuit pack fails. If the network connection to one C-LAN circuit pack fails, the IP endpoint re-registers with a different C-LAN. Alternate gatekeeper and registration addresses, and C-LAN circuit pack load
sharing, spread IP endpoint registration across more than one C-LAN circuit pack, increasing performance and reliability.
IP Serviceability Enhancements
The feature consists of switch-resident commands that you and service personnel can use as diagnostic/troubleshooting tools for communication problems between IP endpoints within a DEFINITY system. This feature is a collection of report-generating utilities that use existing TN799 (C-LAN) and the TN2302 (IP Media Processor) circuit packs along with new software and firmware. The following table lists these utilities:
Switch Support for IP Stations
This release contains enhancements to improve support for IP phones. These enhancements include:
 administrable options for which calling number to send to the public safety access point when an emergency call is placed from an IP phone
 single extension connection, which allows you to convert existing
 dual-extension IP phones to single extensions and free up extension
 numbers for other uses
 support for Softphone R3
 support for IP Telephone R1.5
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