Installing the Answer Detect Card 1

[thunderwolf66102]

Hello,

We have an old aspect callcenter with v6.2 that we use for outbound calling. We just recently purchased a refurbished answer detect card for it. What is the procedure for installing and setting up the aspect for this card? I have created the appropriate entry in the Hardware Table, inserted the card, activated it, rebooted the switch...and still no signifigant reduction in answering machines. What am I missing?

Is it also possible my call requests need to be passed across the bridge as type 511s instead of 501s even though I believe the CCT's should be able to handle sending the message over the bridge and dropping the call.

 

[Moebius01]

The first question I can think of is how do you have the processing CCT set up? Are you using the Wait Answer step, or some other method for answering machine detection?

 

[Moebius01]

Actually, on further thought. I seem to recall that 6.2 had pretty lousy Asnwering Machine Detection in the Wait Answer step.

Also, the message from your application would be better to send a MPRR (511) rather than a PCR(501). Switching to a Predictive call brings the Virtual Agent into play, and I believe is the only way the Wait Answer step would work properly. (I've only recently started playing with the MPRR stuff, so I'm going by the docs I'm reading.)

 

[thunderwolf66102]

Using the wait answer step in the CCT which branches to the appropriate steps to send data and then disconnect on answering machine. I was thinking there was something to the MPPCR(511) request vs the 501....would it be easily possible to have a program between the aspect and the software dialer (telemation) to convert the messages? Probably not from looking at the specs on the bridge messages.

Given though that I do not think the card is properly configured yet. It does not show a number of ports in hardware even after activation and reboot.

I have some other isssues as well; though they may not be related to the installation of the answer detect. After I rebooted the primary and the backup they started to reboot on their own. I stopped this simply by disabling the watchdog timer....however this is a 'kludge' and possibly a dangerous one at that. If anyone is interested; I can post portions of the Activity log.

Part of what I believe is relevant to the actual problem

01082003 20:09:16 WARNING Error returned from Unix system call Syscall system Errno 22 29 SYSTEM open4event 62

Enough of these it appears causes the watchdog to trigger and reboot the switch.

 

[Moebius01]

It's been so long since I've worked with rel 6 switches, I can't remember too much about it.

As far as the card goes, I noticed writing a simple dialer app just today that it never seems to grab ports. Not sure if that's because it technically does not PCM timeslots or what, but I had it working without showing it using ports.

One other thing I noticed was the various Answering Machine Screening modes are a bit tricky. Using the mode that is supposed to listen for a message and the beep didn't seem to work. I'm not sure if Telemation does anything to let you configure the bridge messages, but that might be worth looking into.

Not sure if you have access to Aspect's online docs, but I found a decent doc on the Answer Detect Card this afternoon. If you don't have access to their support site, let me know and I'll send it to you. It has some good information in it, and as it appears to have been written around the rel 6/7 timeline, may be even more helpful to you.

 

[thunderwolf66102]

That would be good if you can send me the info on the answer detect. If you can get it to me tonight while I am still here at work all the better

My email is thunderwolf66102@yahoo.com; email me and I will give you the address of a ftp you can upload it to.

I think I'll become crazy enough to start coding an interface to the app bridge in C++ if the 501's don't end up working well

 

[Moebius01]

It's on the way now. Sorry for the delay. I was unable to get into TekTips all day today. Kept getting dns errors. Out of curiosity. What time zone are you in?

 

[thunderwolf66102]

US Central TZ actually. Once I get your email I'll send you back the ftp. Anyway; I have gotten ahold of some other documentation. I am coming to more of the conclusion that the call must be placed by a 'virtual agent' to be processed by the ADC. Therefore; one must send a 511 over the App Bridge. Another possiblity I am considering is upgrading to release 7; provided that it supports the CCT step WAIT ANSWER better than release 6 does. Anyone's imput on Release 7 supporting Answering Machine detect better is welcome.

Next....is try to write a program as a intermediary sit between our telemation box and the aspect to convert the 501 series of messages to the 511 series. We could just replace telemation; but we don't want to outlay the cash to do that right now. Time to monitor the bridge and watch the communications between the aspect and telemation....

 

[Moebius01]

The main difference between 501s and 511s is the 501 messages require an instrument number, meaning there has to be a physical teleset signed on to make the call. 501s are going to use whatever CCT the agent signed into the teleset is set to use. 511s you send the processing cct in the message, and the CCT routes the call to an agent on success.

As for the intermediary, that shouldn't be too hard (unless of course Telemation also sends data to the desktop). Basically, all you'd have to do is extract the number from the message and plug that number into a 511. If it sends data, you'd have to know which agent it's sending data to and have the CCT route the call to it. That would be a bit trickier.

 

[thunderwolf66102]

OK; Things are progessing. Thank you everyone who has sent me documentation

The next request I have is does anyone have the Outbound Application Integration Guide for version 6 or 6.2?

Also, I have been trying to verify the existance of virtual agents on our Aspect. From the documentation I have gotten the following results:

/*snip*/
5. Tools to validate service
As with any troubleshooting the first place to go is the Tech Applet to verify that the service is enabled. Under optional features Outbound Predictive dialing must be selected. There is an additional charge for this feature.

If you have to work on an issue with outbound integration the application bridge monitor tool is the best starting point. You must be able to decode what the customers MPCR message is requesting.

Db_put and monitor are two utilities that can be used to view the status of Virtual Agents.
getsys_vagts() in db_put will display the number of Virtual Agents that can be used. With the system active this number should be 600.
Monitor has two options that will display information about the Virtual Agent

Option “a” will display information about 1 or more Virtual Agents.
Option “C” will display CCB information about an Virtual Agent. Note that in this view the CCB will show allocated always because they are allocated at startup.
/*snip*/

running db_put:

/*snip*/
2566_P: db_put
Type q to quit.
Type ? for help.
Run a function: putelt_sname(300, "Jones&quot
Run a function: putict_lnr_dgts(5,2,4,'2008')
Run the last function again: !!
See func. name and parms: #putelt_
>> getsys_vagts()
RETURN: 64
/*snip*/

/*snip*/
2566_P: monitor
q = Quit
a = Display Virtual Agent Info.
d = DataBase
Q = Query
C = Find CCBs
v = Display Virtual Trunk info.
V = View List
I = Find Callids
T = Find Calltags
R = Display Remote Application Link info.
s = Display System Queue
r = Run
Enter Command >> C
Enter CCB aging hours: 99
q = Quit
a = Display Virtual Agent Info.
d = DataBase
Q = Query
C = Find CCBs
v = Display Virtual Trunk info.
V = View List
I = Find Callids
T = Find Calltags
R = Display Remote Application Link info.
s = Display System Queue
r = Run
Enter Command >> a
Enter VAGT Number (a=all) (q=quit): a

VAGTS AVAIL:

Illegal link. Try again.

q = Quit
a = Display Virtual Agent Info.
d = DataBase
Q = Query
C = Find CCBs
v = Display Virtual Trunk info.
V = View List
I = Find Callids
T = Find Calltags
R = Display Remote Application Link info.
s = Display System Queue
r = Run
Enter Command >>
/*snip*/

My concerns are with the monitor command. It is mentioned that: 'Note that in this view the CCB will show allocated always because they are allocated at startup.' i.e. pressing C in monitor. However none are listed. I'm also considering that this might have something to do with the problems I've had with the Aspect since installing the card. i.e. upon rebooting the system; the system falls into a rebooting loop initiated by the system watchdog. I can of course disable the watchdog; and then reenable it a couple hours later and the system runs as it did before the ADC was defined and inserted.

 

[Moebius01]

Here's a question. Does the card seem to initialize if you disable watchdog to get past the bootup loop? Tends to sound like a bad card, or slot.