Interfacing voicemail with Magix over T1 port

[FAdvocates]

Greetings! Is it possible to integrate a voicemail solution with a Magix using a T1 board?

Specifically, is there any way to setup the dialplan - where the extensions associated with the 777 calling group will route the traffic into the T1 interface?

Has anyone ever done this before? Is it theoretically possible?

Thanks! - Joel

 

[merlinman]

Joel, not sure about what you are asking exactly.

However, MAGIX does support "CENTRALIZED VOICE MAIL", where one MAGIX has the MESSAGING SYSTEM, and other MAGIX's NETWORKED TO IT use that MESSAGING AS THEIRS.

Exactly what are you trying to do?

 

[dagwoodsystems]

There is a way to translate your switch so that dialing "777" will access a T1 channel. But I seriously doubt that's what you want to do.

I've been asked about this before. It seems that some third-party fax servers (see thread689-1244472) and voicemail boxes want to interface the PBX via DS1.

You can assign extensions to individual channels (using a Definity or other high-end switch) and then add those extensions to a hunt group. However, I'm not sure you can pull this off with a Magix. You would certainly have to do some heavy trickery with ARS to get a foreign voicemail box to operate over a Magix DS1 interface.

 

[FAdvocates]

I was trying to ask a question, without muddying the waters with details.. but apparently they details are going to be important to get the answer I am looking for, so here goes!

I am building a custom VM solution using Asterisk as the backend. I can already emulate a "Merlin Mail", using an FXO board and a custom dialplan that understands all of the star codes and such.

What I want to do is configure the Magix to let me assign "extension numbers" over the tie-line, and then make those extensions members of the 777 calling group, which is configured to be INTEGRATED VM on the Magix.

End result..
* User dials 777 (or call covers to 777)
* Magix winks a T-1 channel and sends **(all the VM communications here)
* Asterisk knows exactly how to handle all that.

MERLINMAN: Do you know of a place to get painfully detailed step-by-step instructions to link two Legend/Magix systems over a point-to-point link? It seems so very complicated to me, and I have no idea where to start - but I suspect that I could "abuse" the functionality you mentioned, since Asterisk is so darn configurable..

 

[dagwoodsystems]

Killer. Yeah, the Asterisk kinda scares me...at least from a technical standpoint. I don't suppose ordinary people see it as a threat, but I sure do. It's amazing what you can do with that thing.

Anyway, why don't you simply stick with your original plan and use the FXO board? I mean, you've already got this whole project of emulating a Merlin Messaging. So why add to your headache of doing something weird with a DS1 interface? Geez, analog station ports are easy to come by (which is what you want to interface with an FXO port anyway).

Besides, if you are ultimately planning to market this thing, I don't know how many people will like the idea of having to slide in a 100DCD--not to mention the cost of the Asterisk--just to have voicemail.

Go back to Erlang's theory, dude. You will never, ever, ever need that many channels to voicemail; not on a Magix anyway. There just won't be that kind of demand.

 

[merlinman]

This will take you to the LEGEND NETWORK REFERENCE, that should do it:

http://support.avaya.com/japple/css...eID=129528&temp.bucketID=159898&PAGE=Document

 

[FAdvocates]

dagwoodsystems:

A Digium 4port card is $388 ($97 per port), and I only get 4 of them per PCI slot. If you go with Rhino, you can get 8 per slot, at the same price point.

A Digium T1 board is around $550 (24 @ =~ $22 per port), Rhino and Sangoma are around there as well. Those boards are available in a low-profile configuration, and if I have the density requirements, I can buy QUAD T1 boards (96ports!) that STILL only use a single PCI slot.

On the phone system side, you're right T1 boards are more expensive.. but I believe I already created the price justification above. Additionally, I don't get caller-ID and all that sort of stuff, which I can get with the PRI trunking functionality.

It's cleaner once installed to have 24 voicemail/IVR/VoIP gateway ports running through a single CAT5 cable, instead of having to manage 16 different little cables. I seem to recall there being a limitation about how many ports could be active at a given time on an 016, or was it just how many were ringing simultaneously?

I don't just want this for voicemail, I want to know how to get the two integrated - because there's no limit to what I could do once I understand the concepts. I have also been tasked to build a VoIP gateway to link several Magix and Partner systems. The Partners are easy (because they don't integrate quite as cleanly), but the Magix systems are DESIGNED for this stuff.. once you're using T1 boards and emulating PRI.

MerlinMan:
Thank you MM for giving me what I asked for (and more!), without telling me that your interpretation of what I was trying to accomplish was a bad idea... I can't tell you how much that annoys me. Now you know why I didn't start out by giving you all of the details.

Indeed, I believe the document you pointed me to will give me the answers that I need. I will set this up in my lab between two of my Magix systems, and go from there.

Does any other helpful advice come to mind, now that you are familiar with what I am trying to accomplish?

Thanks so much!

 

[merlinman]

Well, there is a way you can make an ISDN Line Port out of a MLX Port.

I have never done it, but I do have the documentation.

Once you get this APP running, others of us may have a need for it as well.

Keep us posted.

 

[FAdvocates]

MM:
Ahh yes, I remember reading about that in the programming manuals. I always wondered why you'd do that, apparently it was for integrating with videoconferencing type stuff.

What documentation are you speaking of? Do you have cool insider documentation, or is it one of the freely available Avaya docs that I should be able to find on my own?

I can get BRI boards just as easy as T1/PRI boards, they're just a whole lot more expensive. The Digium B410P is $950, and is a quad port BRI board.. but at $118 per talk path, it isn't much less than buying license cards for a Merlin Messaging.

 

[dagwoodsystems]

If I can keep my mouth closed long enough so as to not annoy, I would love it if you keep us posted on your progress. You have a great project there. And now that I have a complete picture of what you're trying to accomplish, I'd love to help any way I can.

I have a little project of my own that involves using the headset port on 4400 phones to drive a Polycom (or other) conference phone. The audio is a little too low for my taste right now...but it does work. If you're electronically inclined, you're welcome to join in. How cool is it to slam an adapter into the bottom of a Polycom so that you can walk around and plug it into any 4400 station in the house? This isn't a new or novel idea by any stretch. And since the Magix has been sunsetted, it may be of limited use. But as far as I know, the only Magix-compatible device like it is sitting on my test bench right now.

Are you anywhere near Southern California?