Virtual DN and VMI Not Working with 6.0

[PTerrell]

I had a long thread about using virtual DNs to trick a VMI to send DTMF to a fax server. thread799-601194 I would like to start a new thread because I believe upgrading to 6.0 broke it!!

Background: The branch with VMI moved to the same office complex as another branch. To reduce expences, I merged the two nortel systems together, using the KSU and CallPilot from the other branch, as it was newer. So the merged system is a MICS 6.0 and the old system was a MICS 5.x (I don't remember the exact version).

I've setup the virtual DNs as documented in the FAQ and in the old thread, with a batch of old phones to hold the Answer DNs. When I have Fwd no answer on the Answer DN and not on the old phone, the inbound call just rings. When I add Fwd no answer to the old phone, the call gets to the VMI, but it gives the DTMF of the old phone.

Any input on whether I'm at fault or whether this feature has been droped in 6.0?

 

[salo0920]

Pterrell,

Unfortunately, the last word I had from ITAS was that the VMI was no longer a supported product. Now that is not to say it does not work, only that Nortel will not support it.

I tried to do the same thing and ITAS said to use the feature on the Call Pilot instead.

I will be watching this thread with great interest.

Regards,
Harold

 

[lowradiation]

What happens when you call an Answer DN internally - does it forward?
Also try connecting a 'real' phone to one of the Answer DN ports temporarily - to see if it forwards.

BTW - glad to see that you got it to work on the older system - a good imitation of MacGyver you did there making the Norstar do something it wasn't designed to do.

 

[PTerrell]

Hi Lowradiation!! I was hoping that you'd be monitoring Tek-Tips and would reply.

Thank you about the tip of plugging in a physical phone. My initial testing shows that the correct DTMF is sent if I first have a physical phone, then unplug it. This is true for both an external and internal call.

So I'm assuming I need to punch down all my spare ports and temporarily plug in a phone, much like the first technique of the Virtual DN FAQ.

And this is probably not a version problem, but a problem of execution. On the 5.x system, I had rounded up a set of test phones, plugged them in, and got them going physically. When I learned of of the virtual DN trick, I unplugged the phones, and it worked.

Which begs a question: is the virtual DN trick supposed to work on ports that show up in the port list, but “aren’t really there”? As a newbie, I’m not sure of the correct words here. My MICS has two M0x16 modules and an ASM, so my last puchdown is 516. But the port list gives me up to 816. So I changed the DN on some of the ports in the 600s to give me more Virtual DNs. It worked, except for the DTMF part.

If that’s the case, the need to get another couple of M0x16 modules…

 

[Arr]

PT,
Confirm that the virtual DNs that didn't work for you had an actual answer key showing on the system?

PhM

 

[PTerrell]

Thanks Arr,

I confirmed each virtual DN by doing a F*0 on the physical phone. I also watched the physical phone ring when the virtual DN was dialed. (I had selected appear and ring in the assignment.)

 

[lowradiation]

Just a suggestion (I don't know if it'll work):

Try moving your existing 0X16 modules to the other fiber ports, temporarily connect a phone to each port, then move them back to their original location - might save you the cost of buying more.

 

[PTerrell]

I take your "suggestion" to mean that it would be best to have a real module connected to the port.

Since reliability is a concern of mine, I'm going to get some used M0x16 modules to plug into the system.