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Publication history
June 2004 The Standard 1.0 version of the Nortel Networks Symposium
Call Center Server Network Control Center Administrator’s
Guide, Release 5.0 is released.
1 Getting started 9
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
What’s new in Release 5.0? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Symposium Call Center Server network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Introduction to Network Skill-Based Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Retries and filtering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
5 Administering servers 99
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Configuring a network CDN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Configuring communication parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Configuring network skillset properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Monitoring and stopping filtering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
7 Troubleshooting 135
If your server is not routing or receiving calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Problems with network skillsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Problems collecting network call-by-call statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Times on reports are incorrect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Problems with call routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Glossary 145
Index 171
Getting started
In this chapter
Overview 10
What’s new in Release 5.0? 12
Symposium Call Center Server network 14
Introduction to Network Skill-Based Routing 19
Examples 22
Retries and filtering 29
Overview
Introduction
The Nortel Networks Symposium Call Center Server Network Control Center
Administrator’s Guide provides information on how to implement Network
Skill-Based Routing (NSBR) in your call center.
Notes:
! Some of the features described in this guide are available only on servers
running Release 5.0.
! Support for networked Release 4.0 and Release 4.2 sites in a Symposium
Call Center Server Release 5.0 network is limited by the release’s lifecycle
rating. Lifecycle dates and support levels are published on the Partner
Information Center (PIC) website.
Access rights
This guide assumes that you have the access rights required to perform the
procedures in this guide. Since changes made at the Network Control Center
(NCC) server affect all sites in the network, access to the NCC must be restricted
to administrators who are familiar with NCC operations. For more information
on access rights, refer to the Administrator’s Guide.
The process of logging on to the NCC is the same as logging on to any other
server in Symposium Call Center Server. You can use either the Classic Client
application or Symposium Web Client to manage the NCC server.
Note: The new Release 5.0 features are configurable only from Symposium Web
Client Release 4.5 SU03.
Optional features
Some features described in this guide are optional. To give you access to
features, Nortel Networks supplies a special code called a keycode. Use this
code when you install the Symposium Call Center Server software. Fields and
commands for features that you have not purchased are not visible.
Introduction
Release 5.0 introduces the following new features:
! queueing to up to 20 network sites
! virtual call center
! longest idle agent
! average speed of answer
Notes:
! The Symposium Call Center Server network can contain 30 sites, but only
20 sites can be added to the routing table for a network skillset.
! The greater the number of sites to which calls are queued, the greater the
amount of CLAN traffic. Make sure that your CLAN is provisioned to
support this traffic. Use the CapTool to determine your bandwidth
requirements. For more information, see the Planning and Engineering
Guide.
In Release 5.0, you can choose to queue calls to the source (local) site, as well as
to network sites, when executing the Queue to Network Skillset command.
When combined with the longest idle agent feature, this feature helps distribute
call load evenly between the sites in the network.
Note: This feature can result in higher costs for inter-switch transfers. For
example, if you use this feature, combined with the longest idle agent feature,
calls may be transferred to remote sites even if a local agent is available.
In Release 5.0, you can choose to route the call to the agent with the highest
skillset priority, or—if more than one available agent has the same priority—to
the agent with the longest idle time. To facilitate comparison of different
available agents, the server must wait a configurable amount of time to receive
agent reservation notices from the target sites. During this period, the server
compares the priority and idle time of the reserved agents, and chooses the
appropriate one. Then it routes the call to the selected site.
This feature can help ensure that calls are sent to the most efficient sites in the
network.
Symposium
Call Center
Server Symposium
Web Client
CLAN Application
Server
Supervisor workstations
Meridian 1/
Succession 1000
Switch
ELAN
Router
Hub
NCC
NACD WAN
Meridian 1/
Succession 1000 Router
Switch
ELAN CLAN
Supervisor workstations
Symposium
Call Center
Server
Sites
The network can contain up to 30 sites. A site is a location in the network with a
Meridian 1 or Succession 1000 switch and a server in Symposium Call Center
Server. The server connects to the switch through the Embedded LAN (ELAN).
In addition, each site has client PCs, which are used to configure and monitor the
call center. The client PCs communicate with the server over the customer LAN
(CLAN).
Notes:
! In all instances in this guide, “Meridian 1 switch” refers to both the
Meridian 1 switch and the Meridian 1 Internet Enabled switch, unless
otherwise noted.
! Release 1.1 of the Succession 1000 switch only supports IP line and
trunk networking. IP peer networking is supported in Release 2.0.
Note: If the NCC goes down, calls are still routed between sites in the network.
However, no network call-by-call data is transferred to the NCC, and you cannot
create, delete, or edit network skillsets, sites, or routing tables.
For more information about setting up the communication database, see Chapter
3, “Installing Network Skill-Based Routing.”
Validating servers
Servers communicate with the NCC regularly to let the NCC know that they are
available on the network. When a server attempts to communicate with the
NCC, the NCC verifies that the server is defined in the NCC database.
Notes:
! Network call-by-call events are delivered to the NCC over the CLAN. If
you use this option, ensure that your network is provisioned to support the
resulting traffic.
! If the NCC is not accessible, network call-by-call data is stored at the target
server until the NCC becomes available again. If the target server runs out
of disk space before the NCC becomes available, it overwrites the oldest
network call-by-call data file with the new one.
Producing reports
From a client PC connected to the NCC, you can generate the following types of
reports:
! consolidated reports—These reports allow you to report on an application
or skillset’s performance across the network.
! network call-by-call reports—These reports allow you to report on all
events relating to networked calls.
! configuration reports—These reports allow you to view the setup of the
NCC.
Note: Ensure that your network is provisioned to support the traffic generated by
consolidated, network call-by-call, and configuration reports. For more
information, refer to the Planning and Engineering Guide.
ELAN
In a networking environment, the ELAN is used for communication between the
switch and Symposium Call Center Server.
CLAN
In a networking environment, the CLAN is used for
! communication between the server and the client
! transmission of call-by-call event data from the servers to the NCC
! transmission of consolidated report data from the servers to the NCC
! communication between the servers, including
! agent reservation requests transmitted between servers
! configuration data transmitted from the NCC to the other servers
WAN
A WAN typically connects two or more local area networks (LANs) at multiple
locations.
Routers
Routers connect the CLANs at all sites.
NACD
The switches communicate over the telephony network, using network ACD
(NACD).
Introduction
Network Skill-Based Routing (NSBR) is an optional feature offered with
Symposium Call Center Server. You can use this feature to route calls to
different sites on the network. This section describes how the NSBR feature
routes calls between sites.
Network skillsets
Network skillsets are created at the NCC, and then propagated to all of the
servers in the network. If a server has a local skillset of the same name, the local
skillset is replaced with the network skillset. For example, BestAir’s Toronto
server has a skillset named Sales. When the NCC administrator creates a
network skillset named Sales, the Sales skillset at BestAir Toronto becomes a
network skillset.
However, scripts are not automatically updated to route calls to the network.
Calls routed to the network skillset (Sales) continue to be queued locally. To
route calls for Sales to other sites, you must add the script command Queue To
Network Skillset Sales.
For more information on editing scripts, refer to the Symposium Call Center
Server Scripting Guide.
Call queuing
When the server at the originating site receives a call, it initiates the
Master_Script. The Master_Script—and any primary or secondary scripts it
initiates—processes the call. To implement NSBR, the scripts use a Queue To
Network Skillset script command. This command instructs the server to queue
the call to up to 20 destination sites (plus, optionally, the source site), as defined
in the routing table for the network skillset. For more information on routing
tables, see “Configuring the routing table for a site” on page 78.
Note: If one or more sites in the routing table for a network skillset are running
Symposium Call Center Server Release 4.2 or earlier, you must use this method.
Note: If you choose this method, only servers running Symposium Call Center
Server Release 5.0 can be added to the routing table for the network skillset.
This method distributes calls for a given skillset to the most efficient sites in the
network.
Note: If you choose this method, only servers running Symposium Call Center
Server Release 5.0 can be added to the routing table for the network skillset.
Call routing
The originating server instructs the switch to route the call to the destination
switch. The originating server provides the configurable dialable DN at which
the destination site can be reached. The dialable DN used to route NSBR calls to
a destination site must be a CDN configured as a network CDN on the
destination server in Symposium Call Center Server. The switch uses NACD
(the dialing plan) to send the call to the dialable DN at the target site.
After the call is routed, the originating server cancels agent reservations at all
other sites. The script at the source site terminates its control of the call, and the
Network_Script at the destination site assumes control.
If the reserved agent becomes unavailable after the call is routed (for example, if
the agent logs off), the call remains at the target site and is automatically queued
to another agent with the required skillset.
Examples
Introduction
The examples in this section involve a fictional company, BestAir, which has
servers in Toronto, Boston, Dallas, and San Francisco. They show what happens
when a call arrives at the Toronto switch.
Caller
Switch Switch
NACD
ELAN ELAN
G101332
Since the agent reservation from the Boston server arrives first, the call is routed
to Boston.
The Longest Idle Agent/Include local node configuration helps distribute the call
load among all the agents in the network.
When the call arrives at the Toronto switch, the following script is executed:
(1). Since the Dallas agent has a higher idle time than the Toronto agent, the
Toronto server cancels the reservation of the Toronto agent.
5. The San Francisco server reserves an agent and notifies the Toronto server.
The reservation notice includes the agent’s idle time (10 seconds) and
priority (1). Since the San Francisco agent has a higher idle time than the
Dallas agent, the Toronto server cancels the reservation of the Dallas agent.
6. The Toronto server uses the ELAN to instruct the Toronto switch to route
the call to the San Francisco switch, which has the longest idle agent.
7. The Toronto switch transfers the call to the San Francisco switch.
8. The San Francisco switch presents the call to the reserved agent.
Notes:
! Since the priorities of all the agents are identical, the call is routed to the
longest idle agent, in San Francisco. If one of the agents has a higher
priority for the skillset, the call is routed to that agent, regardless of idle
time.
! When the server receives an agent reservation notice for an agent with a
higher priority than previously received, it cancels all previously reserved
agents.
The Average Speed of Answer/Include local node configuration helps route calls
to the most efficient site.
When a call arrives at the Toronto switch, the following script is executed:
When the call arrives at the Toronto switch, the following script is executed:
6. The Toronto server uses the ELAN to instruct the switch to present the call
to the Toronto agent since, of the two agents with the highest priority (1),
this agent had the highest idle time.
7. The Toronto switch presents the call to the Toronto agent.
When the call arrives at the Toronto switch, the following script is executed:
Note: If agents become available at the other servers, they send agent
reservation notifications to the Toronto server. The Toronto server then cancels
these agent reservations since the call is already being routed to another site.
Filtering
Filtering temporarily removes from the routing tables any sites that are not
accepting routed calls.
Before the switch presents a call to a reserved agent, if the originating server
determines that it cannot route the call to the destination site, the originating
server performs the following tasks:
1. It cancels the agent reservation.
2. The server queues the call to the next group of destination sites configured
in the routing table.
3. It filters the destination site from all routing tables for a configurable period
(Retry Timer).
After this period elapses, the server again begins queuing calls to the destination
site. Each time a route attempt fails, the server filters the destination site from its
routing table. After a configurable number of failed attempts (Number of
Retries), the server filters the destination site from its routing table for another
configurable period (Filter Timer).
The originating site does not attempt to queue calls for that skillset to that site
until the filter timer has elapsed or until a user manually stops filtering the site.
Example
1. BestAir Toronto receives a call for the Bookings skillset, which is a
network skillset.
2. Toronto uses the routing table for the skillset to queue the call to BestAir
Boston.
3. Boston reserves an agent and notifies Toronto.
4. Toronto routes the call to Boston and cancels all other agent reservations.
5. The route attempt fails because all trunks are busy at Boston. The Toronto
server filters Boston out of all of its routing tables, and queues the call
again. (The server does not cancel existing requests to Boston.)
Note: If all sites are filtered, control returns to the source script.
6. In the next 5 seconds (Retry Timer = 5 seconds), Toronto receives several
more calls for skillsets at Boston, but it does not attempt to queue these
calls to Boston.
7. After 5 seconds elapse, Toronto receives another call for Bookings and no
local agent is available.
8. Toronto attempts to queue this call to Boston. Again, an agent is reserved,
but the call cannot be routed.
9. After one more failed attempt (Number of Retries = 3), Toronto cancels all
requests to Boston and filters Boston from all its routing tables for 1 hour
(Filter Timer = 1 hour). That is, not only does it filter Boston from the
routing table for Bookings, but it also filters Boston from the routing tables
for all other network skillsets.
10. After an hour elapses (Filter Timer = 1 hour), BestAir Toronto again begins
attempting to queue calls to Boston.
You can use this feature to limit the number of requests to a particular
destination site’s skillset. If the source site is using Sequential routing, when the
maximum queue size is reached and the destination site is filtered from the
routing table, the source site must queue calls to a different site.
Example
BestAir Toronto is attempting to queue a call for the Bookings skillset to
BestAir Boston. However, Boston already has 50 calls (the Maximum Queue
Size) queued for the skillset, so the Boston server rejects the request to queue the
call. BestAir Toronto filters BestAir Boston from the routing table for this
skillset.
Note: Boston is not filtered from the routing tables for other skillsets.
When the number of calls queued to Boston for the Bookings skillset decreases
by 10 (the Flow Control Threshold)—that is, when calls queued to the Bookings
skillset drop to 40—Boston notifies Toronto. Toronto again begins attempting to
queue calls for this skillset to Boston.
If a skillset at the destination site goes out of service after an agent is reserved,
but before the call is routed, the server cancels the agent reservation and waits
for an agent to be reserved at one of the other sites to which the call is queued.
If a skillset at the destination site goes out of service after a call has been routed
to the destination site, the call is removed from the skillset queue and the
Network_Script assumes control over it. You can use the Queued intrinsic in the
Network_Script to detect unqueued calls. The Network_Script must provide
treatments for unqueued calls.
In this chapter
Configuration overview 34
Configuration overview
! Home Location Code (HLOC) in the Customer data block (under ISDN
Networking)
For more information, see the Symposium, M1/Succession 1000, and Voice
Processing Guide.
Note: If your network contains servers that are connected to the same
switch, each of these servers must belong to a different customer group.
2. Install Symposium Call Center Server on each server. (Each server must
have either Symposium Call Center Server Release 4.x or Release 5.0
installed.) For more information, see the Installation and Maintenance
Guide.
3. Install the Network Control Center (NCC), configure the communications
database, and verify that the database has been distributed to the servers
(see Chapter 3, “Installing Network Skill-Based Routing”).
4. At the NCC, use Symposium Web Client to:
a. Add access classes. For more information, see the Symposium Web
Client documentation.
b. Add desktop users. (You cannot configure agents or supervisors at the
NCC.) For more information, see the Symposium Web Client
documentation.
c. Add the sites and configure the target node count (see “Adding a site”
on page 59).
d. Define the network skillsets (see “Adding a network skillset” on page
74).
Note: You can configure a network skillset to use one of the following
agent reservation methods: First Back, Longest Idle Agent, or Average
Speed of Answer. If you choose Longest Idle Agent or Average Speed
of Answer, only servers running Symposium Call Center Server Release
5.0 can be added to the routing table for the network skillset.
e. Configure the routing tables (see “Configuring the routing table for a
site” on page 78).
f. Set up table routing assignments (see “Adding a new routing table
assignment” on page 83).
g. Configure network historical statistics collection (see “Configuring
historical statistics collection” on page 96).
5. At each server:
a. Define network CDNs (see “Configuring a network CDN” on page
101).
b. Configure the Network Communication Parameters (see “Configuring
communication parameters” on page 104).
c. Configure network skillsets (see “Configuring network skillset
properties” on page 108).
Note: If you are using the new Longest Idle Agent feature, ensure that
Agent Order Preference (in the Global settings) is configured identically
at each site in the network.
d. Assign agents to the network skillsets. For more information, see the
Symposium Web Client documentation.
e. Add network commands to scripts to ensure that calls can be queued to
network skillsets. (You must validate scripts after editing them.) For
more information, see the Scripting Guide.
f. Configure the Network_Script. This is a primary script that controls
pegging and termination treatments for incoming network calls. For
more information, see the Scripting Guide.
In this chapter
Overview 38
Installing the NCC 40
Configuring the communications database 41
Upgrading Release 4.x skillsets 46
Migrating filter sets 48
Overview
New installation
To install Network Skill-Based Routing (NSBR) in your contact center for the
first time, perform these tasks:
ATTENTION
All sites must be using Symposium Call Center Server
Release 4.x or Release 5.0, and must have package
CCS 300 (Networking) enabled.
network, it receives requests from every other server in the network, and it
sends each server a copy of its address table.
Note: You need not upgrade all of the servers to Release 5.0. However, if one or
more servers continues to run Release 4.x, the following limitations apply:
! When you create new network skillsets configured for longest idle agent or
average speed of answer, these skillsets are not propagated to Release 4.x
sites. However, new networks skillsets configured for the first back network
method are propagated to all sites.
! You cannot upgrade existing network skillsets to Release 5.0. Thus, you
cannot configure them for longest idle agent or average speed of answer.
Introduction
On the NCC, you must configure the communications database. The
communications database lists all servers in the network, their IP addresses, and
their status. The NCC distributes the database to all servers in the network to
enable communication and NSBR among multiple sites.
ATTENTION
All servers in the network must be running Symposium
Call Center Server Release 4.x or Release 5.0.
3 Click OK.
Result: The Nbconfig property sheet opens.
To add a server
1 Click the Site Table tab.
Result: The Site Table property page appears.
Note: Do not check the Force Synchronization box. When you force
synchronization, you force each site in the network to request address table
information from every other site in the network. This can result in
unnecessary use of network bandwidth. (Normally, servers only request
address table updates when the NCC notifies them that the site list has
changed.) Use the Force Synchronization option if information at a site is
not being updated.
2 Click Add.
Result: The Add Site dialog box appears.
ATTENTION
Each server’s CLAN IP address must be unique.
4 Click OK.
Result: The server is added to the list in the site table.
5 Repeat steps 2 to 4 for each server in your network.
Note: To save time and system resources, make all your changes before
clicking Verify.
6 When all the servers have been added, verify the connection to the nodal
servers by clicking Verify.
7 If all the site names are correct, update the database and synchronize the
site table by clicking Apply.
Result: The Flags column shows the progress of synchronization. Click
Refresh to update the status of the flags. Synchronization is complete when
an “N” appears in the Flags column beside the NCC, and an “S” appears
beside each server.
Nbconfig flags
The Flags column in the site table can contain the following values:
S Server
D Deleting site
Introduction
After all servers in your network have been upgraded to Symposium Call Center
Server Release 5.0, you can upgrade your network skillsets to Release 5.0. Once
the skillsets are upgraded, you can configure them for Longest Idle Agent or
Average Speed of Answer routing.
Notes:
! If the network contains any Release 4.x sites, the following message
appears:
Unable to complete update. Not supported for mixed node
networks.
! If one or more sites is not up, if the NDLOAM service is not running at one
or more sites, or if there are delays in network communications, the
following message appears:
Some sites did not acknowledge the notification.
The NCC resends the information when the sites become available.
Introduction
In the Historical Reporting component of Symposium Web Client, users can
specify the applications, DNISs, routes, and skillsets that they want to see in
both standard and private network-consolidated historical reports by creating
filter sets. Users can choose from among those items included in the partitions
assigned to them. They can select multiple resource items across multiple sites
in the network and save them in one filter set. When these users connect to an
NCC and open a network-consolidated report, the Selection Criteria area
includes a list of the available network sites, and any available filter sets that
they have defined and saved.
Note: This option is available to users only if you have assigned a partition to
them. Users who do not have partitions assigned to them cannot create filter sets
in Historical Reporting.
Filter sets and the Symposium Call Center Server Classic Client
Users of the Symposium Call Center Server Classic Client can also create filter
sets. However, each of these Classic Client filter sets contains only one type of
data—either skillsets, applications, route numbers, route names, DNIS numbers,
or DNIS names.
You can use the Symposium Web Client filter sets importing utility to import
filter sets into Symposium Web Client that have been created and saved in the
Symposium Call Center Server Classic Client. While each of the Classic Client
filter sets contains only one type of data—either skillsets, applications, route
numbers, route names, DNIS numbers, or DNIS names—users can add different
types of data to these filter sets after you import them by using the filter sets tabs
in Historical Reporting.
access filter set data elements that are not in their partitions at the time of
the importation.
! Assign users an access class that contains at least Read Only access to all
the elements contained in the filter set (in other words, access to DNISs,
Routes, CDNs, or Scripts, or all of these, if applicable).
Limitations
The following limitations and conditions apply when you use the filter sets
importing utility:
! When you import filter sets, they are available to all users who have the
appropriate access classes and partitions assigned to them; beyond this
restriction, you cannot import filter sets for specific users.
! You cannot import filter sets with names that contain special characters.
! You cannot import filter sets with names that are the same as existing
Symposium Web Client filter sets.
6 In the box, type the path to the RptSets.mdb file that you copied to the
application server in step 3 (or click Browse to locate this file).
7 Click Save Data.
Result: After the utility has finished retrieving filter set data from the
database file, it creates the filter sets in Symposium Web Client. When it is
finished, a message appears on the utility window, as shown in the
following graphic:
When users open the filter sets component of Historical Reporting, the filter sets
that you have imported appear in the tree in the left pane. Users can click a filter
set name to view and edit the filter set. For details on working with filter sets, see
the Symposium Web Client online Help.
In this chapter
Overview 52
Section A: Managing sites 53
Section B: Managing network skillsets 67
Section C: Managing routing tables 77
Section D: Managing routing table assignments 81
Section E: Configuring historical statistics collection 93
Overview
Introduction
At the Network Control Center (NCC), you create and maintain the following
elements to ensure effective network skill-based routing:
! sites
! network skillsets
! routing tables
! routing table assignments
In addition, you configure the number of days that the NCC stores network call-
by-call statistics.
ATTENTION
The NCC administrator must understand how changes
made at the NCC affect other sites in the network. The
NCC administrator must plan changes with, and
communicate them to, administrators of other servers in
the network.
Reporting
By connecting to the NCC, you can generate a number of consolidated reports to
help monitor call traffic within the network. You can also generate network call-
by-call reports. For more information about these reports, see the Historical
Reporting and Data Dictionary. To find out how to generate reports, see the
Symposium Web Client Supervisor’s Guide.
Real-time monitoring
You can also view a number of consolidated real-time displays while you are
connected to the NCC. For detailed instructions, see the Symposium Web Client
Supervisor’s Guide.
In this section
Overview of sites 54
Time zone conversion 56
Adding a site 59
Changing to daylight saving time 62
Deleting a site from the network 64
Synchronizing sites 65
Overview of sites
Introduction
Each site is a location in the network with a Meridian 1/Succession 1000 switch
and a server in Symposium Call Center Server. You must configure the Network
Control Center (NCC) with information about all sites participating in the
network. The NCC uses this information to communicate with the servers and to
enable the servers to communicate with each other.
You configure sites at the NCC. The NCC then sends the site information to each
server in the network.
Site synchronization
When the NCC comes up, it sends site information to each connected server.
Occasionally, servers go down or become inaccessible to the NCC. When
communication between the server and the NCC is reestablished, the NCC
resends site information to the server.
You can also manually initiate the sending of site information to the servers in
the network (see “Synchronizing sites” on page 65).
Introduction
If your sites are in different time zones, you can use time zone conversion to help
clarify information on consolidated and network call-by-call reports. This
feature works differently for these two types of reports.
Notes:
! Ensure that the Windows Date and Time settings are correct at each site.
! Restart each Symposium Call Center Server after a time zone change.
! Consolidated and network call-by-call reports are only available from the
NCC.
Call
arrives
G101337
This may make tracing call activity across the two time zones difficult.
Note: For the network call-by-call report, the destination site converts times to
the source site time zone before sending events to the NCC.
Consolidated reports
Consolidated reports can provide information for all the sites participating in the
network. When you create a consolidated report, you specify the period to be
included in the report, and you choose whether to use time zone conversion.
For example, if you want to see lunchtime call activity at all of your sites, then
you enter a start time of 12:00 p.m. and an end time of 1:00 p.m. (Do not choose
the time zone conversion option.) The report shows activity at each site in the
network between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., local time.
Note: When a site is selected for a report, the time difference between the NCC
and the site is calculated and saved in the report database on the client PC. If the
time difference between the NCC and the site changes (for example, if one
location changes to Daylight Saving Time and the other does not), you must
deselect and select the sites again to recalculate the time difference.
Adding a site
Introduction
A site is a location in the network with a switch and a server in Symposium Call
Center Server. You must configure the Network Control Center (NCC) with
information about each site in the network so that it can communicate with the
network servers and enable the servers to communicate with each other.
Notes:
! Make sure that each site is correctly configured before you continue to add
the next site.
! The sites that you can add in this window are those that you have
configured using the nbconfig utility when setting up the communications
database on the NCC. To add a site that is not listed, you must first add it to
the site table using this utility (see “Configuring the communications
database” on page 41).
! You can add up to 30 sites.
Filter Timer: The amount of time a site is filtered from the routing tables if it
cannot be reached. When connections to a site fail the number of times
specified in the Retry Timer (defined in the Network Communication
Parameters window), the site is filtered from the routing table for the period
specified here.
Relative to GMT: Select the time difference (in hours) between GMT and
the time zone in which the site is located. This information is used for time
zone conversion in network call-by-call statistics and consolidated reports
(see “Time zone conversion” on page 56).
7 Click in another row of the table to save the new site.
Introduction
If sites in the network change to or from daylight saving time at different times,
you must adjust the Relative to GMT box for those sites. By doing so, you
maintain the correct relative time difference between servers.
For example, a company has two sites, Head Office (at GMT–5), and Sales
Office (at GMT+5). Head Office changes to daylight saving time seven days
before Sales Office, and Sales Office changes to daylight saving time seven days
before GMT.
Time zone conversion does not operate correctly unless the Relative to GMT
box is adjusted. The following table shows the adjustments made for this
example:
original value -5 +5
Similarly, when the sites change back from daylight saving time, you must
adjust their relative times.
Note: If the time at the NCC changes, then sites currently selected for reports
must be deselected and selected again to ensure that the time difference is
calculated correctly.
3 In the row for the site for which you want to change the relative time (the
site that is changing to or from daylight saving time), click in the Relative to
GMT field, and adjust the value to reflect the change.
4 Click in another row of the table to save the change.
Introduction
You may need to remove a server from your network. To prevent calls from
being routed to that server, you must delete the corresponding site from the
NCC.
To delete a site
1 In Symposium Web Client, on the system tree in the Configuration
component, double-click the Network Control Center (NCC) server.
2 Click the Sites heading.
Result: The Sites window appears.
3 In the table, highlight the row containing the site that you want to delete.
4 Click Delete.
5 Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the network skillset.
Synchronizing sites
Introduction
The NCC shares information with the servers in Symposium Call Center Server
in the network. This information includes
! sites in the network
! network skillsets
! routing tables
The NCC propagates this information to all sites in the network at the following
times:
! when it restarts
! after recovering from a network error (for example, if the connection to a
specific site was previously unavailable)
! when you initiate a resynchronization manually
In this section
Overview of network skillsets 68
Adding a network skillset 74
Deleting a network skillset 76
Introduction
A skillset is a group of capabilities or the knowledge necessary to answer a
specific type of call. Skillsets are the basic building blocks of skills-based
routing. They help call centers to match callers with the agents who can best
meet their needs.
However, scripts are not automatically updated to route calls to the network.
Calls routed to the network skillset continue to be queued locally. To route calls
to other sites, administrators must add the script command Queue To Network
Skillset.
For more information on using network skillsets in scripts, see the Scripting
Guide.
ATTENTION
The NCC administrator must plan changes with, and
communicate them to, administrators of other servers in
the network.
Note: If the network skillset is deleted and the call is only queued to that
network skillset, then the Queue To Network Skillset command fails. Unless the
script queues the call to other available skillsets, the call is queued to the default
skillset and receives default treatment. For more information on using network
skillsets in scripts, see the Scripting Guide.
Routing tables
A routing table defines how a call for a particular skillset is queued to network
sites. Each site has a routing table for each network skillset at that site (see
“Configuring the routing table for a site” on page 78).
If a site is being filtered, the site is removed from the routing table for a skillset
until the Filter Timer period passes. If all sites are being filtered from a routing
table, calls normally networked out for that skillset are defaulted, according to
treatment defined in the script logic.
The following illustration shows the routing tables for the BestAir Toronto and
Boston servers.
Toronto Vacations
European
Bookings
Boston
Dallas
San Francisco
Boston Vacations
European
Bookings
Dallas
San Francisco
Toronto
The Toronto server has routing tables for the Bookings, European, and Vacations
skillsets. The routing table for the Bookings skillset contains the Boston, Dallas,
and San Francisco servers.
When you create a network skillset, you choose the routing table type and the
agent reservation method for that skillset.
Routing method
If the Target Node Count (the number of sites to which a call is queued) is less
than the number of sites in the routing table, one of the following routing table
types is used:
Round robin The server queues the first call to the first n sites in the This type of
routing table for the network skillset, where n is the Target routing table
Node Count for the remote site, as defined in the Sites distributes
window on the NCC. (The maximum number of sites is calls most
20.) When an agent becomes available at one of these evenly among
sites, the server reserves the agent, and the call is the sites.
presented to the agent.
When the second call arrives, the server queues it to the
second site, the third site (and so on). When the third call
arrives, the server queues it to the third site, the fourth site
(and so on).
Sequential Whenever a call arrives, the server queues it to the first n This type of
sites in the routing table for the network skillset, where n routing table
is the Target Node Count for the remote site, as defined in minimizes the
the Sites window on the NCC. (The maximum number of number of
sites is 20.) When an agent becomes available at one of trunks used to
these sites, the server reserves the agent, and the call is network calls.
presented to the agent.
When the second call arrives, the server queues it again to
the first n sites in the routing table for the network skillset.
Notes:
! The server varies the order of the n sites each time it queues a call.
! For a virtual call center, the Target Node Count must be equal to the number
of sites in the routing table.
! Load balancing is dependent on the agent reservation method configured
for the network skillset.
Networking method
Your server can use one of the following methods to choose the destination site
for an outbound networked call:
First Back The server routes the call to the first site This method minimizes
responding with an agent reservation indication. the time to answer for
network calls.
Note: This is the only method available for
servers running Symposium Call Center Server
Release 4.x.
Longest Idle The server waits a configurable amount of time to This method helps
Agent receive agent reservation indications from the distribute call load
destination nodes. During this time, it compares among all the agents in
agent priority and agent idle time for the available the network.
agents, as specified in the agent reservation
indications. Then it routes the call to the site with
the agent who has the highest priority for the
skillset. If more than one agent has the same
priority, it routes the call to the site with the agent
who has the longest idle time.
Average The server waits a configurable amount of time to This method helps
Speed of receive agent reservation indications from the route calls to the most
Answer destination nodes. During this time, it compares efficient site.
the agent priority and the average speed of
answer, as specified in the agent reservation
notifications. Then it routes the call to the site
with the agent who has the highest priority for the
skillset. If more than one agent has the same
priority, it routes the call to the site with the
lowest average speed of answer for the network
skillset.
Note: Optionally, for servers running Symposium Call Center Server Release
5.0, you can choose to queue calls to the local server, as well as to remote
servers, in the Queue to Network Skillset command.
To implement this type of queuing, ensure that the Include Local Node option is
not selected for the skillset. Then use these commands in your script:
The first command queues the call to the network skillset on the local server.
The second command queues the call to the network skillset on up to 20 remote
sites (as defined in the routing table for the network skillset). If a local agent
becomes available before the call is routed to a remote site, the call is presented
to the local agent.
To implement this type of queuing, ensure that the Include Local Node option is
selected for the skillset. Then use these commands in your script:
These commands queue the call to the local site and up to 20 additional sites.
Introduction
You must create network skillsets on the NCC.
Example
The network administrator creates a new skillset named Sales on the NCC. The
NCC propagates this new skillset to the Toronto server. The Toronto server
already has a skillset named Sales, with assigned agents. The server changes the
skillset from a local to a network skillset. Agents assigned to that skillset
continue to belong to the skillset, but they can now answer calls from other sites.
3 In the last row of the table, enter information into the following columns:
Network Skillset Name: The name of the network skillset. Network skillset
names must be unique.
Note: You cannot change the name of a network skillset. To change a
skillset name, you must delete the skillset, and then add it again.
Comment: Optional. Additional information about the network skillset.
Routing Method: The type of routing table to be used for this skillset—
round robin or sequential. For more information, see “Routing tables” on
page 70.
Networking Method: Choose one of the following options:
! First Back—The server routes network calls to the first responding site.
! Longest Idle Agent—The server waits up to the configurable amount of
time for sites to respond, and then routes calls to the site with the
highest-priority agent and the longest idle time.
! Average Speed of Answer—The server waits up to the configurable
amount of time for sites to respond, and then routes calls to the site with
the highest-priority agent and the lowest average speed of answer for
the skillset.
Note: If you choose Longest Idle Agent or Average Speed of Answer, only
servers running Symposium Call Center Server Release 5.0 can be added
to the routing table for this skillset.
4 Click in another row of the table to save the new network skillset.
Introduction
You delete network skillsets at the NCC. After you delete a skillset, the skillset
is no longer on the list distributed by the NCC. When a server receives the list, it
detects that the network skillset has been deleted. It converts the local copy of
the skillset to a local skillset.
Note: If the server administrators fail to update the scripts, then a script may
contain a Queue To Network Skillset command that queues a call to a deleted
network skillset. This command fails.
In this section
Configuring the routing table for a site 78
Introduction
A routing table defines the sites to which scripts using network skillsets route
calls. Use this procedure to create or change a routing table. You can add sites to,
or remove them from, the routing table, or you can change the order of sites in
the routing table.
Note: If you configure a network skillset for Longest Idle Agent or Average
Speed of Answer, you cannot include servers running Symposium Call Center
Server Release 4.2 or earlier in the routing table for the network skillset.
Prerequisite
Before defining routing tables, you must add network skillsets. See “Adding a
network skillset” on page 74.
6 Arrange the routing order by selecting a site, and then clicking the up and
down Rank arrows.
7 When you have arranged all the sites that you want to include in the routing
table for this skillset, click the next skillset that you want to configure.
8 Follow steps 4 to 7 for each skillset that you want to include in the routing
table.
9 Click Submit to activate the routing table for this site immediately.
Note: Click the black triangle beside the Save/Schedule Assignments
heading if you want to save the routing table as an assignment (go to step
10 on page 85).
To add a site
Note: To replace one site with another in the routing table, you must first delete
the original site, and then add the new site.
1 In the Network Skillsets box, select the network skillset whose routing table
you want to change.
2 In the Network Sites table, select the check boxes beside the sites that you
want to add.
Note: You can add up to 20 sites to a routing table.
3 Click Submit to activate the updated routing table.
To delete a site
1 In the Network Skillsets box, select the network skillset whose routing table
you want to change.
2 In the Network Sites table, clear the check box beside the sites that you
want to remove.
3 Click Submit to activate the updated routing table.
3 Click the Rank up and down arrows until the site is in the desired location.
4 Click Submit to activate the updated routing table.
In this section
Overview of routing table assignments 82
Adding a new routing table assignment 83
Changing the routing table for an assignment 87
Deleting an assignment 91
Introduction
When you configure a site, you define a routing table for each network skillset at
that site. The routing table determines the sites to which a call for that skillset is
routed.
When you need to change a routing table, you can change it manually (see
“Configuring the routing table for a site” on page 78). However, if you need to
change a routing table regularly—for example, as sites in different time zones
become or cease to be available during regular business hours—you can set up
routing table assignments. You then schedule these assignments to occur at the
required time.
Example
BestAir has offices in Toronto and San Francisco. The Toronto office is open
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. The San Francisco office is
open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Pacific Standard Time. The NCC
administrator can create routing table assignments to route calls as follows:
! If a call arrives at Toronto between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST (that is,
after business hours), the Toronto server routes it to San Francisco.
! If the San Francisco server receives a call between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
PST (that is, before business hours), it routes the call to Toronto.
Introduction
You can create a new routing table assignment, or you can create an assignment
using another assignment as a template.
Each assignment applies only to the site for which it was defined.
Reset assignments
When you create a routing table assignment, you can choose to create a reset
assignment. A reset assignment is a record of the original data that existed at the
time when you created the assignment. It contains a record of the network
routing table that exists before the routing table assignment is executed. You can
change and run the assignment as many times as you require, and then easily
return the routing table to its original state by using the reset assignment.
Note: When you delete the original assignment, the system deletes the
corresponding reset assignment.
3 From the table in the Sites window, select the site that you want to
configure.
Result: The site’s routing table properties appear in the Routing Table
area.
4 In the Network Skillsets table, click the skillset that you want to configure.
5 In the Network Sites table, select the check box beside each site to which
you want to route calls for this skillset.
Result: A ranking number appears beside the site name to indicate the
routing order.
Note: You can add up to 20 sites to a routing table.
6 Arrange the routing order by selecting a site, and then clicking the up and
down Rank arrows.
7 When you have arranged all the sites that you want to include in the routing
table for this skillset, click the next skillset that you want to configure.
8 Repeat steps 2 to 7 for each skillset that you want to include in the routing
table.
ATTENTION
The time values represent the application server time, not
the client time. If your application server is located in a
different time zone than the client from which you are
scheduling the assignment, you must take into account
the time difference. To view the current application server
time, click Reset beside the Application Server Time box.
The schedule that you define must be based on this
application server time.
c. In the Start Date box, click the drop-down button to view a calendar.
d. In the calendar, click the date when you want the schedule to begin.
e. Based on the schedule type (that is, daily, weekly, or monthly), select
the days and months when you want the assignment to occur.
13 Click Save Assignment to save the assignment.
Result: A message box asks if you want to create a reset assignment (see
page “Reset assignments” on page 83).
14 Click OK to create the reset assignment, or click Cancel if you do not want
to create a reset assignment.
Result: The assignment appears in the system tree under the Assignments
folder for the current server.
Introduction
You can change your routing tables by adding or removing sites, or by changing
the order of the sites.
add a site to the routing table go to “To add a site to the routing table,”
below.
delete a site from the routing table go to “To delete a site from the routing
table” on page 89.
move a site in the routing table go to “To move a site in the routing
table” on page 89.
change the schedule for a routing go to “To change the schedule for the
table assignment routing table assignment” on page 90.
ATTENTION
The time values represent the application server time, not
the client time. If your application server is located in a
different time zone than the client from which you are
scheduling the assignment, you must take into account
the time difference. To view the current application server
time, click Reset beside the Application Server Time box.
The schedule that you define must be based on this
application server time.
4 In the Start Date box, click the drop-down button to view a calendar.
5 In the calendar, click the date when you want the schedule to begin.
6 Based on the schedule type (that is, daily, weekly, or monthly), select the
days and months when you want the assignment to occur.
7 Click OK.
8 To save the routing table assignment, click Save Assignment.
Deleting an assignment
Prerequisite
Ensure that the assignment you want to delete is not scheduled.
To delete an assignment
1 On the system tree in the Configuration component, double-click the NCC
server containing the assignment that you want to delete.
Result: The server expands.
2 Click the Sites heading.
Result: The Sites window opens, and the Assignments folder appears.
3 Double-click the Assignments folder.
Result: The list of assignments appears.
4 Click the assignment that you want to delete.
5 Click Delete.
Result: The system deletes the assignment.
In this section
Overview of historical statistics collection 94
Configuring historical statistics collection 96
Introduction
You can choose how long to store network call-by-call statistics at the Network
Control Center (NCC). Your configuration determines
! how long network call-by-call statistics reports can be generated
For example, if you store network call-by-call statistics for two days, you
cannot generate a network call-by-call report for three days ago.
! the amount of disk space required on the NCC
Note: Sites begin collecting statistics as soon as the Toronto server notifies them
that network call-by-call statistics collection has been enabled. It can take
several minutes for this information to be propagated to all servers in the
network.
Note: If the NCC is not accessible, network call-by-call data is stored at the
source server until the NCC becomes available again. If the source server runs
out of disk space before the NCC becomes available, it begins overwriting the
oldest network call-by-call data files with the new ones.
Purpose
Follow this procedure to specify how long network call-by-call statistics are
stored on the NCC.
2 In the Keep Network Call-by-Call data for box, specify the number of days
you want to store call-by-call statistics on the NCC.
ATTENTION
This value should match the value configured in the
Historical Statistics Configuration window on each server.
For example, consider what happens if you retain
network call-by-call statistics for three days, but you retain
call-by-call statistics for two days at each site. When you
generate a network call-by-call report for three days ago,
the report contains information about events occurring at
the destination site, but it does not contain information
about events occurring at the source site.
3 In the Network call rate box, estimate the average number of calls
networked out (routed from one site to another) per hour.
4 Click Submit.
Result: The system calculates the amount of disk space required for the
call-by-call database under your configuration. It displays this amount in the
Required text box. The available disk space appears in the Actual text box.
Note: If the calculated disk space required is greater than the disk space
available (as reported in the Actual box), then you cannot save the
configuration. You must reduce the call-by-call interval or the estimated
number of calls per hour until the calculated database size is acceptable.
Administering servers
In this chapter
Overview 100
Configuring a network CDN 101
Configuring communication parameters 104
Configuring network skillset properties 108
Monitoring and stopping filtering 111
Overview
After you configure your servers, monitor them regularly to make sure that they
are communicating properly.
Introduction
On each server in the network, you must configure the CDN on which incoming
network calls are received. You must configure at least one network CDN.
ATTENTION
The network CDN should be used for incoming network
calls only. To check whether local calls are arriving on a
network CDN, use the Network Call intrinsic. Then give
the local call a special treatment, such as a RAN route
that gives the number to dial for local calls. For more
information, refer to the Scripting Guide.
Therefore, when a call routed from the Boston site is presented to an agent at the
Toronto site, the agent phoneset display contains “BOSTON.” Due to this
configuration, the agent knows that the incoming call is a network call
originating in Boston. This information can help the agent respond to the call
appropriately.
2 In the last row of the table, enter information in the following boxes:
Name: The name of the CDN as it appears in the CDNs window and on
reports.
Number: The CDN number as configured on the switch. Ensure that this
number matches the CDN number configured on the switch. This is the
dialable DN that other sites must use to send network calls to your site. You
can set up a separate network CDN for each site from which you may
receive calls, if you want to recognize where incoming network calls are
arriving from.
Call Type: Choose Network.
Acquired?: Select this check box to acquire this CDN.
3 Click in another row of the table to save the new CDN.
Introduction
You must configure the following network communication parameters on each
server in the network:
! the DN (network CDN) that your switch dials to route a call to that site
! how many times your server tries to queue calls to the site after a route
attempt fails, and the number of seconds between retries
! the amount of time an agent at the site is reserved to answer a call routed
from your server
! the amount of time your server waits for a reply from the remote sites, if
routing is based on longest idle agent or average speed of answer
Dialable DN
When you configure the connection to a site, you specify the number that your
switch dials to reach the network CDN. The network CDN is the CDN on which
the remote site receives incoming network calls. This CDN must be configured
as a network CDN on the remote server.
For example, on the Toronto server, the Dialable DN for Boston is 8-555-1111
(see the illustration on page 105).
Note: The number you enter must be the number configured in the CDNs
window on the remote server, with any prefixes required by your dialing plan.
Call arrives
Call arrives
Switch Switch
at network
CDN
G101338
1. A call arrives at the Toronto switch and is passed to the Toronto server.
2. The Toronto server initiates the Master_Script.
3. Based on logic in the script, the server instructs the switch to route the call
to Boston.
4. The server passes the DN for Boston to the switch.
5. The switch transfers the call to this number.
6. The call arrives on a network CDN at Boston.
7. The call is passed to the server.
8. The Boston server initiates the Network_Script.
This window lists the local and remote sites in your network and their
statuses. For more information, see “Monitoring and stopping filtering” on
page 111.
2 Click the row containing the site whose communication parameters you
want to edit.
3 Make the desired changes to the following columns:
Dialable DN: The number that your switch dials to reach the network CDN
at the remote site. It must include any prefixes required by the dialing plan
configured on the switch.
Tip: Enter the number in the format used in your NACD Routing Table.
Number of Retries: The number of times that your server attempts to route
a call to a reserved agent at this site before filtering the site out of the
routing table. For more information, see “Retries and filtering” on page 29.
RetryTimer (Sec.): The time that elapses before the server attempts to
queue a call to this site after a route attempt fails (for example, if all trunks
are busy). For more information, see “Retries and filtering” on page 29.
Agent Reserve Timer (Sec.): The number of seconds an agent at this site
is reserved when your site attempts to send a call. If the source site cannot
cancel the agent reservation, then it expires after this period.
Notes:
! Make sure that the Agent Reserve Timer allows enough time for calls to
be networked to their destination. To do so, make several test calls to a
network skillset that has only one agent logged on at the destination
site. Then run a report to ensure that the number of times the agent is
reserved is equal to the number of network calls answered. If the
number of times the agent is reserved is greater than the number of
network calls answered, then the reservation timer is probably too low.
Try increasing the agent reservation timer and making the test calls
again.
! Agent Reserve Timer also applies to the source site if it is using either
the Longest Idle Agent or Average Speed of Answer feature, and
network skillsets are configured with “include local node” enabled.
Nodal Request Wait Timer (Sec.): (Source node only) Specify how long to
wait for responses from destination servers, if the skillset is configured for
longest idle agent or average speed of answer. Normally, all nodes respond
before the timer expires; after receiving responses from all destination
sites, the local server routes the calls and cancels all agent reservations. If
one site is slow to respond, however, agents remain reserved while the
local server waits for the response. This timer determines how long the
server waits for a response before routing the call and canceling agent
reservations.
Notes:
! The timer should be high enough to allow most destination sites to
respond under normal conditions. However, if the timer is too high,
agents at the responding sites will be reserved (and thus unavailable to
answer calls) for long periods of time.
! This timer can be configured differently for each source site. However,
the timer applies to all destination sites to which the source site queues
calls.
! The Nodal Request Wait Timer cannot equal or exceed the Agent
Reserve Timer for the destination sites. (This ensures that agent
reservations do not time out before the call can be routed.) Nortel
Networks recommends that the Agent Reserve Timer be at least 2
seconds more than the Nodal Request Wait Timer.
4 To save your changes, click Submit.
Introduction
You can configure the following properties for each network skillset:
! the maximum number of calls that can be queued for the skillset at this
server
! the number by which queued calls must decrease before filtering is stopped
! whether to queue calls to the local site
In addition, if you are using the Longest Idle Agent feature, you must make sure
that Agent Order Preference is configured identically in the Global Settings on
every server in the network.
Flow Control Threshold: The number by which queued calls for this
skillset must decrease before filtering of your server stops. For example, if
Call Request Queue Size is set to 100, and Flow Control Threshold is set to
20, then filtering of this network skillset ceases only when the number of
queued calls falls to 80.
Include Local Node: Choose whether to queue calls to the local node, as
well as to remote nodes, with the Queue to Network Skillset command.
Note: This option is available only for Release 5.0 network skillsets.
3 Click in another row of the table to save the changes.
Introduction
Your server automatically filters sites from its routing tables to prevent calls
from being routed to them. It also stops filtering automatically after a
configurable amount of time (Filter Timer).
You can monitor the sites and skillsets that your server is currently filtering. If
the problem that led to the filtering is resolved, you can stop filtering manually
rather than waiting for the filter timer to elapse.
Site filtering
Your server filters a site from the routing tables for all of its skillsets when the
site is unreachable. A site can be unreachable for the following reasons:
! NACD is not installed on the destination switch, or an NACD error has
occurred.
! The dialable DN configured for the destination site is incorrect.
! The CDN is not configured correctly at the destination site (either on the
server or on the switch).
! The server is not running at the destination site.
! The D-channel is down.
! All trunks are busy at the source or destination.
! The trunk is blocked.
When a site is filtered from the routing table, your server does not attempt to
queue calls to that site.
Example
1. BestAir Toronto receives a call for the Bookings skillset.
2. Toronto queues the call to BestAir Boston.
3. Boston reserves an agent and notifies Toronto.
When either of these conditions occurs, your server filters that site from the
routing table for that network skillset. While the network skillset is filtered, your
server does not attempt to queue calls for that skillset to the remote site.
(However, your server continues to queue calls to other skillsets at that site.)
Example
1. The administrator of the Boston server has set the Call Request Queue Size
for the Bookings skillset to 25. Currently, 25 calls are queued to the
Bookings skillset at the Boston server.
2. The Toronto server receives a call for the Bookings skillset and attempts to
queue it to Boston.
3. Boston rejects the call, and Toronto filters Boston from the routing table for
the Bookings skillset.
4. Filtering stops when the number of queued calls drops by 5 to 20 calls in
queue (since 5 is the value configured in the Flow Control Threshold by the
Boston administrator).
Column Description
Column Description
Site Filter Whether the site is currently being filtered and, if so, the
reason. Valid values include
! N/A—Not applicable (local site)
! Off—the site is not being filtered
! Server communication failure
! Dialable DN has not been configured correctly
! NACD package restriction at destination
! Maximum number of retries reached
! Trunk allocation problem – server suspended
! Incompatible server versions
The Site Filter column indicates the filtering status for the site. The Skillset
Filter column indicates the filtering status for each skillset specified in the
Network Skillset column. To stop filtering, continue with the procedure, “To
stop filtering manually for remote sites” on page 115.
Note: If the site filter is not Off, then check the Event Browser to find the
errors that led to filtering.
2 To refresh the display, click Refresh.
Example
1. The supervisor of the Bookings skillset at the Boston site schedules an
emergency meeting from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for all local agents in
that skillset.
2. All agents log off the skillset to go to the meeting. As a result, the skillset
goes out of service. When other sites attempt to queue calls to this skillset,
they discover that it is unavailable, and they filter it out of their routing
tables.
3. After the meeting, the Boston agents log back on to the skillset.
4. Boston notifies all sites that the skillset is again available.
5. When a site receives the notification, it turns off filtering.
Administrators at the other sites have been notified about the meeting. Rather
than wait for notification from the Boston server, they can choose to stop
filtering manually at 10:30.
In this chapter
Overview 118
Consolidated Agent Position Status Count 122
Consolidation Application Display 125
Consolidated Skillset Display 129
Overview
Introduction
You can use the following network consolidated real-time displays at the NCC to
monitor network performance:
! Consolidated Agent Position Status Count
! Consolidated Application Display
! Consolidated Skillset Display
Graphical displays
The real-time displays present the consolidated data in a tabular format. You can
choose to view the site or network summary information in a graphical format—
a pie chart or a bar chart.
Note: You can change the format of the summary charts for each standard real-
time display in the Properties tab.
You can print the chart, change it from color to black and white, or export it as a
graphic (either .bmp or .jpg) to the location that you specify in the Properties tab.
For details on network summary chart components, see the Symposium Web
Client online Help.
Filter sets
You can define filter sets that include a subset of the sites, skillsets, and
applications in a specific display. For example, you can create a filter set called
customer_service, which contains all of the skillsets and applications belonging
to the customer service unit, across all sites. The information is collapsed to
show the total and grand totals. Click + to expand the information for the group
and click - to collapse the information.
When you create the filter set, you specify how the information is grouped. You
can group information in the following ways:
! Filter—Site—Element
! Filter—Element—Site
! Site—Filter—Element
Service_Sk SiteA
Sales_Sk SiteB
Service_Sk SiteB
Customer_Service Total
Totals in filters
When you use filters on a display, Symposium Web Client calculates the
following totals:
! subtotals for all of the elements in the filter
! subtotals for all of the sites
! a grand total for all of the elements in the display
For raw statistics, such as number of calls answered, the grand total and
subtotals are calculated by summing all the appropriate entries in the same
column. For formula-based statistics, such as average answer delay, the grand
total and subtotals are recalculated using the total values in the appropriate
columns.
Example:
FilterA
FilterB
33 9 13 3 390
(120+80+ ((10+2+6+3+5+1+
60+130)/ 12+3) - (5+1+2+1+
(10+6+5+ 2+ 0+4+1)) * 100 /
Grand 12) = (10+2+6+3+5+1+12
Total 11.81 +3) = 61.90
Note: If the same element appears twice in the display (for example, if AppB is
in both FilterA and FilterB), the totals for the filters are correct, but the Grand
Total is incorrect. (The AppB values are added to the Grand Total twice.) Do not
create displays with overlapping filters.
Introduction
In this display, you can view the number of agents in various states in skillsets
across the network. You can view details such as the number of agents who are
! in service (logged in)
! waiting to receive calls
! not ready to receive calls
! currently handling skillset or ACD/NACD calls
You can open a site or network summary bar chart or pie chart showing the
performance summary statistics for a particular site, or for all sites in the
network (see “Graphical displays” on page 118). The summary charts update at
the same refresh rate as the real-time display grids.
Field descriptions
Site
Click to generate a chart showing the site’s performance summary. The
summary chart shows the values displayed in the grid, either in bar-chart or pie-
chart format, depending on the display settings you have chosen on the
Properties tab. The chart updates in real time at the same refresh rate as the real-
time display grid.
To save the chart to a BMP or JPG file for future reference, click Export. The
system saves the chart in the location you specified on the Properties tab, or on
your desktop if you did not specify a location.
Skillset
The names of the skillsets in the site (for example, Bookings, Vacations, or
European). If you have networking enabled, this column contains the names of
the skillsets in each network site.
Note: If the message Error: No Name appears in this column, the application
server cannot get the name from the site. Contact the site administrator for
assistance.
Agts Wait
The number of agents in each skillset who are waiting to receive calls at all
network sites.
In Srv
The number of agents logged on to each skillset at all network sites.
Not Rdy
The number of agents in each skillset who are in the Not Ready state at all
network sites.
SklSet Call
The number of agents in each skillset who are active on skillset calls at all
network sites.
DN Call
The number of agents in each skillset who are active on Directory Number (DN)
calls at all network sites.
ACD-DN Call
The number of agents in each skillset who are active on Automatic Call
Distribution Directory Number (ACD-DN) calls at all network sites.
NACD-DN Call
The number of agents in each skillset who are active on Network Automatic Call
Distribution Directory Number (NACD-DN) calls at all network sites.
Introduction
This display allows you to monitor the performance of all applications in the
network. The display includes the following information:
! number of calls waiting
! number of calls answered
! number of calls abandoned
! service level
! average answer delay
ATTENTION
If the application names appear incorrectly in your real-
time displays, then there may be a problem with the
network settings or the configuration of your DNS server,
or there may be delays in the network causing timeouts.
Ensure that the network is functioning correctly, the DNS
has been configured correctly on the application server, and
the DNS is providing responses within a reasonable time
(for example, less than 10 seconds). Then try launching the
display again.
You can open a site or network summary bar chart or pie chart showing the
performance summary statistics for a particular site, or for all sites in the
network (see “Graphical displays” on page 118). The summary charts update at
the same refresh rate as the real-time display grids.
Field descriptions
Site
Click to generate a chart showing the site’s performance summary. The
summary chart shows the values displayed in the grid, either in bar-chart or pie-
chart format, depending on the display settings you have chosen on the
Properties tab. The chart updates in real time at the same refresh rate as the real-
time display grid.
To save the chart to a BMP or JPG file for future reference, click Export. The
system saves the chart in the location you specified on the Properties tab, or on
your desktop if you did not specify a location.
Application
The names of the active applications at each network site (for example,
Master_script, Network_script, and so on).
Note: If the message Error: No Name appears in this column, the application
server cannot get the name from the site. Contact the site administrator for
assistance.
Wait
The total number of local and incoming network calls waiting to be handled by
each application within the site.
Arrived
The total number of local and network calls that have arrived at the applications
within the site.
Ansd
The total number of local and network calls answered by agents in the
applications of the site.
Abnd
The total number of local and incoming or outgoing network calls that callers
have abandoned while waiting to speak to an agent.
Srv Lvl %
The service level percentage calculated for each application within the site. The
calculation is based on the total number of local and network calls answered and
abandoned within each application in the site.
Introduction
This display allows you to monitor the performance of all skillsets in the
network. The display includes the following information:
! average answer delay
! service levels
! number of calls answered
! number of calls waiting
You can open a site or network summary bar chart or pie chart showing the
performance summary statistics for a particular site, or for all sites in the
network (see “Graphical displays” on page 118). The summary charts update at
the same refresh rate as the real-time display grids.
Field descriptions
Site
Click to generate a chart showing the site’s performance summary. The
summary chart shows the values displayed in the grid, either in bar-chart or pie-
chart format, depending on the display settings you have chosen on the
Properties tab. The chart updates in real time at the same refresh rate as the real-
time display grid.
To save the chart to a BMP or JPG file for future reference, click Export. The
system saves the chart in the location you specified on the Properties tab, or on
your desktop if you did not specify a location.
Skillset
The names of the skillsets in the site (for example, Bookings, Vacations, or
European). If you have networking enabled, this column contains the names of
the skillsets in each network site.
Note: If the message Error: No Name appears in this column, the application
server cannot get the name from the site. Contact the site administrator for
assistance.
Wait
The total number of local and incoming network calls waiting to be handled by
agents in each skillset within the site.
Offer
The total number of local and incoming network calls offered to each skillset
within a network site.
Ansd
The total number of local calls answered by agents in the skillsets of the site.
Note: If you have the networking feature enabled, this column contains the total
number of local and network calls answered by agents in the skillsets of the site.
Abnd
The total number of local calls, incoming network calls and outgoing network
calls that callers have abandoned while waiting to speak to an agent.
Srv Lvl %
The service level percentage calculated for each skillset within the site. The
calculation is based on the total number of local and network calls answered and
abandoned within each skillset in the site.
Ntwk In Wait
The total number of incoming network calls that are waiting to be handled by
each skillset within the network site.
Ntwk In Offer
The total number of incoming network calls that have been offered to each
skillset within the network site.
Ntwk In Ansd
The total number of incoming network calls that have been answered by each
skillset within the network site.
Example:
At 09:02:00, Simon’s wait time since last call is 40 seconds, and Pat’s is 20
seconds. Longest wait time since last call for the skillset is therefore 40.
When Simon answers a DN call at 09:02:05, Pat (as the only idle agent) has the
longest wait time since last call, at 25 seconds. When the DN call ends, Simon
again becomes the longest idle agent, and the longest wait time since last call for
Bookings is 56 seconds (40+5+11). When Simon goes into Not Ready state, Pat
is the only idle agent, and the longest wait time since last call for Bookings is 37
(20+5+11+1). When Simon goes into Ready state 20 seconds later, he again
becomes the longest idle agent, and the longest wait time since last call is 77
(40+5+11+1+20). When Simon answers a call for the Bookings skillset at
09:02:40, Simon’s idle time is reset to zero. Pat becomes the longest idle agent,
and the longest wait time since last call is 60 (20+5+11+1+20+3).
Notes:
! This column is available only if you are connected to an NCC server that is
running Release 5.0 or later of the Symposium Call Center Server
networking software; this column is not available if you are connected to an
NCC server running previous releases of the Symposium software.
! For call routing, priority takes precedence over idle time. For example:
Simon has a priority of 1 for the Bookings skillset, and an idle time of 25
Note: This column is available only if you are connected to an NCC server that
is running Release 5.0 or later of the Symposium Call Center Server networking
software; this column is not available if you are connected to an NCC server
running previous releases of the Symposium software.
Troubleshooting
In this chapter
If your server is not routing or receiving calls 136
Problems with network skillsets 138
Problems collecting network call-by-call statistics 141
Times on reports are incorrect 142
Problems with call routing 143
Introduction
If your server is not able to route calls to or receive calls from other sites,
perform the following tasks:
1. Verify that the source server has not filtered the server. If it has done so,
refer to “Monitoring and stopping filtering” on page 111.
2. Verify that the dialable DN is configured correctly at the source server.
Refer to “Configuring communication parameters” on page 104.
3. Ensure network skillsets and routing tables are received at the server. If not,
refer to “To verify the connection to the NCC” below.
Note: If you are experiencing issues with Networking calls, Nortel Networks
provides a network trace utility (NtwkTraceMon) that customer support staff can
use to help you troubleshoot your problem.
4 At the server, open a DOS window and type the following command:
ping nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
where nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn is the CLAN IP address of the NCC. If the NCC
cannot be found, then use the tracert command to find out where the error
is occurring.
5 Restart the NCC.
6 If the problem continues, contact your Nortel Networks customer support
representative.
Note: If this does not resolve the problem, run nicomsetup at the NCC and
define all sites again, using nbconfig -admin. Refer to “Configuring the
communications database” on page 41.
Introduction
This section describes problems that can occur with network skillsets, and
explains how to troubleshoot them.
Network skillsets are not being distributed from the NCC to all sites
This problem can occur for the following reasons:
! An existing entity has the same name—If a server has a variable named
“Sales,” then you cannot add a network skillset named “Sales.” Contact
your network administrator to resolve naming problems. The Scripting
Guide recommends that skillsets include the characters “_sk” to identify
them as skillsets and to avoid potential conflicts with other entities. For
more information, see the Scripting Guide.
! The configured limit for number of skillsets was reached—At the site,
use either client application to check the Historical Statistics Configuration
Parameters. If you change the configured limit of skillsets, you must force
synchronization of the site information from the NCC. For more
information on Historical Statistics Configuration, see the Administrator’s
Guide.
! One or more sites is running Symposium Call Center Server Release
4.2 or earlier—Network skillsets configured for longest idle agent or
average speed of answer are not propagated to servers running Symposium
Call Center Server Release 4.2 or earlier.
Calls for a network skillset are not being sent to other sites
This problem can occur if your scripts have not been updated to route calls to the
network skillset. When an administrator at the NCC defines a network skillset at
the NCC, the NCC propagates the new skillset to all servers in the network.
However, scripts are not automatically updated to route calls to the network.
Calls continue to be queued to the local copy of the network skillset. To route
calls to other sites, you must add the script command Queue To Network
Skillset. For more information on using network skillsets in scripts, see the
Scripting Guide.
! The network skillset at the destination site is in Night Service mode. The
site is filtered until an agent with the skillset logs on, and the queue at the
destination site becomes active.
! The number of failed attempts set in the Number of Retries box for a
skillset has been reached. When this happens, the source site removes the
destination site from all of its routing tables for the time configured in the
Filter Timer period (minimum of 5 minutes, maximum of 12 hours). After
the Filter Timer period, the destination site is no longer filtered. If the
problem is resolved before the Filter Timer period is reached, you can
manually remove the site from filtering (see “Manually stopping filtering
for remote sites and network skillsets” on page 115).
Call-by-call data is purged whenever data reaches the age you configured (in the
Historical Statistics Configuration window), or when disk space becomes
insufficient. This enables more recent call-by-call data to be stored, but can
result in less long-term data being stored than you selected if you have less disk
space than calculated. An event is logged in Fault Management if this occurs. An
event is also logged in Fault Management if network call-by-call data transfer to
the NCC takes longer than 15 minutes.
Note: Even if you have purchased the call-by-call option, your call-by-call
keycode is disabled if your server has less than 2 Gbytes of disk space during
server installation. Contact your Nortel Networks customer support
representative if you cannot choose to store call-by-call statistics.
Note: If the NCC goes down for an extended period, pegging is done at each
local server that is storing network call-by-call data. This can use a substantial
amount of resources at each local server.
Introduction
This section refers to errors that can occur when the times set at multiple servers
are not synchronized.
The Agent Reserve Timer prevents an agent from remaining reserved when a
call is answered locally or routed to another server. Normally, when that
happens, the local server notifies the remote server, and the remote server
cancels the agent reservation. However, if a communication problem prevents
notification of the remote server, the agent remains in reserved state indefinitely.
To prevent this from happening, after a configurable period (Agent Reserve
Timer), the remote server cancels the reservation.
If the Agent Reserve Timer is too low, however, the agent may be unreserved
before the call is presented to the agent, but after the call has arrived at the
remote server. When that happens, the agent’s ReservedForCall statistic is
incremented, but the agent’s NetworkCallsAnswered statistic is not.
A accelerator key
A key on a phoneset that an agent can use to place a call quickly. When an agent
presses an accelerator key, the system places the call to the configured number
associated with the key. For example, if an agent presses the Emergency key, the
system places a call to the agent’s supervisor.
ACCESS
An internal protocol used by Symposium Call Center Server to directly control
some of the voice services available on the CallPilot or Meridian Mail platform.
access class
A collection of access levels that defines the actions a member of the access
class can perform within the system. For example, a member of the
Administrator access class might be given a collection of Read/Write access
levels.
access level
A level of access or permission given to a particular user for a particular
application or function. For example, a user might be given View Only access to
historical reports.
ACCESS link
A communication channel between Symposium Call Center Server and
CallPilot or Meridian Mail.
ACD call
See Automatic call distribution call.
ACD-DN
See Automatic call distribution directory number.
acquired resource
A resource configured on the switch that is under the control of Symposium Call
Center Server. Resources must be configured with matching values on both the
switch and Symposium Call Center Server.
activated script
A script that is processing calls or is ready to process calls. Before you can
activate a script, you must first validate it.
active server
In a system with a Replication Server, the server that is providing call processing
and administration services.
activity code
A number that an agent enters on his or her phoneset during a call. Activity
codes provide a way of tracking the time agents spend on various types of
incoming calls. They are also known as Line of Business (LOB) codes. For
example, the activity code 720 might be used to track sales calls. Agents can
then enter 720 on their phonesets during sales calls, and this information can be
generated in an Activity Code report.
administrator
A user who is responsible for setting up and maintaining the server in
Symposium Call Center Server.
agent
A user who is responsible for handling customer calls.
agent logon ID
A unique identification number assigned to a particular agent. The agent uses
this number when logging on. The agent ID is not associated with any particular
phoneset.
AML
See Application Module Link.
API
See application program interface.
application
1. A logical entity that represents a Symposium Call Center Server script for
reporting purposes. The Master script and each primary script have an associated
application. The application has the same name as the script it represents. 2. A
program that runs on a computer.
application server
The server on which the Symposium Web Client software is installed. This
server acts as the middle layer that communicates with Symposium Call Center
Server and makes information available to the client PCs.
associated supervisor
A supervisor who is available for an agent if the agent’s reporting supervisor is
unavailable. See also reporting supervisor.
C call age
The amount of time a call was waiting in the system before being answered by
an agent.
call destination
The site to which an outgoing network call is sent. See also call source.
call intrinsic
A script element that stores call-related information assigned when a call enters
Symposium Call Center Server. See also intrinsic, skillset intrinsic, time
intrinsic, traffic intrinsic.
call priority
A numerical value assigned in a script that defines the relative importance of a
call. If two calls are in the queue when an agent becomes available, and one call
is queued with a higher priority than the other, the agent receives the higher
priority call first. See also skillset priority.
call source
The site from which an incoming network call originates. See also call
destination.
call treatment
A script element that enables you to provide handling to a call while it is waiting
to be answered by a call center agent. For example, a caller can hear a recorded
announcement or music while waiting for an agent.
call variable
A script variable that applies to a specific call. A call variable follows the call
through the system and is passed from one script to another with the call. See
also global variable, script variable.
CallPilot
A multimedia messaging system you can use to manage many types of
information, including voice messages, fax messages, e-mail messages,
telephone calls (including conferencing), calendars, and directories.
CDN
See controlled directory number.
CLAN
See Customer local area network.
Classic Client
The Windows-based client component for Symposium Call Center Server.
CLID
See Calling Line Identification.
client
The part of Symposium Call Center Server that runs on a personal computer or
workstation and relies on the server to perform some operations. Two types of
client are available, Classic Client and Symposium Web Client. See also server.
command
A building block used with expressions, variables, and intrinsics to create
scripts. Commands perform distinct functions, such as routing a call to a specific
destination, playing music to a caller, or disconnecting a caller.
CTI
Computer Telephony Integration
D DBMS
Database Management System
deactivated script
A script that does not process any new calls. If a script is in use when it is
deactivated, calls continue to be processed by the script until they are completed.
default skillset
The skillset to which calls are queued if they have not been queued to a skillset
or a specific agent by the end of a script.
desktop user
A configured user who can log on to Symposium Call Center Server from a
client PC.
destination site
The site to which an outgoing network call is sent. See also source site.
DHCP
See dynamic host configuration protocol.
Dial-Up Networking
See Remote Access Services.
directory number
The number that identifies a phoneset on a switch. The directory number (DN)
can be a local extension (local DN), a public network telephone number, or an
automatic call distribution directory number (ACD-DN).
display threshold
A threshold used in real-time displays to highlight a value below or above the
normal range.
DN
See directory number.
DN call
See directory number call.
DNIS
See Dialed Number Identification Service.
E ELAN
See embedded local area network.
Emergency key
A key on an agent’s phoneset that, when pressed by an agent, automatically calls
his or her supervisor to notify the supervisor of a problem with a caller.
event
1. An occurrence or action on the server in Symposium Call Center Server, such
as the sending or receiving of a message, the opening or closing of an
application, or the reporting of an error. Some events are for information only,
while others can indicate a problem. Events are categorized by severity:
information, minor, major, and critical. 2. An action generated by a script
command, such as queuing a call to a skillset or playing music.
expression
A building block used in scripts to test for conditions, perform calculations, or
compare values within scripts. See also logical expression, mathematical
expression, relational expression.
F filter timer
The length of time after the system unsuccessfully attempts to route calls to a
destination site, before that site is filtered out of a routing table.
first-level threshold
The value that represents the lowest value of the normal range for a statistic in a
threshold class. The system tracks how often the value for the statistic falls
below this value.
G global settings
Settings that apply to all skillsets or IVR ACD-DNs that are configured on your
system.
global variable
A variable that contains values that can be used by any script on the system. You
can only change the value of a global variable in the Script Variable Properties
sheet. You cannot change it in a script. See also call variable, variable.
H HDX
See Host Data Exchange
I Incalls key
The key on an agent phoneset to which incoming ACD and Symposium Call
Center Server calls are presented.
intrinsic
A word or phrase used in a script to gain access to system information about
skillsets, agents, time, and call traffic that can then be used in formulas and
decision-making statements. See also call intrinsic, skillset intrinsic, time
intrinsic, traffic intrinsic.
IP address
See Internet Protocol address.
IVR
See Interactive voice response.
IVR ACD-DN
See Interactive voice response ACD-DN.
IVR event
See Interactive voice response event.
IVR port
See voice port.
L LAN
See Local area network.
local call
A call that originates at the local site. See also network call.
local skillset
A skillset that can be used at the local site only. See also network skillset,
skillset.
logical expression
A symbol used in scripts to test for different conditions. Logical expressions are
AND, OR, and NOT. See also expression, mathematical expression, relational
expression.
M M1
Meridian 1 switch
M1 IE
Meridian 1 Internet Enabled switch
Master script
The first script executed when a call arrives at Symposium Call Center Server. A
default Master script is provided with Symposium Call Center Server, but it can
be customized by an authorized user. It can be deactivated but not deleted. See
also network script, primary script, script, secondary script.
mathematical expression
An expression used in scripts to add, subtract, multiply, and divide values.
Mathematical expressions are addition (+), subtraction (-), division (/), and
multiplication (*). See also expression, logical expression, and relational
expression.
Meridian Mail
A Nortel Networks product that provides voice messaging and other voice and
fax services.
Meridian MAX
A Nortel Networks product that provides call processing based on ACD routing.
MIB
See Management Information Base.
MLS
See Meridian Link Services.
MM
See Meridian Mail.
music route
A resource installed on the switch that provides music to callers while they wait
for an agent.
N NACD call
A call that arrives at the server from a network ACD-DN.
NCC
See Network Control Center.
network call
A call that originates at another site in the network. See also local call.
network script
The script that is executed to handle error conditions for Symposium Call Center
Server calls forwarded from one site to another, for customers using NSBR. The
network script is a system-defined script provided with Symposium Call Center
Server, but it can be customized by an authorized user. It can be deactivated but
not deleted. See also Master script, primary script, script, secondary script.
network skillset
A skillset that is common to every site on the network. Network skillsets must be
created at the Network Control Center (NCC).
night mode
A skillset state in which the server does not queue incoming calls to the skillset,
and in which all queued calls are given night treatment. A skillset goes into night
mode automatically when the last agent logs off, or the administrator can put it
into night mode manually. See also out-of-service mode, transition mode.
NPA
See Number Plan Area.
NSBR
See Network Skill-Based Routing.
ODBC
See Open Database Connectivity.
OEM
Original equipment manufacturer
OLE
See object linking and embedding.
OTM
See Optivity Telephony Manager.
out-of-service mode
A skillset state in which the skillset does not take calls. A skillset is out of
service if there are no agents logged on or if the supervisor puts the skillset into
out-of-service mode manually. See also night mode, transition mode.
out-of-service skillset
A skillset that is not taking any new calls. While a skillset is out of service,
incoming calls cannot be queued to the skillset. See also local skillset, network
skillset, skillset.
P PBX
See private branch exchange.
pegging
The action of incrementing statistical counters to track and report on system
events.
pegging threshold
A threshold used to define a cut-off value for statistics, such as short call and
service level. Pegging thresholds are used in reports.
PEP
See Performance Enhancement Package.
phoneset
The physical device, connected to the switch, to which calls are presented. Each
agent and supervisor must have a phoneset.
phoneset display
The display area on an agent’s phoneset where information about incoming calls
can be communicated.
Position ID
A unique identifier for a phoneset, used by the switch to route calls to the
phoneset.
primary script
A script that is executed or referenced by the Master script. A primary script can
route calls to skillsets, or it can transfer routing control to a secondary script. See
also Master script, network script, script, secondary script.
R RAN
recorded announcement
RAN route
See recorded announcement route.
RAS
See Remote Access Services.
relational expression
An expression used in scripts to test for different conditions. Relational
expressions are less than (<), greater than (>), less than or equal to (< =), greater
than or equal to (> =), and not equal to (< >). See also expression, logical
expression, mathematical expression.
Replication Server
A server that backs up the active server to the standby server in real time.
reporting supervisor
The supervisor who has primary responsibility for an agent. When an agent
presses the Emergency key on the phoneset, the emergency call is presented to
the agent’s reporting supervisor. See also associated supervisor.
route
A group of trunks. Each trunk carries either incoming or outgoing calls to the
switch. See also music route, RAN route.
routing table
A table that defines how calls are routed to the sites on the network. See also
round robin routing table, sequential routing table.
RSM
See Real-time Statistics Multicast.
S sample script
A script that is installed with the Symposium Call Center Server client. Sample
scripts are stored as text files in a special folder on the client. The contents of
these scripts can be imported or copied into user scripts to create scripts for
typical call center scenarios.
SCM
See Service Control Manager.
script
A set of instructions that relates to a particular type of call, caller, or set of
conditions, such as time of day or day of week. See also Master script, network
script, primary script, secondary script.
script variable
See variable.
second-level threshold
The value used in display thresholds that represents the highest value of the
normal range for a given statistic. The system tracks how often the value for the
statistic falls outside this value.
secondary script
Any script (other than a Master, network, or primary script) that is referenced
from a primary script or any other secondary script. There is no pegging of
statistics for actions occurring during a secondary script. See also Master script,
network script, primary script, script.
SEI
See Symposium Event Interface.
server
A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. Examples
of servers include file servers, print servers, network servers, and database
servers. Symposium Call Center Server is used to configure the operations of the
call center. See also client.
service
A process that adheres to a Windows NT structure and requirements. A service
provides system functionality.
service level
The percentage of incoming calls answered within a configured number of
seconds.
! managed nodes, which are any device, such as hosts, routers, and printers,
capable of communicating status to the outside world via an SNMP
management process called an SNMP Agent
! management stations, which are computers running special network
management software that interact with the Agents for status
! management information, which is conveyed through exact specifications
and format of status specified by the MIB
! Management Protocol or SNMP, which sends messages called protocol
data units (PDUs)
site
1. A system using Symposium Call Center Server that can be accessed using
SMI. 2. A system using Symposium Call Center Server and participating in
Network Skill-Based Routing.
skillset
A group of capabilities or knowledge required to answer a specific type of call.
See also local skillset, network skillset.
skillset intrinsic
A script element that inserts information about a skillset in a script. Skillset
intrinsics return values such as skillsets, integers, and agent IDs. These values
are then used in queuing commands. See also call intrinsic, intrinsic, time
intrinsic, and traffic intrinsic.
skillset priority
An attribute of a skillset assignment that determines the order in which calls
from different skillsets are presented to an agent. When an agent becomes
available, calls might be waiting for several of the skillsets to which the agent
belongs. The server presents the call queued for the skillset for which the agent
has the highest priority.
SNMP
See Simple Network Management Protocol.
source site
The site from which an incoming network call originates. See also destination
site.
standby
In skillset assignments, a property that grants an agent membership in a skillset,
but makes the agent inactive for that skillset.
standby server
A server that contains an up-to-date version of the database, for use when the
active server becomes unavailable.
supervisor
A user who manages a group of agents. See also associated supervisor and
reporting supervisor.
SWCP
See Symposium Web Center Portal.
switch
The hardware that receives incoming calls and routes them to their destination.
switch resource
A device that is configured on the switch. For example, a CDN is configured on
the switch, and then is used as a resource with Symposium Call Center Server.
See also acquired resource.
Symposium Agent
An agent productivity tool that enables contact center agents to provide
intelligent and personalized customer care. Agents use a personal computer to
access the agent telephony functions.
system-defined scripts
The Master_Script and the Network_Script (if NSBR is enabled). These scripts
can be customized or deactivated by a user, but cannot be deleted. These scripts
are the first scripts executed for every local or network call arriving at the call
center.
T TAPI
See Telephony Application Program Interface.
target site
See destination site.
TCP/IP
See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
TDM
See Time-Division Multiplex.
telephony
The science of translating sound into electrical signals, transmitting them, and
then converting them back to sound. The term is used frequently to refer to
computer hardware and software that perform functions traditionally performed
by telephone equipment.
threshold
A value for a statistic at which system handling of the statistic changes.
threshold class
A set of options that specifies how statistics are treated in reports and real-time
displays. See also display threshold, pegging threshold.
Time-Division Multiplex
A method of transmission in which a signal is separated into multiple segments
at the transmission source, and then reassembled at the receiving end.
time intrinsic
A script element that stores information about system time, including time of
day, day of week, and week of year. See also call intrinsic, intrinsic, skillset
intrinsic, traffic intrinsic.
Token Ring
A PC network protocol developed by IBM. A Token Ring network is a type of
computer network in which all the computers are arranged schematically in a
circle.
traffic intrinsic
An intrinsic that inserts information about system-level traffic in a script. See
also call intrinsic, intrinsic, skillset intrinsic, time intrinsic.
transition mode
A skillset state in which the server presents already queued calls to a skillset.
New calls queued to the skillset are given out-of-service treatment. See also
night mode, out-of-service mode.
treatment
See call treatment.
trunk
A communications link between a PBX and the public central office, or between
PBXs. Various trunk types provide services such as Direct Inward Dialing (DID
trunks), ISDN, and Central Office connectivity.
U user-created script
A script that is created by an authorized user on the Symposium Call Center
Server system. Primary and secondary scripts are user-created scripts.
user-defined script
A script that is modified by an authorized user on the Symposium Call Center
Server system.
utility
A program that performs a specific task, usually related to managing system
resources. Operating systems contain a number of utilities for managing disk
drives, printers, and other devices.
V validation
The process of checking a script to ensure that all the syntax and semantics are
correct. A script must be validated before it can be activated.
variable
A placeholder for values calculated within a script, such as CLID. Variables are
defined in the Script Variable Properties sheet and can be used in multiple scripts
to determine treatment and routing of calls entering Symposium Call Center
Server. See also call variable, global variable.
voice port
A connection from a telephony port on the switch to a port on the IVR system.
VPN
See Virtual Private Network.
W WAN
See also Wide area network.
workload scenarios
Sets of configuration values defined for typical patterns of system operations.
Five typical workload scenarios (entry, small, medium, large, and upper end) are
used in the Capacity Assessment Tool for capacity analysis for Symposium Call
Center Server.
E G
ELAN 15, 18 GMT, time zone relative to, in network call-by-
Embedded LAN. See ELAN call reports 57
example
average speed of answer routing 25
first back routing 22 H
longest idle agent routing 24
longest idle agent routing with different agent historical statistics collection. See network
priorities 27 historical statistics collection
longest idle agent routing with no available HLOC 34
agents 28 Home Location Code 34
manually stopping filtering for remote sites
and network skillsets 115
I manually
stopping filtering for network skillsets 115
idle time 131 stopping filtering for remote sites 115
preference, configuring 109 Max Wait Time field 133
In Srv field 123 maximum
Include Local Node box 109 number of destination sites 12
incoming network calls number of sites in routing table 12
number answered 131 queue size 30
number offered 131 Meridian 1 Internet Enabled switch 15
wait time 131 Meridian 1 switch 15
installing See also switch
NCC 34, 37, 38, 40 migrating filter sets 39, 48
NSBR 38 mixed-node networks 39
Symposium Call Center Server 34 propagation of network skillsets in 68
interaction between NCC and sites 52 monitoring network performance 117
IP addresses, CLAN 41 moving sites in routing tables 79, 89
K N
Keep Network Call-by-Call data for box 97 NACD 18, 34
keycode 11 NACD-DN Call field 124
NCC 40 Name box 103
nbconfig utility 38, 45, 59
adding sites to the communications database
L with 43
starting 41
limitations NCC 15
for importing filter sets 49 adding network skillsets at 74
for mixed-node networks 39 adding sites at 59
local skillsets administering 51
converting network skillsets to 69 and communication between sites 16
converting to network skillsets 19, 68 deleting network skillsets at 76
Long Wait Last Call field 131 fails to receive network call-by-call statistics,
longest idle agent routing 13, 20, 72 troubleshooting 141
and agent order preference 108 impact of changes on sites 52
and agent reserve timer 107 installing 34, 37, 38, 40
example 24 keycode 40
example with different agent priorities 27 managing sites at 53
example with no available agents 28 upgrading 39
verifying the connection to 136
network
M commands, adding to scripts 35
deleting sites from 64
managing network skillsets 67 using multiple CDNs 101
Network ACD. See NACD
R
real-time displays, network consolidated 117 S
relative time, changing 63 scheduling routing table assignments 85, 90
Relative to GMT box 61, 62 scripts
remote sites adding network commands to 35
filter status 113 using network skillsets in 73
stopping filtering for 115 Selected Sites box 89
reports selecting
NCC 17 agents, methods 72
providing site information to client PCs for destination sites 20
generation of 54 sequential routing table 71
troubleshooting incorrect times on 142 servers 15
See also network call-by-call reports, network adding to the communications database with
consolidated reports nbconfig 43
Required box 97 administering 99
reserving agents, methods 72 communication between 16
reset assignments 83 configuring network CDNs on 35, 100, 101
resetting all site and address settings 137 configuring network skillsets on 35, 100, 108
resynchronizing network skillsets 69 impact of NCC changes on 52
retries 29
U
upgrading
W
NCC 39 Wait field 126, 130
network skillsets 39, 46 wait time for incoming network calls 131
NSBR 39 waiting agents 123
servers 39 waiting calls 126, 130
outbound network 127
WAN 18
V Wide Area Network 18
Windows Date and Time settings 56
validating servers 17, 54
verifying
communications database at each
server 38, 45
the connection to the NCC 136
Occupation: Phone:
Information is subject to change without notice. Nortel Networks reserves the right to make changes
in design or components as progress in engineering and manufacturing may warrant.
The process of transmitting data and call messaging between the Meridian 1 and Symposium Call
Center Server is proprietary to Nortel Networks. Any other use of the data and the transmission
process is a violation of the user license unless specifically authorized in writing by Nortel Networks
prior to such use. Violations of the license by alternative usage of any portion of this process or the
related hardware constitutes grounds for an immediate termination of the license and Nortel
Networks reserves the right to seek all allowable remedies for such breach.