INDeX Technical Update

Transcription

1 INDeX Technical Update Bulletin number: 198 Date: 11-Jul-2003

2 INDeX Technical Bulletin Bulletin no: 198 Date: 11 th July 2003 General Availability (GA) of INDeX Level 10.1 Software, IPNC 3.3, INDeX IP Softphone, and the 4602 IP Phone. INDeX 10.1 Software Avaya are pleased to announce the General Availability of INDeX 10.1 software, which will provide support for the range of new features detailed below. Dial-In Conferencing In an enhancement to the on-switch conferencing introduced in INDeX 10.0 software, the feature has been expanded to allow off switch users to dial into a conference directly, without having to be introduced by an existing member of the conference. Using the E-PRI-MF cassette and programming a DDI to the required Conference Group will allow the caller direct access to the conference. The caller will be required to enter a pre-programmed PIN code to enter the conference. Centralised Personal Numbering The feature of Personal Numbering supported by IVM 1.5 with INDeX 10.0 has been enhanced in INDeX 10.1 software. Previously in a multi-site networked INDeX environment, only the users local to the IVM system were able to use Personal Numbering. With INDeX 10.1, sites connected using INDeX-Net are now able to use the Personal Numbering facilities of the centralised IVM. Please refer to Technical Bulletin 185 for more information on Personal Numbering. Page 2 of 8

3 IPNC S/T Switching INDeX 10.0 required the interface type on the IPNC channels to be set to either S or T depending on the functionality required. INDeX level 10.1 will now support autonegotiation on the channels when installed. All channels are set to T on installation. For this function to operate correctly, the IPNC must be allocated as new on 10.1, therefore, when upgrading INDeX from 10.0 to 10.1, the IPNC should be de-allocated and the IPNC installed once the software has been upgraded to IPNC 3.3 Software To support the 4602 IP phone, IPNC 3.3 software is now available. This provides the same levels of functionality as IPNC 3.2 software, but with support for the 4602 IP phone. This version of software is backwards-compatible with existing INDeX software supporting IPNC. If upgrading IPNC to 3.3 from 3.2, the normal IPNC upgraded procedure may be followed. If upgrading from 2.2 (1072) to 3.3, then the full upgrade procedure should be carried out ensuring the IPNC Loader software is upgraded to1.7. (See the IPNC 3.3 Installation Manual in the manuals directory of the IPNC 3.3 CD). Page 3 of 8

4 INDeX IP Softphone The INDeX IP Softphone provides a high level of the functionality of a 20xx series handset on a user s PC desktop. The Softphone connects to the INDeX using IPNC with Voice Compression Modules. Currently each IP Softphone will require a VCM channel whilst in operation. IPNC software version 3.2 or 3.3 may be used with Softphone. The maximum number of Softphones that can be supported by one system is 120 (20 per IPNC, 6 IPNC s per INDeX system). Softphone - normal profile. Softphone with Dial Pad and DSS/BLF panels extended. Most of the usual features associated with the 20xx series handsets are supported (e.g. Park, dial ahead, DSS/BLF, Callback etc) and some additional features: 8 different CLI s can be indicated by different WAV files * Screen popping of Microsoft Outlook Contacts Built in contacts and address list (with import from Microsoft Outlook ) User programmable Hot Keys (enabling a more efficient call handling) DHCP and Static IP Addressing compatible * Dependant on CLI being sent by the network provider. A licence is required on the INDeX to support the Softphone. The first Softphone can connect without a licence, additional Softphones are licensed on the INDeX up to the maximum of 120 Softphones as indicated in the following table: Softphones No. of Licences 1 None 2 to 10 2 to to to " " 116 to (thereafter an additional licence for every 5 phones) Page 4 of 8

5 Minimum PC Requirements PIII 400 MHz, 128Mb RAM, 1Gb Hard Disk (IP Softphone requires less then 25 Mb space when installed). Standard 10/100BaseT network card, headset and microphone connection capability (i.e. soundcard or USB). This specification is a recommended minimum, performance of the application can depend on a number of factors, such as operating system, number of simultaneous applications, etc. Note: Windows 95 and NT4.0 are not supported with USB. Audio Hardware Compatibility Most PCs now have some form of built in audio hardware. During the trial period of the IP Softphone it became evident that similar hardware reacted differently under different circumstances, such as operating system version, drivers, or hardware acceleration. It is recommended that confirmation of correct operation of any audio hardware is conducted prior to the installation of the IP Softphone. This can be achieved by connecting the headset and microphone to be used and playing back a standard WAV file through the headset, adjusting the volume to suit. Then using an application similar to Windows Sound Recorder, confirm the operation of the microphone, adjusting the sensitivity to suit. The Softphone can then be installed with a high degree of confidence that the audio quality will be acceptable. In some machines where the built in soundcard is incapable of supporting the Softphone, USB headsets have proved to be a good alternative. USB headsets from Labtec (AXIS-711 and 712) and Plantronics (DSP 100) have proved effective. If using a USB headset, the Windows settings should be confirmed on the USB root hub. For example, in Windows XP under Device Manager, USB Controllers, USB Root Hub Properties, Power Management, uncheck the ability for windows to turn off the USB to save power. It should be noted that on networks without QOS implementations, the quality of speech cannot be guaranteed. Also speech quality cannot be guaranteed if the PC is under specification or is used for large file access while the Softphone is in use. It is recommended that the Softphone is not included in the PC s start up group, as this will always reserve a channel from the IPNC regardless of whether the Softphone is being used, thus reducing the number of VCM s available for other users. Page 5 of 8

6 Troubleshooting Softphone The following were noted during the field trials of Softphone and may be useful when installing: Install wizard failures This occurred on some Windows 2000 machines, and installing the latest service pack (SP3) cleared the problem. Other install problems were mainly associated with insufficient permission on the NT login session, so always try to install with Administrator permissions. Login Details box keeps appearing The PC running Softphone cannot maintain a data path to the IPNC. Check connectivity with a ping. On Windows XP confirm the QoS RSVP service is enabled. One way transmission or no speech path If audio hardware is not configured correctly, or if different default gateways exist, it can disrupt the UDP stream. This only really occurs if using static IP addresses, across different subnets and either the PC or the IPNC s default gateways are unaware of the IP route to each other. Two way speech, poor sound quality Audio hardware set up, or low system resources (memory, CPU specification, etc ) can contribute to low speech quality. Codec 8k can provide very good results depending on network connection. If the audio hardware appears to be working satisfactorily, try using different codecs. On faster network links the G711 64K offers enhanced call quality, but raises the network traffic accordingly. Microsoft s QoS Packet Scheduler Network Service, which installs in default on Windows XP, can cause distortion on the IP Softphone. This may need to be disabled if call quality is being affected. In some instances, with Microsoft Windows XP, Outlook has reported an emsmdb.dll error. This is resolved by removing the outex.dll from the winnt\system32 subdirectory. Page 6 of 8

7 4602 IP Phone Support The Avaya 4602 IP phone offers the traditional desk presence of a TDM telephone, but using VoIP technology. This enables the implementation of extensions into remote offices, allowing administration from a central point, without the additional cost of remote PBX s. The 4602 IP phone has the following function keys: A and B Speaker Message Hold Mute Transfer Conference Drop Redial Not used Switch to speaker (Not Handsfree) Used to leave or return messages Used to hold calls Used to mute outgoing speech path (toggle action) Used to transfer a call to another terminal Used to set up a conference call Used to clear a call Used to redial the last dialled external number The 4602 IP phone has a very low Idle IP Signature with minimal network traffic whilst the phone is not in use, only using a VCM channel when the phone is either called to or dialled from and for the duration of the call. The 4602 IP phone requires a power supply module, which connects in-line with the network connection. This can be ordered as a separate item (PSU Model 1151). The 4602 IP phone will provide basic telephony functionality similar to a standard POT telephone. The same function and programming codes as used for a POT telephone are used for the 4602 IP phone. The call control and call routing functions associated with a POT terminal are also supported by the 4602 IP phone. Simple Call Call Offer / Call Waiting Call Divert Call Back When Free Call Hold Call Back When Next Used Intrude Conference Call Park/unpark Name Identification Call Transfers CLI display Call Pickup Hot Desking (local and networked) from a 4602 IP phone is not supported, as the current INDeX architecture does not allow such functionality. Note. The 4602 IP phone requires one network connection. Page 7 of 8

8 Technical Notes If it is required to run versions of IVM less than 1.5a04 using VoIP links, then patch P1-101.X needs to be applied to the INDeX. This changes the IPNC device type, which is not recognised by the IVM, to a DPNSS device type, which is recognised by the IVM. Manuals & CD s INDeX 10.1 software will be available from the Technical Zone of the INDeX website. The IPNC CD can be ordered from sales order processing, and the Softphone software will be available from the Technical Zone of the INDeX website. The manuals for Softphone and the 4602 are available on the IPNC 3.3 CD, and can be downloaded from the Technical Zone of the INDeX web site. A new Engineer s Toolkit will be available from your dealer. Technical Training For details of all the latest INDeX training courses please go to the Avaya Learning Centre web site: Issued by Avaya New Product Introduction Tel: Fax: gssfsg@avaya.com Internet: Page 8 of 8