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WO2001020859A1 - Systeme de gestion de serveurs et services de routage - Google Patents

Systeme de gestion de serveurs et services de routage Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001020859A1
WO2001020859A1 PCT/US2000/000009 US0000009W WO0120859A1 WO 2001020859 A1 WO2001020859 A1 WO 2001020859A1 US 0000009 W US0000009 W US 0000009W WO 0120859 A1 WO0120859 A1 WO 0120859A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
server
routing
gateway
routes
ofthe
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2000/000009
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Mark Scott
Anita Cheng
Simon Ho
George Irimescu
Dorel Voineag
William Wong
Min Yao
Row J. Zadeh
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Array Telecom Corp
Original Assignee
Array Telecom Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US09/393,658 external-priority patent/US6760324B1/en
Application filed by Array Telecom Corp filed Critical Array Telecom Corp
Priority to AU27179/00A priority Critical patent/AU2717900A/en
Publication of WO2001020859A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001020859A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
    • H04M7/12—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
    • H04M7/1205—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
    • H04M7/1245—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L45/00—Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks
    • H04L45/02—Topology update or discovery
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L45/00—Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks
    • H04L45/42—Centralised routing

Definitions

  • the present invention pertains to voice over the Internet technology.
  • Voice over the Internet technology is now available which integrates a public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet.
  • PSTN public switched telephone network
  • VoIP Voice over Internet Protocol
  • VoIPON Voice over Network
  • Telephony Internet Telephony
  • Telephony Telephony over the Internet. See, e.g., G. Held, Voice over Data Networks, Mc-Graw-Hill Series on Computer Communications
  • a PSTN is also referred to as a plain old telephone system (POTS).
  • POTS plain old telephone system
  • a PSTN can include transmission components (links), switching components (nodes), and billing facilities. See, e.g., Held, chapter 4, "Understanding Voice” and chapter 5, "Telephone Operations," and Sheldon at pp. 959-968.
  • the Internet can be any network or combination of networks that support packet-switching.
  • Such a network can include, but is not limited to, a network supporting the Internet Protocol (IP) and related protocols. See, e.g., Held, chapter 2, “IP and Related Protocols," and Sheldon, pp.503-543. VoIP systems allow a call originating from a PSTN to be carried over the IP protocol (IP) and related protocols.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • VoIP systems allow a call originating from a PSTN to be carried over the
  • Vendors provide a product or family of products to support VoIP.
  • Array Telecom Corp. of Herndon, VA a wholly-owned subsidiary of Comdial Company, has provided an early generation of products that provide a multi-location, turn-key solution to VoIP (Array Tel Series 1000 and 2000, also called versions 1 and 2). See also B. McConnell, How to Build an Internet PBX, http://www.hellodirect.net/tutorial/ip-phone.htm. downloaded August 16, 1999.
  • FIGs. 1 A and IB illustrate how a call is placed over the Internet.
  • a user calls picks up a telephone 100 and dials aphone number of a phone 140. The called party at phone 140 answers.
  • a connection is then established through gateways 110 and 130 over IP network 120. Voice, fax, and data transmission is then carried out between phones 110 and 140 through this connection. In this way, an expensive long-distance carrier on a PSTN can be bypassed.
  • FIG. IB shows the operation of a conventional VoIP system in greater detail.
  • a local PBX (private branch exchange) system 105 places a call originating from phone 100 over a PSTN to a local originating gateway 110.
  • gateways 110 and 130 are referred to herein as originating and destination gateways for convenience only. In practice, full-duplex communication is carried out and either phone can originate or receive a call. Also, PBX system 105 is programmed to automatically (and selectively) route certain calls from phone 100 to gateway 110. In this way, a user can dial the destination phone number directly in one step.
  • gateway 110 contacts destination gateway 130 over IP network 120.
  • LEC local exchange carrier
  • Destination gateway 130 dials the destination phone number over a PSTN line to the destination phone 140.
  • Gateway 110 then packetizes the voice stream from the PSTN and routes it over IP network 120 to gateway 130.
  • Destination gateway 130 converts the data packets into a voice stream and sends it over a PSTN line to the called party at phone 140.
  • the present invention is a VoIP system that includes a gateway server, a routing server, and a database server.
  • the gateway server handles calls received from a public switched telephone network and a packet-switched network. Messages can be sent between the gateway server, routing server, and database server over the packet-switched network.
  • the present invention is a VoIP system that includes a gateway server, a routing server, and a database server.
  • VoIP system that includes an originating gateway server, a terminating gateway server, and a routing server. Both gateway servers handle calls received from a public switched telephone network and a packet-switched network. Messages can be sent between the gateway servers, and the routing server over the packet- switched network.
  • a provisioning system is coupled to the database server.
  • a management system is also coupled to the gateway server, routing server, and database server, over the packet-switched network.
  • a network manager automatically queries a client database to determine an update, and sends a message representative ofthe update to at least one ofthe gateway server, routing server, database server, and management system over the packet-switched network.
  • a licensing server is used to support licensing ofthe VoIP system.
  • a routing manager component is coupled to each gateway server, and a parser subsystem is coupled to each routing manager.
  • the gateway server and routing server exchange routes using routing models over a packet-switched network.
  • the present invention includes a gateway server with a routing manager for connecting bridging calls on a packet-switched network.
  • the present invention further includes methods for enabling the exchange of route information between gateway server and routing server.
  • routes can be exported from gateway server and routing server to other gateway server and routing server. Additionally, routes can be transformed by routing servers for use on other gateway servers.
  • the present invention includes a route model for local routing and uses local routing to connect gateway servers.
  • the present invention further includes route models for static global routing, disseminated routing, and/or dynamic routing.
  • the present invention can use any number of route models, alone or in combination.
  • the routes can be either network or telephony based.
  • the present invention provides for grouping network and telephony routes.
  • a routing server is connected over a packet-switched network to a number of gateway servers, and a parser subsystem is included in each routing server.
  • the routing server ofthe present invention further translates routes based on their origin, use, and/or type.
  • the present invention includes routines for determining and prioritizing a call address.
  • Call addresses of the present invention can be stored in routes along with other values (such as access based on the time of day, user account or location) which the gateway servers, routing servers and other systems ofthe present invention can use.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface that enables a user to configure all the components of the present invention.
  • the present invention further includes a graphical user interface (such as in a screen and panel) for configuring the identification, access, line groups, routing, security, database, management, services, licensing, and hardware setup properties ofthe components ofthe system.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for controlling the execution of processes on the gateway servers, routing servers and database servers.
  • a feature of the present invention is the logging of events on each ofthe gateway servers, routing servers, and database servers for administrative purposes.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for configuring the call service properties of a gateway server.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for listing the country code of a call address maintained by the translation system.
  • the present invention further includes panels for controlling the export of these call addresses as routes.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for assigning specific line groups to call address, as well as, controls over the export, timing and access provided to that route.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for adding, modifying and deleting routes from gateway servers and routing servers.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for configuring the features ofthe gateway server.
  • the present invention further includes panels for assigning the identity and route import/export features ofthe gateway server.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for listing and/or controlling the handling of local routes.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for listing and/or controlling the handling of exported local (or dynamic) routes. In an embodiment, the present invention includes a graphical user interface for listing and/or controlling the handling of static routes.
  • the present invention includes a graphical user interface for listing and/or controlling the handling of disseminated routes.
  • FIGs 1A and IB illustrate how a call is generally placed over a VoIP system.
  • FIG.2 is a diagram of a VoIP system according to one embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • FIGs. 3 A, 3B, and 3C are diagrams illustrating a gateway server used in the VoIP system of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 3D is a diagram illustrating the Routing Server used in the VoIP system of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.
  • FIG.4 is a diagram illustrating a database server used in the VoIP system of FIG. 2 according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is an example computer system in one example implementation of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a routine for a Gateway Server
  • FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a routine for a Routing Server.
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a routine for exporting local routes.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates a routine for transforming exported local routes.
  • FIG. 9 illustrates a routine for providing disseminated routes.
  • FIG. 10 illustrates a routine for storing routes.
  • FIG. 11 illustrates a routine for a Routing Manager.
  • FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the pre-call processing steps ofthe present invention.
  • FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the call processing steps ofthe present invention.
  • FIG. 14 illustrates a routine for local routing.
  • FIG. 15 illustrates a routine for static global routing.
  • FIG. 16 illustrates a routine for disseminated routing.
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a routine for dynamic routing.
  • FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the E.164 parsing routines ofthe present invention.
  • FIG. 19 illustrates a routine for local parsing.
  • FIG. 20 illustrates a routine for determining a call address.
  • FIG. 21 A illustrates a routine for prioritizing routes.
  • FIG. 21 B is a diagram illustrating the routine of route ordering.
  • FIG. 22A illustrates the use of multiple gateway servers.
  • FIG. 22B ill ⁇ strates the use of a routing server with gateway servers.
  • FIG. 22C illustrates the use of a database server with gateway servers.
  • FIG. 23 shows a welcome screen for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 24 shows a user information screen for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG.25 shows a setup options screen for installation for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 26 shows an ISDN Protocol Selection screen for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 27 shows a destination selection screen for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 28 shows a setup options summary screen for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 29 illustrates the Dialogic Configuration Manager for Dialogic
  • FIG. 30 shows the Protocol Configuration screen for the Dialogic Configuration Manager for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG.31 shows a welcome screen for the driver setup program for Dialogic System Software.
  • FIG. 32 shows a TAP-H.EXE umcompression screen.
  • FIG. 33 shows a welcome screen.
  • FIG. 34 shows an installation destination selection screen.
  • FIG. 35 shows a welcome screen.
  • FIG. 36 shows a license agreement confirmation screen.
  • FIG. 37 shows a welcome screen.
  • FIG. 38 shows an information screen.
  • FIG. 39 shows an installation option screen.
  • FIG. 40 shows a selection screen.
  • FIG. 41 shows an installation screen.
  • FIG. 42 shows the express configuration welcome screen.
  • FIG. 43 shows the gateway server configuration screen.
  • FIG. 44 shows an identification screen
  • FIG. 45 shows a management access screen.
  • FIG. 46 shows a license information screen.
  • FIG. 47 shows a hardware setup screen.
  • FIG. 48 shows a call routing screen.
  • FIG. 49A shows a database access screen.
  • FIG.49B shows a client setup screen for configuration of a routing server.
  • FIG. 50 shows a server login setup screen for a database server.
  • FIG. 51 shows a screenshot of a start menu/programs menu.
  • FIG. 52 shows a screenshot ofthe service menu popup menu.
  • FIG. 53 shows a control panel screen in one embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • FIG. 54 shows a security domain configuration screen.
  • FIG. 55 shows a dialog screen.
  • FIG. 56 shows a remote system list screen.
  • FIG. 57 shows the service manager screen.
  • FIG. 58 shows the event logging configuration dialog.
  • FIG. 59 shows a security and identification screen.
  • FIG. 60 shows a properties screen with identification panel shown.
  • FIG. 61 shows a properties screen with addresses panel shown.
  • FIG. 62 shows management access screen.
  • FIG. 63 shows a client configuration screen.
  • FIG. 64 shows a security identification screen
  • FIG. 65 shows a license manager screen.
  • FIG. 66 shows an address book panel.
  • FIG. 67 shows a hardware device configuration screen.
  • FIG. 68 shows a general panel for D/41 ESC.
  • FIG. 69 shows a call analysis panel.
  • FIG. 70 shows a D/41 ESC Ring/Dialtone settings panel.
  • FIG. 71 shows a tone definition panel.
  • FIG. 72 shows a cadence dialog.
  • FIG. 73 shows a D/l 60SC-LS panel.
  • FIG. 74 shows a general configuration panel.
  • FIG. 75 shows a general properties panel for D/240SC-T1.
  • FIG. 76 shows a channel configuration panel.
  • FIG. 77 shows the call setup parameters panel.
  • FIG. 78 displays a MSI/SC board configuration panel.
  • FIG. 79 shows a voice configuration panel.
  • FIG. 80 shows a line group window
  • FIG. 81 displays a general line group configuration dialog.
  • FIG. 82 shows a hangup settings panel.
  • FIG. 83 shows a telephone line resources panel.
  • FIG. 84 shows a general parameters panel.
  • FIG. 85 displays a connection detection panel.
  • FIG. 86 shows an access service window for a management system.
  • FIG. 87 shows rule panels with settings.
  • FIG. 88 displays a line group service panel.
  • FIG. 89 shows an autoforward configuration dialog.
  • FIG. 90 shows a call rating configuration dialog.
  • FIG. 91 shows a panel for standard call ratings.
  • FIG. 92 shows a media manager window.
  • FIG. 93 shows a new media entry dialog.
  • FIG. 94 shows a gateway application window.
  • FIG. 95 shows a country /area code settings panel.
  • FIG. 96 shows an advanced settings panel for a gateway application.
  • FIG. 97 shows a user identification window.
  • FIG. 98 shows configuration screen for user authentication.
  • FIG. 99 displays a country/area code panel for route translation.
  • FIG. 100 shows a general panel for country settings configuration.
  • FIG. 101 shows an address list panel.
  • FIG. 102 displays a table entry for an address panel.
  • FIG. 103 shows an addressing information screen.
  • FIG. 104 shows a new route address entry dialog.
  • FIG. 105 shows an ordering information panel.
  • FIG. 106 shows a timing information panel.
  • FIG. 107 shows an access control panel.
  • FIG. 108 displays a route access entry screen.
  • FIG. 109 shows an export configuration panel.
  • FIG. 110 shows a configuration screen for a routing manager.
  • FIG. 111 displays a local route list screen.
  • FIG. 112 shows a routing server settings screen.
  • FIG. 113 shows an exported routes usage panel.
  • FIG. 114 shows an exported routes access panel.
  • FIG. 115 shows an exported routes ordering panel.
  • FIG. 116 shows an imported routes usage panel.
  • FIG. 117 shows an imported routes access panel.
  • FIG. 118 shows an imported routes ordering panel.
  • FIG. 119 shows a routing server configuration window.
  • FIG. 120 shows a general panel for a routing server.
  • FIG. 121 shows a routing access panel for a routing server.
  • FIG. 122 shows an exported routes window.
  • FIG. 123 shows a static route configuration window.
  • FIG. 124 shows a disseminated route configuration window.
  • FIG. 125 shows a disseminated routes properties panel.
  • FIG. 126 shows a database manager configuration screen.
  • FIG. 127 displays a database server list dialog.
  • FIG. 128 shows a database server window.
  • FIG. 129 shows a client configuration dialog.
  • FIG. 130 shows a server settings window.
  • FIG. 131 shows a user query screen for a provisioning system.
  • FIG. 132 shows a user identification panel.
  • FIG. 133 shows a user permissions panel.
  • FIG. 134 shows a caller ID identification panel.
  • FIG. 135 shows a caller ID authentication panel.
  • FIG. 136 shows an account record status panel.
  • FIG. 137 shows a parent group panel.
  • FIG. 138 shows a group record query screen.
  • FIG. 139 displays a general panel for group records.
  • FIG. 140 shows an account record query screen.
  • FIG. 141 displays a general panel for account records.
  • FIG. 142 shows a profiles and restrictions panel.
  • FIG. 143 shows a call detail record query screen.
  • FIG. 144 shows a call detail record service window.
  • the present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for providing management of routing servers and services in a voice communication over the Internet system.
  • this method, system, and/or computer program product according to the present invention is also referred to herein as simply a "product” or "family of products.”
  • the present invention overcomes the above problems in conventional VoIP systems.
  • VoIP system which has a modular architecture and a scalable configuration.
  • This modular design creates an efficient environment for fast and effective evolution. New capabilities can be added to the system in a fraction ofthe normal time.
  • This scalable, platform accommodates future growth in the number of users and other system demands.
  • the present invention provides all ofthe necessary tools to build and operate a large distributed carrier network.
  • the gateway and database servers (Ledger and Register) coordinate to perform calling operations.
  • the routing server facilitates/coordinates interaction between the gateway servers.
  • the management system is used to manage and configure the other components. Smaller networks can operate with a minimum configuration of only the management and gateway servers - the remaining components are not required to run such a gateway alone.
  • All five servers can run on the same personal computer (PC) or on physically separate machines.
  • a network could typically include a central management server running on the administrator's PC, a number of gateway servers running in various locations and a centralized database server shared between them.
  • the servers/PCs running the various components do not have to be on the same local area network (LAN) as long as they are connected via an IP network.
  • LAN local area network
  • the present invention is compatible in an open architecture.
  • industrial grade IBM-compatible workstations and servers can be used as a hardware platform.
  • Microsoft Windows can be the operating software.
  • Dialogic voice boards that are globally recognized as the leading products can be used.
  • Lucent SX-7300P can be used as a CODEC (voice coders and decoders). Its acceptability industry-wide combined with high-quality and low- bandwidth usage makes it a superior choice.
  • Current interoperability voice communication standards: H.323 v2.0 and the voice coders (G.723.1) associated with the standard are also used.
  • the present invention further has a scalable architecture. This allows the system to grow with no limitations to thousands of ports regardless of a monolithic or distributed implementation. Growth is modular.
  • each gateway server module provides up to 4 or more digital boards of Tl, Tl PRI, or El PRI for easy expansion. This advanced design offers 100% availability as modules are enabled to share the traffic in an unlikely event of a failure of a component. Redundancy of services and back up facilities can be built into the design to provide a high level of reliance for mission critical applications.
  • DJB dynamic jitter buffering
  • the VoIP system is mostly implemented in a distributed fashion to enable low cost long distance calling.
  • the organizations using the present invention can form business structures and organizations that are just as innovative and distributed as the VoIP system.
  • the architecture ofthe system allows for the services such as routing, database, and management servers to reside on one system location or be distributed to several locations.
  • the present invention can support all ofthe above prepaid functions in a gateway architecture and offer them to users (such as customers) at no additional charge.
  • the present invention When the present invention is deployed as a network of gateways around the globe, some ofthe applications (and servers) can be centralized in one location for ease of operation and savings. Alternatively, the applications (and servers) may be distributes throughout a network. Either way this allocation of servers is effected by end users which come from many different backgrounds and nationalities.
  • one embodiment ofthe present invention uses a full Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system in gateways with multi-language prompts. This enables the VoIP system ofthe present invention to speak the language of its users and therefore generate more business or traffic.
  • IVR Interactive Voice Response
  • the VoIP system ofthe present invention provides VoIP technology even to users (such as businesses) who do not have cost effective and reliable Internet connections available to them at this time but wish to start a prepaid application and move to IP transport later.
  • users such as businesses
  • operators of a start-up VoIP business e.g., a prepaid service provider
  • the present invention provides PSTN trunk to PSTN trunk connection (no Internet connections) in the same manner as a PSTN switch and offers prepaid services at a fraction of cost. This provides an opportunity for prepaid service providers to establish their business with 80% cost savings.
  • the present invention provides a variety of PSTN and Packet Network connections including, but not limited to, internet, analog PSTN lines, frame relay, PBX extension lines, ATM, digital Tl and Tl PRI, private leased lines, and digital El PRI.
  • packet-switched network and “Internet” are used interchangeably to refer to any network that performs packet switching including, but not limited to, a network that supports a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and/or an Internet Protocol (IP).
  • TCP Transmission Control Protocol
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • packet-switched network and Internet are not intended to limit the size of a network, and can include, but are not limited, to a wide area network (WAN), middle-area or campus wide network, or local area network (LAN), or combinations of networks.
  • WAN wide area network
  • LAN local area network
  • traffic refers to voice, facsimile, video, multimedia, digital information, or other data that can be sent between telephony terminal equipment and/or network terminal equipment.
  • routes refers to any listing of address information, either network or telephony or both, which can be used to direct traffic.
  • window and “screen” are used interchangeably and refer to a graphical user interface for expressing, confirming, and/or altering the configuration and/or operation ofthe present invention.
  • panel refers to any graphical user interface component displayed within a window or screen.
  • Dialog refers to a window or screen which is displayed while interacting with a window or screen in any graphical user interface such that configuration can occur. Dialogs are usually displayed with Ok and Cancel buttons. Dialogs usually return a user to the original window or screen after confirmation or negation.
  • Fig. 2 is a diagram of a VoIP system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • VoIP system 200 allows traffic (e.g., voice or fax data) originating on a circuit-switched network to be carried over a packet-switched network.
  • traffic e.g., voice or fax data
  • VoIP system 200 acts as a bridge between a public switch telephone network 205 and an IP network 215.
  • Such voice and data traffic can originate at any type of terminal equipment at PSTN 205.
  • a call can be placed on an ordinary telephone 201 or
  • a call can be placed from an ordinary telephone 203 using a prepaid service and autodialer 204. Calls can also originate from a speaker or conference-type phone 206 through a private branch exchange (PBX) 207. Such calls can terminate at an IP phone 293 or an ordinary telephone 291 , 292. These examples are not intended to limit the present invention. As will be apparent to a person skilled in the art given this description, any type of computer or telephone equipment can be used to originate and terminate voice calls over the VoIP system 200.
  • PBX private branch exchange
  • VoIP system 200 includes gateway servers 210, 220, database server(s) 240, routing server(s) 230, management system 250, provisional system 260, network manager 270, and license server 280. Each of these components can be interconnected over the IP network 215, as shown in FIG.2.
  • provisional system 260 is coupled to database server 240.
  • Provisional system 260 is controlled by graphical user interface (GUI) tools 265.
  • management system 250 is controlled by graphical user interface tools 255.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • a relational database such as a SQL database 245 is further coupled to database server 240.
  • Another embodiment employs only one gateway server 210 with the above components in the same configurations.
  • the lack of second gateway 220 would restrict the economy ofthe two or more gateway server embodiment, since long distance charges are more likely to occur when the same gateway handle incoming and outgoing telephone calls.
  • Call center applications which entail the use and tracking of internal telephone networks are one possible implementation of this embodiment. Others are possible and this implementation is merely an example.
  • VoIP system 200 is designed to allow voice and fax traffic to be carried over IP network 215.
  • Voice and fax traffic received from PSTN 205 is coupled through gateway servers 210 and 220 over IP network 215.
  • VoIP system 200 provides a host of enhanced features that enable IP telephony capabilities to be used in a number of different applications. For example, since IP telephony typically results in much lower telecommunications costs, and can be used between two branch offices to reduce costs. This reduced cost can instead be used to resell long-distance service to end- users.
  • Another application is to enable IP telephony terminals, such as multimedia PCs running Microsoft NetMeeting software, to access traditional services, such as a call center.
  • IP network 215 By combining IP telephony with other technologies, such as the World Wide Web (WWW), integrated WWW- VoIP system 200 makes these applications possible by acting as a "gateway" between traditional telecommunication networks (PSTN 205) and systems, and a packet switch network (IP network 215) and systems.
  • PSTN 205) traditional telecommunication networks
  • IP network 215 packet switch network
  • VoIP system 200 there are two main parts to VoIP system 200: a software part and a hardware platform.
  • Gateway server 210 (and gateway server 220) are coupled between PSTN 205 and IP network 215. Gateway server 210 can be coupled to any number of telephone lines 362 and network lines 364.
  • Gateway server 210 includes, in one embodiment, both software and hardware components.
  • gateway server 210 includes a gateway server application layer 302, gateway server platform 304 (software), and gateway server hardware 306.
  • Gateway application layer 302 includes higher level application services 310.
  • these application layer services can include gateway service 311, common services 312, auto- forward services 313, other services 314, higher level services 315, and abstract services 316.
  • each ofthe higher application layer services 310 accesses lower-level modules (also called obj ects) through a session manager application programming interface (API) 320.
  • API application programming interface
  • Gateway server platform 304 includes session manager 330.
  • Session manager 330 includes rule engine 332.
  • Session manager 330 creates and manages sessions 340, 341, 342. In general, any number of sessions can be managed, depending on the resources ofthe gateway server 210. Each session corresponds to a voice call carried over gateway server 210.
  • Information in a session 340, 341 or 342 can be further handled by lower level line group manager 350, routing manager 352, database access manager 354, media manager 356, and call rating manager 358.
  • Routing manager 352 is further coupled to a subsystem 351.
  • Subsystem 351 can contain various components dealing with the implementation and execution of routes. For instance, local parsing 1170 (Fig. 19) and wildcarding 2002 (Fig. 20) can be included in subsystem 351.
  • Database access manager 354 is alsocoupledtoasubsystem353.
  • subsystem 351 canbeanycache memory or other storage device for storing routing information.
  • Subsystem 353 can be a relational or nonrelational database.
  • Line group manager 350 coordinates communication between the telephone line side and network line side of gateway server 210 for a particular session or call.
  • the higher application layer services 310 and session manager API 320 can be transparent to any particular protocols required by a telephone line or a network line.
  • Conversion module 367 then converts a telephone line group to a line group.
  • Conversion module 368 converts a network line group to a line group.
  • line group manager 350 manages line groups without regard to whether a line group is a particular telephone line or network line. That is, the type of line is transparent to the line group manager 350 and any other higher-level application services.
  • Hardware device manager 360 is the module or object responsible for managing the connectivity of gateway server 210 to traditional telecommunication devices and to conventional internet-related networking components. Thus, hardware device manager 360 coordinates with different respective modules or drivers to control telephony and network components.
  • gateway server hardware 306 can include a NIC card 381 as part of a Windows compatible platform. NIC card 381 is further supported by gateway server software 304 components to coordinate information sent to hardware device manager 360.
  • a TCP/IP stack 376, net support module 377, H.323 stack 374, and H.323 support module 375 are used to couple NIC card 381 and hardware device manager 360.
  • gateway server 210 includes a Dialogic telephony board(s) 382 that can be coupled to phone lines over PSTN 205.
  • Gateway server hardware 306 can further include an analogic Brooktrout digital signal processor (DSP) 383.
  • Dialogic telephony board(s) 382 are supported by respective Dialogic drivers 370 and Dialogic middleware 371.
  • Analogic Brooktrout DSP(s) 383 are supported by a DSP driver 372 and a respective DSP middleware support module 373.
  • DSP digital signal processor
  • gateway server 210 The operation of gateway server 210 is described further below with respect to an example implementation.
  • Routing Server Hardware 394 can be the same hardware as Gateway Server Hardware 306, however computer system 500 is sufficient.
  • Routing Server Platform 392 comprises program interfaces and modules for the storage of routing information.
  • Routing Server Application Layer 390 This routing information is used by Routing Server Application Layer 390 for storing, serving, transforming and parsing both network and telephony routes.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example database server 240 according to the present invention.
  • Database server 240 includes database access manager 410.
  • Database access manager 410 further coordinates and operates higher-level services including: a call detail reporting service 422, event service 424, and user service 426. Each of these services further coordinate with a multi-database client manager 430. Multi-database client manager 430 is coupled to three database clients 442, 444, and 446. Each of these database clients 442, 444, 446 is further coupled to communicate with respective database servers 452, 454, 456. Database server 452, for example, can access a relational database (SQL) 462. Database servers 454 and 456 likewise can access respective relational or nonrelational databases (not shown).
  • SQL relational database
  • Gateway server 210 manages the specialized telephony hardware that is used for interconnection to telecommunications equipment, and performs bridging of calls between the traditional telecommunications network and an IP network to which gateway server 210 is connected.
  • the key responsibilities of gateway server 210 are: handling calls received on either IP network 215 or PSTN 205, bridging calls between the two different kinds of networks (circuit switched and packet switched).
  • Such bridging can include, but is not limited to, voice compression, echo cancellation, control protocol transformation, and numerous other complex operations, interacting with telephone users using DTMF digits (and other methods of telephony signaling) in order to collect information such as a target destination number, user identification, password and more.
  • Gateway server 210 is also responsible for interfacing with a routing system (described below) in order to translate numbers and routing those numbers to the correct destination gateway, IP address, or telephone number, depending on the number dialed. Gateway server 210 interfaces with database server 240 in order to validate user accounts, apply charges, and keep records of all calls.
  • a routing system described below
  • Routing server 230 is used to route calls across IP network 215, and possibly to a final destination on the telephone network. Routing server 230 is optional in that gateway server 210 can route a call based on local information maintained on gateway server 210 only. However, routing server 230, according to a further feature of the invention, can facilitate the automatic exchange of routes between different gateway servers 210, 220. This in general can make the administration configuration of call routing much easier.
  • routing server(s) 230 have the following functions. They can look up routes to a particular number. They can allow gateway server 210, 220 to export local routes for the use of other gateways in the system. Routing serv'er 230 can further provide gateway servers 210, 220 with routes that are specifically intended for that respective gateway server. This allows all routes to be configured on the routing server 230 only, but automatically distributed to the appropriate gateways. Routing server 230 can also distribute E.164 translation data. This facilitates the exchange of such data, eliminating the need to configure it on each gateway server 210, 220 individually.
  • routing server 230 is responsible managing routing clients.
  • Gateway server(s) 210 are routing clients.
  • Routing server 230 provides new and updated routes to the routing clients to which it is assigned.
  • Routing server 230 also has the ability to perform searches for a matching routes within its own stored directory of routes. Routing clients can request such searches.
  • Database server 240 manages the users of VoIP system 200.
  • Database server 240 supports the restriction of calling privileges to users with valid user accounts.
  • database server 240 allows billing for VoIP services to be done in either a postpaid or in a real-time manner.
  • gateway servers 210,220 can be connected directly to a database such as database 245.
  • database server 240 is provided so that VoIP system 200 can be scalable. As described with respect to FIG. 4, database server 240 can scale to accommodate any number of databases depending on the number of users and/or services provided by VoIP system 200.
  • database server 240 provides middleware that interfaces with numerous gateway servers 210, 220 but uses only a small number of available connections to the underlying database. This allows even very large numbers of gateway servers 210, 220 to have access to data contained in a shared database or databases. Multiple database servers 240 can be used as shown to provide redundancy and protection against failure.
  • Management system 250 is a GUI tool that is used to perform configuration administration of software components for the VoIP system 200. Management system 250 can connect to gateway servers 210, 220, routing server 230, and database server(s) 240 remotely over IP network 215. In this way, management system 250 can monitor the current state of these servers and make changes to the configuration of these components. This architecture allows all of the gateway, routing and database servers 210-240 in the network to be configured from a single point.
  • Provisioning system 260 is a tool that allows access to the data managed by database server 240.
  • Management system 250 provides access to the database server 240, and allows database server 240 to be configured, but it is the role of provisioning system 260 to actually allow interaction with data contained in databases 245.
  • provisioning system 260 performs the following tasks using GUI tools 265.
  • provisioning system 260 allows accounts of system users to be added, removed or modified.
  • provisioning system 260 enables a user to configure and maintain group records of users, and account records of users.
  • Provisioning system 260 also enables call detail records stored by the gateway servers 210,220 to be reviewed.
  • provisioning system 260 operates remotely over IP network 215, and can be used to administer multiple database servers 240.
  • Network manager 270 is a separate application that allows VoIP system 200 to be configured or modified in response to specific client requests. For example, a client request made in the form of a change at a client database 275 is automatically recognized by network manager 270. Network manager 270 then formulates and propagates appropriate control signals to configure VoIP system
  • VoIP system 200 accordingly. In this way, specific client requests and needs are automatically made to VoIP system 200.
  • Licensing server 280 allows licensing of VoIP system technology according to license keys.
  • a license key is an encoded string that contains information regarding a particular license.
  • License server 280 is an essentialized license server that manages licensing for all components in VoIP system 200. When a component first starts up, it will contact license server 280 to receive necessary license. With this configuration, all license keys are configured on a single machine, and only one hardware key is required.
  • Lines and Line Groups a. Lines b. Line Groups c. Telephony Lines and Line Groups
  • Gateway Application Configuration a. General Settings Panel b. Country/ Area Code Settings Panel c. Advanced Panel
  • Routing Models a. Locally Defined Routes b. Static Global Routes c. Disseminated Routes d. Dynamic Routes e. Dynamic Caching f. Summary
  • Routing Manager a. Local Route Configuration b. Dynamic Cached Routes c. Routing Server Settings (1) General Panel (2) Exported Routes Usage
  • Routing Servers a. Routing Clients
  • Routing Usage Panel (2) Routing Usage Panel (3) Routing Access Panel
  • Database Server General Setup 3. Database Server Access Control
  • Network Design Information 1. Network Requirements a. Gateway Server b. Routing Server c. Database Server d. Management System e. Provisioning System Traffic Prioritization
  • Part 1 - Basics ofthe present invention provides basic information that applies to all ofthe components ofthe present invention. This part contains three sections:
  • System Overview Provides an overview of the present invention, describing the key components of the present invention, and how these components interact to provide flexible IP Telephony services. This section also discusses common concepts that are helpful in order to understand the interaction between present invention components. These concepts include identification, security, configuration management, services, and management.
  • Part 2 - Operation discusses how to use the functionality provided by the present invention in detail. There are four sections in this section, each discussing a specific aspect of functionality provided by the system. The sections are as follows:
  • Gateway Server Capabilities Provides a detailed description of the Gateway Server capabilities. This section discusses how to control the interaction ofthe end users with the system, and how to configure items like voice prompts, services, and numerous others.
  • CDR Collection In order to bill for, and have a record of calls, the present invention is capable of collecting a Call Detail Record (CDR) for each call. This section explains the CDR collection process, and how it can be customized for a particular environment.
  • License Server In some environments, a license server can facilitate the network-wide licensing of present invention software. This section provides details on how to set up a license server for the purpose of simplifying license administration.
  • Part 3 - Technical Information provides detailed technical information about the present invention . This information is useful for optimizing the performance or quality of an present invention installation, or for integrating external applications with the present invention. There are two appendices in this section:
  • Database Table Descriptions The structure of database tables used by the Database Server is described in Appendix A. This information is useful in developing customized applications that interface directly with the data stored in the database.
  • This section provides an overview of an example implementation ofthe present invention. It describes the components that make up the present invention, and how these components co-operate in order to deliver IP Telephony services. It describes the basic concepts that are common to all components ofthe present invention.
  • the Present Invention is designed to allow voice and fax traffic to be carried over an IP network. This is more commonly referred to as "IP Telephony".
  • IP Telephony In addition to providing simple call termination, the present invention provides a host of enhanced features that enable IP Telephony capabilities to be used in a number of different applications. Since IP Telephony typically results in much lower telecommunications costs, it can be used to reduce telecommunications costs between two branch offices. The reduced communication costs could instead be used to resell long distance calling to end users.
  • a further application is enabling IP Telephony equipped terminals, such as multimedia PCs running Microsoft NetMeeting software, to access traditional services, such as a call center. By combining IP Telephony with other technologies, such as the World Wide Web, integrated WWW call centers are possible.
  • the present invention makes these applications possible by acting as a "Gateway" between traditional telecommunications networks and systems, and IP systems.
  • PBXs legacy phone systems
  • PSTN public switched telephone network
  • a specialized hardware platform is necessary.
  • This hardware platform is used to run the present invention software components ofthe present invention that handle connectivity to traditional telecommunications devices, and consists of a PC running Microsoft Windows, containing one or more specialized telephony hardware devices.
  • Windows can be used to run other software components ofthe present invention that do not require a direct connection to the traditional telecommunications equipment.
  • Each member ofthe present invention consists of a hardware platform with specific traditional telecommunications equipment connection capabilities, as well as software configured for that connection.
  • the present invention supports, but is not limited to, the following kinds of connections:
  • different members ofthe present invention provide different connection sizes, ranging from two line systems up to multiple T-1 /E-l systems. It is also possible to license the present invention's software independently ofthe hardware platform, as well as to customize hardware platforms to achieve specific capabilities.
  • the main focus of this section is to explain the present invention in an example software implementation, and how it is used to deliver the desired IP Telephony services to the end user.
  • the present invention software is comprised of a number of independent software components, each of which provides some part of the overall functionality provided by the present invention. These components communicate with each other over the IP network that connects them.
  • the different types of components are each discussed below. It is important to note that numerous instances of each type of component may be running simultaneously in different locations.
  • Each component of the present invention software is an independent Microsoft Windows application. Once installed, these applications can be executed in the same manner as any other Microsoft Windows application. Directions on interacting with the individual components are provided in the sections later in this document, with an overview ofthe interaction. Each ofthe components that comprise the present invention software is described in the subsections below.
  • the present invention Gateway Server 210, 220 is the core ofthe present invention software.
  • the Gateway Server manages the specialized telephony hardware that is used for interconnection to the telecommunications equipment, and performs all bridging of calls between the traditional telecommunications network and the IP network to which the Gateway is connected.
  • the key responsibilities ofthe Gateway Server are shown in Fig. 6 A and discussed below:
  • step 620 Interacting with telephone users (step 620) using DTMF digits (and other methods of telephony signaling) in order to collect information such as the target number, user identification, password, and more;
  • step 625 Interfacing with the routing system(step 625)(described below) in order to translate numbers and routing those numbers to the correct destination Gateway, IP address, or telephone number (depending on the number dialed);
  • step 630 Interfacing with the database system (step 630) in order to validate user accounts, apply charges, and keep records of all calls.
  • Gateway Server A 2220 is connected to the Internet
  • Gateway Server B 2240 is also connected to the Internet 2230.
  • Gateway B 2240 is also connected to the Internet 2230.
  • Server B 2240 is coupled to terminating PSTN zone 2250. Calls are denoted by the dotted-lines which partially represent the flow of data through the system.
  • Gateway servers i.e., gateway servers
  • IP network could be connected via the IP network, resulting in a wider range of calling areas.
  • the Routing Server 230 is an optional component in the system that is used to route calls across the IP network, and possibly to a final destination on the telephone network. It is not a required component in order to be able to route calls; a Gateway Server can route a call based on local information maintained on the Gateway Server only. However, the use of a Routing Server can facilitate the automatic exchange of routes between different Gateway Servers, and can in general make the administration and configuration of call routing much easier.
  • Routing Server The following are the key roles ofthe Routing Server, as shown in routine form in Fig. 6B:
  • step 660 Also storing disseminated routes and static global routes (step 660);
  • Gateway Servers with routes that are specifically intended for that Gateway Server (step 665). This allows all routes to be configured on the server only, but automatically distributed to the appropriate Gateways;
  • a Gateway Server could ask a Routing Server forroutes to anumber such as +l(703)555-1234.
  • the Routing Server if it has a route, would return it to the Gateway, which would then use the route to complete the call (steps 680, 685, and 690). For example, the Routing
  • Gateway Server might indicate that there is a Gateway Server located at IP address 1.2.3.4 that can complete the call to +1(703)555-1234; - Distribute E.164 translation data (as shown in Fig. 18 and discussed in detail below).
  • An important process is how a string of digits entered by the user is translated into a standard, E.164-style address (e.g. 00117035551234
  • the Routing Server facilitates the exchange of this data, eliminating the need to configure it on each Gateway Server.
  • Fig. 22B shows how a Routing Server is present in a network of Gateways, and how it responds to a query from one of those Gateways.
  • a call originates from Telephone 2253 which is coupled to the originating PSTN zone 2255, which is shown to be in the 212 area code.
  • Originating PSTN zone 2255 is coupled to originating Gateway Server A 2260 at internet protocol address 192.168.1.2.
  • Gateway Server A 2260 is connected to the Internet 2230. Once a call is connected from the originating PSTN zone 2255 to the Gateway Server A 2260, a request can be made to Routing Server 2265 over the Internet 2230. The request is for routes to a terminating Gateway which is configured to handle telephone address + 1 (703)555-1234.
  • the Routing Server 2265 looks for matching routes according to its own features, described in detail below, and provides a route to the originating Gateway Server A 2260 that +1(703)555-1234 can be handled by a Gateway Server at 192.168.1.3. In this example, terminating Gateway Server B 2275 is at that address. Terminating
  • Gateway Server B 2275 is connected to the Internet 2230 and receives the routed call. Terminating Gateway Server B 2275 is coupled to terminating PSTN zone 2280. Terminating Gateway Server B 2275 accessed the terminating PSTN zone 2280 and places a telephony connection (i.e., a telephone call) to the requested telephone address. Terminating telephone 2283 is connected to the terminating
  • PSTN zone 2280 has been configured to answer calls at the address in question.
  • Routing Severs In a large deployment, and for reliability, it is possible to configure multiple Routing Severs in the same network.
  • the use of multiple Routing Servers can provide both load balancing across multiple machines, and redundancy to protect against the failure of any particular Routing Server.
  • the present invention software may, in many applications, need to manage the users of the system.
  • Gateway Servers When Gateway Servers are connected to the PSTN, and accessible by the general public, it is generally necessary to restrict calling privileges to those users with valid user accounts. In addition, it is often desirable to bill for services, either post-paid or in real-time.
  • ODBC Open Database Connectivity
  • the Gateway Servers could connect directly to a centralized database using Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) this approach would not be scalable as conventional database packages support only a relatively small number of concurrent connections to the actual database.
  • ODBC Open Database Connectivity
  • Database Server 240 component ofthe present invention in software addresses these problems by providing middleware that interfaces with numerous Gateways, but uses only the small number of available connections to the underlying database. This allows even very large numbers of Gateway Servers to have access to the data contained in the shared database.
  • Database Server 240 supports underlying databases in Microsoft Access format, as well as Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 or 7.0.
  • Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 or 7.0 supports underlying databases in Microsoft Access format, as well as Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 or 7.0.
  • the use of a standard underlying database package facilitates integration of external applications with the data that drives the present invention.
  • the present invention is not so limited. Other types of databases and database formats may be used.
  • Fig.22C shows one implementation of Database Server 240 in a network of Gateway Servers.
  • a call originates through telephone 2284.
  • Telephone 2284 is connected to originating PSTN zone 2285.
  • Originating PSTN zone 2285 is coupled to Gateway Server A 2287.
  • Gateway Server A 2287 received the call and communicates a login sequence with the user calling from telephone 2284.
  • a user is prompted to enter an ID.
  • the user's ID is passed on to Database Server 2289.
  • Database Server 2289 looks up the user ID and determines if that user ID should be allowed access to the system, and if so, how much access. The present example simply shows that the user has some money in his account.
  • Database Server 2289 sends an access message to Gateway Server A 2287.
  • Gateway Server A 2287 either allows the call or provides a service notice and terminates the call.
  • a routed call would proceed like in Figs. 22A and 22B.
  • a terminating Gateway Server B 2297 is connected to the Internet 2230. This Gateway Server routes the call to a telephone 2299 connected to terminating PSTN zone 2297. Even though only a small number of connections exist between the
  • a License Agreement may require a separate license for each Gateway Server that either directly or indirectly uses the services ofthe database package.
  • Routing Server it is possible to use multiple Database Servers in a particular network. This is usually done to provide redundancy and protection against the failure ofthe main Database Server.
  • the Management System 250 is a GUI tool that is used to perform configuration and administration of the above present invention software components. It connects to the Gateway, Routing, and Database Servers remotely via the IP network, and can be used to monitor the current state of those components, as well as to make changes to the configuration of those components.
  • This architecture allows all ofthe Gateway, Routing, and Database Servers in the network to be configured from a single point. This is critical in environments where the actual servers may not be directly accessible. Furthermore, multiple instances of the Management System can be run on different machines, allowing several administrators to jointly manage the network.
  • the Provisioning System 260 is a tool that allows access to the data managed by the Database Server component of the present invention.
  • Management System provides access to the Database Server, and allows the Database Server to be configured, but it is the role ofthe Provisioning System to actually allow interaction with the data contained in the databases.
  • the following are the main tasks that the Provisioning System is used for: - Adding, removing, or modifying the accounts of system users;
  • the Provisioning System operates remotely, and can be used to administer multiple Database Servers. In some applications, the Provisioning System may not be required, since external applications can directly modify the data contained in the underlying database.
  • the Provisioning System is provided as a tool for those users who don't require the flexibility of a custom external application.
  • the present invention includes a number of utility components that are useful for the initial configuration as well as diagnosis of present invention software components. These components do not necessarily play a large role in the day to day operation ofthe system. These components are as follows:
  • This program will install the present invention software components that one can choose on to a particular machine. One normally need only run this once, and only if one purchased the software independently ofthe hardware platform.
  • Express Configuration The Express Configuration (or ExpressConfig) program is designed to allow one to set up a basic configuration for present invention software components in a short period of time.
  • the most common values for advanced features are automatically configured; other features are automatically configured based on a simplified set of information that one provide during Express Configuration. After the process is complete, the configuration ofthe system can be fine tuned using the Management System.
  • control Panel is a simple Windows application that allows one to monitor, start, and stop the Gateway, Routing, and/or Database
  • Gateway Server there might be one Gateway Server in New York, and another Gateway Server in Loss
  • node will often be used to describe an instance of a particular type of component.
  • both of the Gateway Servers in the previous example are distinct nodes, even though they are both components ofthe same type. It is also possible to run instances of different components on the same machine. In this case, each different component is in effect a different node. There is actually no difference in operation regardless of whether components run on the same machine, or on different machines, except for the utility components which only operate on the local machine. Therefore, when nodes are discussed in this document, it will be assumed that they could always be running on the same machine. However, it is not possible in some cases to run two or more instances ofthe same component on the same machine. As an example, a Gateway Server and a Database Server could run on the same machine. However, in some cases two Routing Servers could not run on the same machine.
  • the present invention software consists of three types of components:
  • Windows services they are Windows applications that run in the background. Operational components can be administered at any time, even while stopped, as long as they are running.
  • Administrative Components This refers to the Management System, and Provisioning System. These components are GUI-based Windows applications that can be used to interact with the operational components.
  • the Management System interacts with all three operational components in order to perform configuration changes; the Provisioning System interacts only with the Database Server in order to manipulate data in the database.
  • Utility Components This category of components was defined previously, and provides programs that operate directly on the local machine.
  • All present invention software components manage configuration in the same way.
  • the configuration is stored in the Microsoft Windows registry, under a key.
  • Each individual product component will store configuration in subkeys of this key.
  • the main purpose for providing this information is to allow one to locate the configuration data so that one can ensure that it is backed up with the rest of an installation.
  • the security model employed in the present invention employs two main ideas. The first is the idea of identification and authentication, and the second is that of access control. Identification and authentication, described in this section, describes how one component ofthe present invention , usually a server of some sort, determines the identity of another component that is requesting some service or data. Once the requesting component has been identified and authenticated, access control is then used to determine if the component with that identity should indeed be granted access to the requested data or service.
  • a securitv domain is just a collection of members that are part of that domain. Each member has a unique name within that domain, and has some authenticating information that can be used by other members in the domain to verify that it is indeed a valid and legitimate member of the domain. The domain will also have a unique name.
  • the DOMAIN:MEMBER syntax will be used, where DOMAIN is the name ofthe security domain, and MEMBER is the name ofthe member within that domain.
  • An present invention security domain should not be confused with a Microsoft Windows domain.
  • the two types of domains are not related in any way. Making two present invention components part ofthe same security domain does not make them part ofthe same Microsoft Windows domain.
  • Each instance of an present invention software component previously defined as a "node" must be a member of at least one security domain. This is always required, since all components ofthe present invention either connect to some node to administer and manage them (which must of course pass identification and security checks), or else they are connected to by administration/management components (in which case the connecting component must be identified).
  • two distinct nodes can be given the same identification. Typically, this is used to simplify administration by assigning all components running on a given machine a common identity. However, it is generally recommended that different components of the present invention be given identities even if they run on the same machine.
  • the security model in the present invention is comprised both of identification and security, and access control.
  • Identification and authentication are a prerequisite to access control.
  • the role of access control is to determine what level of access should be provided to a remote node. For example, just because a Gateway Server can determine the identity of a Management System, it does not imply that the Gateway Server should automatically allow that Management System to administer it.
  • Access control is required in numerous places in the system. The main places where access controls is required are as follows:
  • the Gateway, Routing, and Database Servers need to determine whether a particular Management System should be allowed to perform administrative operations.
  • the Database Server needs to determine whether a particular Provisioning System should be allowed to modify the data in the database.
  • the Routing Server needs to determine whether a Gateway Server should be allowed to retrieve call routing data.
  • the Database Server needs to determine whether a Gateway Server should be able to query the user database, or insert CDRs.
  • Gateways Although there are access control features between Gateways, they are handled using a different mechanism to allow additional features (such as billing of the remote Gateway) which are not possible using the access control system applied in other areas ofthe present invention.
  • Access control in the system is accomplished through an access control list associated with the particular service or resource that can be accessed.
  • This access control list specifies the identifiers (such as DOMAIN 1 : MEMBERA) ofthe members that are permitted to access the service or resource with which the access control list is associated.
  • Each entry in the access control list contains not only the identities ofthe members that should be associated with that entry, but also information concerning the level of access that the identified members should have. For example, the Routing Server allows control over whether or not a
  • Gateway Server can export routes for the use of other Gateways.
  • the Management System component is used to perform the management and administration ofthe Gateway, Routing, and Database Servers, as described previously. This administration and management is fully remote, and can be performed from anywhere in the network providing that there is an IP network connection to the node being administered.
  • the client in this case is the present invention Management System.
  • the Management System In order to manage a remote system, the Management System first establishes a connection to the operational component. After this connection is established, the Management System provides identification and authentication information. The operational component checks the information provided by the Management System, and uses this information to determine whether or not the connecting Management System should be granted to access to administer it. If the connecting Management System cannot be identified and authenticated, or it does not have a matching entry in the Management access control list on the target operational component, the connection will be terminated.
  • the Management System can be used to administer the operational component. How to use the Management System to perform this administration is described in detail below.
  • a software license for the component being used must be available. This license can be provided upon the purchase ofthe software.
  • license key is an encoded string that contains information regarding a particular license.
  • Each license key provides a fixed number of licenses to a particular component ofthe present invention software. License keys are only valid for use by the customer to which they were issued. Furthermore, license keys are dependent on a hardware key, also supplied at the time of purchase. This prevents one's license key from being illegally used by others that may somehow obtain access to this license key.
  • the hardware key attaches to the parallel port of one's computer, and allows the license key to be interpreted correctly.
  • license keys are required only for the Gateway Server component of the software. One Gateway Server license must be acquired for each line in the system.
  • each Gateway Server In standalone mode, each Gateway Server is required to have its own hardware dongle. A license key is required for each Gateway Server, and must contain sufficient licenses for the use of that Gateway Server.
  • server mode a centralized license server manages licensing for all components in the network. When a component first starts up, it will contact the license server to receive the necessary licenses. With this configuration, all license keys are configured on a single machine, and only one hardware key is required.
  • This section describes an example installation and setup of the present invention . This section is divided into three main sections:
  • Hardware Installation and Setup This section details how to install the hardware used by the Gateway Server to interface with the telephone network, and how to configure the drivers for that hardware.
  • Express Configuration This section describes the Express Configuration program, and how it can be used to configure a default, initial configuration for the present invention .
  • the present invention is a turnkey systems.
  • the hardware, driver software, and software ofthe present invention installed and pre-configured for a particular environment.
  • software can be sold separately.
  • the information in this section pertains only if the present invention software was acquired separately, or if the software needs to be re-installed.
  • Hardware Installation and Setup discusses the installation and setup of hardware devices used by the Gateway Server to interface with the telephone network. Telephony hardware devices are not required in order to operate the Routing Server, Database Server, or any of the other components of the present invention software. There are two main types of hardware devices that are used by the Gateway Server to interface with the telephone network. Telephony hardware devices are not required in order to operate the Routing Server, Database Server, or any of the other components of the present invention software. There are two main types of hardware devices that are used by the
  • Gateway Server These hardware devices are:
  • Telephony interface hardware devices These hardware devices are used to connect the PC on which a Gateway Server operates to a telephone network. A wide variety of such boards are supported, in order to enable connectivity to a variety of hardware devices. Dialogic Corporation manufactures the telephony boards used by the Gateway Server. The following models of Dialogic hardware are supported:
  • D/240SC-T1 (24 channel T-1 robbed bit, 23 channel ISDN PRI)
  • D/300SC-E1 (30 channel ISDN PRI)
  • MSI/SC-R (8, 16, 24 channel analog station interface) It is possible to use multiple boards to achieve higher numbers of supported lines within a single chassis. It is also possible, in some cases, to mix boards of different types.
  • DSP devices These devices perform digital signal processing (DSP) on telephone signals using high performance, embedded DSP chips. These devices are required in configurations where a large number of lines need to be handled by the system. Boards from two hardware vendors are supported: Analogic Corporation, and Brooktrout Technology. The following boards are supported: • Analogic TAP-801 (for backwards compatibility only)
  • Analogic TAP-802 (22/33-port DSP board)
  • Analogic TAP-804 (24/36-port DSP board) Brooktrout TR-2001 (24-60 port DSP board)
  • Dialogic telephony boards that are to be installed in the system should be inserted into the machine as per the Quick Install Guide shipped with the boards. The boards must be firmly placed in to the slot. Because the Dialogic boards (with the exception ofthe D/21H) are full length boards, it is important to ensure that there are no obstructions when inserting the board, or else the board might become loose at a later time.
  • each Dialogic board has a unique ID.
  • the ID for each board is set by way of a rotary switch located on the top ofthe board, near the front ofthe machine into which the board is inserted.
  • DSP boards If one has DSP boards, they should be installed into the PC in the same manner as the Dialogic Telephony boards, and following the directions in the users guide supplied with the DSP board. One will also need to following certain board-specific directions when installing DSP boards:
  • SCbus cables If one is installing DSP boards, he or she will also need to install an SCbus cable in order for the system to operate correctly. If one is not using SCbus (i.e. using Gatenet 3), then the SCbus cable is not required. One will need an SCbus cable that has at least one drop for each board that is installed in the system. There are several important notes regarding SCbus cables below:
  • Dialogic DN A3 drivers After the hardware boards have been installed and the PC has been restarted, it is necessary to install the Dialogic DN A3 drivers in order to verify that the boards are correctly installed and to enable the Gateway Server to make use ofthe boards. The following procedure is used to install the Dialogic drivers.
  • the Gateway Server operates preferably with Dialogic DNA3, but is not limited to Dialogic DNA3. Previous versions of the Dialogic drivers (DNA, DNA2, 98.02, 97.08, or others) can be used. The Streams environment is not required in order to install the DNA3 drivers. Step 1 : Obtaining the Dialogic drivers
  • a CD may be purchased provided with a purchase ofthe present invention.
  • the Dialogic driver diskette may have accompanied boards, if one purchases the hardware separately.
  • the Dialogic DNA3 drivers can be found in the directory /Version3/Drivers/DNA3, and is supplied under the filename DNA3.zip.
  • the setup program may be started automatically when the Dialogic
  • DNA3 CD is inserted into a CD-ROM drive.
  • a welcome screen 2302 appears once the setup program is executed, as shown in Fig. 23.
  • Welcome screen 2302 contains text concerning general installation parameters as well as Next button 2304 and Cancel button 2306.
  • the implementation of these button bullets is well known in the relevant art. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize these button bullets and their functionality. Button bullets appear throughout the figures which follow and have not always been labeled, however their function and implementation conform to those button bullets already labeled and described above.
  • a user information screen 2402 can appear if the Next button 2304 was pressed in the welcome screen 2302.
  • User information window 2402 contains user name field 2410 and company field 2412 as well as Next button 2404, Cancel button 2406 and Back button 2408.
  • Fig. 25 shows setup options screen 2502.
  • the setup options screen 2502 allows one to select which components should be installed. Several options 2510 can be available. Here, four are shown: typical, complete, compact, or custom. For instance, one selects "typical” unless there are special requirements, or unless one wishes to select ISDN, in which case custom can be selected. If one selected custom and selected ISDN, one will be prompted to see if
  • ISDN should be installed. If one selected custom, one will also need to indicate whether the ISDN Package should be installed. One should answer yes to this question if using the Dialogic D/240SC-T1 or Dialogic D/300SC-E1 in ISDN mode to connect to telephony equipment, or intends to make use of ISDN in the near future, and does not wish to reinstall the drivers later. (Installing ISDN drivers if ISDN is not in use will not cause problems).
  • Fig.26 shows the protocol selection screen 2602. If one chooses to install ISDN, he or she will be prompted to specify from the list in the Components panel 2610 which ISDN protocols should be installed. One should select the protocol that corresponds to the ISDN switch to which the system will be connecting.
  • NT1 protocol emulates the network side of an ISDN connection.
  • Fig. 27 shows the location selection screen 2702. One is prompted to enter the location to which the Dialogic drivers will be installed. It is recommended that one use the default options for the installation location. A user can click on Next to install to a location other than the default.
  • Fig. 28 shows the file selection screen 2802 which displays the selected install options for final review before installation. A user will then be provided with an opportunity to confirm that the selections made match particular requirements. Once the information provided in the display is checked, click Next button to begin installing the actual files.
  • a dialogic configuration manager screen 2902 shown in Fig. 29, automatically attempts to detect which boards are installed in a PC. In general, boards will be correctly detected providing that they are installed correctly. Screen 2902 can show detected boards.
  • a user may need to make configuration changes depending on your system setup. The changes necessary for operation with the Gateway Server, based on a user's board type, are as follows. A user may also need other changes depending on the exact environment in which the software is being configured.
  • Fig. 30 shows Protocol Configuration screen 3002 For Dialogic D/240SC-T1 s and Dialogic D/300SC-E1 s operating in ISDN PRI mode, one will need to configure the ISDN protocol used on the device. Select the device, click on properties, go to the interface tab, and select the ISDN protocol from one of the protocols shown in the list. One will need to do this for each ISDN device installed in his or her system.
  • Step 4 Obtaining and Installing Dialogic Gatenet 3
  • Gatenet 3 It is only necessary to install Gatenet 3 for a low density software only configuration. For hardware DSP processing boards the Gatenet3 must be installed for the software to work correctly. Dialogic Gatenet 3 is essentially a set of firmware from Dialogic that runs onboard the D/21H and D/41 ESC boards. The purpose ofthe Gatenet 3 package is to provide hardware echo cancellation, allowing real-time, full duplex conversations to take place in an IP Telephony environment.
  • Dialogic Gatenet 3 drivers first. These drivers can be obtained from the following locations:
  • the CD A Dialogic CD containing the Gatenet 3 drivers. Array Telecom Corp's FTP site at ftp://ftp.arraytel.com.
  • the Dialogic DNA3 drivers can be found in the directory /Version3/Drivers/GN3, and is supplied under the filename GN3.zip.
  • Welcome screen 3102 contains text with general installation information and Next and Cancel buttons.
  • a user will next be requested to enter user and company information. Enter this information, and click on Next.
  • the installation options will be confirmed. Verify that the installation options are correct, and click next. One should ensure that the directory to which the Dialogic Gatenet 3 drivers are installed matches the directory to which one originally installed the Dialogic DNA 3 drivers. Select "Next" once the installation options are verified. Setup will then proceed to copy the necessary files.
  • a user After optionally reviewing the release notes following a successful installation, a user will be given the option of rebooting his or her machine. It is recommended that a machine be rebooted at this time, prior to starting the Dialogic service. After a machine has rebooted, one runs the Dialogic Configuration
  • gatenet.prm This file is found by default in C: ⁇ Program Files ⁇ Dialogic ⁇ Data. A user may use any standard text editor, such as Notepad or Write, to make these changes. However, the resulting file should be saved in a text format.
  • Step 5 Starting the Dialogic service
  • the Dialogic drivers are installed, they are not activated until a user selects to actually start the service.
  • Starting the service also involves verification by the Dialogic drivers that it is possible to start the Dialogic boards.
  • Start Menu Programs ⁇ Dialogic System Software ⁇ DCM to start the Dialogic Configuration Manager. If a red button with "STOP" written in the middle appears in the toolbar, then the Dialogic service is already running. Otherwise, a Green button should be present in the toolbar, which a user can press to start the Dialogic service. Depending on a particular board configuration, the Dialogic service can take from between 15 to 60 seconds in order to start. Once a user has confirmed that the Dialogic service starts correctly, he or she may wish to configure it to start automatically whenever the machine starts. In order to do this, open the Service menu in the DCM, and select Startup mode. One can change the Startup mode between manual and automatic in this menu.
  • the Analogic drivers should be installed if the hardware configuration includes Analogic DSP boards. Gatenet3 users can choose not to install Analogic drivers.
  • Step 1 Obtaining the Analogic drivers
  • the first step in the installation is obtaining the Analogic drivers.
  • Analogic drivers There are sources from which one can obtain the Analogic drivers: a compact disk having vl.3 drivers, or Array Telecom Corp's FTP site at ftp://ftp.arraytel.com.
  • the Analogic vl .3 drivers can be found in the directory ⁇
  • vl .3 Analogic drivers After one has successfully obtained the vl .3 Analogic drivers, they may be decompressed so that they can be installed.
  • a CD can contain uncompressed versions of TAP drivers in addition to the compressed version, so one does not have to follow these directions if installing from CD.
  • Fig. 32 shows display screen 3202 for uncompressing to a temporary directory.
  • Display screen 3202 contains a directory selection field for determining the location to which files will be uncompressed and buttons to uncompress (or unzip), run wizip, close, about and help.
  • C : ⁇ TEMP ⁇ TAP-D is recommended. As with TAP-H, this is a temporary directory that can be removed after the installation is complete.
  • Step 3 Installing the TAP-H driver
  • TAP-H drivers After the drivers have been uncompressed, one can install the TAP-H drivers by running SETUP.EXE from the directory into which he or she uncompressed the TAP-H driver.
  • the TAP-H driver installs the host libraries necessary for an application (such as an example ofthe present invention software) to interact with the DSP board. One should install this driver first, before TAP-D.
  • welcome screen 3302 contains general installation instructions and next, back and cancel buttons.
  • Fig. 34 shows location selection screen 3402. One is allowed to enter the location to which the TAP-H drivers are installed by selecting the "Browse" button. One should install to the default location, since some ofthe TAP utilities are highly dependent on pathname.
  • the copying ofthe necessary files will commence. After the copying is complete, a user will be advised ofthe completion, and asked to log off and log back on in order for the changes to take effect. Preferably, one should not log off since he or she will need to reboot the machine following the installation ofthe TAP-D drivers.
  • the Analogic TAP-H drivers modify environment settings for the currently logged on user. If the Gateway Server is to be run using a different account, the settings made by the TAP-H driver will need to be moved from 'User Variables for ⁇ current user>' to 'Systems Variables' under My Computer ⁇ Properties ⁇ Environment.
  • the variables that should be manually copied between the sections are 'TAP_800' and 'TAP_DIAG_DIR'. Step 4: Installing the TAP-D driver
  • the TAP-D driver is an driver used in addition to TAP-H in order to use an Analogic TAP-801/802/804 DSP board.
  • the TAP-D driver installs the software to initialize with and communicate with the DSP board.
  • the utilities installed by TAP-H are not usually used until TAP-D has been installed.
  • the installation for TAP-D is very similar to that for TAP-H.
  • SETUP.EXE must be run from the directory to which the TAP-D driver was uncompressed. It will prompt a user with welcome screen 3502 as shown in Fig. 35.
  • Welcome screen 3502 contains general installation information and next, back and cancel buttons.
  • a user will be allowed to select the directory into which the software will be installed. A user should select the same base path as you did for TAP-H, and click Next.
  • TAP-H a user will also be allowed to select the folder into which the driver will be installed. When the installation is completed, one will be advised to run drv install and then to reboot the system. One should not follow this procedure precisely, since it does not allow one to verify that the board was in fact installed. In order to confirm correct installation of the driver, one should follow the procedure below.
  • TAP-D driver e.g. C:
  • TAP-D driver e.g. C: ⁇ opt ⁇ analogic ⁇ tap800
  • This batch file should install the driver, and configure it.
  • Brooktrout Drivers This section will describe the installation ofthe Brooktrout drivers. These drivers support the TR-2001 series of DSP boards manufactured by Brooktrout Technology. The Brooktrout drivers should be installed if the hardware configuration includes Brooktrout TR-2001 DSP Boards.
  • Step 1 Obtaining the Brooktrout drivers
  • the first step in the installation is obtaining the Brooktrout drivers.
  • FIG. 36 shows the license agreement review and acceptance screen 3602.
  • software components are all installed from the same installation program. One may select the specific components that are to be installed when the installation program is run. This section will step through the installation ofthe present invention software, and explain the decisions made in the process.
  • the user Before a user begins, the user obtains the present invention software distribution. Once a user has obtained and uncompressed installation distribution, he or she is ready to begin installation. Prior to beginning the actual installation, a user should be sure to have the following information available: the Customer ID for an organization, the Product ID, and the License Keys corresponding to the software that is licensed.
  • Information screen 3802 that requires one to enter information about him- or herself, his or her company, and information on a license sheet.
  • Information screen 3802 is shown in Fig. 38.
  • Fig. 39 displays the installation option screen 3902 where these options are displayed in a panel.
  • Custom will allow the user to select which components should be locally installed. Generally, unless one is setting up a test environment, it is best to select the components ofthe software that one will actually require or use.
  • FIG. 40 shows selection screen 4002.
  • Selection screen 4002 displays various installation options and buttons for back, next and cancel. If installing the Gateway Server, one should additionally select the type of Gateway Server configuration that should be installed. There are three choices, corresponding to the different hardware configurations of a Gateway Server. They are explained below.
  • Analogic TAP-80x Select this option if one is using Analogic DSP boards with a system.
  • Gatenet 3 Select this option if one is using only Dialogic D/21H or D/41 ESC boards, and has the Gatenet 3 package installed.
  • Brooktrout TR-2001 Select this option if one is using any ofthe family of Brooktrout TR-2001 boards.
  • a program folder to install the software to. Once the software has been installed, one will be able to access it in this folder. Normally, the default folder is acceptable.
  • Fig.41 displays the installation of a startup menu group in setup and installation screen 4102. Once the copy process is completed, a user will be given the option of viewing a readme file that accompanies the software. This file will usually contain the most up to date information about the software.
  • ExpressConfig can be used to generate an initial configuration for present invention software. It should be used when the software is first installed, or when the software needs to be completely reset, since it will replace all configuration data. Any configuration changes made prior to running ExpressConfig may be lost. ExpressConfig performs configuration of the Gateway Server, Routing
  • Database Server and Database Server components ofthe present invention. It is capable of performing any or all of these components when it is run, so it is possible to reset and configure the Database Server without affecting the configuration ofthe Gateway Server or ofthe Routing Server. Nonetheless, it is necessary to exercise care when running ExpressConfig to ensure that configuration is not unintentionally overwritten.
  • Fig. 42 shows the express configuration welcome screen 4202. Express Configuration is installed when a user installs the present invention software. Clicking Start ⁇ Programs ⁇ present invention ⁇ ExpressConfig will start the
  • ExpressConfig program Once the ExpressConfig program has been started successfully, a user will be presented with a welcome screen, shown below. One will be able to navigate backwards and forwards in the configuration process by using the tree view in the left pane ofthe window. Alternately, a user can step through each configuration step in a normal sequence by simply using the Next and Back buttons.
  • the ExpressConfig program is divided into three main sections corresponding to different components of the present invention that can be configured. There are some aspects of configuration that are common to all three components that are set up using ExpressConfig; these common aspects are discussed in the next section.
  • An inset panel 4304 displays the available installation options. Not all of the choices may be shown if one is installing for the first time. An explanation of the choices follows:
  • ExpressConfig is a local utility. One cannot use it to remotely configure components located on different machines. This can be accomplished using the Management System after the present invention has been installed and set up using ExpressConfig. b. Common Setup Information
  • This section describes the setup information that is common across the Gateway Server, Routing Server, and Database Server.
  • the setup information described in this setup pertains to common things, such as identification, security, and management.
  • ExpressConfig will step through a sequence of information screens. The following are the common information screens that a user can interact with for all three components.
  • An identification panel is used to configure identification and authentication information that will be used by a particular component to verify the entities that connect to it and use it's services. Although in principle a user could configure a complete list of all entities on each component, in practice this is not necessary. The following list shows, for each component, what kinds of entities will connect to it and use its services: - Gateway Server: Management System for access to management data.
  • Gateway Servers do not use the same identification/authentication mechanism.
  • - Routing Server Management System for access to management data.
  • - Gateway Servers for access to routing data for access to routing data.
  • - Database Server Management System for access to Management data
  • identification/authentication information for the entities that will connect to the component that you are configuring.
  • a user need only enter identification/authentication information for any Management Systems that may connect.
  • ExpressConfig it is very important that a user at a minimum provide a configuration that allows for a Management System to connect. Otherwise, one will may be able subsequently to connect using the Management System in order to modify the configuration of the system, and may be forced to re-run
  • ExpressConfig. Fig. 44 shows the identification screen 4402 in ExpressConfig.
  • the Security Domain Settings panel 4404 contains a security domain name field, a server identity field, a listing window of current security domain members, and a sub-panel for adding additional security domain members. Specifically, the first two parameters a user needs to supply are Security
  • Domain Name and Server Identity In essence, one is naming the security domain that the server will be a member of, and is providing the name/identity of the server within that domain. The name ofthe security domain will need to match the name ofthe security domain of the entities that the server being set up will interact with. For example, if one were setting up a Gateway Server that was managed by a Management System in domain TESTDOMAIN and which connected to a Routing Server in domain TESTDOMAIN, then one must use the same domain name - TESTDOMAIN. The identity that one gives the server within the domain should be unique. Any components that the server being configured connects to will need to have identification/authentication for the identity that one assigns the server.
  • Fig. 45 shows the management access settings screen 4502.
  • the Management Access settings screen contains a gateway server management access settings panel 4504.
  • Panel 4504 contains a list of clients which can access the gateway server and a sub-panel for adding additional clients.
  • Panel 4504 allows one to specify the identities of the nodes that should be granted management access to the server that is being configured. Any node listed on management access control list will be able to connect to the server being configured, and make changes to the configuration ofthe server. Therefore, it is important that the management access control list be used carefully in conjunction with the identification/authentication settings to ensure that unauthorized access is prevented.
  • the Management access control list is reasonably simple, because ability to manage is a binary ability - all nodes identified on the list are capable of managing, and any node not identified will not be allowed to perform any management functions.
  • the means of adding and removing from the management access control list is similar to the identification/authentication list. To add a new entry, enter the member name of the node that is to be added, and click on the Add button. Similarly, to remove an entry, select the entry and click on Remove. It is assumed during ExpressConfig that any member a user adds will be in the security domain configured during the identification/authentication step of the
  • components ofthe present invention require licenses in order to provide services.
  • the use of license keys allows one to ensure that he or she is always in compliance with his or her license agreement, and that use ofthe software does not exceed the licenses that have been purchased.
  • ExpressConfig a user can add license information, and an initial license key. A user may add additional license keys as he or she purchases them.
  • licensing information can be configured on all of the Gateway Server, Routing Server, and Database Server, only the Gateway Server actually makes use of licensing information. However, licensing capabilities are included on all of the servers to ensure flexibility in creating licensing arrangements that meet customer requirements.
  • Fig. 46 shows the license information screen 4602. There are two main pieces of information that are used in setting up licensing using ExpressConfig. The first is customer/product identification information, shown in panel 4604.
  • licensing information panel 4606 There are two modes in which licensing can function. The first is standalone mode, where keys are locally configured on each server. If operating in this mode, then enter the license key supplied with the system. If, on the other hand, one is operating in client/server mode, he or she provides the IP address of a primary license server (and a secondary license server, if any). More information on setting up licensing is contained in the next section. c. Gateway Server Setup
  • This section describes the setup that is specific to the Gateway Server component of the software. There are three panels used to configure Gateway Server specific configuration data.
  • the hardware setup panel provides a user with the means to quickly setup the hardware configuration ofthe system. It automatically creates configuration entries for the hardware devices were selected, and creates matching lines and line groups (explained in more detail in Section 5) based on selections.
  • Fig. 47 shows hardware setup screen 4702.
  • Hardware setup screen 4702 contains two panels: DSP configuration panel 4704 and hardware devices installed panel 4706. There are two main questions that are to be answered in order to perform the hardware configuration of a Gateway Server. Firstly, the type of DSP configuration that is present in a system is identified. Secondly, a user indicates the number of Dialogic boards installed in the system that are to be used by present invention.
  • ExpressConfig uses boards starting from 1 and progressing upwards.
  • the DSP configuration of panel 4704 is selected by picking one of the three available DSP options. One must select the DSP configuration that corresponds to the version ofthe software that is installed and to the hardware configuration of an actual system. For the installed hardware device list of panel 4706, there are a number of hardware devices listed. In front of each device, there is an editable field showing how many devices of that type are assumed to be present. One needs to fill in the numbers of each device that are present in the system. Note that one may not be able to select Gatenet 3 mode D/41ESCs and D/21Hs if it was indicated that a hardware DSP board based configuration is used. Similarly, a user can only select quantities ofthe above boards if a user selected a Gatenet 3 DSP configuration.
  • a user must indicate the type of installed MSI/SC boards, if any, as well as whether the D/240SC-T 1 boards are configured in robbed bit mode or ISDN PRI mode. A user's selection matches the actual hardware configuration of the machine, and the configuration of the Dialogic drivers performed in previous steps. If a user does not install any MSI/SC boards, or D/240SC-T1 boards, then the respective settings can be ignored.
  • a call routing panel is used to allow one to configure the list of Routing Servers that the Gateway Server being configured will access in order to obtain routes.
  • significant local routing information can be set up on the local Gateway; however, this information, if any, should be entered using the Management System.
  • a Call Routing page shows a standard list.
  • Fig. 48 shows call routing screen 4802.
  • Call Routing screen 4802 contains a Routing Server list panel 4804. In order to add a new Routing Server to the list, enter a name for the Routing Server, provide its hostname or IP address, and click on the Add button. To remove a configured Routing Server, select it in the list, and click the Remove button.
  • the database access screen 4902 is shown in Fig. 49A.
  • the database access screen 4902 contains a Database Server list panel 4904.
  • Server list panel 4904 allows one to set up the list of Database Servers to which the Gateway Server being configured will connect. This page is identical to the Call Routing page described above, except that it is Database Servers being set up. In addition, ExpressConfig will create default settings for the database services (user management, CDR collection) based on the servers that you configure.
  • Routing Server has a single unique panel in its configuration, which is the client setup panel 4950 used to configure the list of clients that will be allowed to connect to and use the services ofthe Routing Server.
  • the client setup panel 4950 is shown in Fig. 49B. As mentioned previously, these clients are gateway servers, however, other systems designed to obtain similar information can be connected through this configuration panel.
  • the setup ofthe Routing Servers client access control list is identical to setting up the management access control list.
  • Gateway Servers listed in the client access control list will be able to connect to the Routing Server, export routes, query for available routes, and receive disseminated routes.
  • the exact permissions of a particular client can be modified on a client-by-client basis using the
  • Client setup for the Database Server is identical to the setup ofthe client access list for the Routing Server, described above. Just as with the Routing Server, the Database Server client access list can be manipulated at a later time using the Management System.
  • Fig. 50 shows Server Login Setup screen 5002.
  • the Server Login Setup screen contains fields 5004 for to provide information that is used to interface with the underlying database containing user records, call records, and so forth.
  • the information provided on this screen is used by the Database Server 240 to establish and maintain the connection to the underlying SQL database 245.
  • the Database Source Name (DSN).
  • DSN Database Source Name
  • ODBC ODBC data source
  • a DSN When supplying a DSN in order to allow the Database Server to connect to the database, it may also be necessary to specify login credentials (a username and password) that are required to access the database. If a username and password are required, then a user should enter them in the supplied fields. Finally, a user should supply the name of a log file that will be used to record problems in interacting with the underlying database.
  • login credentials a username and password
  • a database can be configured for operation with the Database Server:
  • the database tables can be created and configured manually, using the schemas provided in Appendix A. This is not preferred unless a user intends to modify an existing database to fit the schema provided in Appendix A.
  • a user can use an empty database file that contains all the required tables, with no initial data in them.
  • the database file can be installed as part ofthe installation ofthe Database Server or located on a CD in uncompressed form.
  • Microsoft SQL Server he or she can use a utility installed with the Database Server. This utility will connect to the specified data source, and create the necessary tables.
  • This utility will connect to the specified data source, and create the necessary tables.
  • This utility may use this utility by running setupSQLDB.exe from the directory to which the Database Server was installed, or by running an execution program from a CD.
  • Screen Savers Microsoft Windows contains a number of screen savers that can be enabled after a certain period of inactivity. However, it should be noted that some of these screen savers can utilize 100% ofthe available CPU resources, since they perform complex graphical rendering. It is recommended that the screen saver be disabled on machines running the present invention software, or that a simple, non-3D screensaver be selected.
  • the present invention software runs at elevated priority to handle excessive CPU use by lower priority processes. However, it is still recommended that care be taken not to overload the machine running present invention software with other applications unless the performance ofthe present invention software on that machine is not critical (e.g. Management System). b. Find Fast / Virus Scanners
  • Microsoft Office by default installs a file indexer, called Find Fast. This allows you to quickly locate Office documents. However, it periodically indexes the entire hard drive, which can degrade the performance of the entire system while it is running. See the above note regarding CPU utilization under screen savers.
  • Virus Scanners which may be configured to periodically read all files on the hard disk, scanning them for viruses.
  • This section explains how to get present invention system up and running, once the basic installation and setup described in the previous section has been completed. In this section, one will learn how to start the system, and use the Management and Provisioning systems to interface with the system. One will also learn how to perform operations that are common across different components of the present invention software, such as configuring security and management access control.
  • Control Panel Shows how a Control Panel can be used to monitor and interact with the operational components.
  • Management System Explains the basic principles necessary to use the Management System to interact with a running operational component.
  • Security Domain Configuration Explains how to manipulate the security domain settings for an operational component.
  • Management Access Describes how management access to a particular operational component can be restricted, so as to prevent unauthorized access and modification.
  • Provisioning System Using the Provisioning System - Explains the use of the Provisioning System to interact with data managed by the Database Server.
  • Fig. 51 is a screenshot of screen 5102 and contains an exemplary start menu/programs menu 5104 found in
  • Start menu/programs menu 5104 contains links 5106 to the software ofthe present invention.
  • one operational component such as the Gateway Server, plus the Management System, which is used to connect to the operational component in order to monitor and administer it.
  • one operational component such as the Gateway Server
  • the Management System which is used to connect to the operational component in order to monitor and administer it.
  • the operational component will display a small icon in the system tray. Through this icon, one can perform very simple operations, such as starting and stopping the service provided by the operational component that is running.
  • the small letter in the upper left corner the icon indicates which operational component is being interacted with; G represent the Gateway Server, R the Routing Server, and D the Database Server. Right clicking on the icon will bring up a small popup menu. From this popup menu, one will be able to see the about dialog, which displays program version information.
  • One will also be presented with the ability to start or stop the service, unless the service is already starting or stopping.
  • Fig. 52 is a screenshot 5202 of the service menu popup menu 5204.
  • Control Panel screen 5302 When the Control Panel is started, a Control Panel screen 5302 is provided as shown in Fig. 53.
  • the Control Panel screen provides a means of interacting with locally running operational components, without having to go through the
  • Control Panel is started the same way as other present invention components, using Start ⁇ Programs ⁇ present invention ⁇ Control Panel.
  • Tabs 5304 along the top of the screen allow one to select which component's panel one wishes to interface with. For example, the Gateway Server tab 5306 is shown. This tab contains sub-panels for starting and stopping Gateway Servers, configuring service levels, and showing event logs.
  • Connect - This button will connect to the service, assuming that it is running. If the service is not running, then one will not be able to connect successfully. Interacting with a component requires that one first connect to that component.
  • Start Stop Once one is connected, one will have the option to start or stop the service (unless it is starting/stopping already).
  • service-specific information will be displayed.
  • the information displayed is service dependent, and is as follows: Gateway Server - A list ofthe current sessions is displayed, showing the lines that have active calls, and the services that are active on those lines.
  • Routing Server A list of the connected clients (Gateway Servers) is displayed, along with their IP addresses and connect times. This window is useful for determining whether or not a Gateway Server is actually able to connect.
  • Database Server - A list ofthe connected clients (either Gateway Servers or Provisioning Systems) is displayed. The IP address and time of connection is displayed. As with the Routing Server, this is useful for determining if Gateway Servers are actually able to connect to the Database Server.
  • This section introduces the Management System, used to perform all administrative and management aspects of running an present invention network.
  • the Management System is a Microsoft Windows GUI application used to connect to and administer operational components of the system. It can be started once the present invention software is installed using Start ⁇ Programs ⁇ present invention ⁇ Management System.
  • Security Domain Configuration Security domains are configured during ExpressConfig for each operational component that one configured. In order for a Management System to connect to an operational component, it must share a common security domain with that operational component. In addition, from a security domain standpoint, it is also necessary that the operational component be able to authenticate the Management System as a valid member of that domain.
  • Configuration screen 5402 will allow a new security domain to be added.
  • the only relevant information is the Domain Name, and the Member Name within that domain.
  • Other fields are not required, although one can provide a description for future reference.
  • each security domain must have a unique name. It is not generally necessary to do this, unless a particular Management System needs to configure operational components located in different security domains.
  • a Management System is capable of administering numerous remote systems. In order to facilitate this process without needing to enter addressing information for a system each time it is necessary to manage that system, the
  • the Management System maintains a remote system list that is permanently stored.
  • the remote system list appears (by default) on the left side of the Management System window, and shows all remote systems that have been entered. There are several ways to manipulate the remote system list. The first is through the "Remote Systems" menu. When this menu is selected, the following additional items appear:
  • Add New System Upon selecting this option, one will be provided with a dialog panel 5502 as shown in Fig. 55. This provides a Server Settings panel
  • the dialog panel 5504 for creating a new system in the remote system list.
  • the dialog panel 5504 needs to be used to add each operational component that will be managed from the Management System.
  • System Name An identifying name for the system that is being added.
  • This name is for local identification purposes only, and does not have any impact on connecting to and/or managing the remote system being configured. It does
  • System Type Indicates the type of node; Gateway Server, Routing Server, or Database Server.
  • IP Address IP address ofthe node that you wish to connect to.
  • Port Number UDP/IP port number that the server is running on. You should normally accept the default setting, which is filled in automatically when you select the correct system type.
  • This command will establish or terminate a connection to an operational component.
  • This option allows one to configure the settings for an existing remote system, and requires that the remote system is selected in the remote system list.
  • the second way of performing these commands is by using the mouse, by right clicking in the remote systems list. If one right clicks on a remote system, one will be able to connect/disconnect from it, view its properties, or remove it. If one right clicks an empty area in the remote systems list, one will be given the option to add a new remote system.
  • an additional tree of options will appear beneath the remote system that a user connected to, in the remote system list.
  • This tree will allow a user to navigate between the options that are available to configure.
  • the exact makeup of this tree varies from one type of component to the next, and also depends on the configuration of a particular operational component. If one has difficulty connecting to the remote system, there are several possible causes. Regardless ofthe cause, a message box will appear indicating that a connection to the remote system could not be established.
  • a user could not be identified and authenticated by the remote system.
  • a user should check the security domain name, and member name of the Management System, in order to ensure that they are correct. Then, a user should confirm that the remote system that he or she is trying to administer is in the same security domain, and that the security domain on that remote system is capable of authenticating the user. This process is explained in the section below, Security Domain Configuration. As long as a user entered the member name and IP address of the Management System when using ExpressConfig, this should be taken care of.
  • the Management System was identified and authenticated, however, it had no entry in the management client access list. Configuring the management client access list of an operational node is discussed in the sections below; however, as long as the member name of the Management System was entered during ExpressConfig, it will have an entry in the management access list.
  • this dialog takes several seconds to appear, then the remote system could most likely not be contacted. This may be due to an error in the IP address ofthe remote system, a temporary network failure, or a firewall that is blocking traffic. It may also be caused if the operational component that a user is trying to connect to is not running, or if a user selected the wrong type of system when setting up the remote system entry in the remote system list.
  • the Remote System List window 5602 in Fig.56 is in expanding tree view form and shows the remote system list after a connection has been established, and the connected node has been expanded.
  • the tree view is navigated in the same way as a tree vie w presented by Microsoft Windows explorer, and numerous other applications. Nodes in the tree can be expanded and collapsed by clicking in the boxes beside them. Nodes with a '+' in the box beside them can be expanded. Nodes with a '-' beside them can be collapsed, or else do not have any nodes beneath them. Double clicking on the label for a node will bring up a window corresponding to that node (the contents depend on which node was selected). Changes to configuration are made using the windows that appear. Future sections describe in detail how to interact with individual components using the Management System.
  • This screen is the Service
  • the Service Manager screen 5702 is present on all operational components. It contains a Service Status panel 5704, an Event Logging panel 5706, and a Message field and list window.
  • the service state can be modified by either starting or stopping the service, assuming that the service is not already in the state of starting or stopping.
  • the current service state is also indicated. Clicking on Start/Stop will cause the service to be started or stopped, respectively.
  • Event logging can also be configured from the Service Manager. Clicking on "Event Log” will bring up the event logging configuration dialog 5802 as shown in Fig.58.
  • Event logging allows events to be logged to disk for subsequent review.
  • Event logging incorporates a circular logging feature that allows the amount of disk space consumed by the log to be managed.
  • An event logging configuration panel 5804 allows one to enable or disable the logging of events to disk. Normally, logging events to disk is unnecessary unless one is trying to diagnose a problem. If one enables event logging, he or she will have the following options: Debug Level. Selects the level of events that will be logged to disk. Any events that are of a lower level than the level selected will not be stored in the log. This can help to only log events ofthe relevant level to disk, so as to maximize the amount of useful information in the log file.
  • Log files are circular; once a particular log file fills up, the next log file in sequence will be truncated to zero length, and used to store log information until it too is full.
  • the maximum file length parameter is used to control how full a log file is allowed to get before the next log file in the sequence will be used.
  • Log File List This list provides the names ofthe log files that will be used to record events. These log files will be used in a circular pattern, using the process described above.
  • the Service Manager window provides a means to monitor events that occur on a particular operational component. Any events that occur on the operational component that is currently connected to will be displayed in the window. However, events may be filtered by priority level.
  • the default debug level can be used to control what level of events will be displayed. It is not normally necessary to view debug events, and since each message consumes bandwidth, it is generally sufficient to leave the debug level on the default setting of only displaying warning-level events or higher.
  • the Advanced button allows one to configure event display levels on a type-by-type basis, and is only required for advanced diagnostics. Finally, two buttons are provided in order to clear and lock/unlock the display.
  • Security Domain Configuration One of the concepts explained herein is that of security domains.
  • the concept of a security domain is central to understanding how identification and authentication operate in an present invention network.
  • Nodes in an present invention network need to be in a common security domain in order to exchange services. In order for two nodes in the same security domain to be able to authenticate each other, they need to have authentication information that allows them to authenticate each other. There are many possible forms that could be used for the exchange of authentication, such as a password.
  • the present invention software is constructed so as to support a variety of methods for identification and authentication. However, at this time, only a single model for authentication, based on member lists, is supported.
  • Security domain names, and member names within a security domain, are case sensitive. It is imperative that attention be paid to case when entering security domain names and member names.
  • a top level node in the tree ofthe Gateway Server, Routing Server, and Database Server is the "Security and Identification" node. Double clicking this node will bring up the Security and Identification screen 5902.
  • Fig. 59 shows this setup screen. From this page, one can interact with the Security Domains panel 5904 and configure the operational component that is being managed.
  • the Security Domains panel 5904 contains an expanding tree view window and buttons for adding a domain, adding a member, removing either a domain or a member, and a properties button for displaying the properties of a selected domain or member. A detailed description of these buttons follows.
  • authentication checking is performed by way of a static list of members, and corresponding IP addressing information.
  • a node providing some service receives a new connection requesting access to that service, it will check the identity ofthe requesting node, and determine if the IP address ofthe requesting node matches the corresponding entry in the database. If there is a match, then the identity of the requesting node will be accepted. Otherwise, the identity will be rejected, and the connection will progress as if the requesting node had no identity. (Normally, this would result in a denial of access to the resource).
  • a security domain can be expanded, by clicking on the '+' next to the name ofthe domain. Expanding the domain causes the members of the domain to be shown.
  • the "Add Member” and “Remove” buttons can be used to add and remove members from the member list. Clicking on "Properties” allows the settings for a member ofthe domain to be configured.
  • Fig. 60 shows the Properties screen 6002 that is displayed when a new member is added or an existing member is edited.
  • This screen contains two panels 6004.
  • the Identification panel 6006 is shown.
  • Three settings can be configured for a member of a security domain. The first is the name of the member. When a request is received from a remote node, it will present its name. The name that is configured in this dialog must match the name presented by the remote system when it connects. The second piece of information required is the privilege class to be assigned to the remote system. Privilege classes are not currently used by existing components in the software, so using the default value of zero suffices.
  • the third field is a description ofthe node.
  • Addresses panel 6106 can be displayed. It allows the IP address authentication information to be configured.
  • the Addresses panel 6106 is shown in Fig. 61.
  • a user can configure a list of IP addresses from which the named member of the domain will be allowed to connect. If the IP address from which the member connects is not within one ofthe ranges specified in the list, then the identity ofthe connecting member will be rejected.
  • the list of addresses is manipulated in the usual fashion. Each entry in the list has three pieces of information: (1) The IP address from which the member is allowed to connect;
  • IP address entry could be entered for each node, allowing them both to identify themselves as the authorized Management system.
  • a '*' (asterisk) for the name of a domain member. If such a wildcard entry exists, and no other entries in the list matches the member name presented by a connecting node, then if the addressing information for the wildcard entry matches that of the connecting node, the identity of the remote node will be accepted as valid. For example, configuring an entry with a name ' * ' , and an IP address 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 would allow all nodes from 192.168.1.0 through 192.168.1.255 to connect, and their identities to be accepted no matter what is presented.
  • This section describes how to configure access to the Management 'server' built into each operational component.
  • Management Access dialog This dialog presents the list of nodes that currently have management access. For each entry in the list, the name of the entry, description of the entry, identification corresponding to the entry, and current status of the entry are shown. The status simply shows whether or not management is current enabled for that entry. Entries in the list are called
  • Fig. 62 shows Management Access screen 6202.
  • Configuration screen 6302 shown in Fig. 63 is displayed.
  • This dialog allows properties to be set up for an entry in the management access list.
  • the first is the name ofthe access entry. This name is for informational and logging purposes, but must be unique.
  • the second is a description of this entry, which is also for informational purposes only.
  • a flag allows an entry to be temporarily disabled. If this flag is set, then Management Systems with an identification matched by this access entry will not be allowed to manipulate the Management System.
  • Identities panel 6306 a list of identities that is accepted for this management access entry can be configured.
  • the purpose of this list is to specify those nodes that are able to access the Management System using this access entry.
  • This list enables multiple distinct remote identities to share a single client configuration. The purpose of this is mainly for future expansion. For example, if a management access entry was extended to support the configuration of exactly which screens could be accessed, it would be tedious to duplicate this configuration for each Management System that needed to be configured.
  • a security identification dialog pops up, allowing a user to enter the identity being added or modified.
  • the Security Identification screen 6402 is shown in Fig. 64.
  • the type allows a user to select whether the identity being configured is a remote node or a security group.
  • Security groups are not presently accessible directly by the user, so foreign entity should generally be selected.
  • a user should specify the domain name and member name which comprise the identity ofthe connecting node.
  • the domain name may be selected from one ofthe security domains that is configured on the operational component that the Management System is connected to, and the member name should match the name of a member that can be authenticated using the authentication information discussed in the previous section.
  • a minimum privilege level can be configured, in which case, the requesting node must have this level of privilege, or higher, in order to be granted access. Privilege levels are configured for each domain member when setting up a security domain.
  • an operational component that uses licensing can have a top-level management tree node named
  • the ExpressConfig program normally fills in these fields, but it may be possible to change these fields at some point. Any changes to the configuration ofthe License Manager can only be performed by clicking Change Settings button in the License Manager Setting panel 6504, and making changes using the dialog that appears.
  • the common settings are as follows:
  • Mode This allows the License Manager to be changed in terms of its mode of operation. A user should select the value for this parameter first, since certain parameters cannot be edited unless a user is in a particular licensing mode.
  • Customer ID A user must enter the customer ID assigned to his or her organization in this field. Each license key issued is keyed to a customer ID. This information is normally printed on a software license certificate, issued when a user purchased the software.
  • Product ID The product ID is a serial number which identifies the product. Each license key issued is keyed to a Product ID, and will only work with this product ID. Like the customer ID, the product ID is printed on a software license certificate.
  • the remaining settings are determined by the licensing mode that a user selects.
  • Each of the available licensing modes is discussed in the following subsections.
  • License keys can be added and removed from the main License Manager window. This option is provided once standalone has been selected as the mode of operation. A user should select standalone operation, and then accept the changes prior to being allowed to enter license keys. Two simple buttons, Add and Remove, allow a user to add and remove license keys. When a user clicks "Add" and enters a license key, the license key will be verified, and it will either be accepted or denied. If it is accepted, it will appear in a License Manager window, and information associated with that license key will be display. If, however, it is denied, it will not be recorded. If a license key is repeatedly denied, then a user should check the following:
  • ABCDEFG 1234567 should not be typed in as abcdefg 1234567.
  • the customer ID that a user has entered is correct, and matches the customer ID on the license certificate or otherwise issued to the user (the customer ID may not always be printed on the certificate depending on the restrictions on the key, but can generally be found there).
  • the product ID that a user has entered is correct, and matches the product ID on the license certificate or otherwise issued to the user. (As above, the product ID may not always be printed on the certificate). If a hardware dongle is used (hardware dongles are generally used; time-limited, demonstration keys may not use a hardware dongle), one must ensure that the dongle is correctly connected to the computer, and that it is connected to the correct kind of port on the computer.
  • License keys are time limited, and may have expired. Ensure that the system time and date are accurately set, and that the license key being entered is presently valid.
  • a centralized license server determines the licenses available to a particular operational component (a client ofthe license server).
  • This mode of licensing is suitable in environments where a number of operational components are owned and operated by a single organization. It reduces the necessary administration since licenses can be acquired for multiple operational components and centrally configured, rather than needing to enter license keys on each individual node.
  • license keys issued for use by a license server can only be used by a license server, and thus, any operational node that no longer operates with the license server will be unlicensed, and unable to provide services.
  • an organization deploying numerous Gateway Servers in different areas would benefit from the use of a license server. However, if those Gateway Servers were independently owned and operated, the Gateway Server owners may not want to use a license server. This is since their licenses would effectively be pooled, and would not be separable should a Gateway Server owner decide to leave the association.
  • Operation in client/server mode requires the presence of at least one centralized license server.
  • it is possible to configure a backup server so that if the primary server becomes temporarily inoperable, due to hardware or software failure, the nodes in the network continue to operate.
  • Setting up the license server is discussed in further detail below. This section deals exclusively with configuring the License Manager, and assumes that a primary license server (and a secondary license server, if required) already exists and is running.
  • a number of fields must be filled in. These fields are the primary IP address, secondary IP address, primary port number, and secondary port number. The primary IP address and primary port number are mandatory, and must be filled in with the IP address and port number ofthe primary license server.
  • the port number ofthe license server should be left as the default, 6797, unless a user is specifically running the license server on a different port number).
  • the secondary IP address and port are optional, and should be filled in with the IP address and port number ofthe secondary license server if available, and 0.0.0.0 port 6797 otherwise.
  • the Provisioning System described above, is used specifically for the management of data in the database servers. This section introduces the provisioning system, and provides basic information on how to use the provisioning system. The functionality offered by the Provisioning System, and how to use this functionality; is described further below, when User Management and CDR Collection via the Database Server is discussed in detail.
  • the Provisioning System is started in a similar way to the Management
  • Provisioning System using Start ⁇ Programs ⁇ Present Invention ⁇ Provisioning System. Before the Provisioning System starts, it will require the selection of what type of records will be modified. When starting the provisioning system for the first time, simply select "User Records.”
  • the first step in configuring the Provisioning System to connect to a Database Server is to configure its identification information. This process is similar to the process used when setting up the Management System. To access the identification configuration ofthe Provisioning System, select "Security" from the "Connection" menu. A user will be presented with a security domain configuration dialog identical to the one presented by the Management System. Use this dialog to enter information about a user's security domain in the same way as for the Management System.
  • the next task is to configure the list of Database Servers with which the Provisioning System interfaces.
  • the list of servers is available by selecting "List of Remote Servers Available" on the "Connection" menu.
  • An Address Book 6602 is shown in Fig. 66 with a Database Servers - Address Book panel 6604 which lists the remote servers available.
  • the Current Server panel 6606 shows the name ofthe server currently selected.
  • Database Servers can be added and removed from the list of available servers, using the Add and Remove button within the Database Servers - Address Book panel 6604.
  • the IP address and port number is required for any Database Server that a user wishes to add.
  • a user may also change the IP address and port number for Database Servers that have already been configured. Also, one needs to ensure that the identity of the Provisioning System is in the client list on the Database Server, or it will not be allowed to connect.
  • the active server will be used to process all requests made through the Provisioning System. If a user changes the active server, he or she should close any active session, and open a new session in order to perform operations. Unlike the Management Systems, the service should be started on the Database Server before the Provisioning System will be able to connect.
  • a user should be able to use the Provisioning System to interact with data in the database.
  • the Provisioning System By selecting "New Session" from the file menu, and selecting the kind of session that one wishes to create, one can establish a connection to the Database Server, and can issue requests and manipulate data. How to use the Provisioning System to do so depends, however, on the type of session and the operations that are being performed. Performing these operations are described in detail in later sections.
  • Gateway Service would fail to start. Even if hardware devices fail to initialize, the Gateway Service should initialize nonetheless.
  • Routing Service The Routing Service should start successfully in all cases. There are no known causes that can prevent the routing service from starting successfully.
  • the Database Service may fail to start in the event that a connection to an ODBC database cannot be established. If this is the case, then the Management System should be used to correct the ODBC connection information and the service startup should be retried. //. OPERATION
  • the Gateway Server is the largest and most complex component ofthe present invention software, and is the component which brings together the functionality offers by various components ofthe system, and actually makes that functionality available to the end users of the system.
  • the present invention Gateway Server is designed to interact with a variety of underlying hardware, in order to support a diverse range of technology for interconnection to traditional telecommunications networks. Because of this, configuring hardware support in the software can be complex, and is explained in detail in this section. Normally, this process is not necessary, but information is provided for reference purposes.
  • Lines and Line Groups Each line connecting the Gateway Server to the telecommunications network, as well as lines connecting the Gateway Server to other Gateway Servers, need to be configured.
  • lines are grouped into line groups, which allow certain properties to be configured on a number of lines. This section explains lines and line groups, and how to perform configuration operations on them.
  • Gateway Server Services. At the heart of the Gateway Server is the services that it provides to the end users.
  • the Gateway Server has an extremely flexible architecture that allows services to be seamlessly integrated with the system, added and removed, and routed between.
  • An API even allows the development of custom applications that operate with the Gateway Server. This section describes how services work, and how to configure services for use.
  • the Gateway Server has the capability to debit for calls, explained in more detail in the services section. However, in order to charge for calls, the Gateway Server requires call rating information to be supplied, which govern how much calls cost. This section explains the call rating process, and how to configure call rates.
  • the Gateway Server features customizable voice prompts, with support for multiple languages. This section explains how to set up and customize voice prompts for use with the system, and provides some additional detail on how voice prompts can be administered.
  • Gateway Server Some ofthe capabilities that the Gateway Server is capable of providing require in the interaction ofthe Routing Server and/or Database Server. The use of these components to enhance the services that the Gateway Server provides is described in later sections.
  • This section describes how the Gateway Server supports hardware devices, and how to configure the hardware support component ofthe Gateway Server.
  • the Gateway Server supports a range of such boards, each offering different numbers of lines, and types of lines.
  • the Gateway Server is also capable of making use of DSP processing boards that enable larger numbers of calls to be handled by a single Gateway Server.
  • the hardware support component ofthe Gateway Server is responsible for interfacing with the installed hardware devices, and on enabling those devices to co-operate in providing IP Telephony services.
  • the Gateway Server extends the concept to network devices, used for interconnection to IP Telephony devices via an IP network.
  • the only physical device installed in the Gateway Server for this interconnection is an Ethernet card.
  • the Gateway Server can also support multiple devices of a single type. For example, it is possible to use two Dialogic D/41ESCs, each of which is a 4 line telephony boards, to achieve 8 lines of capacity.
  • a Hardware Device Configuration screen 6702 can be accessed by double clicking on Hardware Devices, a top-level management tree node on the Gateway Server. This window 6704 will display a list of devices that is currently configured, and the current status of those devices.
  • the Gateway Server uses complex signal processing algorithms in order to minimize the bandwidth required for communication between Gateways, while simultaneously preserving a high quality of voice. There are two ways that the required signal processing can be performed:
  • Echo cancellation the first step in processing voice data, is performed on the hardware device that is connected to the telephone equipment.
  • the CPU of the machine used to run the Gateway Server is used to apply compression algorithms to the voice data ⁇ & known as a Gatenet 3 configuration, allows the use of a single (or multiple) telephony interface boards without a requirement for a specialized DSP processing board.
  • the drawback to this approach is that there is a limit to the number of simultaneous calls that can be handled by a main CPU of certain types of computer that run the Gateway Server.
  • a second drawback is that some devices are reduced in terms ofthe number of lines they can support when echo cancellation is performed onboard. In some cases, not intended to limit the invention, only certain boards can be operated in Gatenet 3 mode;
  • echo cancellation and voice compression are performed on a specialized DSP board that is connected in hardware to the telephony interface board. This provides better performance and scalability, but incurs the cost ofthe specialized DSP board.
  • the Gateway Server software is capable of supporting either mode. However, since the hardware configuration depends on which mode is selected, the mode of operation is normally predetermined.
  • the Dialogic D/21H operates only in Gatenet 3 mode, but is completely compatible with the Dialogic D/41 ESC when operated in this mode. Please see the section below on the Dialogic D/41 ESC for details on how to configure a Dialogic D/21H.
  • the Dialogic D/41ESC is a four port, analog loop start interface board. It allows a connection to a central office using standard analog telephone lines, as well as interconnection with PBXs or other equipment that provide FXO (also called 1ST) ports.
  • FXO also called 1ST
  • the Dialogic D/41 ESC is capable of operating either in Gatenet 3 mode, or in DSP mode. When operating in Gatenet 3 mode, it is only capable of providing two ports of connectivity to telephone equipment; otherwise, all four ports can be used. Also, a D/21H functioning in Gatenet 3 mode is identical to a
  • the first panel displayed is a General panel 6802 as shown in Fig. 68.
  • Other panels can be selected by clicking on the Tabs 6804 that appear along the top ofthe dialog.
  • the settings on the General panel are explained below.
  • Board Number This is the Dialogic board number of Dialogic D/41 ESC being configured, and controls which board (if more than one D/41 ESC is present) will be used. Normally, the first D/41 ESC device added should be assigned board number 1 , the second 2, and so forth. However, if some boards in the chassis should not be used, or are used by other applications, this parameter allows explicit specification of which Dialogic board number to open.
  • Enable GN3/EC Mode This parameter is used to enable or disable operation in Gatenet 3 mode. See the section on Gatenet 3 vs. DSP compression above to determine how this parameter should be configured.
  • Enable Voice Channels This group of buttons is the same as the trunk buttons, but control which voice channels are used. Under most circumstances, one uses the same settings for voice channels and trunk channels.
  • Output Gain This setting allows one to control the output gain. If the volume of voice prompts and speech are too low when making calls, then adjusting this option allows the gain to be adjusted. However, before using this parameter, one should verify that other Dialogic options are set correctly, since gain can be applied in several different locations. Also, if one uses a separate DSP board for processing, this setting will have no effect since the DSP board will apply gain, not the D/41 ESC.
  • a call analysis panel 6902 is used to configure how the D/41 ESC detects the presence of a connection.
  • This call analysis panel 6902 is shown in Fig. 69. It is a panel in window 6802 and continues to include Tabs 6804.
  • the parameters on the call analysis panel are passed directly to the corresponding Dialogic modules that make use of these parameters.
  • the two most relevant parameters on this page are Enable Voice Detection, and Enable Loop Current Signaling. Voice detection should always be enabled, except in specialized environments. Voice detection allows the beginning of a call to be determined based on the recognition of speech patterns, such as "Hello". Loop current signaling allows loop current based answer supervision provided by the telephone network to be inte ⁇ reted, and should only be enabled if supported by the telephone network provider.
  • the D/41 ESC can be configured to wait for a dial tone before it enters digits, as shown in panel 7002 in Fig. 70. It can also be configured to wait a maximum number of rings on an outbound call before it gives up, and assumes that the call will not be answered. This panel allows one to configure settings that affect this process.
  • Ring Settings Time for Outbound Call Pickup. This parameter controls how long the Dialogic D/41 ESC will wait for an outbound call to be picked up before it abandons the call.
  • Dial Tone Settings Minimum Dial Tone Length. This parameter controls the minimum length of a dial tone before it will be recognized.
  • Dial Tone Settings Timeout for Dial Tone. This parameter controls how long the Dialogic D/41 ESC will wait for a valid dial tone before it abandons the call due to no dial tone.
  • Dial Tone Settings Maximum Dial Tone Interruption. This parameter controls the maximum break in a dial tone that will be tolerated without considering a particular tone not to be a valid dial tone.
  • the D/41 ESC uses cadence detection to determine when a line is ringing, when a user answers, when the line is busy, and so forth.
  • many of these tones may not be common from one country to another.
  • the tone definition panel 7102 is shown in Fig. 71. By selecting one ofthe tones listed, and clicking on Edit, one is able to modify the frequencies and timings that control how a particular tone is detected.
  • a cadence dialog 7202 is displayed which asks for settings as shown in
  • the parameters are fairly self-explanatory. By default, dual frequency cadence tones will be detected. If one wishes to detect a single frequency tone, then set the second frequency to zero. To detect a continuous tone, not a cadence tone, one should set the repeat count to zero.
  • hang-up cadence tones are tone definitions that can trigger the automatic disconnection of a call.
  • disconnection signaling is only performed by way of cadence tones. In this case, it is necessary to enter the appropriate tone information under either the primary or alternate hang-up cadence. It is also necessary to enable disconnection upon detecting this tone at the line level.
  • Dialogic D/160SC-LS The Dialogic D/l 60SC-LS is very similar to the D/41 ESC, but with two notable exceptions:
  • This board is suitable for customers who require a large number of analog lines connected to a telephone device.
  • D/160SC-LS are identical to those for the D/41 ESC, except for general panel
  • the D/160SC-LS panel is shown in Fig. 73.
  • the Dialogic D/240SC-T1 is a T-1 interface board that provides 24 channels of digital connectivity to a telephone device with a T-1 interface.
  • the Dialogic D/240SC-T1 is capable of operating either in ISDN PRI mode, or in robbed bit mode
  • the Dialogic D/240SC-T1 device in the Gateway Server refers only to the D/240SC-T1 operating in robbed bit mode. If a user is operating the D/240SC-T1 in ISDN PRI mode, one should add a Dialogic ISDN device, described below.
  • a D/240SC-T1 like a D/41ESC, provides both T-1 trunk and voice resources. However, there are separate logical board numbers for the trunk and voice boards. This parameter allows one to control which DTI board number will be opened for this device.
  • Voice Board Number As explained above, the Dialogic voice board number for a D/240SC-T1 is opened separately from the T-1 trunk. The D/240SC-T1 actually emulates 6 independent voice boards. Thus, for D/240SC-T1 # 1, the voice board number starts at 1. For D/240SC-T1 # 2, the voice board number starts at 7. Normally, one will not need to customize settings made by ExpressConfig; however, for integration or sharing with other applications, this option is provided.
  • T-1 Signaling Bits With T- 1 robbed bit protocols, information is signaled between the telephone equipment and the Gateway Server using two bits, known as the A and B bits. Different patterns for these bits represent different information. Most telephone equipment uses the default settings for the T-1 signaling bits. However, the inte ⁇ retation of bits received from the telephone equipment, and the bits that will be sent to the telephone equipment, can be customized in this page.
  • T-1 Network Mode This mode controls how the T-1 signaling bits, defined above, will be used. It controls the relative timing and sequence ofthe bit patterns. One should select the option that corresponds to your telephone equipment.
  • the Dialogic ISDN device provides support for both T-1 ISDN PRI systems and E-l ISDN PRI systems. If one has configured either a D/240SC-T1 or a D/300SC-E1 in ISDN PRI mode, then one should install a Dialogic ISDN device. One Dialogic ISDN device is required for each ISDN span (23 lines for T- 1 , 30 lines for E- 1 ) that one has configured in a system.
  • the configuration ofthe Dialogic ISDN device is significantly simpler and more understandable than dealing with the cadence tones and settings for some of the other Dialogic devices. This is because with ISDN, signaling is explicit, out of band, and relatively constant between different environments. There are three panels that a user deals with when configuring a Dialogic ISDN device.
  • General panel 7506 of properties screen 7502 allows general settings to be configured on the D/240SC-T1.
  • Fig. 75 shows this panel.
  • Other tabs 7504 are show in Fig.75 and discussed in detail below. These settings are explained below.
  • DTI Board Number/ Voice Board Number These parameters are identical to the settings explained for the D/240SC-T1. Refer to that section above for an explanation of these parameters.
  • Board Type This parameter controls whether the ISDN device in use is a D/240SC-T 1 or a D/300SC-E 1. You should select the parameter corresponding to the board that is installed in your system.
  • Channel configuration panel 7602 allows one to select which channels will be used on the Dialogic ISDN device. In almost all cases, one should disable all voice channels, since the voice channels are not used. Although enabling the voice channels does not interfere with the Gateway Server, some ISDN protocols require enough DSP processing power that the voice channels cannot be enabled successfully. In most cases, one should enable all ofthe trunk channels.
  • Fig. 76 shows the channel configuration panel.
  • ISDN devices Unlike conventional telephone devices, which signal calls using the hookswitch state and DTMF tones, ISDN devices signal calls in a single digital message. The contents of this message do vary between ISDN switches, however.
  • Call setup panel 7702 allows the correct message for a particular ISDN switch to be sent.
  • Fig. 77 shows the call setup parameters panel.
  • Destination Number Type Indicates the type of number being transmitted to the ISDN switch. This field needs to match the type required by the ISDN switch one is connected to.
  • Destination Number Plan Indicates the numbering plan used for the destination number transmitted to the ISDN switch. This field needs to match the numbering plan required by the ISDN switch being connected to. Connection Timeout. This controls how long the Gateway Server will wait for the completion of a particular call. If the call is not completed within this amount of time, it will be aborted.
  • Originating Number Type Same as the destination number type, but for the originating number (i.e. the number ofthe Gateway Server).
  • Originating Number Plan Same as the destination number plan, but for the originating number.
  • Originating Number Number sent to the ISDN switch as the number of the party originating the call. Normally, when connected to the PSTN, this parameter will be ignored, since the PSTN switch knows the identity of the originator.
  • Layer 1 Protocol Controls the value ofthe Layer 1 Protocol parameter in the call setup message. This should normally be left at the default value, but some specific ISDN switches may require this value to be overridden.
  • the Dialogic MSI/SC boards are analog station interface boards.
  • the MSI/SC allows telephones, or other equipment that normally plugs into a standard analog line from the PSTN, to be connected directly to a Gateway Server.
  • the MSI/SC emulates a line from the PSTN, and can be used to connect to PBX trunks in addition to standard telephones.
  • This kind of interface is also known as an FXS interface, or station side interface.
  • Dialogic MSI/SC boards There are two variants of Dialogic MSI/SC boards, those with the ringing option and those without.
  • the ringing option is used in order to make outbound calls.
  • a user needs to know which of these configurations he or she has prior to configuring the MSI/SC for use with the Gateway Server.
  • Panel 7802 is configured for an MSI/SC board as shown in Fig. 78.
  • the fields in the panel are explained below.
  • Board Number This controls which Dialogic MSI board number will be opened.
  • Board Type Indicates the type of board; either the MSI/80SC-R, MSI/160SC-R, or MSI/240SC-R.
  • Ring Line For Outbound Calls Indicates whether or not the ringing option is present on the MSI/SC board. This option is used in order to make outbound calls.
  • Unanswered Rings before Aborting When ringing a particular line, the MSI/SC will generate a certain number of rings before the call is aborted. This parameter allows the number of rings that will be generated before an abort to be configured.
  • Output Gain This parameter allows the gain ofthe lines connected to the MSI/SC to be controlled. This can be used to adjust the volume ofthe phones connected to the MSI/SC.
  • ANI Information can be used by Gateway Server applications in order to identify a user without asking for identification.
  • Caller ID information can be associated with each port ofthe MSI/SC. One can use this control to enter Caller ID information for each MSI/SC line.
  • the Gateway Server supports the use of specialized DSP processing boards to achieve high density and consistent call quality. Although boards from different manufacturers are supported, the firmware used on the boards is licensed from Mibridge, Inc. in all cases.
  • the Mibridge DSP device in the Gateway Server refers to any of the DSP boards supported by the Mibridge firmware, and any quantity of those devices. A user should install only one Mibridge DSP device, even if he or she has multiple DSP boards.
  • the Board Type panel 7902 has only one option, allowing the type of board to be selected. One should select the board type that corresponds to the actual hardware present in the Gateway Server.
  • a voice channel configuration panel 7904 shown in Fig. 79, allows addition options to be configured. The options are explained below.
  • SCbus PCM Encoding may be different. If one is using any board except for the D/300SC-E1, mu-Law encoding is normally used. If, however, one is using the D/300SC-E1, one should select A-Law encoding.
  • a utomatic Gain Control In certain environments, it is beneficial to enable automatic gain control to compensate for naturally low input levels. This is controlled via the Automatic Gain Control setting. In most environments, however, Automatic Gain Control should be disabled.
  • the Network H.323 device enables communication using the H.323 protocol. This allows calls to be received from and placed to Microsoft NetMeeting terminals, or other H.323 compatible devices.
  • the only required configuration parameter for the Network H.323 device is the H.323 terminal name that will identify the Gateway Server to the remote H.323 entities with which it communicates.
  • Network Proprietary enables communication with other present invention Gateway Servers using a proprietary protocol. This is the normal protocol used for Gateway to Gateway communication.
  • the Network Proprietary device There are two main configuration parameters for the Network Proprietary device. The first is the port range, which controls which UDP/IP ports will be used for media data transmitted to and from this Gateway Server. The second is the Local System ID of the
  • Gateway Server This name will be presented to remote Gateway Servers when a call is placed, and may be used by the remote Gateway Server in order to identify and authenticate the originating Gateway Server. More details on this process are discussed in the User Management section.
  • the "Network Settings" tab allows advanced network properties to be configured and tuned. These settings, as well as a detailed explanation ofthe port range feature, are found in Appendix B, which provides technical network design information.
  • the hardware support component ofthe Gateway Server provides support for hardware devices that are located in the PC on which the Gateway Server runs. However, providing actual functionality to the end user involves co-operation between different boards. Furthermore, lines on different boards may often need to be treated the same way, and pooled together.
  • the line and line group component of the Gateway Server organizes the capabilities provided by underlying hardware devices into virtual "lines", and allows these lines to be grouped together into line groups. This section explains lines and line groups.
  • Lines represent a single logical point of connection to the system.
  • a line is capable of handling a single call from a user, and represents one complete port of connectivity.
  • a DSP device is not capable of actually connecting to the PSTN, but it is capable of performing IVR.
  • a telephony board may not be capable of performing IVR, but can manage the connection to a user.
  • Telephone lines group these resources together to form a single virtual line that can be used to deliver the services provided by the Gateway Server.
  • Lines are either in the active state, the inactive state, or switching between the two states. Network lines are always in the active state, since they are deleted once they are no longer active. Lines can be activated or deactivated at any time. When the gateway service starts, all lines will automatically be activated. When the gateway service stops, all lines will be automatically deactivated.
  • Line groups manage properties that generally do not need to be configured on individual lines.
  • the service level ofthe Gateway Server may associate application-specific properties with line groups that affect how services are provided to the user. For example, the service layer could be configured to handle all calls coming in on a particular line group by routing the call to a specific number, whereas calls to another line group would be handled using an IVR application.
  • Telephony line groups contain numbers of telephony lines.
  • Network line groups contain network lines, and handle the dynamic adding and removal of network lines as calls are established and terminated. The configuration of these two types of line groups differs; each will be discussed in a separate section below.
  • a line groups window 8002 can be displayed by expanding the top level configuration tree node named "Line Groups". This window is shown in Fig. 80.
  • a line group panel 8004 shows that line groups may be selected from one ofthe available line groups. Typical installations have one network line group, and one telephony line group. Once a particular line group is selected, the bottom part of the window displays a telephony line group status panel 8006.
  • Panel 8006 shows the list of lines that are currently configured on that line group. The state of each of the lines will also be displayed, along with any error messages associated with that line.
  • line groups can be added, removed, or configured.
  • individual lines can be activated or deactivated, and lines can be added, removed, and configured. The configuration of lines and line groups are discussed in the sections below.
  • Telephony line groups manage groups of telephony lines, and apply parameters and properties that are common across all lines in that group.
  • Telephony line groups also inte ⁇ ret events that occur on lines, such as DTMF digits, and can assign a meaning to those events. For example, a hardware device or line might only be aware that the DTMF digit sequence '###' was pressed; however, the telephony line group may know that this sequence indicates that the call should be disconnected.
  • dialog 8102 with general panel 8106 appears and allows parameters to be customized. Panels can be navigated between using tabs 8104 at the top ofthe dialog 8102.
  • the settings available on the general configuration dialog are shown in Fig. 81 and described below.
  • Line Allocation Strategy The line allocation strategy controls how a line is selected when an outbound call is to be placed using the telephony interface. These strategies are usually used in conjunction with the line allocation strategy used by the telephone equipment to which to the Gateway Server is connected in order to minimize glare conditions. There are four possible strategies: - Lowest line allocated first. The lowest free line number will be used to place the call;
  • DID is sometimes used to refer to DNIS service provided on an ISDN PRI line.
  • ISDN PRI does not signal DNIS (sometimes called DID) information in this fashion.
  • DID Min/Max Digits Accepted If DID is enabled, controls how many DID digits will be required in order for DID collection to be successful. If the number of digits is between the maximum and minimum, inclusive, then the DID information will be accepted; otherwise, DID collection will fail.
  • DID Collection Time Limit Specifies how long DID digits will be collected for after the call is answered. Normally, one second is sufficient for the transfer of DID digits, but this may depend on your particular telephone service.
  • Hangup settings panel 8202 allows the events that cause a user to be disconnected to be configured. In normal environments, it is not necessary to configure these settings. However, in some environments, disconnection is not signaled explicitly by the telephone equipment, and must be detected by alternate means. Silence Triggered Hangup Settings. These settings allow one to configure whether or not a line will automatically be disconnected based on an extended period of silence. Normally, this feature is disabled. When enabling the feature, one should select whether silence ofthe local party, or silence on both ends ofthe conversation is required to cause disconnection. One should also specify the time, in seconds, of continuous silence that is required in order to cause disconnection.
  • DTMF Triggered Hangup Settings When integrating with PBXs and other kinds of telephone devices, disconnection can sometimes be signaled through the use of DTMF digits. If one enables DTMF triggered hangup, one will be required to specify a string of DTMF digits (including extended digits such as
  • the above describes the settings for the telephony line group.
  • resources are represented in the system.
  • the trunk resource represents the actual connection to the phone equipment, such as the physical analog line, or a T-1 channel, and so forth.
  • the voice resource represents the DSP processing resource that is used to perform IVR, voice compression, and so forth.
  • an optional auxiliary resource can be used for call progress analysis, cadence detection, and other such applications.
  • ExpressConfig normally sets up the resources for each telephony line exactly as required. It is generally not recommended that one modify these settings. When a telephony line is added or configured, the following set of panels can be interacted with in order to configure the telephony line.
  • the resources panel 8306 controls the interaction of the telephony line with the underlying hardware devices. Tabs 8304 allow selection of other panels which are discussed in detail below. Panel 8306 is configurable from telephony line window 8302, which is shown in Fig. 83, and explained as follows:
  • This field allows one to provide identifying information that can enable you to locate the physical line. It is for descriptive pu ⁇ oses only, and is not required.
  • Trunk Resource Configuration In this section, one needs to specify the hardware device that is associated with this telephony line, and the instance ofthe trunk resource on that device which is to be used. Trunk resources are described above.
  • Voice Resource Configuration This section allows one to specify which voice resource should be associated with the trunk resource configured above. Voice resources are described above.
  • Class of Service The class of service on each line can be configured on a line-by-line basis. Class of service constraints allow lines to be disabled, to accept only incoming calls, to place only outgoing calls, or to accept calls in both directions (duplex service). The desired class of service can be specified using this setting.
  • This panel allows you control call analysis settings (panel not shown, but tabs 8304 show tab to access this panel). There are two main settings:
  • Enable Call Progress Analysis This parameter determines if call progress analysis should be enabled. If enabled, it is also necessary to select which resource will perform the call progress analysis. The correct value for this setting is generally determined by ExpressConfig, and depends on a particular hardware configuration.
  • Cadence detection determines if cadence detection is active during calls. Cadence detection may be used to trigger certain things, such as automatic disconnection. If cadence detection is enabled, it is necessary to specify which resource will perform the cadence detection. Auxiliary Resource. If either cadence detection or call progress analysis requires the use of an auxiliary resource, the auxiliary resource must also be configured. It is necessary to specify the device and instance of the resource associated with this line, just as for trunk and voice resources.
  • connection Detection Panel Panel 8502 shown in Fig. 85, controls how the start of a conversation is detected by the system. There are several options for how this connection detection occurs.
  • this parameter will allow loop current reversal events to trigger the connection of a call. In some environments, loop current reversal is used for answer supervision.
  • cadence tone 1 is detected, and this parameter is enabled, the call will be connected immediately. Note that the process of placing a call may interfere with the use of cadence detection in certain hardware configurations.
  • the disconnection detection panel (panel not shown, but tabs 8304 show tab to access this panel) is very similar to the connection detection panel.
  • events in this panel are used to detect the disconnection of the user previously connected on a particular telephony line.
  • Disconnect LCR Enables or disables loop current reversal signaling of disconnection.
  • Disconnect LCOff Enables or disables loop current off signaling of disconnection.
  • Disconnect Cadence Enables or disables disconnection signaling using custom cadence tone 1.
  • network lines are created dynamically by the system as new calls are received, and are removed when calls are terminated. Therefore, there is no need to configure a list of lines, or to set configuration for those lines.
  • the network line group itself has no configuration properties at the line group level. (Recall that settings may be associated with line groups at the service level, described in the next section). The reason for this is that parameters are associated with the network proprietary device, or the network H.323 device.
  • a second network line group is generally not required. All network calls are processed through the single network line group. However, one must have a network line group in order to receive network calls.
  • the Services component of the Gateway Server is the heart of the Gateway Server, as shown in FIG.3 B . This component is responsible for enabling the applications that actually provide services to the end user.
  • Applications are highly separated from the Gateway Server platform 304 discussed so far in this section. Applications make use of the numerous capabilities provided by the Gateway Server platform 304 in order to interact with the user, and to deliver enhanced services. In one example, all such applications are written using a C ++ API that provides access to functionality provided by the Gateway Server. Services can interact with each other, and transfer control from one service to another, creating a flexible environment for constructing applications. Gateway Server applications are contained in DLL files that are linked at run-time to the Gateway Server platform 304 and operate in Gateway Server Application Layer 302. However, it is possible for third parties to create similar application DLLs. It is also possible to use the Gateway Server API to write applications that run from a separate process, or even a different machine.
  • the first part of this section will describe the services component ofthe Gateway Server platform 304.
  • the second part of this section describes the applications according to the present invention that are included with the Gateway
  • a main service window 8602 shown in Fig. 86 The area at the bottom of the window shows a list window 8604 of active sessions, the line that each session is associated with, and the service/application that is currently managing that session. The other information presented on this screen is discussed below.
  • the Gateway Server is capable of supporting numerous kinds of services, and can run any number of instances of a particular service. Because multiple services are present that can handle an incoming call, it is necessary to define rules for selecting the service that will be used to handle incoming calls. By default, ExpressConfig creates a rule that selects the Gateway application to handle all incoming calls. However, this behavior can be customized, and different services can be selected.
  • the Gateway Server In order to select the service used to handle incoming calls, the Gateway Server provides a rule tree 334 within Rule Engine 332. When an incoming call is received, the Gateway Server will traverse rule tree 334 until it finds a service that matches the parameters ofthe incoming call. As previously discussed, calls are handled as sessions by the gateway server. Thus, incoming calls are a type of session within the system. Information in the incoming call can be used to control the service selection process. For example, DID or DNIS information can be used to select which service is activated, and with what parameters. This is extremely powerful in creating a flexible, single box solution that hosts multiple applications.
  • FIG.86 shows service selection panel 8608 and rule list panel 8606. Rule list panel 8606 allows rules to be added, modified and/or removed.
  • the rule tree 334 consists of a number of rules, arranged in a tree like structure. When an incoming call arrives at that Gateway Server, selection begins at the top ofthe tree. Each rule at the top level ofthe tree is processed until a rule is found which matches the information contained in the incoming call. If a match is made, then that node in the tree is selected. A node in the tree, however, can either be a final node, in which case it contains the name of a service used to handle the call, or it can be a subtree. If it is a subtree, then the above process is repeated starting at the top of the tree that is beneath the selected node.
  • rule tree 334 If the bottom of rule tree 334 is reached and a matching rule is not found, then no service will be selected and the incoming call will be rejected.
  • Each rule in the rule tree 334 contains a condition that must be matched for the rule to be selected. A blank rule allows all incoming calls to be matched. If the rule is a final rule, meaning that it directly selects a service, then the name ofthe service, and parameters for the invocation ofthe service, are also required.
  • Dialog 8702 opens to show settings for any rule. Dialog includes fields as shown in Fig. 87 and described below:
  • Rule Settings panel 8704 contains:
  • Attribute This field provides the name of the parameter that will be checked to see if this rule should be selected. It names an attribute of the incoming call, such as DNIS, DID, or others. Relation. This selects the relation that the attribute must have to the value, described next, in order for this rule to be selected. Possible relations are equals to, and not equals to.
  • Bindings panel 8706 contains:
  • Bindings In order to customize the behavior of a service, it is possible to specify additional bindings to be passed along to the service. Bindings are a list of (attribute,value) pairs that will be inte ⁇ reted by the service that is invoked.
  • Service Level Line Group Settings There are certain parameters that affect services and service selection that are required to differ from one line group to another. For example, it might be desirable to allow users calling in on one line group (connected to a PBX, for example) to make calls without entering an identification code, whereas calls received on a different line group might require an identification code.
  • Service level settings can be associated with any of the configured line groups. These settings can be viewed by double clicking on the line group nodes in the configuration tree that appear when the service node is expanded. There is one node for each line group that exists in the system. The settings, which are common for all line groups, are shown in Fig. 88 and explained below.
  • User Lookup panel 8804 contains:
  • Information may be associated with incoming calls that allow a user to be identified automatically, without the use of user identification entry. For example, a user could be identified using Caller ID information supplied by the telephone equipment. Enabling this field will cause an automatic user lookup to be initiated as soon as the call is received, using all information available at the time that the call is received. More details on how user records are managed can be found under the
  • a uto-user Assignment using Call Setup Information In the event that the lookup of a user based on Caller ID or other properties fails, or if this feature is not used, it is possible to always assign users to a particular user account. Because this is configured on a line group by line group basis, it could be used to assign all callers on a particular line group (e.g. one connected to a PBX) to a particular user account, perhaps PBX USERS. On the other hand, calls on other line groups would continue to require user identification, whereas the users on the PBX interface would be automatically associated with the PBX_USERS account. If this field is selected, it is necessary to enter the user ID with which the line group will be associated, under User ID.
  • PBX PBX USERS
  • Default User Identification panel 8806 contains:
  • Default Privilege Level Routes are restricted on the basis of privilege level, as will be explained in the section on number translation and call routing. Before a user is identified, however, they will have a certain privilege level. This parameter can be used to control the default privilege level assigned to an unidentified user. This in turn can be used to restrict calling privileges. For example, one route to 1 -800-NEWUSER could be assigned a privilege 0, with all other routes requiring privilege 1. A greeting could say "If you are a new user, please call 1-800-NEWUSER to open an account. Otherwise, please enter the number you wish to call”.
  • DNIS/DID information panel 8808 contains:
  • DNIS/DID Information as Dialed Number. Enabling this parameter causes the Gateway application, discussed below, to treat DNIS/DID information as the number that the user wants to call. This can be used to instantly route calls based on the number dialed by the user to access the system. This can be used to provide 800 services, for example, by routing calls to 1 -800- 1234567 to customer A's local number of (703)555-1234, and routing calls to 1-800-7654321 to customer B's local number of (416)555-1234. This allows a single line to be used to provide 800 services to multiple customers that are located in different cities, reducing their long distance costs for handling calls from customers.
  • the Gateway service in the context of high level applications, is a core service that leverages the capabilities of the Gateway Server platform 304 to deliver calling capabilities to end users.
  • the Gateway service is provided by the
  • Gateway Server It includes, but is not limited to, handling calls, bridging communications systems, and providing access to other systems, such as databases, routing servers, etc.
  • the Gateway application service should not be confused with the Gateway Server service. Because the Gateway application layer 302 is complex in its operation and provides a significant degree of functionality, it is discussed in the next section. d A utoforward Services
  • the autoforward services 313 is a relatively simple service that forwards all calls to a pre-determined number. It is capable of playing a greeting immediately before the call is forwarded. This service can be useful in a number of applications. For example, a particular DNIS field could select the autoforward service, which could announce "Please hold, and the next available customer service representative will be pleased to serve you", and automatically forward the call to the customer service department ACD - which could potentially be in a different geographic location. Autoforward services 313 can be configured by double clicking on the
  • this feature causes a voice prompt to be played immediately prior to forwarding the call.
  • the name ofthe voice prompt to be played can also be configured.
  • the number to be dialed can be overridden by binding the parameter "Autoforward_CallNumber" to the number that is to be called. This allows a different number to be forwarded to based on DNIS/DID information, or other call setup information. e. Internal Services
  • the Gateway Server by default, has several "internal" services that are used to accommodate common tasks, such as collecting digits and obtaining user identification. These services are not directly selectable, but can be used when developing third party applications, and may also appear in the list of services that are presently in operation.
  • the Gateway Server is capable of assessing charges to user accounts for calls that are made by the user through use of the Call Rating Manager 358. These charges can either be recorded in call detail records, or debited directly from users accounts. This process is explained in greater detail when the Gateway application, and User Management are explained. However, a key part of performing this charging for a call is determining how much to charge for the call. This section explains the operation of call rating, and describes how call rating can be configured.
  • the Call Rating Manager 358 ofthe Gateway Server is designed to be extensible by application developers. In order to facilitate this, there are multiple ways to rate calls, known as call rating types. A single standard model for rating calls is built into the software; it is possible for third party application developers to add additional means of rating calls. In addition, for each call rating type, numerous profiles may exist. Different profiles may use different values for how much to charge, how often the user is charged, and what levels of discounts are applied.
  • the call rating engine supports multiple profiles for each ofthe call rating types that are present.
  • the call rating configuration dialog 9002 can be found under the "General" node in the configuration tree. Expanding this node will show the "Call Rating” node, which can be double clicked on in order to bring up a call rating configuration dialog. This dialog is shown in Fig. 90 and described below.
  • the billing profiles panel 9004 provides a list of currently defined call rating profiles for each call rating type. New profiles can be added to the list, and existing entries can either be removed or modified.
  • the dialog that will be displayed depends on the call rating type.
  • the call rating type For the built-in call rating type, the following information is included in a Standard panel 9102 shown in Fig. 91 and described below:
  • General panel 9104 contains:
  • Rate Modifier Routes that are used to place calls contain a rate modifier, which is a floating point number. How this number is used for a given rating profile depends on this configuration setting. The rate modifier can be ignored, in which case the rate modifier field in the route will have no effect.. If the base option is selected, then the rate modifier will be used as the base rate for the pu ⁇ oses of rating the call (base rates are explained below). If the percentage setting is selected, it will be used to adjust the normal base rate to determine the effective base rate.
  • No Charge Time This field specifies the time, in seconds, during which no charge will be applied for the call. Calls of this duration or less will effectively be free. This can be set to zero to begin charging immediately.
  • Base Rate This field specifies the base rate for the call, in units (dollars) per minute. The base rate is the nominal charge that will be applied during the entire call. This field is overridden if "Base" is selected for the Rate Modifier, and will be adjusted by the percentage specified in the rate modifier of a route if "Percent" is selected for the rate modifier.
  • Granularity This controls the incremental billing unit. It is used to ensure that all charges are in cents, tens of cents, dollars, etc.
  • Call Rating Setting panel 9106 contains: Initial Interval. Specifies the first interval, in seconds, which will be charged for when making the call. As soon as the no charge time is exceeded, the initial interval will be billed for.
  • Initial Rate This controls the actual rate that will be used for billing the initial interval. For example, if the initial rate is set to 200%, and the initial interval is 10 seconds, then the first 10 seconds of chargeable time will be billed at a rate of 200% ofthe base rate. This can be used to provide certain behavior. In the example above, if the no-charge interval is 10 seconds, the initial interval is 10 seconds, and the initial rate is 200%, then the first 10 seconds are free, but after 20 seconds, the charge is for 20 seconds worth ofthe base rate. By doing this, calls are effectively charged at a uniform rate, but if the caller hangs up in the first 10 seconds, no charge will be applied.
  • Incremental Interval Once the initial interval has elapsed, the user will be billed in incremental units of time specified by this parameter. Incremental Rate (%). Each incremental user billed to the user will be billed at that incremental rate percentage times to the base rate for the call. Normally, this will be 100%. As an example, if the incremental interval is 10 seconds, the base rate is 0.60 per minute, and in the incremental rate % is 100%, then the user will be billed for each 10 seconds used, or part thereof, at 100% of the base rate of 0.60 per minute. Since each 10 seconds used costs 0.10 at 100% ofthe base rate, each 10 seconds or part thereof used by the user would cost them 0.10.
  • the voice prompt management system is responsible for managing the voice prompts that are available on the system, and allowing those voice prompts to be played.
  • multiple languages of a particular voice prompt may need to be supported.
  • the Media Manager 356 handles all aspects of voice prompt management.
  • the Media Manager window 9202 shows the list of voice prompts in Media Manager Settings panel 9204.
  • a number of voice prompts are installed. These voice prompts are used by the Gateway application in order to interact with the user. A user can modify these voice prompts to change the prompts used by the Gateway application.
  • New Media Entry dialog 9302 for adding a new voice prompt is shown in Fig. 93.
  • Settings panel 9304 allows for configuration ofthe prompt.
  • the name of a voice prompt should be specified. If one selects the name of an existing voice prompt, one should add an available version of that voice prompt (or overwrite an existing one). If one enters a new name that does not already exist, a new voice prompt will be created and maintained by the media manager.
  • the version corresponds to the language selection ofthe user, and can also be used for other pu ⁇ oses.
  • adding a voice prompt or version of a voice prompt one can also specify the default version of a voice prompt.
  • the default version is the version that will play if the requested language is either unspecified, or unavailable.
  • the description of the voice prompt is used for informational pu ⁇ oses.
  • a muLaw file that contains the voice data that one wishes to be played. This path is specified in Media Entry File panel 9306 in Fig.93. This file should be in raw muLaw format, 8000 samples per second, 8 bits per sample, mono.
  • a user should select which version is to be removed. One will be provided with a selection ofthe available versions that can be removed. If one removes the last version of a particular voice prompt, then that voice prompt will be removed entirely from the system. If one needs to make bulk changes to voice prompts, it is useful to be able to directly access the voice prompts as they are stored on disk.
  • the filename format for voice prompts managed by the media manager is mm_ ⁇ promptname>_ ⁇ versionname>.mulaw where ⁇ promptname> is actually the name of the voice prompt, and ⁇ versionname> is actually the version ofthe voice prompt.
  • the files are stored in the main Gateway Server directory.
  • the Gateway application is the main application for delivering calling services on the Gateway Server platform. It makes use of all of the capabilities provided by the Gateway Server platform in order to deliver sophisticated calling services to the end user.
  • the discussion ofthe Gateway application is divided into several parts, as listed below.
  • Gateway Application Configuration Discusses the configuration options that can customize how the Gateway application behaves, and how to set those parameters.
  • Supplementary Application Configuration Discusses the internal applications that affect the behavior ofthe Gateway application, and how these applications can be customized.
  • Session Bindings Describes the session bindings inte ⁇ reted by the Gateway application. Each of these parts is discussed in a separate section below.
  • the Gateway application is a separate application from the Gateway Server that interfaces with the Gateway Server using the services API provided by the Gateway Server. However, the Gateway application is normally loaded in-process by the Gateway Server. This allows the Gateway application to integrate with the management and configuration facilities provided by the Gateway Server, in addition to being able to provide services to end users.
  • the Gateway application handles calls, and interacts with users in order to collect the necessary information to complete calls on behalf of the user.
  • the Gateway application handles both network calls and telephony calls, and handles inbound or outbound calls of each of those types.
  • the user may be prompted for their identification (step 1320). If so, the identification entered by the user will be processed to ensure that it is correct, and the call will proceed (step 1330);
  • E.164 translator also called a E.164 parser
  • Fig. 18 The number dialed by the user is translated using a E.164 translator (also called a E.164 parser) (described in the section on routing and number translation below) into a standardized format (Fig. 18);
  • the Routing Manager 352 is used to find routes that match the number dialed by the user.
  • the routes can come from a number of sources. The process used to find routes is discussed below;
  • the routes are prioritized according to the configuration ofthe system, as described in the routing model section below, various types of routes can be implemented to accommodate user requirements;
  • Gateway service the user may also be informed of their current balance, and how long the call will be allowed to last; - The call is placed according to information contained in the route. If a connection is established to the remote party, then the call proceeds as normal.
  • the system plays a message indicating why the call could not be completed and optionally prompts the user for another number to call (for instance, step 1445 of Fig. 14); - If the call is connected successfully, and the called party hangs up, the calling party will be informed, and optionally asked for a second number to call. If the calling party hangs up, the called party will be disconnected;
  • a cause code will indicate whether or not the call was successful (and why).
  • the Gateway application window 9402 can be viewed by opening the "Gateway Service” node in the configuration tree, which is visible when the "Services" root level node of the configuration tree is expanded.
  • Tabs 9404 There are three panels accessed from Tabs 9404 that allow the configuration ofthe Gateway application. These panels are shown in Figs.94- 96. The tabs 9404 at the top of the window allow these panels to be navigated between.
  • General Settings panel 9406 allows general Gateway application configuration options to be configured. There are only three parameters that can be configured on this panel:
  • This parameter determines whether or not the user will be allowed to make follow on calls. This refers to the capability of placing a second (and third, and so forth) call after the first call has been disconnected, without hanging up and calling back into the system. If the Gateway application serves live users, this is generally a useful feature; however, if the Gateway Server is interfaced to an automated switch, then this functionality is generally not necessary.
  • Maximum number of retries To limit the length of time that a particular line can be tied up, there is a limit to the maximum number of retries that can be entered by a user. This field controls how many times a user can try to unsuccessfully make a call before they will be disconnected by the system. Call Charge Preferences. This field allows the selection ofthe strategy for charging calls placed using the Gateway application. The possible selections are as follows:
  • -Credit Calls will be made in a post-billed mode. Debit will not be used for calls, and calls will not be made without a charge applied; -Credit/Debit. Calls will be made in a post-billed mode. However, if the user ofthe system does not have credit enabled on their account, but have debit enabled, then debit will be used to place the call;
  • the call charge preferences depend on the number dialed, and are contained in the route.
  • the country/area code settings panel 9502 shown in Fig. 95, allows one to provide information about his or her local calling area to the Gateway service.
  • the Gateway service is provided by the Gateway Server. It includes, but is not limited to, handling calls, bridging communications systems, and providing access to other systems, such as databases, routing servers, etc. This is used to provide a dialing plan that emulates the dialing plan provided by the local telephone company in that area. There are four parameters that one needs to configure. As shown in Fig.
  • these parameters are the international prefix, national prefix, country code, and area code.
  • the way that these parameters operate is as follows. After the user enters the number, it goes through the following three steps prior to being inte ⁇ reted by the system: - If the number is prefixed by the international prefix (i.e. the sequence of digits normally used to dial an international number), then the international prefix is stripped off, and the number is inte ⁇ reted;
  • the national prefix i.e. the sequence of digits normally used to dial a domestic long distance number
  • the national prefix is stripped off, the country code is added to the front ofthe dialed digits, and the number is inte ⁇ reted
  • - 01117035551234 matches the international prefix and is processed as 17035551234; - 1612345678 matches the national prefix and is processed as
  • dialed number When the dialed number is sent for processing and route resolution, it is always required to be in a fully resolved format that contains the country code, area code, and local number. This way, routing information can be shared between Gateway Servers in different areas without modification. If routes were simply based on digits dialed by users, locale differences would prevent this from being possible.
  • Advanced panel 9602 contains settings that do not normally require modification. The settings available on this panel are shown in Fig. 96 and discussed below.
  • the Gateway application will try to place a call using the optimal route, and ask for user identification if necessary. If some users cannot be identified, this could cause difficulty since even if multiple routes exist, they will not be tried if the user cannot enter their identification code when the first route is tried and requires identification. To circumvent this situation, it is possible to enable the first possible route (that can be used with the current credentials) to be tried first, rather than the optimal route.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un procédé, un système et un produit informatique permettant d'acheminer le trafic réseau (appels de téléphonie sur Internet, VoIP), ce qui augmente les capacités des systèmes existants par une orientation plus rapide et plus efficace du trafic réseau. Un système de gestion du routage comprend un gestionnaire de routage qui conserve une listes de trajets locaux, crée et gère des connexions vers des serveurs de routage, exporte des trajets vers lesdits serveurs, importe des trajets disséminés provenant de ces serveurs, obtient des trajets dynamiques et globaux fixes provenant desdits serveurs, met en antémémoire lesdits trajets pour des utilisations futures, trouve tous les trajets correspondants pour un numéro particulier composé par l'utilisateur et donne la priorité aux trajets en fonction d'informations de synchronisation, d'accès et d'ordre, Selon un autre mode de réalisation, au moins un serveur de routage offre des services de recherche de serveurs passerelles, permet l'exportation de trajets locaux provenant de ces serveurs, et distribue des données de traduction; et au moins un serveur passerelle traite des appels reçus sur les réseaux du protocole internet ou de téléphonie classiques. Le serveur passerelle relie les différents types de réseaux, interagit avec les utilisateurs, faisant l'interface avec le système de routage.
PCT/US2000/000009 1999-09-10 2000-01-10 Systeme de gestion de serveurs et services de routage Ceased WO2001020859A1 (fr)

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AU27179/00A AU2717900A (en) 1999-09-10 2000-01-10 System for managing routing servers and services

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US09/393,658 1999-09-10
US09/393,658 US6760324B1 (en) 1999-09-10 1999-09-10 Method, system, and computer program product for providing voice over the internet communication
US17375099P 1999-12-30 1999-12-30
US60/173,750 1999-12-30

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WO2002052826A1 (fr) * 2000-12-22 2002-07-04 Eads Telecom Procede d'etablissement de chemins de communication entre des points d'acces d'un systeme de commutation, et systeme de commutation mettant en oeuvre le procede
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US7543063B1 (en) 2002-05-10 2009-06-02 Cisco Technology, Inc. Device to terminate a modem relay channel directly to an IP network
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US7263183B1 (en) 2003-08-11 2007-08-28 At&T Corp. Method and system for assigning tasks to workers
US10594867B2 (en) 2003-08-11 2020-03-17 At&T Intellctual Property Ii, L.P. Task assignments to workers
US10257356B2 (en) 2003-08-11 2019-04-09 At&T Intellectual Property Ii, L.P. Task assignments to workers
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CN1954543A (zh) * 2004-04-14 2007-04-25 数码河股份有限公司 基于地理位置的许可系统
RU2454013C2 (ru) * 2005-08-31 2012-06-20 Майкрософт Корпорейшн УПРАВЛЕНИЕ ПЕРЕДАЧЕЙ РЕЧИ ПО ИНТЕРНЕТ-ПРОТОКОЛУ (VoIP)
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WO2007027439A1 (fr) * 2005-08-31 2007-03-08 Microsoft Corporation Gestion d'un systeme vocal sur internet (voip)
CN107027107A (zh) * 2017-03-07 2017-08-08 杭州承联通信技术有限公司 一种集群交换中心组呼并入方法及冲突解决方法
CN107027107B (zh) * 2017-03-07 2019-12-13 杭州承联通信技术有限公司 一种集群交换中心组呼并入方法及冲突解决方法

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