In this two part series, we look at the fundamentals of Avaya Aura Contact Center Scripting. Scripting design can be classified into four primary components:

1. Call Sorting/Filtering
2. Closed Condition Check
   • Scheduled Closures
     • Holidays
     • Weekends and after hours
   • Unscheduled Closures
     • Meeting/Emergency/Issue that arises during business hours
     • Weather conditions or circumstances that prevent agents from staffing the contact center
     • Skillset closed during regular business hours
3. Basic Treatment
   • Queuing
   • Initial Announcements
4. Loop Function
   • Repeat announcements
   • Check for changes to the call’s status

Almost all well-written scripts have code that meets the above criteria. You’ll certainly encounter scripts that have more than the above — especially when integrating the Contact Center Manager Server with other systems, but we’ll focus on the basics. It’s astounding how much scripting logic you can extrapolate/create/discover once you understand the fundamentals.

Call Sorting/Filtering

This process takes place in the master script of identifying the purpose of the call and distributing it to the appropriate primary script.

Closed Condition Check

We’ll start with the second point in the outline. The key to understanding scripting logic — the essence of transforming the outline above to actual code — is the IF-THEN-END IF statement and its brother, the IF-THEN-ELSE-END IF statement. Fundamental to mastering the art of script writing is learning how to play the contingency game. Think like a boy scout and be prepared. It’s all well and good if the contact center is open, agents are logged in, there aren’t too many calls waiting, and it’s sunny outside. But what if the contact center is closed, all the agents are logged out, there are lots of calls waiting, or there’s a storm?

Conditions vary in a call center, and we must determine the current conditions for the caller in order to process his call appropriately.

The IF-THEN-END IF is the scripting language method for asking a question and processing the answer. The Contact Center manages all kinds of conditional information in the form of intrinsics. Circumstances continually change, and intrinsics tell us the current state of affairs. Our job as script writers is to know how to ask the right questions and when to ask them. The outline above identifies the “what” and the “when”; let’s address the “how.”

Scheduled Closures

Consider:

IF DATE = JAN 1 THEN
GIVE RAN 30
DISCONNECT
END IF

The question we’re asking here is, “what is the date for the call being processed?” If the system answers that indeed the caller reached our contact center on the first day of the year, the system will execute the THEN statements. In this instance, our caller will hear a recording from RAN 30 and then be disconnected. There is no need to examine any further script instructions because the call center is not open for business.

How about:

IF DAY OF WEEK = SATURDAY..SUNDAY
OR TIME OF DAY <> 8:00..16:59 THEN
GIVE RAN 31
DISCONNECT
END IF

Now we’re asking two questions in one statement: is it the weekend or outside of regular business hours? The “OR” on the second line indicates that either condition is acceptable for identifying a scheduled closure. The business will be closed on the weekend or when the time of day is not (the “<>” means “not equal to”) during normal business hours.

Unscheduled closures

IF NOT LOGGED OUT AGENT 12345 THEN
GIVE RAN 32
DISCONNECT
END IF

If an unplanned closure (e.g., meeting, network problem, building evacuation) needs to occur during regular business hours, there are a variety of ways to address the situation through scripting. The most common approach is to implement the “emergency agent.” An agent profile is created in Contact Center Management that doesn’t belong to an actual person. Instead, the supervisor or administrator logs in the emergency agent when the unscheduled event occurs. There is no intrinsic for “logged in agent;” therefore, we must employ a double negative. If the agent is not logged out, he is logged in.

IF weather_boolean_gv = TRUE THEN
GIVE RAN 33
DISCONNECT
END IF

This works very well when the unscheduled event takes place while the contact center is staffed. We must take a different approach when weather conditions prevent personnel from reaching the contact center in the first place. A variable that can be set to TRUE or FALSE (weather_boolean_gv) is configured and assigned a value of FALSE for regular call processing. When weather or some other event prevents agents from physically staffing the call center, an administrator makes a browser connection to the CCMA (Contact Center Manager Administration) interface (typically via Virtual Private Network) and changes the value of the variable to TRUE. Now callers will hear the announcement in RAN 33.

IF NOT OUT OF SERVICE customer_service_sk THEN
QUEUE TO SKILLSET customer_service_sk
WAIT 2
ELSE
GIVE RAN 34
DISCONNECT
END IF

Whoa! What’s happening here? Now the ELSE clause makes an appearance. Let’s make sense of this. The condition we’re evaluating is the status of the skillset. We checked for scheduled and unscheduled closures. It’s possible that the call arrives during regular business hours and no previous unscheduled closure check is in effect. However, we must determine if one or more agents is staffing the skillset. During a shift change, a faulty Agent to Skillset Assignment or simply tardy agents could cause the skillset to be out of service.

The condition evaluated in our IF statement is whether the skillset is in service (open). Again we must use a double-negative to determine something positive. If the skillset is staffed, we queue the call to the skillset (the THEN statements are executed). When the skillset is not staffed, our IF condition is FALSE, and, as a result, the ELSE statements are executed. Consider how this example varies from the previous examples that lacked an ELSE clause. The issue is what happens when the condition (intrinsic) being evaluated by the IF statement is not met. When there is no ELSE clause, the system follows the next command — that which follows the END IF — provided, of course, that we did not disconnect the call. When there is an ELSE clause, the system follows the instructions that follow the ELSE when the IF condition is not met.

This post is excerpted and reused with permission from Avaya Aura Contact Center Scripting Demystified by Brett Hanson.

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In the second of this two part series, we continue to look at the fundamentals of Avaya Aura Contact Center Scripting, specifically these two sections:

1. Basic Treatment
   • Queuing
   • Initial Announcements
2. Loop Function
   • Repeat announcements
   • Check for changes to the call’s status

Basic Treatment

Queuing

After checking for scheduled and unscheduled closures, our scripting logic dictates that we must be open if the call made it to this point in the script (in other words, we haven’t disconnected or otherwise treated our call for a closed condition). Our previous action was to queue the call to the appropriate skillset, provided that the skillset was in service. If an agent is available, the Contact Center Manager Server uses Skill Based Routing to direct the call to an agent. If no agents are available, the call continues through your script commandsm, and now is the time to play an announcement indicating the name of the business and the status of the agents.

(It’s important to note that the announcement can be played before the call is queued, especially if the message must be heard by all callers — such as a legal disclaimer.)

The GIVE RAN or GIVE IVR command is used to play the message. Use GIVE RAN if you have RAN routes, use GIVE IVR if you have CallPilot or a voice messaging system.

Skillset Intrinsics

An option at this point is to use skillset intrinsics to assess the skillset’s status. If the skillset is particularly busy, you can provide some additional option or treatment to the call. Instead of automatically playing a message about “the agents are busy and will be with you shortly,” you can determine if the wait is likely to be longer than usual and provide the option to leave a message:

IF THE QUEUED COUNT customer_service_sk >
3 * LOGGED AGENT COUNT customer_service_sk THEN
GIVE IVR 8000 WITH TREATMENT 1000
ELSE
GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 2000
END IF

In this case, we analyze the number of callers in the skillset queue and compare that value to the number of agents logged into the queue. If the number of waiting callers is more than three times the number of agents staffing the queue, the caller is directed to IVR (CallPilot) queue and presented with a menu service that informs the caller of situation and gives him the option to leave a message (1000 is an entry in the Service Directory Number table of CallPilot that points to the menu service).

If the described criteria isn’t met, the call is pointed to the ELSE clause, and the caller hears the standard announcement naming the company and the intent to answer the call as soon as possible. The INTERRUPTIBLE syntax is required when using the GIVE IVR command while the call is queued so the CCMS can deliver the call to an agent if one becomes available during the playback of the announcement. As a reminder, the code we’re discussing would immediately follow the END IF portion of the IF statement that checked for the status of the skillset and queued the call when the skillset was in service.

Now that the caller heard the initial message (provided he didn’t opt out by leaving a message and hanging up), use the GIVE MUSIC command to play music until the next announcement is played.

Loop Function

Oh no! The dreaded loop! No one wants to be here because now the wait time is starting to grow. While we can’t make the agents work faster through script commands, there are a few simple techniques we can use that will make the extended wait more interesting. How about this:

(a) ASSIGN 1 TO Loop_counter
(b) SECTION Loop_Around
© WAIT 45
(d) IF NOT QUEUED THEN
GIVE RAN 35
DISCONNECT
END IF
(e) IF NOT LOGGED OUT AGENT 12345 THEN
GIVE RAN 32
DISCONNECT
END IF
(f) WHERE Loop_counter EQUALS
VALUE 1: GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 3001
VALUE 2: GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 3002
VALUE 3: GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 3003
VALUE 4: GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 3004
VALUE 5: GIVE IVR INTERRUPTIBLE 8000 WITH TREATMENT 3005
ASSIGN 0 TO Loop_counter
END WHERE
(g) ASSIGN Loop_counter + 1 TO Loop_counter
(h) EXECUTE Loop_Around

Let’s examine what takes place in this loop.

(a) The code declares an initial value for the call variable Loop_counter. It’s like saying, “X = 1”; Loop_counter is like X in a simple math formula. We use this call variable to keep track of how many times the caller passes through the loop. Since the call is about to pass through the loop for the first time, we set the value to 1.

(b) This is a sign post; a reference point. The system returns to this line as a result of the last line of instruction in the loop (h).

© This WAIT command is filled with music from the previous GIVE MUSIC command.

(d) Here we make sure that the call is still queued. If the agents log out during the call’s wait in the loop or if an assignment puts all of the agents staffing the skillset into standby, then we detect the fact that now the caller won’t get answered and give him the sad news before we disconnect. Of course this should rarely occur, but it is an important fail-safe.

(e) The “emergency” agent might get logged in while the caller waits in the loop. We must identify this change of events and respond accordingly. It’s exactly the same code we discussed in the Unscheduled Closures section.

(f) This code can make a big difference in the caller’s perception of the wait process. What we’re doing here is looking at the value of the Loop_counter and playing a different announcement each cycle through the loop. This is possible because we change the value of the loop counter each time the call passes through the loop (see (g) below for the explanation of how the Loop_counter is changing). Company history, interesting facts, even jokes could serve as the content of these announcements. The ASSIGN 0 TO Loop_counter starts the series of recordings all over again after the fifth pass through the loop. You can create more recordings and corresponding VALUE statements if you expect longer wait times.

(g) The system increases the value of the variable each time the call executes the loop via the instructions in this line. This code takes the current value of our call variable and increases it by 1. If Loop_counter is a value of 1 at the beginning of the statement, it becomes a value of 2 by the end.

(h) This line tells the system to continue the loop by going to the section with the same name (b).

Scripting doesn’t seem quite so mysterious now, does it? The outline (four primary components) provides flow and order. The IF-THEN-END-IF lets us examine the current conditions for the call and respond accordingly.

This post is excerpted and reused with permission from Avaya Aura Contact Center Scripting Demystified by Brett Hanson.

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As many of you work on integrating Avaya Aura System and Session Manager into your networks, the case for troubleshooting will indeed occur.

There are built in tests in the System Manager that allow you to run tests on fourteen different areas, including Session Manager. But what do you do with the results when you get them?

I am going to outline six of the most common problems and solutions when installing and implementing System and Session Manager and what steps you can take to troubleshoot and correct the problem.

1. Symptom: Session or System Manager tests fail hostname resolution.
   Remedy: Putty to Session Manager and log in using craft/craft01
   then, su – sroot/sroot01. Or System Manager, log in using admin/admin
   then su – root/root01 Type in cd /etc, then press enter. Type more hosts and verify the hosts table has an entry for both Session Manager and System Manager. If an entry is missing, from the location you are currently at,type vi hosts. This will bring you into edit mode for the hosts table. Position your cursor at the end of the existing entry, then press I for insert mode. Hit enter to begin a new line in the Hosts file and enter the missing entry. Upon completion of the entry. Press escape and then Type :wq! To write the file and exit the table. Go back to System Manager and run your tests from the Session Manager dashboard to verify tests will now Pass.
2. Symptom: Session Manager Security Module wont come up
   Remedy: Putty to Session Manager and log in using craft/craft01
   Then, su – sroot/sroot01. Type ifconfig >text, then type in more text and verify that ETH2 or ETH3 is set with the SIP Entity address (.xxx). If there is no entry, then type ifconfig eth2/3 xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx(IP Address) netmask xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx up, then enter. Go back to System Manager and verify the security module is up and operating at the  Session Manager Dashboard level.
3. Symptom: Calls will not route through Session Manager
   Remedy: Verify SIP ETH is up and running using the above steps.
4. Symptom: Entity Links show down or none at all
   Remedy: Verify date in Session Manager and System Manager(*).
   Type in Date at the CLI through Putty. Correct date by logging into Session or System Manager and then   typing in date –set=”12 JULY 2011 13:00:00”(Date/Time)
5. Symptom: Entity Links show down or none at all
   Remedy: Putty into Session Manager using craft/craft01, then su – sroot/sroot01. Type in initDRS to allow database replication to occur. Verify Links are up through System Manager Session Manager dashboard.
6. Symptom: Trust Management failed
   Remedy: Log into System Manager, then go to Security,Certificates, Enrollment Password and verify password is still active and valid. Next putty into Session Manager using craft/craft01, then su – sroot/sroot01 type in initTM to establish Trust Management.

Now keep in mind that these are the most commonly occurring faults you will encounter during an Install or Upgrade to your System and Session Manager. Other troubles can occur, but using this information will help you in your implementation of the Avaya System and Session Manager.

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Faced with growing user demands for information access — and a huge proliferation in the number of systems, networks, applications, and devices — enterprise communications architectures are rapidly growing in cost and complexity. In many cases these architectures have evolved into unwieldy, inflexible structures that are costly to maintain and difficult to adapt in today’s fluid, fast-paced, business environment. Avaya addresses this growing challenge through Avaya Aura, a real-time communications architecture using session-based, collaboration technologies.

The Challenge of the Mobile Enterprise

Solutions that make it easy for colleagues, partners, and customers to stay in touch often do little to help them work together. As a result, today’s enterprise workforce is more mobile and more connected, but not necessarily more productive.

Interactions that were taken for granted when employees worked face-to-face become a significant challenge in a world where well over half the workforce is routinely out of the office.

Free-flowing collaboration — the kind that occurs across a conference table or in front of a white board — becomes problematic when everyone is in a different location, connected via a different network, using a different system or device with its own unique interface. Where context (relevant information to the task at hand) was once provided by location, the job, or project, in today’s mobile environment that context can often be missing — unless your communications solutions can supply it.

While they provide convenient connectivity and information access, traditional communications architectures — separate, location-specific solutions for voice or video, wired or wireless, legacy (TDM) or VoIP — are inadequate when it comes to enhancing the performance of today’s anytime/anywhere enterprise. They are also costly to adapt and manage. According to Yankee Group analyst Zeus Kerrevala, in this new era of collaboration and business performance, “A new architecture for communications is required.”

Supporting People-Centric Collaboration

Avaya developed Avaya Aura specifically to address the needs of people-centric collaboration in today’s mobile enterprise.

Using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) architecture, Avaya Aura unifies media, networks, devices, applications, and presence across a common infrastructure.

Not only do users know who is calling, e-mailing, or texting but they also have the context: previous e-mails, instant messages, screen pops of customer or partner information, or charts and data relevant to the conversation.

Existing PBXs and other third-party communications resources can be combined into a centrally managed infrastructure, standardizing the core environment, and delivering immediate paybacks in network access, management, and operational costs, while laying the foundation for collaborative solutions, such as video, rich presence and the Avaya Flare Experience.

Balancing Costs, Risks, and Future Growth

Making the transition from single-purpose solutions to an integrated, multi-modal communications architecture can seem daunting:

• The need to leverage and rationalize current investments in network systems, resources, and training, must be balanced against future business growth.
• Centralized control over core services — the key to consistency, lower costs, and reduced complexity — must be balanced against the need for on-demand access to collaborative applications.
• Changing user preferences and popular new devices must be accommodated, but with an eye towards the needs of the enterprise as a whole.
• Streamlined installation, deployment, and management policies must take into account privacy and security needs, protecting the personal data of employees and customers.

An Enterprise Communications Architecture

Avaya Aura is made up of the following solution components:

Avaya Aura Session Manager supports the innovative session-based architecture that makes it possible to manage users and multimedia communications features across complex enterprise networks, including across both Avaya and third party communications systems.

Session Manager provides the capabilities to integrate and inter-operate PBXs and other communications systems, provides users in any location with access to real-time communications services, and enables them to take their communications “profile” with them anywhere in the network.

Avaya Aura Communication Manager builds on the Session Manager core to provide a comprehensive software foundation for real-time voice and video communications. Avaya Aura Communication Manager delivers more than 700 services for unified communications, including support for mobility, contact center, messaging, auto attendant, advanced conference calling, and E911.

Avaya Aura Communication Manager can be deployed as either a centralized SIP Feature Server for SIP end points or as an Evolution Server, supporting a mix of new and existing DCP, analog, and H.323 devices.

Avaya Aura Presence Services integrates and distributes rich presence capabilities across a wide range of business environments. A multi-protocol, open-standards-based (SIP/SIMPLE and XMPP) platform, Avaya Aura Presence Services is designed to collect, aggregate, and publish presence from and to multiple sources and clients, serving as a common collection/distribution point. In addition to serving clients and collecting from sources across the Avaya portfolio, Avaya Aura Presence Services operates across Microsoft desktop applications as well as other third-party sources. Avaya Aura Presence Services can be implemented without incurring the expense of third-party solutions.

Avaya Aura System Platform takes advantage of virtualization technology, enabling enterprises to consolidate applications in a single server, driving significant cost savings while simplifying installation, licensing, management, network utilities, backup, upgrades, and remote monitoring. An example of this is the Avaya Aura Solution for Midsize Enterprise that combines the Avaya Aura core components into a single server.

Avaya Aura System Manager is a centralized, secure, browser-based management console that provides network administrators with an integrated solution for network management. It includes provisioning, user administration, dial-plan management, routing policies, security and fault/performance monitoring, and licensing.

Delivering a common, enterprise-wide management framework across users, capabilities, and applications — including other vendor’s solutions — results in better data consistency, faster deployment, lower total-cost-of-ownership, and less training.

Avaya Aura Session Border Controller secures the real time interactive communications that flow beyond the borders of your internal network. Avaya Aura Session Border Controller is a virtualized application on Avaya Aura System Platform that enables your unified communications and contact center solutions to securely leverage SIP, while simultaneously extending the power of the Avaya Aura architecture throughout your enterprise.

Avaya Aura Application Enablement Services is a set of software interfaces that provide connectivity between external applications and Avaya Aura Communication Manager. Using Application Enablement Services, software developers can write client applications in the programming language or protocol of their choice.

Avaya Aura Applications

Avaya Aura-based networks deliver advanced communications applications for voice, video, mobility, messaging, conferencing, contact center, and more. These include:

• Avaya Flare Experience: collaboration experience that brings together people, presence, contacts, directories, calendars, e-mail, web and social media content, documents, and other information into a communications experience.
• Avaya Video Solutions: High-definitionnvideo for individuals and workgroups across the enterprise.
• Avaya Aura Conferencing: Carrier-grade, on-premises multi-modal conferencing suite for audio, video, and fully integrated web-based communications.
• Avaya Aura Messaging: Provides you with control of your messaging environment, managing texts, e-mails, voicemails, and instant messages in one format.
• Avaya web.alive: Meet, sell, and learn in a real-time, web environment, featuring 3D graphics and audio.
• DevConnect Applications: An extensive array of third-party applications for vertical market requirements and specific customer needs helps you get the most from your Avaya Aura solution.

Each application can be separately scaled, enabling customers to flexibly introduce applications for targeted users and then incrementally expand to broader user populations over time.

These applications benefit from multi-vendor, SIP interoperability, and Avaya’s industry-leading position in implementing advanced mobility features.

Simplifying Connectivity

Avaya Aura allows users to take advantage of the widest possible array of end-user devices — whatever meets their needs most effectively, depending on whether they are in the office, on the road, at home, or another location.

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In this post, we are going sort through the evolution of the different programs that have been used over the years to create call processing instructions. We will explore how programming progressed from exclusively text-based scripting to scripts and graphical-based flows.  

Tips for working with flows will be described. We will discuss the introduction of the Contact Router and different ways of supporting the first place (Contact Router or Master script) where all contacts are processed.

First, some terminology and Mnemonics:

• Script – text-based call processing instructions
• Flow – Graphical-based call processing instructions
• Application [meaning 1] – Call Processing Instructions (text or graphical) Think “call processing application” (When the term Application is used in this document, it is with this meaning)
• Application [meaning 2] – Reporting based on calls following the call processing instructions (as derived from Primary script/flow).  Think “reporting application”
• Block – an object in a flow representing the equivalent of specific text script instructions
• Service Creation Environment (SCE)
• Orchestration Designer (OD)
• Service Pack (SP) –  Software update and fixes  for AACC (i.e., SP5 = Service Pack 5)
• Avaya Aura Experience Portal (formerly known as Avaya Voice Portal) – Self Service/Integrated Voice Response (IVR) system
• Contact Center Manager Administration (CCMA) – this server provides the Graphical User Interface between the Contact Center Manager Server (CCMS) database and the person using the database (e.g., the browser of the AACC Administrator or Supervisor)
• Chronological order of the last three software releases from oldest  to newest:
  CC6, CC7, AACC 6

By examining the Avaya Aura Contact Center’s transformation from scripts to applications (scripts and flows), we will be in the best position to understand the current state of call processing design. This is because the latest processes can be traced to the original software. Perhaps you have used one or more of the previous interfaces? How has the program for creating Avaya Aura Contact Center Call Processing instructions evolved?

For a long time, writing text-based scripts were the application designer’s only option – first in a thick client (software installed on the script-writer’s PC) and then in a thin client (the script design occurred within the browser window). In the release prior to AACC6 (CC7), the Service Creation Environment (SCE) was introduced. SCE is based on Eclipse software.  It is a program that the application designer installs from CCMA to his computer. The ability to create Graphical Flows is the main reason for the change from the browser-based scripting to the Service Creation Environment and later options. Avaya rebranded the Service Creation Environment as the Orchestration Designer (OD) as a part of the AACC 6.2 release. OD provides mostly cosmetic changes to the appearance of the block icons when compared to SCE. Avaya Aura Experience Portal contact flows can be designed with a separate plug-in for Orchestration Designer.

1. Thick Client model (Heritage releases 1–5)
2. Browser Based (Heritage CC6)
3. Eclipse Platform (Heritage CC7 to present)

a)      Introduced to provide support for graphical flows

b)      Using browser to write scripts is not an option

c)       Initially called Service Creation Environment (SCE)

d)      Now called Orchestration Designer (AACC 6.2 – SP4 and higher)

We have noted that the last two software releases provide us with the ability to create graphical flows as well as scripts. How do we handle the choice between working with a script or a flow? What considerations and options should be evaluated when working with SCE or OD?

The two greatest challenges to the script writer are to know all possible conditions a call/contact might encounter and to design instructions to properly identify and address each condition. As with any language, developing the vocabulary of scripting takes time and practice. The graphical flow capability of SCE/OD addresses the issue of learning the scripting language because the scripting complexity is replaced with blocks that represent the code. The flow format was introduced to accelerate the ability to write applications.

Next week we’ll finish with working between a script and a flow.

Excerpted and available for download from Global Knowledge: Going with the Flow: How to use Orchestration Designer successfully in support of the Avaya Aura Contact Center

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When given the option, how does one determine whether to work with a script or a flow? Is one format better than the other? What factors should be considered? Let’s explore! Arguments in favor of scripting:

• “I know how to work with text.”
• “I can interpret a script more easily than a flow.”
• “I can create a script much more quickly than I can a flow.”
• “I am supporting an existing system and scripts are already in place.”

Flows can be preferable because:

• “I don’t have to learn the scripting language.”
• “The picture is easier to follow than words.”
• “The flow creates an easy sign-off document for customer acceptance.  I don’t have to generate a separate flow chart in a different program.”
• “The system is a new installation and the customer wants to make changes after the system in place.”

Ultimately the decision to use scripts or flows is a subjective decision based on the designer’s preference and the customer’s requirements. At this point there is no compelling reason to choose one or the other from a technical point of view (it has been observed that the flows require more code and as a result they use more server resources than scripts during call-processing, but the difference usually isn’t significant.) Generally, novices to application design gravitate to flows (at least initially), and experienced script writers prefer to stick to scripting.

I urge any person supporting AACC call processing applications to become versed in both text and graphical representations. To the person who prefers flows, it is difficult to make the case to learn the scripting language because the whole point of introducing the flow format is to eliminate that very requirement. However, if you support multiple installations of AACC, the odds are strong that you will eventually encounter scripts. If a person has designs on becoming a well-rounded AACC specialist, scripting should be mastered. Also, some application concepts can only be implemented as text. For example, the EVENT HANDLER must be designed in a custom block (a block that contains text-based script within a flow).

Complaints from experienced application designers include frustration over the extra time that flows take to construct as opposed to text scripts with the same functionality. This argument is valid because inserting, defining, explaining (listing comments), and connecting the blocks is more time-consuming than writing text if you already know how to write the code. It is a challenge to design the icons that represent the blocks because it is difficult to represent an abstract idea in an image-evoking symbol. The details sought by the accomplished analyzer of scripts are not as apparent in the blocks. Thus there can be a degree of disappoint at the lack of intuitiveness in reading a flow.

In view of these protestations, how do we optimize the use of flows? Experienced script writers need to be able to work with flows because they will likely encounter them at some point in their AACC career.  Here are four suggestions that will benefit any flow designer:

1. SCE and OD provide the ability to convert scripts to flows. Flows can be exported as scripts. A person experienced with scripts and new to flows can create a flow and then export and convert it as a script to verify his work and develop skills in working with flows. One could also write a script and then convert it to a flow to satisfy the AACC implementation that will be supported with graphical call flows. The process of converting a script to a flow takes place in local view.  The system does not automatically keep a copy of the text version before converting the application to flow. Be sure to make a copy (save-as or export) of the original text format as a point of reference before the conversion process.
2. Post-it or sticky-notes can be added to flows. It is strongly advised that these tools be used with most blocks to facilitate the reading of a flow without requiring a drill-down into the block details. The flow reader can hover the mouse over the note to reveal its contents.
3. Flows become easier to create when they are designed in a consistent manner. One can establish a rhythm by following a steady pattern as blocks are inserted into a flow. For example, upon adding a block you would:
4. Connect it to the source block
5. Open the block and navigate to the first worksheet (lower left tab); assign a meaningful and descriptive name
6. Select the next worksheet and specify the details unique to the block
7. Add the next block and repeat
8. Consider that one of the most common tasks in application design is to test for a condition to determine the most appropriate way to process the contact based on the result of the examination of the condition. In other words, the conditional test is performed first, and the appropriate action is taken second. In the text-based scripting, this is accomplished with the IF-THEN-END IF statement. When designing flows, you will discover that there are two ways to test for a condition: use the logic block or the Transition worksheet within a block. While the Transition worksheet can be used effectively, it can also create awkward results. When the Transition worksheet (within a block other than the logic block) is employed, it is testing the condition for the next block, not the block in which it resides. Working with the Transition worksheet within a block can give the suggestion that the action is going to occur before the conditional test. The logic block facilitates the natural flow of condition testing by distinguishing the conditional test as preceding the action.

With Avaya Aura Contact Center 6, the Contact Router was introduced. All contacts must first pass through the Contact Router. Its job is to identify the contact and pass the contact to the intended primary application. The Contact Router (graphical interface) replaces the Master Script (text interface) of previous releases. The sorting/filtering/traffic-cop function is the same for both views. The Contact Router simplifies the task with its Graphical User Interface. Think of the Contact Router as a specialized, streamlined view of the Master Script. If the routing needs of the supported system align with Avaya’s design intent, then a “best practice” is being followed and the Contact Router is sufficient.

However, other scenarios exist. When the Contact Router is part of the AACC solution, the option to view the Contact Router as a flow is available. The flow version is used if changes need to be made that are not available in the Contact Router. For example, sometimes an announcement is to be played to the caller from the Master Application prior to passing the call to the primary application for reporting purposes. When the flow view is used for updating call-processing design, all subsequent changes must be made in the flow format. Reverting to use of the Contact Router will cause the changes made in the flow to be lost (one is forced by the application to save a copy of the flow before switching back to the Contact Router after changes have been made in the flow format.)

Another alternative is to create a Master Script in the local view. Synchronizing allows the application designer to implement the text-based script in Contact Center view, replacing the Contact Router/flow interfaces. This strategy should only be employed by a person with considerable experience. Multimedia contact processing is not revealed in the Contact Router, but is present, all the same. The flow view shows the multimedia contact handling. If a master script is created as described, one must account for the multimedia contacts if multimedia is part of the AACC solution.

Excerpted and available for download from Global Knowledge: Going with the Flow: How to use Orchestration Designer successfully in support of the Avaya Aura Contact Center

Related Posts
The Basics of Avaya Aura Contact Center Scripting
Avaya Aura: The Communications Infrastructure for People-Centric Collaboration

Related Course
Avaya Aura® Contact Center — Orchestration Designer Scripting (3610)
Avaya Certified Support Specialist (ACSS) — Avaya Aura® Contact Center

If the AACC system you are supporting was upgraded from a previous release, the master script will be preserved in text format. Following the suggestions in these posts will help you to work more effectively with the Orchestration Designer.

Avaya Aura Messaging (AAM) is the newest messaging product for the Avaya Aura platform.
AAM brings flexibility that’s beneficial in today’s market place with Linux-based servers, system platform virtualization, and SIP installations for compatibility with the Avaya Communication Manager and the Avaya CS1000 call servers. AAM provides three separate options for end-users to store and access messages.
With AAM, customers can store and retrieve messages from within the Avaya Message Store, Microsoft Exchange Server, or a combination of both.

1. Every company has the option of choosing to keep messages on the Avaya Message Store server, thereby keeping the voice messages totally separate from the data network.
2. Another option is to stream voice messages directly to the Exchange server, making access to voice mail and email more rapid as they are both available through a single interface.
3. The most flexible option is a combination — to keep the messages stored on the Avaya Message Store server but to also make them available through an IMAP4/POP3 email account on the Exchange server.

We are going to take a look at how these three options can be configured on your AAM system.

Avaya Message Store: For customers who prefer to keep voice mail and e-mail completely separate, this will be their selection. There is no additional programming or configuring with this solution. You configure the system and by default it will send and store all voice messages directly on the Avaya Message store server.

Microsoft Exchange: Customers who want to allow a single interface for users to access both voice mail and e-mail will choose this option. This allows the off-loading of messages from the Avaya storage server to the Exchange Server. The user will log into their e-mail account for access to both.

Clientless Outlook Toolbar: Avaya Message Store and Microsoft Exchange: The most flexible options, with these choice messages, can be accessed using the TUI through Avaya Message Store or through Outlook. The messages will actually be stored on the Avaya storage server but can also be accessed through Outlook via an IMAP4 account. There will be companies and enterprises that will always insist on keeping the voice and data separate. However, the ability to unify voice and e-mail into a single interface can be viewed as a streamlined process for users that will be embraced by many companies. The flexibility provided through Avaya Aura Messaging and can fit into the needs and network requirements of any company.

Reproduced from Global Knowledge White Paper: Unifying Avaya Aura Messaging

Related Courses
Avaya Aura® Messaging Implementation (5C00062V)
Avaya Aura® Messaging Administration, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting (5C00063V)

Avaya’s new and improved certification website really is an improvement, but it can be a little tricky to navigate. Never fear. Here’s the scoop on how to achieve ACSS and ACIS certifications in Avaya Aura Communication Manager (CM) and Avaya Aura CM Messaging.   Go to avaya-learning.com. Create an account, or sign in with your existing account.

After signing in, you will see the screen below.

Select “Learning & Certification” from the menu across the top of the page.

Select “Credential Program” from the menu on the left.

At the screen above, select the “Implement & Support Credentials” tab.

Scroll down the page shown above and select “Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded” listed under “Unified Communications” as shown in the screenshot below.

At the two screens below, you’ll see the ACSS certification exams as well as recommended courses to help you prepare for them. Click the exam links to learn about exam objectives, so you’ll know what you should study.

As of April 2014, ACSS – Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded certification requires three exams: 6002, 3100, and 3101. I recommend that you take the following Avaya training and challenge the Avaya exams in this order: 1. Exam 6002

• Take Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Implementation (ATI02348IEN).
• Study CM Messaging implementation documentation.
• Take Exam 6002 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging Implementation Exam) to earn ACIS – Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

2. Exam 3100

• Take Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Administration (5U00041).
• Take Exam 3100 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager Administration Exam) towards ACSS – CM and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

3. Exam 3101

• Take Avaya Aura Communication Manager Maintenance and Troubleshooting (5U00040).
• Take Avaya Aura Communication Manager Messaging Embedded Administration, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting (5M00050).
• Take Exam 3101 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exam) to finish your ACSS – CM and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

There you have it! Remember to always check avaya-learning.com for the latest updated certification curriculum and exam objectives. Good luck!

The Avaya Aura product line offers many features to handle calls that come into one number and need to be answered my multiple phones. Here, I’ll show you how to use the Avaya Aura Communication Manager Team Button.

Team Button was originally developed for the European market and is available with Release CM 4.0 or higher.

A team is a virtual set of stations with a maximum of 15 team members, including the monitored station. One team button per “monitoring phone” can be configured. The “monitored team station” will have the team’s number as its call appearance.

Team members can be DCP phones and H.323 IP phones, either as monitoring stations or as the monitored station. The Team Button feature monitors members of a team of stations. The assignment of a team button on a station brings it automatically into the virtual team. The team button can be used as a Speed Dial Button or Pick-Up Button.

Team Button cannot be used to conference in an active call or make on outgoing call from a monitoring station. Team Button is not the same as Bridged Call Appearance in this respect.

Implementation
Programming a team button is done on page 5 of “change station XXXX” by adding a team button of the “monitored” station.

Configuring Additional Team Button Features

The most important books to get from support.avaya.com to get the job done are:

• “Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Feature Description and Implementation” (555–245-205)
• “Administering Avaya Aura Communication Manager” (03–300509)

Related Course
Avaya Aura Communication Manager Administration (5U00041)

Branch office survivability is an important consideration in most Avaya Aura Communication Manager (CM) deployments.

There are server-based survivability options available for Avaya Aura CM such as a Local Survivable Processor (LSP) or Enterprise Survivable Server (ESS) that provide Enhanced Local Survivability (ELS) due to the provisioning of a standby Simplex or S8300D server or in a Duplex deployment a survivable Duplex cluster. ELS offers full call feature functionality and full translations in the survivable mode. Standard Local Survivability (SLS) is a cost-effective alternative well suited to a branch location that does not have sophisticated telephony needs. In contrast to the server-based survivability features, SLS operates entirely from the H.248 Branch Gateway and requires a data set comprised of CM translations (survivable ARS analysis and configuration data).

When you log into a H.248 Media Gateway via CLI you have likely noticed the screen message “Survivable-call-engine is disabled.” Let’s take a look at what this means.

SLS is a survivable call processing engine that provides service to the branch gateway when it cannot reach CM. This engine is resident in the branch gateway firmware and provides basic telephony functions at a branch without being registered to CM. SLS provides a local G430 or G450 Branch Gateway with a limited subset of CM functionality when there is no IP-routed WAN link available to the main server or the main server is unavailable.

SLS is included as part of the resident firmware package that is installed as part of the Branch Gateway firmware upgrade.

For it to function correctly, the following conditions must be met:

• CM must be configured for SLS and Auto Fallback
• Data provisioning of the gateway (either via the Avaya Provisioning and Installation Manager [PIM] or manually using the CLI) must be completed
• SLS must be enabled on the Branch Gateway
• To activate any saved changes, the disable and enable SLS commands must be used together

The SLS features are:

• Call capability for analog, DCP and H.323 IP Phones
• ISDN BRI/PRI trunk interfaces
• Non-ISDN digital DS1 trunk interfaces
• Outbound dialing through local PSTN (local trunk gateway) from any station
• Inbound calls from each trunk to a preconfigured local phones that have registered
• Direct Inward Dialing
• Multiple call appearances
• Hold and call transfer functions
• Contact closure feature
• Local call progress tones (dial tone, busy, etc.)
• Emergency Transfer Relay (ETC) in cases of power loss
• Auto fallback to primary MGC
• IP station registration

Call Processing functionality not supported by SLS:

• Custom calling features such as call waiting from a BOC/LEC
• Non ISDN signaling for T1 and E1
• Call party name/number information to digital station displays
• Caller ID on outgoing analog station calls
• Caller ID on incoming analog loop start trunk calls
• Three-party conferences
• Last Number Redial
• Call Forwarding-Busy/Don’t Answer
• Music on Hold or announcement playback
• Call Center features
• Connection Preserving Failover/Fallback for Branch Gateways

If having any of the functions that are not supported is critical in your environment, then SLS would not be the best choice.

During transition to survivability mode, only local IP-to-IP calls are preserved.

The site recovery process follows these steps:

• While SLS is enabled and processing, the branch gateway continues to seek an alternative branch gateway controller
• If CM accepts the registration, then the active IP-to-IP calls that shuffle are preserved
• The SLS application stops process any news calls and goes to inactive mode

For full programming information, media module and telephony compatibility, I recommend you follow the Administering Avaya G450 Branch Gateway document that you can download from Avaya. It is an excellent resource and provides very detailed programming instructions on what is required for both the CM and the Branch Gateway to provide this functionality. There is also an Avaya expert video on YouTube that provides a demonstration of the CLI programming required in the H.248 Branch Gateway.

Related Courses
IP Office Platform Technical Basic Implementation Workshop
IP Office Platform Advanced Configuration Application Workshop

Avaya’s new and improved certification website really is an improvement, but it can be a little tricky to navigate. Never fear. Here’s the scoop on how to achieve ACSS and ACIS certifications in Avaya Aura Communication Manager (CM) and Avaya Aura CM Messaging.   Go to avaya-learning.com. Create an account, or sign in with your existing account.

After signing in, you will see the screen below.

Select “Learning & Certification” from the menu across the top of the page.

Select “Credential Program” from the menu on the left.

At the screen above, select the “Implement & Support Credentials” tab.

Scroll down the page shown above and select “Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded” listed under “Unified Communications” as shown in the screenshot below.

At the two screens below, you’ll see the ACSS certification exams as well as recommended courses to help you prepare for them. Click the exam links to learn about exam objectives, so you’ll know what you should study.

As of April 2014, ACSS – Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded certification requires three exams: 6002, 3100, and 3101. I recommend that you take the following Avaya training and challenge the Avaya exams in this order: 1. Exam 6002

• Take Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Implementation (ATI02348IEN).
• Study CM Messaging implementation documentation.
• Take Exam 6002 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging Implementation Exam) to earn ACIS – Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

2. Exam 3100

• Take Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Administration (5U00041).
• Take Exam 3100 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager Administration Exam) towards ACSS – CM and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

3. Exam 3101

• Take Avaya Aura Communication Manager Maintenance and Troubleshooting (5U00040).
• Take Avaya Aura Communication Manager Messaging Embedded Administration, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting (5M00050).
• Take Exam 3101 (Avaya Aura Communication Manager and CM Messaging – Embedded Maintenance and Troubleshooting Exam) to finish your ACSS – CM and CM Messaging – Embedded certification.

There you have it! Remember to always check avaya-learning.com for the latest updated certification curriculum and exam objectives. Good luck!

The post How to Get Avaya Aura CM and CM Messaging Certified appeared first on Global Knowledge Blog.

The Avaya Aura product line offers many features to handle calls that come into one number and need to be answered my multiple phones. Here, I’ll show you how to use the Avaya Aura Communication Manager Team Button.

Team Button was originally developed for the European market and is available with Release CM 4.0 or higher.

A team is a virtual set of stations with a maximum of 15 team members, including the monitored station. One team button per “monitoring phone” can be configured. The “monitored team station” will have the team’s number as its call appearance.

Team members can be DCP phones and H.323 IP phones, either as monitoring stations or as the monitored station. The Team Button feature monitors members of a team of stations. The assignment of a team button on a station brings it automatically into the virtual team. The team button can be used as a Speed Dial Button or Pick-Up Button.

Team Button cannot be used to conference in an active call or make on outgoing call from a monitoring station. Team Button is not the same as Bridged Call Appearance in this respect.

Implementation
Programming a team button is done on page 5 of “change station XXXX” by adding a team button of the “monitored” station.

Configuring Additional Team Button Features

The most important books to get from support.avaya.com to get the job done are:

• “Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Feature Description and Implementation” (555-245-205)
• “Administering Avaya Aura Communication Manager” (03-300509)

Related Course
Avaya Aura Communication Manager Administration (5U00041)

The post Avaya Aura Communication Manager Team Button Simplified appeared first on Global Knowledge Blog.

Branch office survivability is an important consideration in most Avaya Aura Communication Manager (CM) deployments.

There are server-based survivability options available for Avaya Aura CM such as a Local Survivable Processor (LSP) or Enterprise Survivable Server (ESS) that provide Enhanced Local Survivability (ELS) due to the provisioning of a standby Simplex or S8300D server or in a Duplex deployment a survivable Duplex cluster. ELS offers full call feature functionality and full translations in the survivable mode. Standard Local Survivability (SLS) is a cost-effective alternative well suited to a branch location that does not have sophisticated telephony needs. In contrast to the server-based survivability features, SLS operates entirely from the H.248 Branch Gateway and requires a data set comprised of CM translations (survivable ARS analysis and configuration data).

When you log into a H.248 Media Gateway via CLI you have likely noticed the screen message “Survivable-call-engine is disabled.” Let’s take a look at what this means.

SLS is a survivable call processing engine that provides service to the branch gateway when it cannot reach CM. This engine is resident in the branch gateway firmware and provides basic telephony functions at a branch without being registered to CM. SLS provides a local G430 or G450 Branch Gateway with a limited subset of CM functionality when there is no IP-routed WAN link available to the main server or the main server is unavailable.

SLS is included as part of the resident firmware package that is installed as part of the Branch Gateway firmware upgrade.

For it to function correctly, the following conditions must be met:

• CM must be configured for SLS and Auto Fallback
• Data provisioning of the gateway (either via the Avaya Provisioning and Installation Manager [PIM] or manually using the CLI) must be completed
• SLS must be enabled on the Branch Gateway
• To activate any saved changes, the disable and enable SLS commands must be used together

The SLS features are:

• Call capability for analog, DCP and H.323 IP Phones
• ISDN BRI/PRI trunk interfaces
• Non-ISDN digital DS1 trunk interfaces
• Outbound dialing through local PSTN (local trunk gateway) from any station
• Inbound calls from each trunk to a preconfigured local phones that have registered
• Direct Inward Dialing
• Multiple call appearances
• Hold and call transfer functions
• Contact closure feature
• Local call progress tones (dial tone, busy, etc.)
• Emergency Transfer Relay (ETC) in cases of power loss
• Auto fallback to primary MGC
• IP station registration

Call Processing functionality not supported by SLS:

• Custom calling features such as call waiting from a BOC/LEC
• Non ISDN signaling for T1 and E1
• Call party name/number information to digital station displays
• Caller ID on outgoing analog station calls
• Caller ID on incoming analog loop start trunk calls
• Three-party conferences
• Last Number Redial
• Call Forwarding-Busy/Don’t Answer
• Music on Hold or announcement playback
• Call Center features
• Connection Preserving Failover/Fallback for Branch Gateways

If having any of the functions that are not supported is critical in your environment, then SLS would not be the best choice.

During transition to survivability mode, only local IP-to-IP calls are preserved.

The site recovery process follows these steps:

• While SLS is enabled and processing, the branch gateway continues to seek an alternative branch gateway controller
• If CM accepts the registration, then the active IP-to-IP calls that shuffle are preserved
• The SLS application stops process any news calls and goes to inactive mode

For full programming information, media module and telephony compatibility, I recommend you follow the Administering Avaya G450 Branch Gateway document that you can download from Avaya. It is an excellent resource and provides very detailed programming instructions on what is required for both the CM and the Branch Gateway to provide this functionality. There is also an Avaya expert video on YouTube that provides a demonstration of the CLI programming required in the H.248 Branch Gateway.

Related Courses
IP Office Platform Technical Basic Implementation Workshop
IP Office Platform Advanced Configuration Application Workshop

The post Avaya Aura Communication Branch Gateway Standard Local Survivability appeared first on Global Knowledge Blog.

This post is intended to help Global Knowledge students navigate Avaya’s new and improved certification web page. Please always check avaya-learning.com for updated certification curriculum and exam objectives.

Go to avaya-learning.com and click on “Certifications & Credentials.” Alternatively, to go directly to the site, click here.

Select “Services Credentials” from far right tab of web page as shown below.

Next, select the “ACSS” link to see the current Avaya Certified Support Credentials.

Once a list populates on the right side, you can get more information on specific certifications and download a “Learning Map Detail” page to understand the relationship between each course and its corresponding test. For example, click on “Avaya Aura Core Components” to download the AA Core Components ACSS “Learning Map.”

Follow the “Learning Map Detail” page from bottom to top. It’s best to take the courses and then test in this order.

Scroll down below the Learning Map, and you will find helpful links to the appropriate Avaya courses and certification exams. Select the exam links to find out the accompanying objectives you should study for success.

For more information on scheduling the courses required to become certified or to learn how to integrate and administer Avaya products, please consult our complete Avaya portfolio.

The post How to Successfully Navigate Avaya’s New Certification Site appeared first on Global Knowledge Blog.