Multiple External Routing Points

[Kimberly]

Good morning,

how are you doing? Can someone please explain to me the functionality of an external routing point? Someone has raised the question whether or not having too many satellite TServer connected to the same TServer would cause external outing point timeouts, because there is only one external routing point defined one the main TServer.

In our case, we have ten satellite TServers connected to the same TServer. Each TServer has a single external routing point defined, allowing a call transfer from the main TServer to the satellite.
Each external routing point is defined as default for the route type. No additional information is added under the external routing point definition. Access number for each switch is defined in the switch properties under the "Access Codes" definition.

1. Should we define more than one external routing point at our main switch. If we simply define the external routing points, how will TServer use them? Will it use all of them based on the load, or will it just use the first one defined?

2. Is it possible to specify which e.r.point is for which remote TServer? Is it done under the Access Number tab in the DN property for the e.r.point? If so, should we change the route type of that DN to something other than default?

Too many questions, so little time! If I would ask Genesys this, they would put a low priority on it, and it would take them months to answer it!

I thank you in advance for your suggestions.

[dan]

my understanding of the way external routing works, would let me think you may get timeouts with the configuration you are describing.

When router decides to send the call cross switch it requests an external routing point from the destination tserver. The destination tserver then reserves that DN for a period of time and waits for the call to arrive.

Router then sends that External RP number to the source switch, the source switch sends the call. When the call arrives at the destinaton switch the call is matched and routing continues.

So if 2 calls need to be sent to the same switch within say a second then the second call will not get an external routing point. The number required is related to the traffic you are sending I would suggest you have external routing points for 2 or 3 times the peak calls per second.

Routing points are used up in dbid order I think. They do not load share. However if one is reserved the TServer will respond with the next in the list.

This is only my understanding

[Victor]

Hi, Dan,

I was able to confirm what you said. At least partially. TServer does in fact use a second external rouing point; however, the order in which it is using these points is not decided by DBID, because in my case, it was using the second ERP before the first ERP. Also, sometimes, it alternates between the first and the second, while sometimes it continues to use the second one, and then switches to the first one. I will look into it a bit more; however, overall, I think anyone with more than one satellite TServer should start to consider using it. By default, a call will timeout after 30 seconds without a EventTEXRConnectionSuccess message, and I have troubles imagining a call not gettng there within 30 second period, unless a line is down.

I cannot think of any downside with adding an additional ERP. What would they be?

[James]

External Route Points are part of the tserver application. The IR server simply allocates a target for the object. The target information includes the relevant tserver associated with the target. The local tserver that is currently handling the call looks at the target information and sees that it is for another tserver. External Routing information is held by tserver, and indeed tserver keeps communication open to all other tservers. He resolves the tserver name and sends a message to the remote tserver, (Event External Route Request). The remote tserver responds with external route point information and the tservers exchange data and the sending tserver tells the switch to route the call to the external route point communicated. The external route point is reserverd by tserver for a configurable time.

ANY call arriving on that route point gets the data associated with it, and the call is routed to its target.

Things to watch out for...
Check the time taken for calls to be routed, and set your time outs a little higher.
Make sure you have sufficient ERP for transfers to happen okay.
You need Genesys licenses for the number of external route points you want to use.
Make sure you have up odate releases of tserver, as there where problems with ERP's de egistering.

All in all things work pretty well.

[Xiang]

What about all the different ERP types? Does it matter what we select?

Xiang