Frequently asked questions about TeamCall CSTAServer
Last modified $Date: 2003/06/16 19:02:02 $
The TeamCall CSTAServer is a middleware for Computer Telephony Integration (CTI).
There are two socket/stream-based APIs:
CSTA Phase I: ECMA-179 and ECMA-180
CSTA Phase II: ECMA-217, ECMA-218 and TR/68
CSTA Phase III: ECMA-269, ECMA-285, ECMA-323, TR/72, TR/80 and TR/82
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CSTA distinguishes several types of forwarding: immediate, no answer, busy, etc.
Most of these forwarding types are not implemented by many switches. Even worse, only a small subset is accessible via the CSTA interface of the switches. That is, you may be able to set a forwarding type via a telephone set, but setting it via the TeamCall Server may not be possible.
In fact, most of the switches support only forward immediate via their CSTA interface.
First try to set a forwarding via your phone set. If this does not work, either, please contact your switch-vendor in order to modify the configuration of your switch.
If the forwarding is succesfull via a phone set but does not work via the TeamCall Server, please contact us: cti@ilink.de
(See also Setting a specific forwarding with the TeamCall Server does not work.
You can download a reference TAPI-Application Phone from JulMar Technology Inc. at
http://www.julmar.com/samples/phone.zip
If Phone works as you expected, check your own application.
If Phone does not work as you expected, refer to the Microsoft TAPI Reference in order to validate your requirements:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/
Platform SDK Documentation
Networking and Directory Services
Networking and Directory Services\Network Communication
Telephony Application Programming Interfaces (TAPI, TSPI, MSPI)
If you discovered a bug in the TeamCall TSP, please contact us: cti@ilink.de.
Each message is terminated with a CR LF (``\r\n'') at the end.
When an external incoming call (i.e. a call outside the PBX) is signaled, the dialing number of the calling party starts with a ``+'' (unless you specified a prefixPlan in your configuration file) for the following events:
In these events, the CSTA protocol identifies the calling party as exactly one of these types:
In order to identify external and internal devices within the events signaled via STLI/TAPI, we prepended a ``+'' to the calling device number if it's type is either implicitPublic or explicitPublic.
Which type is used for signalisation depends on the PBX/Switch. Usually, external devices are of the type implicitPublic.
Please refer to ECMA-218 for more information.
You can define a prefixPlan in your configuration file in order to replace the ``+''. Here is an example:
prefixPlan "+00/00:+0/0:+/00"
This plan replaces a leading ``+00'' with a ``00'' or a ``+0'' with a ``0'' or a ``+'' with a ``00''. The first rule fires.
Please refer also to the TeamCall Reference Guide.
The connection list, which is transmitted via the transfer, does not contain any information about the origin of the included devices. They are simply transmitted as DeviceID without further specification. There is no distinction of types as for example in the Delivered event (see also Why are external calls sometimes signaled with a leading ``+''?).
It may be configurable within your PBX if the dialing numbers are generally signalled with the whole information, i.e. country code, area code and phone number.
If the external incoming call would have been delivered (or queued) to an internal and monitored device, the Server could have had the knowledge about the calling device if it is internal or external. But if the external call is transferred from a non-monitored (or even external) device or first delivered to a non-monitored device, this knowledge does not exist. Thus we decided not to gather this information as there are too much cases where the information would not have been transmitted.
Your request has been acknowledged with a negative response from the PBX, i.e. the request has not been executed. Please refer to ECMA-217 Chapter 9.4 for further details and explanations.
This section treats questions concerning specific Switches,PBXs
Before installing the TeamCall Server, please check with your local dealer if your PBX is enabled for CSTA, e.g. if you have purchased Monitoring Licenses.
Before installing the TeamCall Server, please check with your local dealer if your PBX is enabled for CSTA, e.g. if you have purchased Monitoring Licenses.
This PBX needs either the LinkISDN (Windows only) or the LinkV24.
Contact your Siemens dealer and ask him to check your Hicom150. The signalling of the trunkIds (usually 7801,7802, etc.) has to be activated in the Hicom150-Configuration.
Check your Configuration file. Usually, both LinkISDN/V24 and CSTAServer use the same file. If not, compare the entries
cstaLinkAddress cstaLinkPort
Check the Configuration entries for the LinkISDN/V24 (LinkISDN, LinkV24).
Usually, this error message should only appear once during connection establishement. It is due to a message which does not conform to the CSTA standard sent by the Hicom during startup.
This PBX needs a CallBridge Version 4. Please contact your local dealer for more information on the CallBridge.
Note: If you have a Hicom3XX with a Software release <=2.x we strongly recommend an update to the last 3.x revision. Otherwise you may encounter several signalling problems, especially concerning outbound calls.
Note: If you have a CallBridge Version 3.x you will encounter several problems concerning the signalling, the only possibility is to update to Version 4.x.
IMPORTANT: if you monitor a device but do net get any events (i.e. no signalling at all) check your CallBridge Configuration: Monitor Filter must be set to Reverse.
This PBX needs a CallBridge Version 5. Please contact your local dealer for more information on the CallBridge.
This PBX needs the ISDNRouter (Windows only) or the LinkV24.
This PBX is based on the Siemens Hicom150 H. Please verify that you have at least PBX Software version 1.2.
This PBX is based on the Alcatel Office.
ISDN D-channel Router for Siemens A6,Telekom Octopus.
This version is only for Win32-plattforms.
ISDN B-channel Router for Hicom 150.
This version is only for Win32-plattforms.
Check your PBX-Configuration if the ISDN-Link is enabled. If not, contact your PBX-Dealer.
Check if your ISDN board supports User-to-User ISDN protocol.
Check if you entered the correct directory number for the CSTA Connection in your Configuration file (cstaLinkNumber). For Hicom150, this is usually 891.
Check if you entered the correct serial device for the CSTA Connection in your Configuration file (serialDevice).
Check if the serial device for the CSTA Connection in your Configuration file (serialDevice) is available for reading/writing, i.e. if no other process blocks it.
Check if the baudRate in your Configuration file corresponds to the settings in the PBX. For Hicom150, the default setting usually is 9600.
The connection cable must be a zero modem cable and should not exceed a length of 15 metres without special shielding. The pin assignments is as follows:
HOST (9pins) HICOM (25 pins) DCD 1 8 RxD 2 2 TxD 3 3 DTR 4 6 DSR 6 20 RTS 7 5 CTS 8 4 GND 5 7
Note Hardware handshake via DTR/DSR or RTS/CTS is not provided.
Note The asynchronous V.24/RS-232 CSTA interface must be operated with the following parameters:
Baud rate: 2400 or 9600 (Hicom150 R2.x or higher) Data bits: 8 Parity: none Stop bit: 1
These are also the default values for the LinkV24.
Yes, but this implies the serial device at the PBX to be activated. Please contact your local dealer for more information.
Check also the Octopus manual for the correct configuration of the LinkV24.
This depends on the operating system where you want to start the LinkV24. Some of them need a DTR/DTS signal, some not. Please ask your local dealer for a detailed specification of the Octopus serial device.
Usually the V.24/RS-232 CSTA interface of the Octopus is operated with the following values:
Baud rate: 2400 Data bits: 8 Parity: even Stop bit: 1
Addtionally, the follwing key/value has to be added to the configuration file (e.g. Default.conf):
linkedPBX a6
The main purpose is debugging and tracing. If you have a problem with your server, turn on the debugging (please refer to your manual) and send us the log files.
The format may change from version to version without notice. As the logfiles are for internal use only, the format won't be described further. If you are really interested, please contact us, we can arrange a training for you.
Feel free to use it but read What is the format of the logfiles? before.