asterisk users - Jul 2003 - Migration to Asterisk - Running off of Merlin Legend system

We currently have a Merlin Legend system.  The voicemail is falling apart
(with the transition to a 10 digit timestamp on Sept. 8, 2001, the system
locked up and refused to take calls; the official solution is to change
the system time back to a year with a matching calendar).  We are in the
process of preparing the network infrastructure to support a VoIP system
with Asterisk, but won't be there for a few months.  We'd like to go
ahead
and replace the voicemail system with Asterisk now, and as we're ready,
drop the Merlin system.

My questions:

Right now, the voicemail system (and auto-attendant) are connected to the
switch by 4 analog lines.  Logic says that these are FXS cards in the
switch, like any other extension.  The switch handles an incoming call and
transfers it to the auto-attendant.  How would such a call be identified
to be dropped in the appropriate context?

When the phone switch fails to reach someone at an extension, it transfers
them to the voicemail system.  How could these calls be identified as
different from an incoming call to the auto-attendant?  How is the
appropriate mailbox or extension identified?


Thanks,

Steve


___________________________________________________________
Steve Creel                                screel@turbs.com

At 04:11 PM 7/3/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>We currently have a Merlin Legend system.  The voicemail is falling apart
>(with the transition to a 10 digit timestamp on Sept. 8, 2001, the system
>locked up and refused to take calls; the official solution is to change
>the system time back to a year with a matching calendar).  We are in the
>process of preparing the network infrastructure to support a VoIP system
>with Asterisk, but won't be there for a few months.  We'd like to go
ahead
>and replace the voicemail system with Asterisk now, and as we're ready,
>drop the Merlin system.
>
>My questions:
>
>Right now, the voicemail system (and auto-attendant) are connected to the
>switch by 4 analog lines.  Logic says that these are FXS cards in the
>switch, like any other extension.  The switch handles an incoming call and
>transfers it to the auto-attendant.  How would such a call be identified
>to be dropped in the appropriate context?
Unless I'm mistaken, you just name those lines appropriately, then have 
matching extensions in your extensions.conf, like any other trunk.  The 
difference being, these lines go straight to an auto attend.  You could 
pass the extension to it via a dialed string, if need be.


>When the phone switch fails to reach someone at an extension, it transfers
>them to the voicemail system.  How could these calls be identified as
>different from an incoming call to the auto-attendant?  How is the
>appropriate mailbox or extension identified?
>
The dialed extension, or maybe a callerid string..

-denon
>Thanks,
>
>Steve
>
>
>___________________________________________________________
>Steve Creel                                screel@turbs.com
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Asterisk-Users mailing list
>Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com
>http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users

On Thu, 2003-07-03 at 15:11, Steve Creel wrote:
> We currently have a Merlin Legend system.  The voicemail is falling apart
> (with the transition to a 10 digit timestamp on Sept. 8, 2001, the system
> locked up and refused to take calls; the official solution is to change
> the system time back to a year with a matching calendar).  We are in the
> process of preparing the network infrastructure to support a VoIP system
> with Asterisk, but won't be there for a few months.  We'd like to
go ahead
> and replace the voicemail system with Asterisk now, and as we're ready,
> drop the Merlin system.
> 
> My questions:
> 
> Right now, the voicemail system (and auto-attendant) are connected to the
> switch by 4 analog lines.  Logic says that these are FXS cards in the
> switch, like any other extension.  The switch handles an incoming call and
> transfers it to the auto-attendant.  How would such a call be identified
> to be dropped in the appropriate context?
> 
> When the phone switch fails to reach someone at an extension, it transfers
> them to the voicemail system.  How could these calls be identified as
> different from an incoming call to the auto-attendant?  How is the
> appropriate mailbox or extension identified?
It is unlikely that you have 4 lines max to send and receive calls to
voicemail and auto attendant. It may be some other technology to route
TDM to the PC that does voicemail and auto attendant. If this is true,
then you won't be able to use those interfaces. 
-- 
Steven Critchfield  <critch@basesys.com>

It generally will send dtmf tones over the line. Get a test set/butt set
and hook it up and listen to the line when the transfers occur.

Will asterisk support reading dtmf before the call is picked up?

dave


On Thu, 3 Jul 2003, Steve Creel wrote:
> We currently have a Merlin Legend system.  The voicemail is falling apart
> (with the transition to a 10 digit timestamp on Sept. 8, 2001, the system
> locked up and refused to take calls; the official solution is to change
> the system time back to a year with a matching calendar).  We are in the
> process of preparing the network infrastructure to support a VoIP system
> with Asterisk, but won't be there for a few months.  We'd like to
go ahead
> and replace the voicemail system with Asterisk now, and as we're ready,
> drop the Merlin system.
> 
> My questions:
> 
> Right now, the voicemail system (and auto-attendant) are connected to the
> switch by 4 analog lines.  Logic says that these are FXS cards in the
> switch, like any other extension.  The switch handles an incoming call and
> transfers it to the auto-attendant.  How would such a call be identified
> to be dropped in the appropriate context?
> 
> When the phone switch fails to reach someone at an extension, it transfers
> them to the voicemail system.  How could these calls be identified as
> different from an incoming call to the auto-attendant?  How is the
> appropriate mailbox or extension identified?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Steve Creel                                screel@turbs.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Asterisk-Users mailing list
> Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com
> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
> 
-- 
Dave Weis             "I believe there are more instances of the abridgment
djweis@sjdjweis.com   of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent
                      encroachments of those in power than by violent 
                      and sudden usurpations."- James Madison

If the voicemail interface really is analog, then the identification is done
through DTMF codes.  You'll just have to figure out the format of these
digits and let Asterisk deal with them as you want.

Most systems with analog voicemail ports work just like this.  We've
interfaced Asterisk with a Norstar system using Norstar's VMI interfaces.
The Norstar VMI sends a specific format of DTMF codes (programmable) that
indicate the called extension.  Fancier systems can indicate the reason for
the transfer (busy/unanswered), the caller's number (via CID) and the called
extension.

-wade

> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-admin@lists.digium.com [mailto:asterisk-users-
> admin@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Steve Creel
> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2003 4:11 PM
> To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
> Subject: [Asterisk-Users] Migration to Asterisk - Running off of Merlin
> Legend system
> 
> We currently have a Merlin Legend system.  The voicemail is falling apart
> (with the transition to a 10 digit timestamp on Sept. 8, 2001, the system
> locked up and refused to take calls; the official solution is to change
> the system time back to a year with a matching calendar).  We are in the
> process of preparing the network infrastructure to support a VoIP system
> with Asterisk, but won't be there for a few months.  We'd like to
go ahead
> and replace the voicemail system with Asterisk now, and as we're ready,
> drop the Merlin system.
> 
> My questions:
> 
> Right now, the voicemail system (and auto-attendant) are connected to the
> switch by 4 analog lines.  Logic says that these are FXS cards in the
> switch, like any other extension.  The switch handles an incoming call and
> transfers it to the auto-attendant.  How would such a call be identified
> to be dropped in the appropriate context?
> 
> When the phone switch fails to reach someone at an extension, it transfers
> them to the voicemail system.  How could these calls be identified as
> different from an incoming call to the auto-attendant?  How is the
> appropriate mailbox or extension identified?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve
> 
> 
> ___________________________________________________________
> Steve Creel                                screel@turbs.com
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Asterisk-Users mailing list
> Asterisk-Users@lists.digium.com
> http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users