CUC 9.x: Managing Call Routing

Call Routing Tables

By default direct call routing table is having two rules created:

• Attempt Sign-In: Calls from users are routed to the user sign-in conversation.
• Opening Greeting: Calls from unidentified callers are routed to the Opening Greeting.

Forward call routing table is having two default rules as well:

• Attempt Forward: All calls forwarded from a user extension are routed to the user greeting.
• Opening Greeting: Calls forwarded from an extension that is not associated with a user account are routed to the Opening Greeting.

Note: You can change the order of the Attempt Sign-In and Attempt Forward rules relative to additional rules that you add in the respective routing tables, but the Opening Greeting rule is always the last entry for both tables

To add new routing rule:

1. In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Call Management , then expand Call Routing . For direct calls, select Direct Routing Rules . For forwarded calls, select Forwarded Routing Rules .
2. On the Direct Routing Rules or Forwarded Routing Rules page, select Add New and enter the Display Name.
3. Configure rule matching Criteria such as calling number, called number, forwarding number, schedule, etc.

Directory Call Handler

To create directory handler:

1. In CUC Administration, expand Call Management , then select Directory Handlers, Add New.
2. On the New Directory Handler page, enter a display name and, optionally, an extension for the directory handler. This extension is used to dial the call handler directly.
3. To create a voice-enabled directory handler, check the Voice Enabled check box.
4. On the Edit menu, select Caller Input to continue adding applicable settings to the new directory handler.

Note: You can edit the settings for multiple directory handlers using Bulk Edit. On the Search Directory Handlers page, check the applicable directory handler check boxes, and select Bulk Edit .

Select the scope for directory handler searches:

• Entire Server: Restricts directory handler searches to users and contacts who are associated with the entire Cisco Unity Connection server that the caller dialed.
• Class of Service (Not applicable to voice-enabled directory handlers.): Restricts directory handler searches to users who are assigned to the selected class of service on the local Connection server.
• System Distribution List (Not applicable to voice-enabled directory handlers.): Restricts directory handler searches to members of the selected system distribution list.
• Search Space: Restricts directory handler searches to users and contacts who are associated with a partition that is a member of the selected search space.
• Inherit Search Space from Call: Restricts directory handler searches to users and contacts who are associated with a partition that is a member of the search space of the call. The search space of the call can be set by the call routing rules or by a call handler that receives the call before it reaches the directory handler.

Speech Threshold: (Applicable only to voice-enabled directory handlers) This setting is used to define how strict CUC  is matching the users based on voice search. For example, if users complain that the system does not recognize names in the corporate directory, you can try lowering this value so that the system matches utterances more liberally. The range of valid entries is 0 to 100. The default setting is 10. Note that lowering the speech confidence threshold level results in more matches for names

The following options are available for Search Result Behavior:

Route Automatically on a Unique Match	When this option is selected, Cisco Unity Connection routes a call to the extension assigned to the user without prompting the caller to verify the match.
Always Request Caller Input	(Not applicable to voice-enabled directory handlers.) When this option is selected, Cisco Unity Connection prompts a caller to verify the match before sending the caller to the specified user extension.
Announce Matched Names Using Extension Format	(Not applicable to voice-enabled directory handlers.) When this option is selected, Cisco Unity Connection announces to callers the names and extensions of matching users. For example, “For Pat Amos, press 123. For Gerry Anderson, press 104.” Callers enter the extension number to choose a user. This functionality is supported only when the Search Scope of the directory handler is set to Search Space or Inherit Search Space from Call.
Announce Matched Names Using Menu Format	(Not applicable to voice-enabled directory handlers.) When this option is selected, Cisco Unity Connection provides a menu of users to callers. For example, “For Pat Amos, press 1. For Gerry Anderson, press 2.” Callers enter the menu number to choose a user. To provide callers with the user extension, also check the Announce Extension with Each Name check box. Then, Connection provides a menu of users that includes user extensions. For example, “For Pat Amos at extension 123, press 1. For Gerry Anderson at extension 104, press 2.”

Note: Because directory handlers do not have greetings, we recommend that you use call handlers (e.g. system) or one-key dialing to route callers to a directory handler, and use the system call handler greeting to explain caller options for each directory handler.

Interview Call Handler

To create interview call handler:

1. From CUC Administration, expand Call Management , then select Interview Handlers, select Add New.
2. On the New Interview Handler page, enter basic settings, as applicable, and save.
3. From Edit tab, select Interview Questions.

After recording the answers, they will be forwarded as single message to the receptionist. The receptionist can be:

• User with Mailbox: Select the applicable user from the list.
• Distribution List: Select the applicable distribution list.

Note: Check the Mark for Dispatch Delivery check box to have messages sent to the distribution list as dispatch messages. Dispatch messages are configured in such a way that only one user in the group needs to act on the message.

You can mark the priority of the message:

• Mark Normal: Messages left for the interview handler are marked normal.
• Mark Urgent: Messages left for the interview handler are marked urgent.
• Ask Caller: Connection asks callers whether to mark their messages urgent.

After interview action can be set to one of the following:

• Call Action: Select the applicable action from the list. When Hang Up is selected, Cisco Unity Connection immediately terminates the call when a caller presses the applicable key on the phone.
• Call Handler: Sends the call to the system call handler that you specify. Specify whether the call should transfer to the call handler extension or go directly to the greeting of the handler.
• Interview Handler: Sends the call to the interview handler that you specify.
• Directory Handler: Sends the call to the directory handler that you specify.
• Conversation: Sends the call to the conversation that you specify:
• Broadcast Message Administrator—Sends the call to a conversation for sending broadcast messages.
• Caller System Transfer—Sends the call to a conversation that allows users to transfer to a number that they specify. Connection performs the transfer only when the restriction table permits it.
• Greetings Administrator—Sends the call to a conversation for changing call handler greetings by phone.
• Sign-In—Sends the call to the user sign in conversation, which prompts the caller to enter an ID.
• User System Transfer—Sends the call to a conversation that allows users to transfer to a number that they specify. Users are prompted to sign in and then can enter numbers that are not associated with Connection users—such as lobby and conference room phones, and even phone numbers outside the organization. Connection performs the transfer only when the user restriction table permits it.
• User with Mailbox: Sends the call to the user that you specify. Specify whether the call should transfer to the user extension or go directly to the greeting of the user.

Schedules

By default CUC creates three schedules which are:

1. All Hours: This schedule is configured to be active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no holidays; routing rules that follow this schedule are always active, and call handlers that use this schedule never use closed hour transfer settings or play closed greetings.
2. Weekdays: This schedule is configured to be active from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (in the time zone of the Unity Connection server) from Monday through Friday. It is also configured to observe any days and times that are set in the default Holidays schedule

To configure a holiday schedule:

1. In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings , then select Holiday Schedules .
2. On the Search Holiday Schedules page, select Add New and enter a display name for the holiday schedule, and select Save .

To configure new Schedule:

1. In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings , then select Schedules
2. On the Search Schedules page, select Add New, enter a display name, and select a holiday schedule (optional) to apply to this schedule.
3. To add time frames when the schedule is active, on the Edit Schedule Basics page, in the Schedule Details box, select Add New .
4. On the New Schedule Detail page, enter settings as applicable

Restriction Tables

Unity Connection sequentially compares a phone number to the call patterns in the restriction table, starting with Dial String 0. When user dials "0", by default Unity Connection treats it as an operator call and does not block "0" by any restriction table configuration.

You can indicate call patterns by entering specific numbers or by using the following special characters as wildcards:

*	Matches zero or more digits.
?	Matches exactly one digit. Use? as a placeholder for a single digit.
#	Corresponds to the # key on the phone.

To configure restriction tables:

1. In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings , then select Restriction Tables > Add New .
2. On the New Restriction Table page, enter basic settings as applicable and Save
3. To add patterns to the restriction table, on the Edit Restriction Table Basics page, in the Restriction Patterns box, select Add New .

CUC 9.x: Phone View Feature

The Phone View feature allows users to see search results on the LCD screens of their Cisco IP phones when they use the Find Message or the Display Message menu. When Phone View is enabled, Connection users can search for the following types of voice messages:

• All new messages
• All messages
• Messages from a particular user
• Messages from all outside callers
• Messages from a particular outside caller

Note: Phone View works only with Cisco Unified Communications Manager phone systems, and only with certain Cisco IP phones

To configure Phone View feature:

CUCM Configuration

1. Add new application user, e.g. PhoneViewUser.
2. Add all the phones which should use phoneview to the controlled devices list of the application user.
3. Assign Standard CCM Admin Users permission to the application user.
4. Select Edit Credentials, and confirm that the User Must Change at Next Sign-In check box is not checked

CUC Configuration

1. Navigate to CUCM Phone System
2. Enable PhoneView and Enter the application user username/password in the CTI fields.
3. Select the user which should use phoneview, go to Edit > Phone Menu and enable Phone View under Finding Messages with Message Locator. The same option can be configured under User Templates.

To test PhoneView, from the user which has new voice mails, dial into the CUC Voicemail pilot from the phone which has the voice mail account created (MWI should be lit) and sign-in using the appropriate PIN. Select option “5″ and option “4″ to display all new messages. The screen of the IP Phone should display all voicemails for this particular user. Select the appropriate message to be played.

CUC 9.x: Call Transfer

There are different methods to transfer calls in CUC. Below are couple of them.

Directory Handler

This is detailed in call routing section. However, worth to mention that this will lookup users in the corporate directory based display name and once identified the call will be transferred to the user extension by looping it back to the phone system.

The callers can be internal to the organization or external. You just need to make sure that the phone system is sending the right call information to CUC.

Note: This method can't be used if you want to dial numbers which aren't listed in the directory from CUC.

User or Call Handler

Another way is creating a call routing rule which sends the call to user with mailbox or call handler. The user or call handler will allow call transfer to external numbers if not restricted by restriction table and if the Allow Transfers to Numbers Not Associated with Users or Call Handlers check box is enabled under greeting settings.

For user with mailbox or call handler, call transfer will take place before taking message action. Once message recording started, CUC will ignore transfer or call caller input. CUC will take them as part of the message. You need to make sure that after greeting action isn't take message, for example it can be restart greeting.

There are two types of transfer, Standard and Closed. Standard transfer settings takes place during active hours of the user or call handler while Closed Transfer settings take place during inactive time or holiday. This is controlled by the schedule assigned to the user or call handler.

The extension setting is the caller ID to be provided to phone system. Else, you can play a greeting and use the CUC number as caller ID. Also, you can release the call directly to phone system or make it as supervised transfer (consulted transfer).

Note: This methods can be used to transfer calls to external numbers outside the CUC directory.

System Transfer

You can route callers to one of the two transfer conversations:

Caller System Transfer

This conversation prompts callers to enter the number that they want to transfer to. To help protect your organization from toll fraud and unauthorized use, Unity Connection performs the transfer only when the Default System Transfer restriction table permits it.

User System Transfer

This conversation prompts callers to sign in to Unity Connection. After callers enter their Unity Connection IDs and PINs, Unity Connection prompts them to enter the number that they want to transfer to. To help protect your organization from toll fraud and unauthorized use, Unity Connection performs the transfer only when permitted by the transfer restriction table that is associated with the class of service for the user who signed in.

This can be done by:

1. Creating a call routing rule pointing to the conversation
2. Configure caller input on a call handler/user to send the caller to system transfer conversation. This is called one-key dialing.

Note: This method allow transfer to external if allowed by restriction table.

Note: When using either the Caller System Transfer or User System Transfer conversation, Unity Connection prompts users and callers to confirm the number that they enter before performing the transfer. To disable the confirmation prompt, change the System Transfers: Confirm Number Before Transfer setting on the System Settings > Advanced > Conversations page in Cisco Unity Connection Administration.

CUC 9.x: Call Routing

The building blocks which control call routing in unity connection are:

System Call Handlers

Answer calls and can take messages; provide menus of options (for example, “For customer service press 1, for sales press 2...”); route calls to users and to other call handlers; and play audiotext (prerecorded information).

Directory Handlers

Directory handlers provide access to a corporate directory that callers can use to reach Cisco Unity Connection users who have mailboxes and who are listed in the directory. When a caller searches for a username or part of a name, a directory handler looks up the extension and send call forward request to the PhoneSystem to dial the extension of the user.

Note: For SIP integration with CUCM, you need to assign Rerouting CSS to the trunk and Enable Divert by Application on the SIP Profile.

Callers can also enter an extension/called number to place an outgoing call from a directory handler; the extension/called number is checked against the applicable outcalling restriction table if the caller is a user, or against the Default Outdial restriction table if the caller is an outside caller.

There are two types of directory handlers:

1. Phone Keypad

Callers enter search information or extensions by using the phone keypad. For this type of directory handler, you can specify how it searches for names, what it does when it finds one or more matches, and what it does when it detects no caller input.

2. Voice Enabled

(For Cisco Unity Connection systems with the voice-recognition option only). For this type of directory handler, callers say the first name and last name of the Connection user that they want to reach, or enter an extension by saying the individual digits in the extension. In addition to searching by first and last name, the voice directory handler includes alternate names in searches. Callers can narrow down the search by saying the name and city or department of the user (or both) if these fields are defined on the Edit User Basics page in the user profile.

• Connection users who are listed in the directory are available to outside callers as names that can be reached.
• Administrator-defined contacts are only available to Connection users who are signed in to Connection
• User-defined contacts are only available to the Connection users who defined them.

Note that for this type of directory handler, users cannot be accessed by using directory handlers unless they have a display name specified and the 'List in Directory' check box is checked for them on the User Basics page

Interview Handlers

Collect information from callers by playing a series of questions and then recording the answers. When a call is routed to an interview handler, the interview handler plays the first recorded question, then plays a beep, then records the answer. Cisco Unity Connection stops recording either when the response reaches the maximum recording time that you have specified, or when the caller stops speaking. When all the answers have been recorded, they are forwarded as a single voice message, with beeps separating the answers, to the recipient that you designate.

Call Routing Tables

Allow you to define how calls are initially routed, based on criteria such as the phone number of the caller and the schedule. When you have set up call handlers, interview handlers, and directory handlers, as well as extensions for users, you can route calls to the applicable person or handler by modifying the call routing tables.

When Connection receives a call, it first determines if it is a direct or forwarded call based on the call information that is sent by the phone system, and then applies the applicable call routing table as per below flow chart.
 

Note: Two important settings are present in any dial rule whether it is direct or forward:

• Send to Greeting: It will skip the transfer rules.
• Attempt transfer for: t will start at the top of the flow with the transfer rules. 

If the call information matches all of the conditions for the first rule, the call is routed as specified in the rule. If any of the conditions specified in the first rule are not met, the call information is then compared to the conditions of the second rule, and so on, until a rule is found that matches all the characteristics of the call.

Route from Next Call Routing Rule

In a user profile or call handler, you can configure the After Greeting action, the After Message action, or the action of a caller input key to apply the 'Route from Next Call Routing Rule' action to calls. This action causes Cisco Unity Connection to continue processing the call according to the applicable call routing table (direct or forwarded, depending on how the call was received from the phone system) starting at the rule immediately after the rule that Connection previously applied to the call. If the call was already processed according to the final rule in the table, the final rule is applied again.

A typical usage for this action if you want to play a disclaimer before starting call routing. In this case, a rule should be configured in both direct and forwarding table to play the disclaimer. The after greeting action should be 'Route from Next Call Routing Rule' to resume call routing.

Restriction Tables

Control outgoing calls by allowing you to specify the numbers that Connection can dial for transferring calls, for notifying users of messages, and for delivering faxes.

When a user uses the Cisco Unity Connection Messaging Assistant or the Connection conversation to attempt to change a phone number that is used for call transfer, message notification, or fax delivery, or when signed-in users use the Connection conversation to perform User system transfers to a number that they specify, Connection applies the restriction table associated with the class of service of the user to verify that the phone number entered is allowed.

Note: An administrator can, when necessary, override the limitations of the class of service of a particular user.

Each row of a restriction table is made up of a dial string. Each dial string consists of a call pattern and a setting that specifies whether numbers that match the call pattern can be called.

Types of Default restriction tables:

Default Fax	Restricts numbers for fax delivery.
Default Outdial	Restricts numbers for message notifications. Also restricts the user extensions that Unity Connection dials when the phone is selected as the recording and playback device in the Media Master.
Default System Transfer	Restricts numbers that can be used for Caller system transfers, which allow unidentified callers to transfer to a number that they specify. For example, callers may want to dial a lobby or conference room phone that is not associated with a Unity Connection user. By default, the table does not allow Unity Connection to dial any numbers.
Default Transfer	Restricts numbers for call transfers.
User-Defined and Automatically-Added Alternate Extensions	Restricts the numbers the users can use to create alternate extensions for themselves through interfaces such as the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant or via an API call. Also restricts numbers from being offered as alternate extensions. For example, you might block a lobby or conference room extension so that users who frequently call Unity Connection from those shared phones are not automatically prompted to add the number as an alternate extension.
Excluded Extensions for Automatically Added Alternate Extensions	Restricts numbers from being offered as alternate extensions. For example, you might add a lobby or conference room extension so that users who frequently call Unity Connection from those shared phones are not automatically prompted to add the number as an alternate extension.

Schedules and Holidays

Define business/nonbusiness and holiday hours for the organization, for the purpose of controlling which set of call routing rules, greetings, or transfer options is currently active.