The before and after contrast of this rack cleanup is a work of art, and Ryland is the artist.

Before brightstack started the project:

After brightstack completed our work:

Setting up call routing based on Area Code –

Steps needed –

1. Setup database
2. Setup Windows ODBC hook
3. Setup ECC hook into database
4. Adding some recordings to the ECC system
5. Creating the needed Script
6. Director and ECC director configurations to access script and test

Create a Microsoft Access database – with 3 colums. ID, RegionID, Delivery Area

You can name your database anything you would like. This name is only used when making the Windows ODBC connection. In the database the ID = Caller ID, RegionID = identifier to control routing, Delivery Area is a reminder of what location the ID is from.

Here is an example of my database

Setup ODBC hook into database file –

Copy the created database to the ECC server.

Open Start menu, All Programs, Administrative Tools and then Data Sources (ODBC)

Select the "system DNS" tab and click add –

You should see one of the drivers for Microsoft Access.

If you do not see any drivers except the SQL one, then try C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe instead. This is because the 64-bit version of ODBC Data Source Administrator only lists 64-bit If you still cannot see your drivers, you can try installing them with the following link: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=23734

So select System DNS, then click add. Select *.mdb driver type and click Finished. A window will pop open, you can name your connection anything you would like. Click the Database Select button and navigate to your database you created and select it. Then click ok and ok. You have created the Windows ODBC connection to your database.

Here is what my ODBC connection looks like:

Creating ECC hook into database –

Go to Contact Center Director and navigate to System Parameters, External Interfaces, then select Database Connections.

On the right select new

Change database type to Microsoft Access

Click Refresh on the ODBC DSN link and your database name should appear.

Name the connection and click save. You have created the ECC hook into your databse.

Here is what my connection looks like:

Adding recording to the ECC system –

For testing and depending on what you want your caller to hear once the area code has been figured, I like to add some recordings to the system.

Ie: failure at test point A, failure at test point B, failure at test point C, Your area code is, Your call is being routed to.

The easiest way to create a good recording the is in the correct ECC format is to just leave yourself a number of VMs and then export the wav files. Copy the wave files to your ECC server, IVR, en_US folder. I like to create a custom folder inside the en_US folder to keep my recordings in one place. My path is C:\Program Files (x86)\ShoreTel\ShoreTel Contact Center Server\IVR\en_US\Custom

Creating the call script –

In the ECC system you will need to create a couple of call profiles to use as data holders for the process. I created 3 of them. "FrontFour" , "AreaCode" and "groupnumber"

You can add these to the ECC Director via Call Profile section.

Open the scripting tool and select new script – name it area code routing

You will need to add a SQL Connect, 3 SQL Executes and a SQL disconnect. Then add a play file to test your results.

Add the SQL connect

Add the SQL Execute – query SELECT LEFT('%ani%',5), Call Profile select FrontFour.

Add the SQL Execute – query SELECT RIGHT('%FrontFour%',3), call Profile select Area Code

Add the SQL Execute – query SELECT RegionID from AreaCode where ID=%AreaCode%, call Profile select groupnumber

Add the SQL disconnect

Add Announce – from here you can select to play the various call profiles and recordings. I selected to play "Your Area Code is" and then have the system play the Call Profile areacode.

Also for testing purposes – I would add the various sound recordings to the different failure points, on the SQL Execute points – err, t.o., N.F, so if things are not working correctly, you can figure out where the failure is coming from.

For my client that is using this for call routing, I have setup the failure points to change the groupnumber to the default group, so all calls get handled. In the script to the client I removed the play file option and added a Logical Switch so if groupnumber equals xyz transfer the call to xyz.

Here is a copy of the script in test mode – meaning I have failure points for testing

Here is a copy of the script in production:

Now that you have your ECC script created you will want to be able to test the script. You will need to create a Route Point in the ShoreTel Director to get call into the ECC system. You will then need to setup a IRN in the ECC system to direct the call to the new script.

In Director - go to Call Control - Route Point – click new

Name your Route Point something like ECC Area Code Routing

You will want to set your Route Point server to the ECC Server

Set your no answer destination to your ECC fail over, typically a work group.

Make note of the extension number you assigned. You will need this in the ECC system.

Then open up Contact Center Director and select New IRN

Create the desired IRN with the same extension number used on your route point.

Then go to the IRN's Destination and select script and your Area Code Script.

One last step in ECC Director – If you would like to be able to run reports on the number of calls hitting your newly created script, you will need to add a DNIS record.

Create a new DNIS record – with the name Area Code Routing and the IRN number you used earlier.

Happy scripting.

ShoreTel is a single image solution.This means, all sites, users, switches, phones and licenses are all managed through a central interface (called Director) and distributed to users at locations distributed across an organizations footprint.Some organizations are single site with all users at one location and some remote users who access the system while travelling or working from home.Other organizations have multiple locations which are connected together through a Wide Area Network (using such technologies as Internet VPN, MPLS, Metro Ethernet, etc).

Whether single site or multiple location, it is easy to add a Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery site to ShoreTel.The following is a high level overview of the components required and some suggestions and alternatives.Please contact me directly to discuss further.brightstack offers a hosted ShoreTel service where we can host your Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) site as part of a Managed Services offering.Some companies realize that the BC/DR site effectively becomes a Hosted ShoreTel solution, and they decide to move production to the BC/DR site and have “built-in disaster recover and business continuity” in their Headquarters Site now in the datacenter.They then carry voice traffic over the private network to the locations (sites with higher user counts often deploy PRI’s at the local site).

Add the site in Director

Select the location of the BC/DR site.If you already have a BC/DR datacenter in place, and it is networking withyour primary location, this step is pretty easy.You would simply need to acquire equipment and add the location as a site within Director.You will need a site license for this site.

Establish the Network

You will need a private network between the BC/DR site and your remote locations.If you contract with a carrier to provide network services for your entire organization, it may make sense to use one of their Datacenters as your BC/DR site and hang their datacenter off your network as another site.Also make sure you have some access to the Public Internet at the BC/DR site, this will be helpful for backup Internet VPN’s, as well as third party SIP trunking (more on that below).You may also want to deploy a VPN concentrator for VPN phones at remote locations, or a SSL VPN for VPN clients for things such as SoftPhones.Some customers, and brightstack includes this in our offering, use Remote Desktop through Microsoft RDC, Citrix or VMWare View to access Communicator remotely.

Deploy equipment in the BC/DR site

In the BC/DR site, you will need a backup Director in an active/passive configuration (known as a DVS) and voice switch.We recommend deploying a small switch just for voice control (such as an SG30) and a T1K for PRI trunking.The DVS will replicate with Director and contain a copy of your configuration.If you already have a BC/DR site up for your data operations and are running Virtual Hosts on Physical Servers using VMWare, you can use your VMWare infrastructure to host the DVS in the BC/DR site.

Provision the circuits

If your BC/DR site is within a carrier datacenter, you can easily get a PRI cross connect with no local loop charges, only port and usage charges.Additionally, there are third party Internet based SIP providers who can also deliver dial tone to your ShoreTel solution using SIP.You will need to create trunk groups and trunks.These trunks will have their own set of numbers associated with the trunk group.When you provision circuits, make sure you have enough capacity to support External Assignment.Meaning, you will need 1 trunk to connect with the externally assigned user and another trunk for the incoming or outgoing call itself.

Establish forwarding of your numbers

You should plan well ahead of time how numbers will forward to the BC/DR so calls will come into the ShoreTel system in your BC/DR site.Many carriers offer a service called Direct Trunk Overflow.Using DTO, you can automatically forward calls on a failed circuit (such as a location that is lost in the event of a disaster) to another circuit or lead number in a hunt group.You should also plan for usage charges if you are forwarding calls from one carrier to another.If your BC/DR site is on the same network as the carrier who provides services to the failed location, they should be able to point call paths from the failed circuit to the circuit at the BC/DR location.Once a disaster is declared and calls are forwarded to the BC/DR site, they can be answered by an operator (who is located anywhere and accessing the ShoreTel system through one of the mobility options) who is directing calls, an auto attendant or even by DID.

Provide users access

User access is very easy, they shouldn’t miss a beat.The following mechanisms can ensure end user access to the BC/DR site.brightstack includes all of these options in our offering:

1. Smply login to office anywhere and assign extension to last known external assignment;
2. Softphone access using VPN Client;
3. VPN Phone with using VPN Concentrator;
4. Mobility device (iPhone, Android, Blackberry) using WiFi through the Mobility Router;
5. Mobile Call Manager (which is really a GUI to office anywhere);

Using any of these solutions, users will be able to access calls.I suggest testing and preparing ahead of time, especially for the operator.As a use case the following scenario may play out in a disaster:

1. Disaster is declared;
2. Users move to their assigned recovery location (which may be their home, other office, etc)
3. User accesses remote desktop
4. Communicator is launched
5. Extension is assigned to External Assignment or user logs in to VPN phone
6. Communicator now controls extension

Test everything, run fire drills

Make sure your users have a set of instructions and are trained on how to use the BC/DR site.You should also test your BC/DR plan on a routine basis.

Use Cases

Empire Capital has a single image ShoreTel solution installed in their NY office.  They also have a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery site in NJ.The ShoreTel system is designed to be resilient, highly available and redundant and provide N+1 redundancy across key components.  Additionally, Empire Capital  has deployed an MPLS network between locations and deployed Voice services from their carrier at both locations.

New York

Empire Capital’s main location is NY.  The director server is in NY, along with 1 SG120 and 1 PRI switches. 

The following are points of failure, with an assessment of Empire’s risk at this location per point of failure and a recommendation to mitigate the risk.

1. NY connects to the datacenter via MPLS.  Redundancy for the MPLS network is an Internet based VPN should the MPLS fail.
2. NY has 2 PRI’swith 2 PRI switches in place.  This will provide N+1 redundancy should one of the PRI’s fail, although users will operatein a degraded state during the outage, since 50% of the trunks are down.
3. If one of the PRI’s in NY fails, the inbound calls on the DID’s on the failed PRI should automatically, or with manual intervention, route to the channels on the operational PRI.This needs to be programmed and implemented by the carrier. 
4. If both PRI’s fail, the inbound calls on the DID’s on the NY PRI’s should automatically, or with manual intervention, route to channels on a PRI in the NJ datacenter.  Calls can then be routed back to NY over the MPLS Network, or be handled by an operator in external assignment out of the NJ datacenter if the NY MPLS connection goes down.   
5. Inbound calls on the failed PRI can also point to the lead number of the backup POTs hunt group in NY. 
6. If both PRI’s fail in NY, outbound calls will continue to route over the NJ Datacenter’s PRI’s. 
7. If the voice switch in NY fails, phones will register with the N+1 switch in the datacenter.
8. There are 2 emergency phones powered by Telco should a power outage occur.
9. NY uses the Director server for Voicemail.  If the Director server fails, the system will still operate, but pc call manager control, auto attendant and voicemail will not function.  brightstack recommended deploying a DVS in NY, moving the mailboxes onto the DVS for the NY users.  If the DVS fails, the voicemails will be backed up by the Director server.
10. In the event the NY office is not accessible, users should have instructions regarding accessing the system through Office Anywhere out of the NJ Datacenter.
11. NY has POTs lines connected to the system for backup 911. These can also be used should both PRI’s fail as describe above.  As a tertiary trunking mechanism, internet based SIP trunks can be implemented.
12. Operators in Office Anywhere, External Assignment or through Mobility can service all the locations should a failure occur.

(This is an example Acceptable Use Policy.  Please consult with an attorney before using this.) 

Summary

Objective

The organization’s Cell Phone & PDA Policy exists to control costs, secure organization data and protect mobile devices from theft.

Audience

Every officer, manager, employee, contractor, temporary worker, authorized agent and volunteer is subject to the terms of the organization’s Cell Phone & PDA Policy.

Violation of Policy

Any violation of the Cell Phone & PDA Policy must be immediately reported to the Information Technology department manager.

Violating the Cell Phone & PDA Policy, or any of its tenets, could result in disciplinary action leading up to and including termination of employment and civil and/or criminal prosecution under local, state and federal laws.

The organization will provide cellular telephones (complete with PDA features and monthly voice and data service) for all employees at and above the level of Director. Employees below Director level may request organization-provided cellular telephones (without PDA features) and monthly voice service with the written consent and approval of their manager.

When circumstances require, managers may request cellular telephones with PDA features and monthly voice and data service for employees. In such cases the manager must identify the business justification for the purchase and service requirements in a written request to the Information Technology department manager.

The Information Technology department manager is only responsible for identifying compatible PDA platforms, purchasing equipment and supporting organization-provided cellular telephones and authorized PDAs. The Information Technology department manager is not responsible for determining employee eligibility or allocating funds to pay for cellular telephones and PDAs, accessories and/or service fees; the requesting manager must allocate funds from his/her department’s operating budget to cover costs arising from the cellular telephone/PDA request.

Organization-provided cellular telephones and PDAs are only to be used for fulfilling business responsibilities. No organization-provided cellular telephone and PDA devices are to be used for personal reasons; employees are prohibited from incurring any fees or charges as a result of personal use of organization-provided cellular telephone and/or PDAs and subsequently billing those fees and charges to the organization. If cellular telephone, PDA, accessory and/or service fees or charges result from personal use of organization-provided equipment, the employee is responsible for making payment for those fees and charges and any related billing costs.

Employees are prohibited from installing unapproved and unauthorized software on organization-provided cellular telephones and PDAs. Employees shall refrain from downloading additional software and services, including distinctive ring tones, games and other messaging services, to organization-provided cellular telephones and PDAs.

No employee may connect, dock or otherwise synchronize any unapproved cellular telephone or PDA, whether owned personally by the employee or provided by the organization, with any organization computer, laptop, server, system or network, without the prior written consent of the Information Technology department manager.

Employees awarded organization-provided cellular telephones and PDAs are responsible for the security of those devices. Employees are to keep the devices on their person at all times when traveling. Employees are responsible for replacing lost or stolen cellular telephones and PDAs; all organization-provided cellular telephones, PDAs and accessories remain the property of the organization.

No sensitive, proprietary or confidential information is to be stored on cellular telephones and PDAs at any time. In the event an organization-provided cellular telephone or PDA is lost, stolen or misplaced, the Information Technology department manager should be notified immediately (regardless of time of day) so that appropriate steps can be taken to remotely trigger the timely deletion of all contact and calendar information contained on the cellular telephone/PDA.

An employee who uses a company-supplied device or a company-supplied vehicle is prohibited from using a cell phone, hands on or hands off, or similar device while driving, whether the business conducted is personal or company-related. This prohibition includes receiving or placing calls, text messaging, surfing the Internet, receiving or responding to email, checking for phone messages, or any other purpose related to your employment; the business; our customers; our vendors; volunteer activities, meetings, or civic responsibilities performed for or attended in the name of the company; or any other company or personally related activities not named here while driving. Use of company owned vehicles or devices for personal business is discouraged.

Acknowledgment of Cell Phone & PDA Policy

This form is used to acknowledge receipt of, and compliance with, the Cell Phone & PDA Policy.

Procedure 
Complete the following steps: 

Read the Cell Phone & PDA Policy.

Sign and date in the spaces provided below.

Return a copy of this signed document to the Information Technology department manager.

Signature

Your signature attests that you agree to the following terms:

(i) I have received and read a copy of the Cell Phone & PDA Policy and understand and agree to the same;

(ii) I understand and agree that I will not use any organization-provided cellular telephone or PDA for any activities other than those necessary for fulfilling the organization’s business activities;

(iii) I understand and agree that I will not incur any costs or charges resulting from personal use of organization-provided cellular telephones and/or PDAs without reimbursing the organization for those costs;

(iv) I understand and agree that no cellular telephones and/or PDAs are to be connected to organization-provided computers, laptops, servers, systems or networks without the prior written authorization of the Information Technology department manager;

(v) I understand and agree that no sensitive, proprietary or confidential data is to be stored on cellular telephones and/or PDA at any time;

(vi) I understand and agree that the security and replacement of any organization-provided cellular telephone and/or PDA awarded to me becomes my responsibility and that organization-provided cellular telephones and PDAs remain the property of the organization;

(vii) I understand and agree that any violation of the Cell Phone & PDA Policy could result in termination of my employment and civil and criminal penalties.

______________________________________

Employee Signature

______________________________________

Employee Name

______________________________________

Employee Title

______________________________________

Date

______________________________________

Department/Location

“There is no security on this earth, there is only opportunity.”
General Douglass MacArthur

Think about it. If a five-star general with more than a passing acquaintance with the Sherman tank wasn’t convinced security existed even after winning WWII, who can blame IT professionals for still having a few doubts about the safety of cloud computing? Unlike previous computing revolutions IT has weathered (mainframe to client-server, client-server to Web), cloud computing challenges traditional security assumptions and approaches. For starters, there are actually three models of cloud computing, each with its own level of exposure, risk and security needs.  Here’s a quick look at each and how the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) describes their individual security concerns.

But first, a word about terminology:

Heads up: Definitions can vary widely.  This is how we see things at brightstack and where this blog is coming from.  If you have questions, please call me at [212-812-9446] .

There are two IT environments at work in most enterprises today. The internal, physical infrastructure comprised of legacy technology and business processes is the more familiar. But the rapidly developing, external virtual infrastructure may prove to be the more powerful.

Confused about the cloud? You are not alone. In a recent study of consumer awareness in the US [1]:

• 78% of respondents said they were unfamiliar with cloud computing.
• 76% of these same participants reported using an Internet-based (read: cloud-based) service such as Facebook, Gmail, Flickr, etc. within the past 12 months.

When you think about it, the disconnect makes sense. These days all kinds of professionals are weighing in on what the cloud is and does. Marketers, environmental activists, financial gurus -- everybody’s getting into the act. Especially technology analysts, as you can see below.

Part one: The Why and What
(Hint: You already know all about when and where — anytime, anywhere)

Why a Mobile Computing Security Strategy?
As if dealing with rapidly evolving devices, operating systems and business models wasn’t scary enough, according to newly released data, mobile computing security exploits are on track to double this year. [1]  Considering that both your mobile computing ecosystem and the forces that threaten it are in a state of constant change, unexpected disruptions are to be expected. You can’t plan for them, but you’d be crazy not to prepare. Having a mobile security strategy in place is a lot like having a flashlight in your briefcase. If your mobile environment suddenly goes dark, its job is to help you see where you’re going-- not to show you how to get there. You’ll just have to cross that bridge when you come to it.

A new survey of IT professionals sponsored by Dell KASE reports that nearly 90% of employees now use personal devices such as laptops, mobile phones and tablets for work-related purposes. [1]  No wonder Gartner analysts have predicted that 90% of organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices by 2014. [2]  Security concerns aside (we’ll deal with that topic in an upcoming blog), this is a trend IT would be smart to embrace. What follows is a quick look at just some of the many reasons why.

What ROI is  

• Return on Investment (ROI)
• A measurement of costs and expected benefit over time

What ROI is not

• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• A measurement of costs only

Think fast. What do you get when you combine rapidly industrializing business models, the consumerization of IT and a global economy that’s slowly emerging from the worst recession in eight decades? In a growing number of enterprises these days, the answer is “an unprecedented opportunity.” The fact is that there has never been a better time to redefine traditional ideas about how in-house Information Technology (IT) organizations should look and work.

Part two: Who Needs to Know What

One Size Fits None
These days more organizations than should, are spending more money than necessary, on securing more resources than are practical, from more risks than make sense.  

Yes, it is true that:

• Security breaches are on the rise.
• There are laws to obey, standards to uphold, best practices to follow.
• Bad things sometimes do happen to good people.

But it is also true that:

• Statistically speaking it’s not happening as often, or to as many, as you may think.   
• From a liability standpoint negligence is not to blame nearly as much as may suspect.
• Legally, there may not be as much that you can do about it as you may hope.  

The information contained in this two-part guide provides a step-by-step plan to help you build a relationship with the right provider, regardless of whether you are looking to:

• Outsource your IT functions so you can focus time and resources elsewhere
• Strengthen or refresh your existing IT infrastructure without tying up capital
• Access specific capabilities without worrying about technological obsolescence

This documents focuses on everything you need to know to choose the right  provider for the job -- as well as detailed information about subsequent steps you can take to keep this valuable relationship on the right track.

Why IT should be worried
According to recently released data, mobile security exploits were on track to double between 2010 and 2011. [1] The news goes from bad to worse when you factor in these disturbing trends in the toll cyber crime takes on business: [2] Based on a comparison of 2010 and 2011, cyber crime was:

• 44% more common.  On average, participating organizations experienced more than one successful cyber attack per company per week.
• 56% more costly.  Cyber crime now costs organizations an average of $5.9 million per year.
  • On an annualized basis, of total external costs per year:

    Lost productivity accounts for 28%.

  Information theft accounts for 40%.

  • On an annualized basis, of total internal costs per year:

Recovery and detection accounts 45%.
67% more time consuming

The average time to resolve a cyber attack is now 18 days. The average time to contain malicious insider attacks is now 45 days.

The information contained in this two-part guide provides a step-by-step plan to help you build a relationship with the right provider, regardless of whether you are looking to:

• Outsource your IT functions so you can focus time and resources elsewhere;
• Strengthen or refresh your existing IT infrastructure without tying up capital; and/or
• Access specific capabilities without worrying about technological obsolescence

This document focuses on everything you need to know to find the best possible candidate for the job!

Snapshots are a great way to ensure rapid Recovery Time Objective (RTO – How long it takes to recover data) and Recovery Point Object (RPO – How far back can data be recovered) but they add overhead to the storage pool.

I was talking with my colleagues at VMWare today, and they said something very nonchalantly that was incredibly powerful.  I don’t know if they realized this at the time, but they basically said “VMWare will do the storage management.”  In my mind, this meant we can go lower end on storage as the storage management tools (snapshots, replication, de-duplication, etc) become even less important at the SAN level because they are being done at the VMWare level. 

In order to properly size a SAN for a customer, there are a few variables to consider. IOPS (Input Output Per Second), Raw Storage, Usable Storage and RAID configuration impact 90% of the decision regarding performance.

Selecting a storage partner was a tough decision to make. We knew that once we chose a partner, we were making a long term commitment and locking ourselves into a platform. The largest majority of cloud computing costs are in the storage. We also don’t want to oversubscribe storage and incur costs for our customers and ourselves related to resources that are yet needed. Some of the SANS we looked at came loaded with drives and storage was over provisioned. Others, allowed us to add disks as we needed.