Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Intelligent Contact Management/Contact Center Enterprise & Hosted Release 9.0(1)
Network IVRs/VRUs
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Contents

Network IVRs/VRUs

This chapter discusses the Network IVR/VRU feature for Unified Intelligent Contact Manager (Unified ICM) that lets you divert a call to an interactive voice response unit for additional processing.

Each routing client can have one or more associated Network Voice Response Units (VRUs). A VRU is a telecommunications computer, also called an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, that responds to caller-entered touch-tone digits.

The routing client can be a public network interexchange carrier (IXC) intelligent network, or a private network peripheral, such as an Aspect or Avaya ACD.


Note
Network VRUs are available only for intelligent public network IXCs, not all public network IXCs.

A Network VRU supports the system software's service control interface. A routing script can divert a call to a Network VRU and instruct the VRU to perform specific processing before the system software determines the final destination for the call.

Preparation for using the VRU feature includes:

  • Setting up Network VRU targets with the Configuration Manager
  • Inserting VRU nodes in the routing script

Note
For the remainder of this chapter, the term VRU is used to be consistent with the on-screen prompts.

VRU configuration tools

Network VRU explorer tool

This tool allows a Network Applications Manager (NAM) to view, edit, or define network VRUs, labels, and their associations. The system software can send a customer call to a network VRU.


Note
The Network VRU Explorer is not available on a Limited (single Instance) Administration & Data Server.

To begin, select the filters you want and click Retrieve.

The changes you make in the Network VRU Explorer window are not applied to the database until you click Save.

Select Filter Data Box

Use the Select filter data box to select and retrieve data from the database. Until you retrieve database data, no data is displayed.

Related References

Network VRU Label Tree

Hide/Show legend

This button toggles between Hide and Show. Click to hide or show a diagram identifying all the objects that can be displayed in the tree list box and showing their hierarchy.

Tree list box

The tree list box displays the names of the retrieved Network VRUs and, when expanded, the labels associated with them.

When you select an item within the tree, details about that item appear in the tabbed property fields to the right of the tree list box.

Tree list box properties

  • Expanding (+)/contracting (-) the tree (+ and – buttons)
  • Displaying option menu (right mouse button clicking)
  • Making tree connections (drag and drop) With the mouse, you can select an object and move it to another part of the tree, as long as its object type belongs in that tree location. For example, to move a route to another service, select it by clicking the left mouse button, and move the pointer to that service. When that service becomes highlighted, lift your finger off the mouse. You could also use the Bulk Configuration tool to take the output of a switch and create 20 or 30 labels. Then, using one of the Explorer tools, you could attach these UNASSIGNED labels to an appropriate location.
  • Symbols indicating object state (see Bulk, List, and Explorer tools common features)
  • UNASSIGNED tree objects A tree object is marked UNASSIGNED if it was made by another configuration tool and was not assigned (mapped) to a parent object. For example, a label might not have been assigned to a peripheral target or a route might not have been assigned to a service. With the mouse, you can select an UNASSIGNED object and move it to a tree branch, as long as it's an object that belongs in that tree location. Use the window legend to see what objects belong where. When you move an UNASSIGNED object to an appropriate tree-branch location, you assign that object to the object above it in the tree. Then the object is no longer unassigned. For example, in this way you might assign an unassigned label to a peripheral target.
Table 1 Network VRU Label Tree buttons

Button

Description

Add

When an object in the tree is selected, you can add another object of the same kind or an object immediately below it in the tree hierarchy. The Add buttons are enabled accordingly.

Add Network VRU

Click to add a network VRU to the database.

Add Label

Click to add a label to the selected network VRU.

Delete

Click to delete the selected object in the tree. This marks the selected object for deletion. When you click Save, the object is deleted from the database.

If a network VRU is selected, it and the labels associated with it are marked for deletion. If a label is selected, only that label's record is marked for deletion.

Undelete

The Delete button toggles to Undelete when you select an object marked for deletion. To undelete an object marked for deletion, select it and click Undelete.

Security

Visible only if you have partitioning. Enabled only if you have maintenance access to the database record.

Click to apply security options to the selected tree object. For a description of the security options, click.

ID status box

The label in the ID box at the bottom of the screen identifies the Unified ICM system on which you are working.

Network VRU tab

The Network VRU tab allows you to view (and define or edit, if you have maintenance access) the properties of the selected network VRU.

Table 2 Network VRU tab field descriptions

Field

Description

Name (required)

An enterprise name for the network VRU. This name must be unique for all network VRUs in the enterprise

Type (required)

(selection list) The type of network VRU.

Description

Additional information about the network VRU.

Related References

Network VRU Banks tab

This is enabled when a Type 9 is selected in the Network VRU tab.

Table 3 Network VRU Banks tab button descriptions

Button

Description

Add

Displays a list of trunk groups that are on an IPCC System Peripheral.

Remove

Removes the added items from the list of trunk groups.

Label tab

The Label tab allows you to view (and create, delete, or edit, if you have maintenance access) the properties of the selected label.

Table 4 Label tab field descriptions

Field

Description

Network VRU Bank

Specifies the Network Target for the Label to be associated with.

Routing client (required)

The enterprise name of the routing client associated with the label.

Label (required)

The label value.

Label type (required)

(drop-down list) The valid types depend on the type of routing client. Select one valid type for your routing client. Check with your carrier for the latest information about supported label types. Typical types are Normal, DNIS Override, Busy, Ring, and Post-Query.

Customer (optional)

The customer associated with the label.

Description

Additional information about the label.

Network VRU script list tool

This tool allows you to list the network VRU scripts currently defined in the Unified ICM database, to define new ones, and to view, edit, or delete the records of existing ones.

Network VRU scripts are created by VRU engineers for VRUs. This List tool defines these previously created scripts for the system software so it can interact with the scripts.


Note
The Network VRU Script List tool is not available on a Limited (single Instance) Administration & Data Server.

Select filter data box

Use the Select filter data box to select and retrieve data from the database. Until you retrieve database data, no data is displayed.

Related References

Network VRU Script List box

The Network vRU Script List box lists the network VRU scripts retrieved or created in the current editing session. The tabbed fields on the right side of the window display the properties of the selected network VRU script.

Attributes tab

The Attributes tab allows you to view and (if you have maintenance access) to define, edit, or delete the attributes of the selected network VRU script.

Table 5 Attributes tab descriptions

Field

Description

Name (required)

An enterprise name for the VRU script. This name must be unique for all VRU scripts in the system.

Network VRU (required)

(selection list) The network VRU associated with the VRU script.

VRU script name (required)

The number by which the script is known to the VRU.

Timeout (seconds) (required)

The number of seconds Unified ICM will wait for a response after directing the routing client to run this script. If Unified ICM does not receive a response from the routing client within this time, it assumes the VRU script has failed.

Configuration param

A string to be passed to the VRU when the script is invoked.

Customer

(selection list) The customer associated with the VRU script, if any.

Interruptible

Checked, indicates the script can be interrupted (for example, if an agent becomes available to handle the call).

Overridable

Checked, indicates the script can make itself interruptible or non-interruptible.

Description

Any additional information about the VRU script.

Security tab

The Security tab is visible only on partitioned systems and enabled only on records for which you have maintenance access.

VRU currency list tool

This tool allows you to list the VRU currencies currently defined in the Unified ICM database, to define new ones, and to view, edit, or delete the records of existing ones.

Select filter data box

Use the Select filter data box to select and retrieve data from the database. Until you retrieve database data, no data is displayed.

Related References

VRU currency list box

Lists the VRU currencies retrieved and or created in the current editing session. The tabbed field on the right side of the window displays the name of the selected VRU currency.

Currency (required)

The VRU currency list box lists the type of currency (pounds, dollars, yen, and so on) that the VRU uses when playing prompts. For example, the type of currency is needed if a caller requests information regarding a bank statement. The currency type cannot be longer than 10 characters.

Attributes Tab

Allows you to view and (if you have maintenance access) to define, modify, and delete currencies.

VRU defaults list tool

This tool allows you to list VRU defaults currently defined in the Unified ICM database, to define new ones, and to view, edit, or delete the records of existing ones.

Select filter data box

Use the Select filter data box to select and retrieve data from the database. Until you retrieve database data, no data is displayed.

Related References

VRU defaults list box

The VRU defaults list box lists the VRU defaults retrieved and or created in the current editing session. The tabbed fields on the right side of the window display the properties of the selected VRU defaults.

Attributes tab

Allows you to view and (if you have maintenance access) to update the defaults used by ISN (Internet Service Node).

Table 6 Attributes tab field descriptions

Field

Description

Name (required)

A unique name for the VRU defaults list.

Description

Additional information about the VRU defaults list.

Media server set (required)

The base URL for all media files used in the VRU script. For example: www.machine1/dir1/dirs.

Part of the base URL is the application server IP address or DNS name. The maximum string size is 30 characters. The default value is localhost.

When the Media Server URL is a DNS name and if the DNS Server is configured to return multiple IP addresses for a host name, ISN will attempt to get the media files from each Media Server IP address in sequence with the priority to the closest IP address (as determined by the subnet mask).

Note    For multi-tenant systems, you can include the customer name at the end of the string.

Locale (required)

(selection list) A combination of language and country which define the grammar and prompt set to use. The default is en_US.

System media library

The name of the system library of media files and prompts for individual digits, months, default error messages, and so on. The maximum string size is 10 characters. The default is sys.

Note    Each locale has a specific system media library.

Application media library

The name of the application library of media files and prompts for individual digits, months, default error messages, and so on. Indicates the application media library that contains the application media file to be played to the caller. The maximum string size is 10 characters. The default is app.

Note    Each locale has a specific application media library.

Currency (required)

(selection list) The currency type used in the IVR prompts to the caller. The default is dollar.

DTMF termination key (required)

(selection list) The key the caller presses to signify the end of digit entry. The default value is #. The choices are 0 through 9, #, or *.

DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) is the "touch-tone" method used by the telephone system to communicate the keys pressed when dialing.

InterDigit Timeout (required)

The timeout in seconds allowed between entering digits before the system assumes the caller is finished. The range is from 1 to 99 seconds. The default value is 3 seconds.

No Entry

Defaults for when the caller does not enter data.

Number of tries (required)

The number of times the VRU queries the caller when the caller does not entry any data. The range of value is from 1 to 9. The default value is 3.

Timeout (required)

The number of seconds allowed before the caller starts entering data. After this time, the call is ended. The timeout range is from 0 to 99 seconds. The default value is 5 seconds.

Invalid Entry

Defaults for when the caller enters incorrect data.

Number of tries (required)

The number of times the VRU queries the caller when the caller enters incorrect data. The range is from 1 to 9. The default value is 3.

VRU locale list tool

This tool allows you to list the VRU locales currently defined in the Unified ICM database, to define new ones, and to view, edit, or delete the records of existing ones.

Select filter data box

Use the Select filter data box to select and retrieve data from the database. Until you retrieve database data, no data is displayed.

Related References

VRU locales list box

Lists the VRU locales retrieved and or created in the current editing session. The tabbed fields on the right side of the window display the properties of the selected VRU locales.

VRU Locale

A combination of language and country which define the grammar and prompt set to use when the VRU plays prompts.

Attributes tab

Allows you to view and (if you have maintenance access) to define, modify, and delete VRU locales.

Locale (required)

A combination of language and country which define the grammar and prompt set to use when the VRU plays prompts. The default is en_US. This cannot be longer than 10 characters.

Configuring network VRUs and VRU scripts

Before you start configuring a Network VRU, you must know its type. The VRU type determines what routing script nodes the system software needs to use to communicate with the VRU. For example, when interacting with a Type 3 VRU, the system software executes a routing script containing a Send to VRU node to successfully process a call.

The following table lists the VRU types that are currently available.

Table 7 Voice response unit (VRU) types

Type

Description

Nodes to Use with This Type

1

Normal label type and a correlation ID.

2

Normal label type and a DNIS.

Required: Translation Route to VRU. Optional: Queue and Run VRU Script.

3

Resource label type and a correlation ID. The routing client can automatically take back the call from the VRU when the system software returns a destination label.

Note    Use this type (rather than Type 7) when the routing client can automatically take back the call from the VRU when the system software returns a destination.

Optional: Send to VRU, Queue, and Run VRU Script.

4

Resource label type and a DNIS.

 

5

Resource label type and either a correlation ID or a DNIS.

Note    Use this type (rather than a Type 3 or Type 7) when the routing client itself takes care of mapping the call to requests from the system software.

Required: Send to VRU. Optional: Queue and Run VRU Script.

6

No label, no correlation ID, and no DNIS (call is already at the VRU).

The VRU for this type is programmed so that it can recognize such a request based on the call qualifiers, so you can assume the call is already at the VRU.

Optional: Queue and Run VRU Script.

7

Similar to Type 3, but the system software automatically instructs the VRU to release the call when it sends a destination label to the routing client.

Note    Use this type (instead of Type 3) when the routing client cannot take back the call from the VRU. That is, the system software automatically instructs the VRU to release when it sends a route response to the routing client; for example, CWC Network VRUs.

Optional: Send to VRU, Queue, and Run VRU Script.

8

Similar to Type 2, but a Type 8 VRU is used when the NAM has a routing client that controls the call to the VRU.

Required: Translation Route to VRU. Optional: Queue and Run VRU Script.

9

Simplifies configuration requirements in Unified Customer Voice Portal(Unified CVP) Comprehensive Model deployments.

Use this type for calls that originate from a TDM VRU or ACD and need to be transferred to Unified CVP for self service or queuing, and for calls that originate from an Unified CCE or Unified CM, and need to be transferred to Unified CVP for self service or queuing.

Required: All Unified CVP micro-application scripts

It is not really necessary to include a Send to VRU node in a script referring to a Type 3 or Type 7 VRU, as the Queue and Run VRU Script nodes automatically send the call to the VRU if it is not already there when they execute. However, make a practice of including it in such scripts, as it can act as a visual aid if you ever need to troubleshoot the script.

For Types 3 and 7 you must use the System Information dialog to configure a range of correlation IDs. These IDs allow the system software to match calls arriving at the VRU with calls sent there by the system software. (For Types 2 and 8, the system software uses the DNIS values associated with the translation route to match up the calls. For Type 6, no matching is required since the call is already at the VRU.)

VRU port map data descriptions

A VRU port map associates a VRU trunk with an ACD trunk or an ADC port. In cases where ACD and VRU PIMs are controlled by the same PG, each row in the VRU_Port_Map table specifies how a VRU port maps to an ACD trunk or port.

Table 8 VRU port map data descriptions

Field

Description

State

(display only) A symbol indicating whether a row's record is changed, not changed, to be deleted, or to be inserted.

VRU Trunk Group (required)

Indicates the VRU Trunk Group associated with this port map.

VRU Trunk Number (required)

Indicates the VRU Trunk associated with this port map.

Mapping Type (required)

Type of mapping associated with this port map. There are two mapping types:

  • VRU Trunk, which maps to ACD Trunk
  • VRU Port, which maps to ACD Port

This selection determines which two of the next four fields are editable.

ACD Trunk Group

(optional) Indicates the ACD Trunk Group associated with this port map.

ACD Trunk Number

(optional) Indicates the ACD Trunk associated with this port map.

ACD Peripheral

(optional) Indicates the ACD Peripheral associated with this port map.

ACD Port

(optional) Indicates the ACD Port associated with this port map.

Related Information

Network VRU script data descriptions

Each row identifies a script used by a network VRU to handle a call. A VRU script is managed by the VRU itself. It is not stored in the Unified ICM database or directly managed by the system software. The system software can only direct the VRU to run the script.


Note
The Network VRU Script Bulk tool is not available on a Limited (single Instance) Administration & Data Server.
Table 9 Network VRU script data descriptions

Field

Description

State

(display only) A symbol indicating whether a row's record is changed, not changed, to be deleted, or to be inserted.

Network Target (required)

Identifies the network VRU associated with the script.

VRU Script Name (required)

The name of the script as known at the VRU.

Network VRU Script (required)

The enterprise name of the script.

Customer

(optional) The name of the customer associated with the script.

Interruptible (required)

Indicates whether the system software can interrupt the script (for example, if a routing target becomes available): Yes or No.

Overridable (required)

Indicates whether the script can override its own Interruptible attribute: Yes or No.

Configuration Parameter

(optional) A parameter string that is sent to the VRU to initialize the script.

Timeout

(optional) The number of seconds the system software will wait for a response after invoking the script.

If the system software does not receive a response from the routing client within this time, it assumes the VRU script has failed.

Description

(optional) Additional information about the script.

Network VRUs

Define each logical VRU in the database before continuing to the following sections.

Configure Network VRU

To configure a Network VRU:

Procedure
    Step 1   Within the Configuration Manager, select Tools > Explorer Tools > Network VRU Explorer. The Network VRU Explorer window appears.
    Step 2   In the Network VRU Explorer window, enable Add Network VRU by clicking Retrieve.
    Step 3   Click Add Network VRU. The Network VRU property tab appears.
    Step 4   Complete the Network VRU property tab.
    Note    The Name and Type fields are required. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.
    Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes.
    Related References

    Network VRU labels

    You must associate all VRU Types (except Type 6) with a Network VRU label.

    Define Network VRU label

    To define a Network VRU label:

    Procedure
      Step 1   In the Network VRU Explorer window, click Retrieve and select the Network VRU you want to add the label to. The Label property tab appears.
      Step 2   Complete the Label property tab.
      Note    The Routing client, Label, and Label type fields are required. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.
      Step 3   Click Save to apply your changes.
      Related References

      Network VRU System Information

      For Network VRUs, you must use the System Information dialog to define a range of correlation IDs so the system software can communicate with the VRU about the call.

      Set default network VRU and range of correlation numbers

      Perform the following steps to set the default Network VRU and range of correlation numbers:

      Procedure
        Step 1   Within the Configuration Manager, select Tools > Miscellaneous Tools > System Information. The System Information window appears.
        Step 2   In the System Information window, select the Default Network VRU.
        Step 3   Enter the Minimum Correlation Number.
        Step 4   Enter the Maximum Correlation Number.
        Note    For additional information refer to the online help.
        Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes.

        Network VRU script configuration

        To allow a routing script to control the processing on the VRU, you must configure VRU-based scripts within the system software. A routing script can then direct the VRU to run a specific script.


        Note
        VRU scripts are defined and maintained on the VRU. The system software maintains only a name for each VRU script. It does not maintain the scripts themselves.

        Configure VRU scripts

        Perform the following steps to configure VRU scripts:

        Procedure
          Step 1   Within the Configuration Manager, select Tools > Network VRU Script List. The Network VRU Script List window appears.
          Step 2   In the Network VRU Script List window, enable Add by clicking Retrieve.
          Step 3   Click Add. The Attributes property tab appears.
          Step 4   Complete the Attributes property tab.
          Note    The Name, Network VRU,VRU script name, and Timeout fields are required. All other fields are optional. For additional information refer to the online Help.
          Step 5   Click Save to apply your changes. The system software database manager automatically generates a unique Network VRU Script ID.

          Accessing VRUs in scripts

          After you have configured a Network VRU and VRU scripts, you can use the Script Editor (refer to the Scripting and Media Routing Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise & Hosted for additional information) to write a routing script to send a call to the VRU and invoke a specific VRU script.

          Calls queued at VRUs

          You can queue a call at a Network VRU until a specific resource becomes available. A call can be queued for one or more skill groups, an enterprise skill group, or one or more scheduled targets. As soon as an agent becomes available at one of the specified targets, the call is removed from the queue and sent to the target.