External Service Block

This block enables routing applications to invoke methods on third party servers that comply with Genesys Interaction Server (GIS) protocol.  Use to exchange data with third party (non-Genesys) servers that use the Genesys Interaction SDK or any other server or application that complies with the GIS communication protocol. Can be used for both voice and non-voice interactions.

Important

In order to use this object, the third party server/application must already be defined in the Configuration Database as a server of type Third Party Server or Third Party Application. Before completing the External Service block properties, you must already know the names of Services, Methods, and Signatures (requested input/output parameters) provided by the external service.

The Composer External Service block does not automatically pass user data in the ESP call unlike the legacy IRD External Service object. Therefore, ESP methods that expect user data cannot be called using this block. Please refer to the ESP method/API documentation to determine if user data is required. To call an ESP API that requires user data, a hand coded SCXML page can be used and invoked using the SubRoutine block. Please refer to the <session:fetch> documentation in the Orchestration Server Developers Guide. See Action Elements under Session Interface for details on how to pass user data in ESP requests.

Use Case

A customer has a custom integration to a third party application (a workflow system), through the Open Media API. The workflow system uses Genesys to distribute work items at various times during the workflow. At some point in the IPD handling a work item,  there is a need to update the workflow system and assign a new value to one of the attributes of the work item. The Genesys developer has the IPD call a routing strategy, which uses the External Service block to call a specific method exposed by the third party application. This allows the developer to update the value of the specific attribute of the work item. The External Service block has the following properties:

Name Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

Block Notes Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

Exceptions Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks. You can also define custom events.

Application Property

Use this property to select the name of the third party application to be contacted or the general Application type to be contacted, which must be defined in the Configuration Database. Starting with 8.1.410.14, you can select Social Messaging Server in the dialog. If a Social Messaging Server was configured as a Third Party Server in the Configuration Database, then it will be listed inside the Third Party Server category.

1. Click under Value to display the button.
2. Click the button to open the Application Selection dialog box.
3. Select the third party application to be contacted.
4. Click OK.

Include Interaction User Data

Select true or false to indicate whether to attach all interaction user data to request's udata parameter.

Method Name Property

Use this property to specify the Method defined by the third party server or application.

1. Click under Value to display the button.
2. Click the button to open the Method Name dialog box.
3. Opposite Type, select one of the following as the source for the name:

• Literal to enter the method name manually in the Value field.
• Variable to select a variable for the method name in the Value field.

4. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Method Parameters Property

Use this property to specify the list of input parameters to be passed to the specified external service. Click the button to add a new entry:

1. Click under Value to display the button.
2. Click the button to open the Method Parameters dialog box.
3. Click Add to open the Select Items dialog box.
4. Opposite Key, leave Literal in the first field and enter the input parameter name in the second field.
5. Opposite Value, click the down arrow and select either literal or variable.

• If you select Literal, enter the name of the key in the second field.
• If you select Variable, select the name of the variable from the second field.

6. Click OK to close the Select Items dialog box. The Method Parameters dialog box shows your entry.
7. Continue adding parameters in this fashion.
8. Click OK when through in the Method Parameters dialog box. .

Service Name Property

Use this property to specify the name of the Service defined by the third party server or application for the functionality requested.

1. Click under Value to display the button.
2. Click the button to open the Service Name dialog box.
3. Opposite Type, select one of the following as the source for the name:

• Literal to enter the service name manually in the Value field.
• Variable to select a variable for the service name in the Value field.

4. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Service Timeout Property

Use this property to specify the timeout in seconds (s) to be used for invoking this method. If not checked, URS uses the Reconnect Timeout entered for third party server or application in Configuration Server. In the case of a connection or service request failure, error codes are returned. The default is 30 seconds.

User Data Property

Use this property to specify the list of User Data parameters to be passed to the specified external service. Click the button to add a new entry:

1. Click under Value to display the button.
2. Click the  button to open the User Data dialog box.
3. Click Add to open the Select Items dialog box.
4. Opposite Key, leave Literal in the first field and enter the input parameter name in the second field.
5. Opposite Value, click the down arrow and select either literal or variable.

• If you select Literal, enter the name of the key in the second field.
• If you select Variable, select the name of the variable from the second field.

6. Click OK to close the Select Items dialog box. The User Data dialog box shows your entry.
7. Continue adding parameters in this fashion.
8. Click OK when through in the User Data dialog box.

Result Property

Use this property to specify an application variable to store the results. These results will then be available in other blocks in the application for further processing. The format of returned data is JSON. Any post processing work to be done on returned results can be done in the existing Assign block which provides access to ECMAScript functions. It already supports writing simple or complex expressions to extract values out of JSON strings and arrays.

Condition Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

Logging Details Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

Log Level Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

Enable Status Property

Find this property's details under Common Properties for Callflow Blocks or Common Properties for Workflow Blocks.

ORS Extensions Property

Starting with 8.1.4, Composer blocks used to build routing applications (with the exception of the Disconnect and EndParallel blocks) add a new ORS Extensions property.