Remote Agents Support

SIP Server supports remote agents that use legacy PSTN phones. These agents could be working from their homes, or in a branch office that has simple PSTN connectivity.

[TBD] SIP Server supports the following functionality for remote agents:

• Agents with nailed-up connections
• Multi-site supervision (refer to the the SIP Server Deployment Guide)
• Remote agents with non-provisioned DNs
• Remote agents and calls on hold

Configuring remote agents

Depending on remote agent locations, the following configurations are supported (or covered in this topic?):

• Remote agents that are located behind the Softswitch
• Remote agents with nailed-up connections that are located behind the Softswitch
• Remote agents without provisioning of remote phone numbers

Remote agents that are located behind the Softswitch

1. Configure a Voice over IP Service DN with the following minimum options in the [TServer] section:
   • contact = <the contact URI that SIP Server uses for communication with the softswitch>
   • prefix= <the initial characters of the number that must match a particular softswitch for that softswitch to be selected>
   • service-type = softswitch
2. Configure an Extension DN for a remote agent with the Number and Type properties. Do not add the contact option.

Remote agents with nailed-up connections that are located behind the Softswitch

1. Configure a Voice over IP Service DN with the following minimum options in the [TServer] section:
   • contact = <the contact URI that SIP Server uses for communication with the softswitch>
   • prefix= <the initial characters of the number that must match a particular softswitch for that softswitch to be selected>
   • service-type = softswitch
2. Configure an Extension DN for a remote agent (for SIP Server version 8.1.102.93+):
   • line-type= 1
   • <no contact option>

   Configure an Extension DN for a remote agent (for SIP Server version prior to 8.1.102.93):

   • line-type= 1
   • contact = <the contact URI that SIP Server uses for communication with the softswitch>

#Configure a DN of type ACD Position or Extension for each agent.

1. In the TServer section of the agent DN, configure the following options:
   • contact—Set this option to the contact URI of the PSTN gateway/SBC or third-party PBX, depending on the agent location. If an agent is located behind the softswitch, leave this option empty (contact=) or do not add it at all.
   • refer-enabled—Set this option to false.
   • dual-dialog-enabled—Set this option to false.
   • reject-call-notready—Set this option to true (recommended, not mandatory).
   • sip-cti-control—Ensure that this option is not configured.

To learn about benefits of nailed-up connections and how to configure them, refer to the Nailed-Up Connections for Agents topic.

To reconfigure office-based agents to their remote home-based locations, refer to the Enabling office-based agents to work from home topic.

For general information about creating endpoints, refer to the Configuring Endpoints section in the SIP Server Deployment Guide.

Limitations

[Should we move it to the end of the section?]

Due to the specifics of gateway behavior in performing SIP REFER methods, support for remote agents has some limitations. In order to use remote agents, you must perform one of the two following steps:

• Provision customers and remote agents to use physically separate gateways (otherwise, calls from agents to customers take shortcuts within gateways, which means that SIP Server loses track of the call and therefore cannot perform call control). Even in this configuration, direct calls between two remote agents on the same gateway are not visible to SIP Server.
• Disable the SIP REFER method for the gateways where the remote agents are located. This enables SIP Server to see agent-to-customer and agent-to-agent calls.

Remote agents with non-provisioned phone numbers

[FDS: https://intranet.genesys.com/display/RDSIPS/%5BFDS%5D+Remote+agent+with+non-provisioned+number]

Starting with version 8.1.102.93, SIP Server adds support for remote agents and agents with nailed-up connections to use external numbers that are not provisioned in the Configuration Database. These external numbers are used to access the agent during the agent session only, thereby limiting the lifetime of the external numbers to a particular agent session. In other words, after the agent is logged out, any associations with that external number are removed.

This feature requires Workspace Web Edition (WWE) version 8.5.201.95 or later.

When an agent (configured with a Default Place and there is a default DN in the Place) logs into Workspace Web Edition and provides her or his dynamic (?) phone number, the dynamic phone number is used to reach the agent (the DN will be ringed when the agent receives a call). Workspace sends a TAgentLogin request to SIP Server containing the ThisDN attribute, which is the default DN in the Place, and the Extensions attribute containing the agent-phone key, which is the phone number provided by the agent.

When an agent logs into Workspace without updating her or his phone number, the physical DN is used to reach the agent (the DN will be ringed when the agent receives a call).

The phone number to be used for the agent session is passed to SIP Server in the TAgentLogin request in AttributeExtensions as a key-value pair with the agent-phone key. AttributeThisDN of that request points to the default DN assigned to the agent.

Configuring remote agents with non-provisioned numbers

For this functionality, a remote agent or an agent with a nailed-up connection must be located behind the softswitch DN.

1. Configure a Voice over IP Service DN with the following minimum options in the [TServer] section:
   • contact = <the contact URI that SIP Server uses for communication with the softswitch>
   • prefix= <the initial characters of the number that must match a particular softswitch for that softswitch to be selected>
   • service-type = softswitch
2. Configure a physical (default?) DN for a remote agent or an agent with a nailed-up connection with the following properties:
   • Number—The physical DN number (must start with the softswitch prefix). If an agent does not have a primary office DN, use a unique fake number. (Make sure no configured internal DNs must be used.)
   • Type—Extension
   • In the DNs/Annex > TServer section, configure the following options:
     • contact = (empty)
     • voice = true
     • line-type= 1 - (Optional) Only for an agent with a nailed-up connection.
     • connect-nailedup-on-login= gcti::park - (Optional) Only for an agent with a nailed-up connection. See nailed-up connections for details.
3. Create a Default Place containing this DN.
4. Create an agent login for this agent.
5. Create a new Person object for this agent and assign the Default Place and the agent login to this Person object.

Configure a Person object for each agent and assign to it the Default Place, which must have a DN. The DN can be a primary office DN. If an agent does not have a primary office DN, then a fake DN or an external number can be used. Do not configure any number different from the default DN that the agent can use during the agent session as an internal DN on the SIP Server switch. Internal DNs include Extension DNs, Routing Point DNs, Trunk Group DNs, ACD Position DNs, ACD Queue DNs, and External Routing Point DNs. #If an agent with a nailed-up connection must use a dynamically configured external number, configure the following:

1. • Set the line-type option to 1 in the [TServer] section of the agent's Extension DN.
   • (Optional) Set the connect-nailedup-on-login option to gcti::park in the [TServer] section of the agent's Extension DN.
   • Configure other configuration options for a nailed-up agent configuration on the softswitch DN as needed.

AttributeExtensions

[We can remove it from here. We have it in the SIPS DG.]

Key: agent-phone
Type: String
Request: TAgentLogin

Specifies the phone number to be used for the agent session.

Limitations

• If a dynamically defined number is used for the agent session, the agent can only initiate calls using the agent desktop. 1pcc calls originated from the dynamically defined number are not supported.
• Any number different from the default DN that an agent can use during the agent session must not be configured as an internal DN on the SIP Server switch.
• For agents with nailed-up connections that use a dynamically defined number for the agent session, an establishment of the nailed-up connection by calling into a contact center Routing Point is not supported.
• Hunt Groups in Business Continuity (BC) functionality are not supported by this feature. That is, in the BC deployment, agent logging with a dynamically configured external number to a DN that is a member of the Hunt Group is not supported.

Remote Agents and Calls on Hold

Introduced in 8.1.103.73. In a scenario where a remote agent located behind a PSTN trunk places a call on hold, SIP Server can connect the on-hold party to a media service with a silent treatment to prevent disconnection of the call by the trunk. Previously, the connection was dropped because the inactivity timeout set by the trunk expired. This SIP Server behavior affects only 3pcc Hold requests and cannot be applied to devices with dual dialog support.

To enable this feature, set the dual-dialog-enabled DN-level configuration option to a value of single-dialog-rtp-on-hold. In this case, SIP Server does not send an inactive SDP to the party during the hold operation. Instead, it connects the on-hold party to a media service with a silent treatment. A dual dialog is not allowed on that DN, only a single dialog is allowed, and it works the same as the option value of false.