Directory Handler

[jtvedte]

Q: Any decent workarounds for the lack of multiple directory handlers??

I understand that 4.x will solve the issue of Branch A going to Main Branch upon "0" entry in the dir. handler - but we need some sort of workaround currently.

Branch A needs to stay in A per se. and not go to the Main branch operator.

[lindborg]

Not sure I understand your request here... there is only one directory handler in Unity 3.x and earlier so there can be only one exit destination for it when callers enter it... there isn't any way to make the exit destination of a handler (directory or otherwise) "flexible" such that it'll bounce the caller back to a different destination based on some critiera such as called number or the like.

there's no way to manually get multiple directory handlers created in 3.x either, all the "AD" references (Alpha Directory) are hard coded in 3.x and earlier so even if you got another one created manually it wouldn't do you any good.

I'm afraid if you want a single Unity server to offer directory lookup services to multiple tenants there's no way you'll be able to get the exit destination to bounce the callers back to their original tenant handlers. 4.0(1) is the first version of Unity that will have anything approaching basic tenant services capabilities.

[jtvedte]

What I was thinking is that the "caller exits" - send to a call handler - and then prompt the user via. std. call hander caller input.

What constitutes a caller exit with the directory handler ?

i.e. --> 0 --> Call Handler X --> Caller Input Press 1 --> Operator A; Press 2 --> Operator B; Press 3 --> Operator C

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As an aside - what will be the solution to allow for direct transfer into voice mail - so operators can transfer directly into a users greeting?

[lindborg]

There are three exit conditions defined for an interview handler under the covers but I don't think the conversation uses them all - I don't have a 3.x system here to test against, just my 4.0 boxes at the moment. There's a "zero exit" (user presses 0 to get out), an "exit" (user presses * to back out) and a "no input exit" (user does nothing, backs out automatically). You can see these in DOHPropText (or SQL for that matter if you go looking) and you could technically edit them but the SA doesn't expose this and they'll revert back should you change anything else in the SA - I'd have to test that to be sure, however.

It might be possibly to manually configure the exit destination - I believe the conversation in 3.x just uses the plain "exit" destination for everyting (the zero, timeout and * methods of exiting) but again I'd have to test that to be sure. You could set the exit destination to a call handler you define that then manually prompts the caller for which operator they want. A little crude but better than nothing I suppose.

If you want to give it a try, ping me directly at lindborg@cisco.com and I'll give you instructions on how to manually do this in DOHPropTest (you'll need the password of the day) and you can try it out if you want.

To get to a greeting directly without ringing the phone you can either dial into the Unity auto attendant and press the user's extension followed immediately by "#2" to over ride the transfer attempt or you can use some new Call Manager functionality to do it directly. You can check out the V notes on CSCdy01628 to find out more about how this can work.