h323 accounting: setup-time & connect-time

[foliveri]

I'm programming some simple scripts to record h323 vsa accounting from

cisco routers. I need to get the effective time of a call, i.e. since the called

party picked up the phone till one of the users hangs up. But what I get in the

accounting packets are the time since the calling party dials the destination

number, including the time the remote phone was ringing. I have these two

different values: h323-setup-time and h323-connect-time, but they differ only

in a few miliseconds. For example:

h323-setup-time=.11:37:52.890 UTC Thu Jul 11 2002

h323-connect-time=.11:37:52.921 UTC Thu Jul 11 2002

h323-disconnect-time=.11:38:42.601 UTC Thu Jul 11 2002

Acct-Session-Time = 50

This shows the lenght of the call was 50 seconds, but in fact it was about

20 seconds the phone ringing and 30 seconds of talking, this second value

is the one I need to log.

Thanks for any suggestion

[gviera]

The time from setup-time to connect-time is the no active call time (rings). From connect time to disconnect-time is the time of active call (when user talks). Verify that with a number where nobody answers and take the time of the rings and then watch it in your logs.

[e.pesliak]

Unfortunately I won't be able to answer your question - looking myself for the same information. If you find the answer from another source, please let me know. If I get it first - I will forward it to you.

Muchas gracias :)

Eugene.

[foliveri]

I've found the answer with a little more investigation.

When a voice call is terminated, the router sends two accounting packets,

one for the originating call leg and other for the destination.

In the first packet I get connect-time = setup-time, but in the second one

(generated when the called party hangs up) these two values differ: that

difference is the time the called phone was ringing.

You can differentiate between them using the h323-call-origin attribute:

answer or originate.

Hope that helps, por nada.

Facundo