Prevent overflowed messages 

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What is an overflowed queue?

An overflowed queue is a message state given to messages being managed by the messaging software while waiting to launch a call to DEFINITY ECS. For example, if there is a lack of facilities to launch message calls or if vector programming in the DEFINITY ECS restricts the number of calls that may be queued for a specific agent skill set, the calls are delayed and wait in the Overflowed state.

Overflowed messages cause distortion in CMS statistics, since CMS can track messages starting only at the DEFINITY ECS.

Why manage the overflowed queue?

If the queue size becomes too large (for example, several thousand messages), operational efficiency is compromised because the queue management begins to utilize extensive CPU resources.

How the messaging software helps you manage the overflowed queue

The messaging software provides a queue management structure that is based on four overflow queue transition levels.

The following table describes the four overflow queue transition levels:

Transition alarms

The messaging software generates transition email alarms and records entries in the error log in the following situations:

• Each time the overflowed queue exceeds a threshold value

• When the overflowed queue falls below the Resume threshold value and polling resumes

• When messages continue to be submitted 5 minutes after the messaging software disables polling on all POP3 mailboxes

  If this situation occurs, you should stop the Mail Manager Service to investigate the problem and to prevent a system crash due to an unmanageable amount of messages.

• When the system restarts and resumes polling�the messaging software will resume mailbox polling only when the number of messages in the overflowed queue is below the red threshold value

The messaging software sends the transition email alarm to the email address administered in the Alarm Email Address parameter on the Message Care System Options administration Web page.

When a facility becomes available, the messaging software delivers messages using a selection process according to the following priorities:

1. Messages manually retrieved by agents.

2. All other messages awaiting delivery to an agent. These include the following messages:

   • Newly arrived

   • Original and response

   • Expired suspension timer

   • Previous call attempts

If the number of incoming messages exceeds the resources available to launch message calls, the messaging software queues the overflowed messages internally, in a First In-First Out (FIFO) queue. Then, as resources for launching message calls become available, the messaging software launches them in the order received.

The number of incoming message calls can exceed the available total resources in any of the following three ways:

• All the assigned stations administered without hardware (AWOH) are in use.

• The number of simultaneous message calls reaches the maximum you have purchased (this includes both calls queued on the DEFINITY ECS and calls active at agent desktops).

• The total reaches a threshold you have administered on the Message Care System Options administration Web page (Max Simultaneous Message Calls).

The messaging software retries overflowed calls every minute. If an overflowed call was already tried in the last minute, the messaging software skips it and all other calls to the same destination. Calls to other destinations are launched instead.

Determine queue size

The queue size can be determined by generating a snap-shot report or by searching for messages with an overflowed status. The search result will report on the total number of messages in the overflowed state.