Configuring PBX integration properties for IP H.323

H.323-based IP integration provides voice integration to Avaya DEFINITY� (Release 10 or later), IP600, MultiVantage (Release 1.2), and Communication Manager switches. H.323-based IP integration provides IP connectivity between the MAS and the Avaya PBX.

In a Definity PBX, IP network connectivity is established using C-LAN and MedPro circuit packs on the PBX and the network interface card (NIC)/Ethernet card on the MAS. In a MultiVantage or Communication Manager PBX, IP network connectivity is established using the PROCR on the PBX and the NIC/ethernet card on the MAS.

In H.323-based IP integration, signaling or call information, message waiting indicator (MWI) information, and voice data are transmitted over the IP network. H.323 connectivity between the MAS and the Avaya PBX is accomplished by means of H.323 trunk groups configured as tie trunks supporting Q-Signaling (QSIG) features. Q-SIG is a standards-based, private networking protocol, based on Q.931 standards (ISDN). Signaling information and MWI information are transmitted using QSIG messages embedded in an H.323 packet.

To display the PBX Integration dialog box, IP Configuration tab:

In the Voice Mail System Configuration window, click Message Application Servers.

Click the MAS you want to configure.

You may need to expand the tree to see the all the MASs in the voice mail domain.

Double-click PBX Integration for that MAS.

The system displays the PBX Integration dialog box, with the General tab active.

In the Integration Type column, click IP.

Click the IP Configuration tab.

To configure IP PBX integration properties, configure the following fields:

MAS Corporate IP Address: Enter the IP address of the MAS. This is the IP address that the MAS uses to connect to the corporate LAN.

PBX IP Address: Enter the IP address assigned to the device that is terminating the H.323 signaling link. For a Definity PBX, this is the IP address of the PBX C-LAN card and for a MultiVantage or Communication Manager PBX, this is the IP address of the PROCR.

Port: Enter the port number on the MAS that would be used for transmission of signaling information and MWI information. By default, the port number is 1720.

UDP Port Range: Enter a minimum and maximum port number to specify a block of user datagram protocol (UDP) port numbers to be used for audio connections. The H.323 call setup protocol dynamically negotiates the UDP ports within the specified range that are available for use. The voice channels use the available ports from this UDP port range for transmission of voice data. The default range is 5000 through 5999.

Packet size (ms): Enter, in milliseconds, the size of the real time protocol (RTP) packets that are used to transmit H.323 media over the IP network. The packet size represents the amount of voice data sent per packet. The value you enter here should match the packet size sent by the PBX. Packet size is typically 30 milliseconds.

The packet size sent by the PBX is configured at the time of administering the codec type on the PBX. See the IP Codec screen on the PBX to check the packet size value configured on the PBX. For more information on configuring your PBX, see the PBX configuration note.

Enable Tunneling: Select to enable tunneling. Tunneling is the encapsulation of protocols that are at the same layer, into one another. When you enable tunneling, the QSIG message set, which contains call information and MWI information, is encapsulated in H.323 packets. This check box is selected by default.

Enable Fast Start: Select to enable Fast Start. Fast Start, also known as Fast Connect, is a call setup method that bypasses some initial steps in order to reduce the connection setup time. This feature makes the call setup faster as the voice data transmission can start immediately after sending a Fast Start message. This check box is selected by default.

Silence Suppress: Select to enable silence suppression. Enabling silence suppression prevents the transmission of voice packets during silence. Silence suppression ensures that no bandwidth is used during periods of silence.

Max MWI Sessions: Enter the maximum number of MWI sessions allowed at one time. The maximum number cannot exceed the maximum number of ports in the port group that will be used for MWI.

Port Group Name: Select the port group to be used for MWI. The Default port group is selected by default. Port groups are defined in the Port Usage tab. For more information, see Configuring the Messaging Application Server.

IP Supported Codecs: Enter the supported codec standards, in descending order of priority. An IP codec is the voice line coding algorithm that is used for communication between the MAS and the PBX. IP H.323 integration supports A-law and u-law codecs.

To add a codec to the list of supported codec standards, click Add... and select the codec.

To remove a codec from the list, select the codec that you want to remove and click Remove.

To increase or decrease the priority of a codec in the list, select the codec and click Move Up and Move Down, respectively.

After making these settings, you must stop and restart the MAS service for the settings to take effect.