Cisco Collaboration and Contact Center Solutions - Messages with tag "UCCX"

Aurus Blog

This blog is to share our expertise in Cisco UCM, UCCX/UCCE and Cisco Meeting Server

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Integrating Cisco UCCX with a Database Using a Script

If you have UCCX (Cisco Unified Contact Center Express) premium license, one of the best features is possible integration and requests to database. These requests can use any information provided by the caller, or the caller’s number, etc.

It’s very important to create a reasonable initial script design and to take the server load into account. Big and heavy scripts with many database handles increase the load greatly. If the DB is on a remote server and there is a net lag, it may influence your business and the calling client's loyalty.

CISCO UNIFIED CCX SCRIPT EDITOR Review

There is a special tool in UCCX to create and manage IVR scripts: Cisco Unified CCX Editor. Here you can manage visual blocks responsible for this or that action. It looks like this:

Let’s look at the Database section. It has 4 items:

  • DB Get – map the data from DB to the script variables;
  • DB Read – connect to the server and send a request;
  • DB Release – close the connection with DB;
  • DB Write – use Write method if changes in DB are required;

On the screenshot above, you can see that each script begins with Start event and ends with End event. As the script is being executed during a call, we can perform as many DB requests as we need. Each request has its own sequence of steps that are listed above.

We recommend you to test all SQL requests, access to the system and other factors before releasing to the enterprise environment.

As an example, let's look into DB Read block:

These fields are available for configuration:

  • DB Resource Name – marker of the request;
  • Data Source Name – data source specified in UCCX console (Cisco Unified CCX Administration Database);
  • Timeout (in sec) – request execution timeout. This timeout protects your system from database disconnection. If you set it to 0, the request won’t have any time limitations;

Now proceed from General tab to Field Selection:

  • Write the SQL request you want to execute. For example: SELECT fld1, fld2 from tbl where fld1 = $variable – select two fields from the table, where the first field’s value is equal to a variable that we have initialized earlier in our script.
  • Test (button) – click this button to check the request syntax and the database connection;
  • Number of rows returned – number or rows returned by the request after the Test button was clicked;
  • Show all fields (select table/view) – show all fields of the used tables;

Now let’s look into DB Get block:

  • DB Resource Name – label or name of this request;
  • Data Source Name – database name (configured in Cisco Unified CCX Administration panel);
  • Refresh Database Schema (button) – click this button to load database data and tables to CCX Editor;

Proceed to Field Selection tab:

  • Table/View – name of the DB table that was selected on General tab (see above);
  • Table fields:
  • Field Name – field name in the selected table;
  • Data Type – data type (string/number, etc.);
  • Local Variable – script variable that will store the corresponding field value;
  • Add/Modify (buttons) – buttons responsible for field modification (except for data type, which is read-only);

The obtained data can be used in the script, for example, to vocalize (using TTS) the client’s phone number or the entered digits (e.g. order number).

Caller’s Alerting Name in Cisco UCCX

UCCX is possibly the only commercial call center platform that never makes you say “sorry, this is technically not feasible”. But it also has its disadvantages.

One of them is the caller’s number. Instead of the caller’s phone number, a call center phone gets the number of the CTI port that accepted the call. Actually, this behavior is correct: a call in a queue is placed on hold. As soon as an operator connects, the call is forwarded from the CTI port to the operator’s phone. When the operator picks it up, the caller’s phone number is already displayed. It often confuses contact center employees.

Since the version 10, UCCX has a function that helps to pass the caller’s number to a phone in a pop-up window. To do this, connect to UCCX via ssh (or connect to a terminal session directly) and enter the following command:

  • utils uccx icd clid enable

You can change the pop-up window title:

  • utils uccx icd clid header HEADER_LINE

And the prefix text to be displayed in front of the caller’s number:

  • utils uccx icd clid prefix PREFIX_LINE

After these changes you should restart Cisco Unified CCX Engine. It is located in Cisco Unified CCX Serviceability\Tools\Control Center - Network Services.

If you are using an HA environment, these actions should be repeated for each node in a cluster.

Actually, this function meets the requirements of a call center working with external clients. However, what shall we do if a contact center works with the company’s internal users and the operators want to see the names the numbers are resolved into?

There is a certain number of requests for this function on supportforums.cisco.com, but at the time of version 10.6 it wasn’t even declared as planned, so we’ll create workarounds.

There are two options: one is easier, the other is more difficult.

We can either use a CUCM function: Corporate Directory (this is the easy option), or create a phone directory of our own based on CUCM DB (this is more difficult).

Create the following variables in the UCCX script:

Add “Call Contact\Get Call Contact Info” action to the script:

Set the CUCMDirURL variable to the following value:

  • http://CUCM_address:8080/ccmcip/xmldirectorylist.jsp – if you are using Corporate Directory;
  • http://web-server/output_phone_directory_list.xml – if you are using your own directory.

Create a URL document: Document\Create URL Document.

For Corporate Directory (pass a parameter named “n” with a value of “CallingNumber”):

You don’t have to pass any parameters for your own directory:

Create an XML document: Document\Create XML Document.

Assign a name that corresponds to the phone to the AlertingName variable (Document\Get XML Document Data). The XML request for Corporate Directory: ″//DirectoryEntry/Name″

For your own directory: ″/return/row[dn='″+CallingNumber+″‘]/alertingname″

All output information will be displayed in CAD. First, create a variable for the name of the agent’s template: Settings\Expanded Call Variables…

Create a Scalar variable named user.layout.

Then, after our XML manipulations, you should add a Call Contact\Set Enterprise Call Info action. On the General tab, add two variables named Call.PeripherialVariable (with numbers that have never been used in the script before). Assign the following values: CallingNumber and AlertingName. On the Expanded Call Variables tab, add a variable named “user.layout”. Set Array Indexes to Scalar, set the value to the name of the displaying template for CAD.

We’re done with the script now.

Now proceed to Cisco Desktop Administrator\Services Configuration\Enterprise Data\Fields. Find the Call Variables with the numbers you have set in Set Enterprise Call Info. Change the Display Names to something meaningful (for example, Calling Number for 1, Name for 10).

Proceed to Cisco Desktop Administrator\Services Configuration\Enterprise Data\Layout List and create a new Layout with the name specified in Set Enterprise Call Info. Add Call Variable 1 and Call Variable 10 to the Selected field.

If you are using Corporate Directory, then everything is ready for use. However, you should keep in mind that CUCM gets the data from your directory server. If it doesn’t contain all the data on the company’s phones or the data is cluttered for some reason, then your only option is to create an XML phone directory using the data downloaded from the CUCM database. You may also want to use a “directory or your own” if you have a database with your external clients’ numbers and other data that can be used to display specific information about the calling party in CAD.

The required data will be obtained through a SOAP request. Create an XML file with the following contents:

<?xml version=″1.0″ encoding=″UTF-8″?>
<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv=″http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/″ xmlns:ns=″http://www.cisco.com/AXL/API/10.5″>
<soapenv:Header/>
<soapenv:Body>
<ns:executeSQLQuery>
<sql>
select distinct n.alertingname, n.dnorpattern as DN
from device as d, numplan as n, devicenumplanmap as dnpm
where dnpm.fkdevice = d.pkid and dnpm.fknumplan = n.pkid and d.tkmodel != 72 and ( d.tkclass = 1 or d.tkclass = 20 or d.tkclass = 254);
</sql>
</ns:executeSQLQuery>
</soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

The SQL request is marked in yellow. Basically, we pick alertingname and number fields. We only use the active phone numbers with associated IP phones, device profiles or remote destination profiles (d.tkclass = 1 or d.tkclass = 20 or d.tkclass = 254) and make sure that the device model is not a CTI Port (d.tkmodel != 72).

Make sure that Cisco AXL Web Service is activated on your CUCM (Cisco Unified Serviceability\Tools\Service Activation\Database and Admin Services).

Create a user on CUCM (Cisco Unified CM Administration\User Management\End User) with the “Standard AXL API Access” role.

Now you can use cURL to send the following request to CUCM:

curl -k -u username:password -H ″Content-type: text/xml;″ -H
″SOAPAction:CUCM:DB ver=10.5″ -d @/path/to/xml/file/with/request.xml
https://cucm.local:8443/axl/ | awk ‘{print substr($0,202,length-264)}’

As a result, every phone number is going to look like:

<row>
<alertingname>Name</alertingname>
<dn>8800</dn>
</row>

CUCM forms the output enclosed in tags:

<?xml version=″1.0″ encoding=″UTF-8″?>
<soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv=″http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/″>
<soapenv:Body>
<ns:executeSQLQueryResponse xmlns:ns=″http://www.cisco.com/AXL/API/10.5″>
<return>
//output
</return>
</ns:executeSQLQueryResponse>
</soapenv:Body>
</soapenv:Envelope>

In fact, everything is correct, but UCCX’s built-in XML parser crashes while working with namespaces. These tags will be cut out by the awk script marked in yellow.

You can add this command to the scheduler, so it will be executed automatically, and redirect the output to an XML file available via http.

That’s it.

Cisco UCCX Wallboard/Dashboard Vendor List

Do you manage a Cisco Contact Center? Are you looking for a solution to get a more detailed second by second view of what is happening?

Wallboard solutions enable you to monitor your contact center activity and performance in real-time displaying calling stats, KPI info and goals against actuals. Depending on the dashboard’s purpose it may contain calls waiting, average waiting time, calls answered/dropped/abandoned, longest/average waiting time, abandon rate and lots of other indicators.

Wallboard is also an excellent way to communicate with your contact center staff – supervisors may push text messages to inform agents about important events and changes.

Most of wallboards/dashboards for Cisco UCCX / UCCE are developed by 3rd party software vendors, most of them are Cisco Solution partners.

So here is the list…

1. 2Ring DASHBOARDS & WALLBOARDS is a solution for calculating & displaying real-time data in contact centers. For every team, create a unique layout with KPIs based on contact center, ERP or ticketing system data, pictures, message tickers / marquees, youtube videos, flash and web content, and even PowerPoint slides.

2Ring DASHBOARDS & WALLBOARD

2. Comstice has a great Wallboard. It shows real time stats and has different views to show: box view/ agent states/ dashboard view/ team view. And, it offers Team Voicemail.

Comstice Wallboard

3. Inova Contact Center Digital Signage delivers key performance metrics and important business information, along with rich, multimedia content on crystal-clear, high-definition monitors that keep your team motivated, informed and empowered to better serve your customers.

Call data awareness = agent empowerment = higher customer sat

Inova Contact Center Digital Signage

4. Atea Systems UCCX Agent State Wallboard (UAW) allows organizations to concurrently display many different views of customer configured real time data for UCCX queues and agents on any browser capable device.

Easy config, many different views!

Atea Systems Wallboard

5. ccInfo is a powerful wallboard application for customer contact centers to visually aid supervisors and agents with real-time statistics on call traffic and handling.

CcInfo Wallboard

6. Tenox Wallboard – free Wallboard for Cisco Unified Contact Center Express (UCCX/CCX).

It's a small .exe, is simple to set up, and can work with the old Windows platform or the new Linux/Informix combination in UCCX8.0 plus.

Tenox Wallboard

7. Inova Solutions Dashboards and Wallboards is a real-time reporting solutions that deliver critical metrics to your team via customized views for wallboards, dashboards and mobile devices. Inova real-time performance management solutions provide consolidated reporting across multiple systems through customized wallboards and readerboards, multimedia digital displays, web-based dashboards and desktop applications.

Inova Solutions Wallboard