Configuration

The Matrix Controller card must receive configuration information to recognize an IP Signaling Series 3 card. The Matrix Controller card recognizes the IP Signaling Series 3 card on initialization, power-up, reset, or insertion.

Important! You can receive a "board dead" message for the IP Signaling Series 3 card if it is not configured and brought into service before the relevant line card timer expires. The IP Signaling Series 3 card comes into service only when configured for the first time by the host and, thereafter, when you perform a push-button reset.

1. Use the BOOTP server to configure the IP address, Gateway IP address, and Subnet mask of the IP Signaling Series 3 card.

2. Download the system software to the IP Signaling Series 3 card and Matrix Controller card. TFTP is used for the download. Separate tftp.cfg files are required for the Matrix Controller and the IP Signaling Series 3 card; however, the same load tag (EXCPU_LOAD) is used for both the cards.

3. The host must configure the IP Signaling Series 3 cards’ interface for communicating over Ethernet with the Matrix Controller card. The host performs this configuration by using the IP Signaling Series 3 Card Configure (0x0100) message and its associated TLVs.

5. Configure the Matrix Controller using the Matrix Configure (0x007D) message. The Matrix Controller can then recognize the IP Signaling Series 3 card. The Matrix Controller then sends a Card Status Report for the IP Signaling Series 3 card to the host. The first TLV sent should be the 0x0002 Remove IP Signaling Series 3 Card.

6. When the IP Signaling Series 3 card is in service, all communication occurs over the TCP/IP connection to the Matrix Controller.

8. Assign Logical Span IDs for VDAC-ONE (or IP Network Interface Series 2) card.

9. Configure Answer Supervision for Notify Host of Answer using the PPL Configure message.

12. Configure Optional VDAC-ONE (or IP Network Interface Series 2) card attributes.

The configuration message flow from the host to the Excel platform is illustrated below:

The Excel platform can auto-discover or manually discover a gatekeeper. In either case, the H.323 pre-configured Gatekeeper Discovery is the only method supported. The Excel platform must know the IP address of the gatekeeper to discover and it sends the gatekeeper discovery message (GRQ) to that IP address only. The Excel platform does not support the Broadcast Discovery method.

Before discovery or registration, the host must have already configured the IP Signaling Series 3 card with a Gatekeeper using the VoIP Protocol Configure (0x00EE) message.

Important! Auto Discovery and Auto Registration should always be set the same: either both enabled or both disabled

If Auto-Discovery is enabled, the IP Signaling Series 3 card discovers (Unicast) the Gatekeeper on its own, with no prompting from the host.

The GRQ timer is used to configure the Excel platform to send the Gatekeeper Request (GRQ) message. When the IP Signaling Series 3 card becomes active, the GRQ timer is started. When the GRQ timer expires, the Excel platform sends a GRQ to the gatekeeper.

If Auto-Discovery is disabled, the host must send a PPL Event Request of GRQ. Only then can the IP Signaling Series 3 card send a Gatekeeper Request (GRQ) to the Gatekeeper.

If Auto-Discovery is enabled you must also enable Auto-Registration. The IP Signaling Series 3 card automatically discovers the Gatekeeper and then automatically registers with the Gatekeeper.

The Registration Request (RRQ) timer is used to configure the Excel platform to send the RRQ message after the Excel platform receives the Gatekeeper Confirm (GCF) message.

When the RRQ, DRQ, and URQ messages fail because the Excel platform is not registered, the host is informed of this failure (with the PPL Event Indication message) and the Excel platform does not retry the messages because it will likely keep failing. The Excel platform stays in the discovered state. The host may send these messages at any time or it can also deconfigure the system which will cause it to go to the undiscovered state.

In this scenario, the host must send a PPL Event Request of GRQ to discover the Gatekeeper. The host must send a PPL Event Request of Registration Request (RRQ) to register with the Gatekeeper.

The IP Signaling Series 3 card, when configured with a gatekeeper’s IP address, can register with that gatekeeper with an H.323 ID
EXCEL-CSP. When two or more IP Signaling Series 3 cards are to register with the same gatekeeper, the host should change the H.323 ID of the IP Signaling Series 3 cards involved, or else the gatekeeper will reject the registration request.

Before the IP Signaling Series 3 card is registered with any gatekeeper, the host can configure the Gateway’s alias names using the VoIP Protocol Configure (0x00EE) message. The following aliases are configurable: E.164, H.323Id, URL and e-mail.

If the host wants to remove the aliases configured before the IP Signaling Series 3 card is registered with the gatekeeper, it can do so by setting all the aliases except the H.323 IDs to NULL or it can change their values. When the IP Signaling Series 3 card is registered with the gatekeeper, the host cannot change any of the aliases. To do so, the host has to un-register from the gatekeeper first, then configure the aliases and then register with the gatekeeper again.

Internet Protocol. Part of the TCP/IP family of protocols used to route messages and tracks the addresses of nodes.

Boot protocol for TCP/IP

A device that translates calls between an IP network and another network, typically the PSTN.

The protocol used in most local area PC networks. Typically, most Ethernet networks support data transmission speeds up to 10 Mbps, but 100 Mbps is also possible.

Tag-Length-Value block. A standardized block that allows data to inserted in a standard way into API messages.

Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. A networking protocol that provides communication across interconnected networks.

Range of channels provided by T1 or E1 transmission service. A physical span is a group of channels taking up a single physical wire. A logical span is a group of channels taking up less than a single logical wire, or carried over more than one physical wire.

A computer, attached to the Excel platform through an RS-232 or Ethernet link, from which you run the telecommunications application that controls the Excel platform.

See Programmable Protocol Language.

ITU-T standard defines a set of call control, channel setup, and codec specifications for transmitting real-time voice and video over networks that do not offer guaranteed service or quality of service.

The condition of a component at a given instant. The current "context" of a PPL object, such as Idle, Seizing, Answered. In PPL files, a State is represented by a circle.

The point in the Excel platform where a DS0 connects to a network. Also known as a "socket."

An H.323 entity on the network that provides address translation and controls access to the network for H.323 terminals and other end points. The gatekeeper may also provide other services to the endpoints such as bandwidth management and locating gateways.

Voice over Internet Protocol. The delivery of voice information in digital form in discrete packets rather than in the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public-switched telephone network (PSTN).

A condition that, when met, drives a state machine from one state to another. A condition that drives a Component out of its current state by invoking an associated primitive.

Address format for ISDN networks. The international public telecom-munications numbering plan. A standard set by ITU-T for addressing telephone numbers. See ITU Recommendation E.164 (1991).