Rightfax and Cisco integration using PRI

Rightfax, a Captaris product that centralizes Desktop Faxing and Electronic Document Delivery. I purchased Rightfax to help my company integrating Fax solutions, and save on maintenance and labor costs associated with manual faxing.

I purchased Rightfax with a digital PRI Brooktrout board (specifically a TR1034+E4H+T1+1N). Now, this board also supports T.38. So, why did I choose to use the digital PRI? Well, up till now, I haven’t had alot of luck using the T.38 protocol (probably due to my ignorance), and my users are starting to get very frustrated. So, for the time being, I chose to use PRI.

It took some soft massaging on both the Brooktrout, as well as on the Serial interface on my Cisco 3845, but I have it working. I will start with an overview of my design, before the implementation.

Here is the corresponding configuration on my Cisco 3845:

controller T1 0/0/0
  framing esf
  clock source internal
  linecode b8zs
  pri-group timeslots 1-4,24
  description RIGHTFAX
!
! Config Snipped
!
interface Serial0/0/0:23
  no ip address
  encapsulation hdlc
  isdn switch-type primary-dms100
  isdn protocol-emulate network
  isdn incoming-voice voice
  no cdp enable
!
! Config snipped
!
dial-peer voice 6799 pots
  destination-pattern 6799
  no digit-strip
  port 0/0/0:23

Okay, so here is some specifics:

CONTROLLER T1 0/0/0

• clock source internal - I am receiving my clock source from one of my T1’s from the Telco side.  This command passes the clock source internally on the backplane, for this controller
• pri-group timeslots 1-4,24 - I only have 4 channels licensed on the PRI card for RightFax.  Thus, I only want to allocate those channels.  Channel 24 is required for the D-channel.

INTERFACE SERIAL 0/0/0:23

• isdn switch-type primary-dms100 - This will change based on your configuration.  I am only using it, since I’m using it on my other PRI’s from the telco.  Whatever you choose, you must make sure it’s matched on the Brooktrout card.
• isdn protocol-emulate network - THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT!!  Rightfax expects to be talking to the telco, not another device.

DIAL-PEER VOICE 6799 POTS

• destination-pattern 6799 - This will change based on your dialplan.  I chose to use a specific number for testing.  Generally, you will create a pattern for your fax numbers.
• no digit-strip - If you will be using DID numbers (you probably are), then you’ll need to send the number along to RightFax.  In order to do that, we need to send the digits on, so RightFax can use them to sort out the correct Fax mailbox.
• port 0/0/0:23 - This just directs the call to the Serial interface for Rightfax.

That’s really it.  I kept the default configuration on the Brooktrout card, except for the ISDN config (Protocol Options under the Port A tab).  For the ISDN config, I just chose what I’ve configured here (i.e. B8ZS, DMS-100 switch, etc).  Oh, and you need to modify the max. DID digits.  By default, it is set to ‘0′, so I assumed that meant no limit.  No, that means 0 digits.  Change it.
Good LUCK!!!

Microsoft PBX ? Are you kidding?

Well, Microsoft has done it again. As if the office and OS market wasn’t dominated enough, they are reaching their poor QA, security-exploited, wretched fingers into the voice market. Yes, I’m not much of a Microsoft fan. They have their place in the workplace, but it’s a small niche

Anyway, Office Communications Server 2007 has been released for purchase. Microsoft states that while it will complement your existing PBX today, it CAN standalone, as a seperate PBX by itself. I do not know what strides they’ve made for call centers, but if OCS doesn’t have it, it soon will.

First off, MS built OCS to use SIP. To me, that was a mistake right there. SIP does have it’s place, but not as the foundation for your voice calls. It’s up to the vendor to create their own implementation of SIP features, which means…. YEP…. another proprietary system, locked in by the ever-loving Microsoft Gods.  :(  Okay… I am exaggerating there a bit, as it may not be 100% proprietary, but they should have just gone with H.323.

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m a Cisco bigot, so I’m going to tell you to purchase Cisco Call Manager. But, if you don’t like Cisco, go with Avaya, or even Asterisk, if you feel up to the challenge. But, please don’t trust Microsoft to your phone system. I mean, the phone system is the last legacy technology that users still know will never fail. Give it to Microsoft, and you’ll be rebooting weekly…….

UPDATE: Sorry for not providing the story link.