Many a times, I get request to help installing SPCI4/SPCI2 board installing in Windows 2003 Server. While installing mine, I prefer to ask Dialogic vendor to help remotely install and configure ( normally they provide free Remote Installation and Configuration, and they always do good job) the board, but many a times I also try configure myself. So, I thought I would try to list a step by step instruction for installing and configuring Dialogic Septel boards.

Dialogic SPCI4/SPCI2 Installation

While for beginners, all these terms like SPC, DPC, SS7, MTP License, ISUP License etc. may sound too technical and scaring, but these are just parameters which are needed to be filled up in two simple configuration files.

So here it goes :-

1. Try to get a new machine and install Windows 2003 Server fresh. Also install latest service pack. Please ensure you have at least two PCI slots available.

2. Download the latest version of DPKWIN.EXE from Dialogic Website. If you do not have the link, get it from your Dalogic Vendor.

3. Install the Septel Card in any of the available PCI slot.

4. Start the machine and let windows boot. If Windows Plug And Play detects the SPCI4 board, do not press Next, press cancel.

5. Also download Dialogic® PowerMedia™ Host Media Processing Software Release 3.0WIN from Dialogic Website. Demo license is available for free which works 45 days. After that you have to download new license again.

6. Now install the DPKWIN.EXE. It will install itself in C:\SEPTEL directory. After successful installation, go to windows Command Prompt and then to C:\SEPTEL. Type net start septel and press ENTER. You should get Service started message or “Service Name not found”. In that case, the DPKWIN.EXE version does not match with your SPCI4 board. You may try downloading older version of DPKWIN.EXE.

You can stop the Septel service by using the command : stop service septel.

6. Once you get “Service Started successful” then, you may think that the board is detected successfully and running now! The next exercise will be for configuration of the board.

You have two files to edit,

1. system.txt
2. config.txt

As the name suggests, system.txt is used to instruct which modules, protocols to be executed by the SPCI board.

config.txt contains the parameter required to communicate with remote telecom switch. Few parameters which of importance and must in config.txt files are

1. DPC (Destination Point Code)
2. OPC (Originating Point Code)
3. SIF (Signaling Information Field)
4. SLC (Signaling Link Selection)
5. Timeslot with link
6. CIC values.

After the configuration is done, one has to start the SS7 link by running gtload -d command on command prompt. After it loads successfully, open another command prompt, and run the command mtpsl act 0 0 .

These values are provided by the telecom service provider. Most of the time, telecom service provider uses their own jargon for the above values which may create confusion.

The protocols like MTP3, ISUP, MAP have to be bought from Dialogic separately and they provide license button which needs to be installed in the board. Without these licenses, the system stops after every 10 hours.

Depending on application requirement, both the system.txt and config.txt has to be modified accordingly.

IVR system is not just a clubbing together of state of the art CTI boards, high end servers, very easy to drag and drop tool design IVR call flow for flexibility. One of the saddest part about IVR development is, the users may not appreciate about these technological break-through like SS7, ISUP, CPA ( Call Progress Analysis), accuracy and speed of speech recognition or the or intricacies involved in detecting disconnect tone, engage tone.

They simply care about what menus they hear and if the options they press or speak works! They are least bothered about the hard work some one may have put in to detect her key presses, or recognise heavily accented English numerals, but only if the IVR retrieves the information it promised in its menu. The appreciate only when they can understand the information read out to her listening first time without having to press a key to listen again!

It may not be possible to satisfy all the users of an IVR system, but by using well scripted menus in simple language and intelligently constructed sentences may surely help majority of the people to use IVR system without having to learn the IVR before using it.

The answer to all these problems faced by IVR users and making IVR more useful and user friendly is ‘scripting of the IVR menus’! Script writing for IVR means, writing the IVR menu options in simplest language, well formed sentence so that the listener understands the message accurately without having to concentrate.

IVR scripting can be used in three areas to improve IVR usability:-

1. Scripting the menus
2. Dividing complex menus to simple sub menus
3. Scripting the phrases used for providing information

1. Scripting the Menus

This is quite straight forward. The menu options where IVR gives some options to the IVR user to either press telephone keys, or speak some word or phrase, should be properly scripted. Accuracy of the options is of course a must and forgone conclusion. For example, if the menu says, “To transfer your call to a customer care executive, please press 9″, then on pressing 9 by the caller, the IVR should transfer the call to customer care executive, not to the main menu!

2. Dividing complex menus

Script writers will divide complex options or large options will divide into some groups, and make it two level menus, in place of one. This will not only help first time callers, but also make it more user friendly faster with using ‘cut through’ key pressing!

3. Scripting phrases

Now a days, IVR has to retrieve many information from various locations through either database look up or by using API. Also, it may have retrieve information in bits and pieces from different servers, then knit them together, and then finally produce a sentence which would present a complete required message/information to the IVR user! Now that may not be easy for an IVR engineer! So, one must use a professional script writer for writing these phrases either to be recorded or used with TTS.

Without proper scripts used in IVR menus and in information, IVR will not be usable at all, even by expert IVR users! It will be very frustrating for users and all the great technologies used to design and develop IVR system will completely go waste!

Recently I had successfully configured Synway SHD-240D-CT/PCI ( PDF File). I thought I would share my experience of configuring Synway SS7 card and configuring Dialogic SPC DNI2410 cards.

First, we are very grateful to Synway for giving us the demo card for testing and development our application. The card was given to us for a month, but it ended with us for more than 6 months! Here is chronicle of events how we configured SHD-240D-CT/PCI card using one SS7 link, from BSNL ( Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited).

1. Downloaded the latest driver for SHD-240D-CT/PCI. It was easy to locate the driver and download.
2. Installed the driver on our IBM X3400 Server with Windows 2003 Server. Quite easy!
3. Then I wrote an email to tech support of Synway informing we are new with Synway Card, so we need some step-by-step instruction of getting started.
4. Within 12 hours, they sent back documents with screen shots which explains clearly what steps to be taken. No editing of .txt or.cfg file!
5. I followed the instructions and wow, surprise! It actually worked! I mean I could see the Network Connected MTP messages being exchanged in the log! And try find out some STEP by STEP guide of getting started of any Dialogic cards for a newbie!

But no calls were landing! So I shot of an email again. They asked for remote access! after remote access it took one hours by the tech support person to land calls on the card and we could see CLIs, call statuses etc.!

The configuration was over in 5 days time! Actual time spent was less than 10 hours. Bottom line is, we could configure the Card in 10 hours.

We also configured Dialogic SPCI4! It took us 2 months to configure with same link, same operator! Dialogic event sent one engineer at our site and he spent one full week, it was finally configured though! Here are few difference we noticed:-

1. In case of Synway, all parameters have visual configuration tools. While in case of Dialogic, they have only .txt files to be edited using editor. No visual tool.
2. Synway has all monitoring/debugging facility built in on the configuration tools itself. While in Dialogic, one has to execute different EXE files for different logging of events and than debug!
3. It was easy STEP by STEP instruction available for Synway, but Dialogic has too big software, difficult to remember executable files, configuration files.

My overall experience is, configuring Synway was much faster, easier, more user friendly than Dialogic. We are yet to put the Synway Card on live system. We are still running our IVRS Application on SPCI4 and DNI2410 ( The Royal Combination for Voice Portal) and it is handling around 10 to 12K calls daily on our voice portal. We have been quite happy with the performance of the cards. How Synway Card performs here will be interesting.

Now the cost part. Single line is, Synway costs half the price of Dialogic with almost same resources and features. I will try to prepare a comparison chart between Synway SHD-240D-CT/PCI and Dialogic SPCI4/DNI2410 in my next posts!