Enabling EDR for Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect)
This document aims to provide guidance and a summary of steps needed to enable Enhanced Direct Routing (EDR) is the AnywhereNow name of the Microsoft Direct Routing configuration option of REFER support of SIP headers (Option 2) to allow richer transferheaders in SIP messages, allowing for more information to be passed on in transfer related and forward scenarios. Refer support was a later addition to Microsoft's Direct Routing stack (hence option 2), AnywhereNow followed suit by developing both implementations, first option 1 and later option 2. if this hasn't been done during initial setup of your Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect).
Note
Enhanced Direct Routing (EDR) applies only to Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect).
Introduction
Enhanced Direct Routing (hereafter EDR) is AnywhereNow's default and for upgrades and new deployments mandatory method of configuration for Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect). EDR is the AnywhereNow name of Microsoft Direct Routing, Call Transfer setup Option #2 which enables REFER support by a customer SBC. (Refer support was a later Microsoft addition to the Direct Routing stack, hence called option #2, for technical information see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-protocols-sip#call-transfer).
EDR allows call setup and transfer related The Session Initiation Protocol, or SIP, is a protocol for multimedia communication (audio, video and data communication). SIP is also used for Voice over IP (VoIP). SIP has interactions with other Internet protocols such as HTTP and SMTP. messages and headers (this impacts all related SIP signalling like hold/resume, MOH, mute/unmute, participant join/release, displayname, subjectname and more) from a customer's Teams server to be sent to, visible to, and handled by the SBC's in Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect), instead of being processed out-of-sight in Microsoft's Teams cloud.
Note
Without EDR (or rather sticking with Microsoft Option #1) all call setup and transfer related signalling is not-visible to AnywhereNow Dialogue Cloud (it remains within Microsoft owned Teams servers) making expedient tracing and troubleshooting calling and transfer related issues by A Unified Contact Center, or UCC, is a queue of interactions (voice, email, IM, etc.) that are handled by Agents. Each UCC has its own settings, IVR menus and Agents. Agents can belong to one or several UCCs and can have multiple skills (competencies). A UCC can be visualized as a contact center “micro service”. Customers can utilize one UCC (e.g. a global helpdesk), a few UCC’s (e.g. for each department or regional office) or hundreds of UCC’s (e.g. for each bed at a hospital). They are interconnected and can all be managed from one central location. agents impossible.
The improvements of using EDR are:
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Dialogue Cloud SBC's will handle call forwards, transfers, holds and CLID's by agents and UCC's (instead of leaving it up to Microsoft Teams).
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Direct control by AnywhereNow of agent reservation and release after hunts, calls or transfers, regaining quicker control of available agents.
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Call tracing in case of troubleshooting can be performed by the SBC administrators of AnywhereNow or their Partners.
For an existing live call path, coordinate a simultaneous change in three places: customer SBC REFER support, Service EDR, and SBC Configuration EDR. Plan the maintenance and any rollback across all three components.
New Dialogue Cloud Neo (Connect) deployments
- Create and save the Create new SBC Configuration. You can select Enhanced Direct Routing (EDR) during creation.
- Select the saved SBC configuration when Create - Service.
- Before call testing, complete and verify all three matching settings: customer SBC REFER support, Service EDR, and SBC Configuration EDR. See Steps to enable EDR.
Selecting EDR or saving a configuration does not make the complete call path ready for use.
Steps to enable EDR
To enable EDR, configuration changes need to be done on three separate places. For some of which multiple instances may exist so please consider and plan these changes carefully!
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Enable REFER Support on customer SBC
Each customer SBC (Session Border Controller) should be set up so it supports “REFER” as an allowed SIP method.
See 6.7.2 Handling of SIP REFER message (EDR prerequisite description) - i.e. Microsoft DR option #2 -
Enable EDR per UCC service in OnePortal
Each UCC Service should be enabled for EDR. This can be done through the Formerly known as Partner Portal. A redesigned web portal for managing Dialogue Cloud deployments..
See: Change (choice 3) -
Enable EDR for customer on Dialogue Cloud SBC in OnePortal
Verify that EDR is selected in the SBC Configuration for the customer SBC connection. It may already have been selected during creation. To change an existing configuration in OnePortal, see Edit existing SBC Configuration.
Steps to disable EDR
To reverse the process (only if necessary for troubleshooting) of EDR, configuration changes need to be done on three separate places. For some of which multiple instances may exist, so please consider and plan these changes carefully!
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Disable REFER Support on customer SBC
Each customer SBC (Session Border Controller) should be set up so it does not support “REFER” as an allowed SIP method.
See 6.7.2 Handling of SIP REFER message (EDR prerequisite description) - i.e. Microsoft option #1 -
Disable EDR per UCC service in OnePortal
Each UCC Service should be disabled for EDR. This can be done through the OnePortal.
See: Change (option 3) -
Disable EDR for customer on Dialogue Cloud SBC in OnePortal
The AnywhereNow SBC Configuration in Dialogue Cloud needs to be changed to deselect EDR for the customer SBC connection. This can be done through a toggle in OnePortal.
See: Edit existing SBC Configuration