Dialogue Cloud

On Premises

Enabling EDR

This document aims to provide guidance and a summary of steps needed to enable EDR 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 AnywhereNow Dialogue Cloud.

Introduction

Enhanced Direct Routing (hereafter EDR) is AnywhereNow's default and for upgrades and new deployments mandatory method of configuration to Dialogue Cloud. 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 SIP 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 AnywhereNow Dialogue Cloud, 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 UCC 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:

  • 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).

  • Direct control by AnywhereNow of agent reservation and release after hunts, calls or transfers, regaining quicker control of available agents.

  • Call tracing in case of troubleshooting can be performed by the SBC administrators of AnywhereNow or their Partners.

It does require a simultaneous change on three separate places in a typical Dialogue Cloud setup: one on the customer SBC and two in OnePortal Formerly known as Partner Portal. A redesigned web portal for managing Dialogue Cloud deployments..

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!

  1. 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

  2. Each UCC Service should be enabled for EDR. This can be done through the OnePortal.
    See: Change (choice 3)

  3. The AnywhereNow SBC Configuration in Dialogue Cloud needs to be changed to select EDR for the customer SBC connection. This can be done through a toggle 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!

  1. 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

  2. Each UCC Service should be disabled for EDR. This can be done through the OnePortal.
    See: Change (option 3)

  3. 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