Amanda Work Group Administration Guide

							Chapter 6: Notifying Users63
Calling a Pager
The following example shows the Method field with the tokens that call a pager to 
indicate the total number of messages and the number of new messages. You may need 
more pauses, longer pauses, different signals for the paging service, or a longer wait for 
the paging service to respond.
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9,%V,W(2,P)-%U*%M*%N#
TokenDescription
%ENumber to be dialed to reach the user’s extension. (See “Using %U 
and %V instead of %E” on page 62 if the contents of the Extension 
field contains more or something other than the extension number.)
W(5,V)A five-ring wait for a voice response.
P(U)Amanda plays the mailbox’s Name and Extension recording.
P(M)Amanda says the total number of messages and the number of new 
messages.
P(N)Amanda plays the Name/Extension recording for the current mailbox.
TokenDescription
9Number to be dialed for an outside line.
,A two-second pause.
%VThe contents of the Variable field in the notification record. In this 
case, the Variable field contains the telephone number for the paging 
service.
,A two-second pause.
W(2,P)A two-ring wait for the paging service to respond with a confirmation 
tone. 
-A half-second pause.
%UThe current mailbox (to let the user who is being paged know the 
source of the page).
*For this particular paging service, the asterisk tells the paging service 
to place a hyphen on the screen for the pager.
%MThe total number of messages for this mailbox.
*Another hyphen.
%NThe number of new messages for this mailbox.
#Signal to the pager service that the information is complete. 
						

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Here is an alternative:
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9W(4,T)%V,,W(3,P)-%U*%M*%N#-
Remember that Amanda defines the successful completion of a notification record as 
reaching the end of the token string successfully—not getting an answer. If, for example, a 
paging server answers but does not provide a recognizable progress tone, Amanda might 
prematurely abort execution of the string. The call was answered, but the execution of the 
tokens was incomplete. Therefore, Amanda tries again.
Relaying Information to a Pager
While the mailbox’s greeting plays, the caller can press # to activate relay paging. The 
caller enters his telephone number. Amanda saves the number in %R, and sends it, instead 
of the number of messages, to the pager. A notification record can send the contents of %R 
to the user’s pager. This allows a caller to page a mailbox without having to dial, or even 
know, the user’s pager number.
Type: RELAY
Method: 9W(4,T)%V,,W(2,P)-%U*%R#-
TokenDescription
9Number to be dialed for an outside line.
W(4,T)A four-second wait for a dial tone.
%VThe contents of the Variable field in the notification record. In this 
case, the Variable field contains the telephone number for the paging 
service.
,,A four-second pause.
W(3,P)A three-ring wait for the paging service to respond with a confirmation 
tone. 
-%U*%M*
%N#The same as in the previous example.
-A half-second pause before hanging up.
TokenDescription
9Number to be dialed for an outside line.
W(4,T)A four-second wait for a dial tone.
%VThe contents of the Variable field in the notification record. In this 
case, the Variable field contains the telephone 
number for the paging service.
,,A four-second pause.
W(2,P)A two-ring wait for the paging service to respond with a confirmation 
tone. 
-A half-second pause before hanging up. 
						

							Chapter 6: Notifying Users65
You can add the total number of messages by adding *%M:
Type: RELAY
Method: 9W(4,T)%V,,W(2,P)-%U*%R*%M#-
If the paging service can accept three asterisks, you could include the number of new 
messages by adding *%N:
Type: RELAY
Method: 9W(4,T)%V,,W(2,P)-%U*%R*%M*%N#-
Calling Home
The following example shows the Method field with the tokens that call a user at home to 
indicate the total number of messages and the number of new messages. You may need 
more pauses, longer pauses, or a longer wait for a voice response.
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9,%V,W(9,V)-P(U)P(M) 
%UThe current mailbox (to let the user who is being paged know the 
source of the page).
*For this particular paging service, the asterisk tells the 
paging service to place a hyphen on the screen for the 
pager.
%RThe telephone number (or other information) from the 
caller.
#Signal to the pager service that the information is complete.
-A half-second pause before hanging up.
TokenDescription
9Number to be dialed for an outside line.
,A two-second pause.
%VThe contents of the Variable field in the notification record. In this 
case, the Variable field contains the user’s home telephone number.
,A two-second pause.
W(9,V)A nine-ring wait for a voice response. 
-A half-second pause.
P(U)Amanda plays the mailbox’s Name/Extension recording.
P(M)Amanda says the total number of messages and the number of new 
messages. 
						

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To allow for an answering machine’s recording and a beep, you might consider one of the 
next two examples:
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9,%V,W(100)P(U)P(M) 
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9,%V,W(9,V)-P(U)P3(M) 
To log the person who answers the telephone on to the mailbox:
Type: NORMAL
Method: 9,%V,W(9,V)P(U)P(M)%X210,*%U#
You could add the security code, and so forth, but that would allow any person who 
answered the telephone to listen to the messages. That would be a security risk.
N
OTE:To log on the user as in this example, one voice mail port must call an-
other. The telephone switching system may require special programming 
to support this.
TokenDescription
9,%V,The same as in the previous example.
W(100)A ten-second wait. (100 x 1/10 sec.)
P(U)P(M)Amanda plays the mailbox’s Name/Extension recording followed by 
the total number of messages and the number of new messages.
TokenDescription
9,%V,The same as in the previous example.
W(9,V)A nine-ring wait for a voice response.
P(U)Amanda plays the mailbox’s Name/Extension recording.
P3(M)Amanda plays the total number of messages and the number of new 
messages three times.
TokenDescription
9,%V, 
W(9,V) 
P(U) 
P(M)The same as in a previous example.
%XSystem variable that contains the codes needed to get the transfer dial 
tone on the current port. Each port has its own %X. This is the setting 
of the dl_dtwait configuration option (usually F-).
210The number to be dialed as Amanda’s extension. The 210 is just an 
example. 
-A half-second pause before hanging up.
*An asterisk to indicate that a user is logging on.
%U#The current mailbox followed by the # expected by Amanda. 
						

							Chapter 6: Notifying Users67
Emergency Lists
Amanda can use an emergency list to notify a group of people about a new message. 
Amanda notifies the first person of the new message first, then after a time, notifies the 
second, and so forth until someone listens to the message. You define the initial time to 
wait before starting the notification, and the time interval between notifications. 
In the following example, you create three notification records for one mailbox. Each 
record contains a different telephone number to call (one for each of the three people who 
are to be notified). 
The records are configured this way:
This configuration causes Amanda to execute record 1 immediately and at five-minute 
intervals. After 15 minutes, if the message is not picked up, the system starts using record 
2 every five minutes (in conjunction with record 1). After 30 minutes, Amanda executes 
record 3. All three records continue every 5 minutes until the message is picked up.
For Max Times, this example uses 0 so that notification only stops when someone receives 
the message. Under normal circumstances, The Amanda Company does not recommend 
using 0.
After WaitingRetry EveryFor
Record 1050
Record 21550
Record 33050 
						

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							Chapter 7:
Automatic Scheduling
Overview
Scheduling records automatically change how Amanda processes calls. You can change:
 The contents of the mailbox’s Extension field (the programmable field that spec-
ifies what extension to dial and so forth)
 The number of rings before a call is considered unanswered
 The greeting the caller hears when the call is not answered
 The Do Not Disturb option
 The Call Screening option
You can schedule the changes to take place only once or at regular intervals after a 
specified starting date and time. You also select the days of the week on which Amanda 
can or cannot execute the records. 
For example, you can define a scheduling record for the Company Greeting mailbox (990) 
that tells Amanda to start playing your company’s daytime greeting in the morning on 
weekdays and another that tells Amanda to start playing your after-hours greeting in the 
evening on weekdays.
Amanda allows you to create up to ten scheduling records for each mailbox. 
There are no templates for scheduling records. However, you can add the records used by 
most or all users to the mailbox template (by default, mailbox 997). For example, if most 
employees work from 8 
A.M. to 5 P.M., you can create a scheduling record that turns Do 
Not Disturb on in the evening. Then after-hours callers do not have to wait while the 
telephone rings the maximum number of times. They hear the user’s RNA (Ring No 
Answer) greeting immediately. A second scheduling record must turn Do Not Disturb off 
in the morning. If all employees use Greeting 1 as a work hours greeting and Greeting 2 as 
an after-hours greeting, these same two records can also change the RNA greeting from 1 
to 2 and back again.
If you add these records to the mailbox template, every mailbox created from the template 
afterwards will have these scheduling records.
Amanda executes scheduling records exactly as instructed—whether or not the change 
makes any sense. However, if the date to repeat a record falls on an invalid day, Amanda 
waits for a valid day before executing the record. (The system does this by adding one day 
to the execution date until the date finally falls on a valid day.) For example, suppose you 
schedule a change to occur every 48 hours, but not on weekends. If a 48-hour period ends 
on a Saturday, Amanda waits a day and tries to execute the record again on Sunday. 
Because Sunday is also an invalid day, Amanda waits another day and executes the record 
on Monday. From the execution time on Monday, Amanda starts the next 48-hour period. 
						

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Some of the options that a scheduling record controls can be changed by users from their 
telephones or by using Amanda Messenger. The user can change his greeting, Call 
Screening, and Do Not Disturb options (unless you have them locked). Users cannot 
control the number of rings at their extensions nor the contents of their Extension fields.
For example, users can change their greetings and set their Do Not Disturb options every 
night as they go home and every morning as they return. However, if they keep regular 
hours, having scheduling records is much more convenient. 
Managing Automatic Call-processing Changes
Scheduling records schedule one or more call-processing changes for a user. Records are 
created:
 When the mailbox is created (by copying the notification records that already exist 
in the mailbox on which the new mailbox is based)
 By you, one-by-one, as needed
Managing scheduling records includes:
 Creating and modifying records
The next few sections cover the creation, modification, and disabling of scheduling 
records.
 Making the scheduling records needed by most or all users part of the mailbox 
template (by default mailbox 997).
 Testing scheduling records by enabling them and verifying that the expected call-
processing changes do take place.
When testing a scheduling record, check whether Amanda makes the correct changes 
by changing the record’s effective date and time. Do not adjust the Time… option 
from Amanda Monitor. For example, you can put the record into effect five minutes 
from now rather than tomorrow morning, then call the user to see if his greeting (or 
whatever) has changed.
 C
AUTION:Amanda ignores locks as the system applies scheduling records to 
mailboxes. The locks block changes made by users via the tele-
phone or Amanda Messenger only.
Creating Scheduling Records
When you create a scheduling record, you specify both what the record does and under 
what conditions it can be executed. 
To create a scheduling record:
1. From the Mailbox window, select the mailbox. 
2. Do one of the following:
 Click Auto Scheduler   on the toolbar.
 On the Mailbox menu, click Auto Scheduler. 
						

							Chapter 7: Automatic Scheduling 71
The Auto Scheduler window appears. 
3. Select an unused scheduling record from the Scheduler Records list box.
(An unused record has only the word “disabled” after its number in the Schedule 
Records list box.)
4. Select the Enable check box.
T
IP:You can double-click the scheduling record to toggle the Enable 
check box from on to off (and vice versa).
5. Use the Starting Date calendar to specify the first date and time that the record should 
be executed. The starting date must be a date in the future. 
To set the starting date and time:
a. Click a number on the calendar to select the date.
b. Click the   and   buttons at the top of the calendar to select the 
month.
c. Click the   and   buttons at the bottom of the calendar to select the 
time.
6. Use the Execute Every group box to indicate how often the record will be executed. 
Select one of the following:
Select:To execute the record:
DayDaily (seven days per week)
WeekdayMonday through Friday 
						

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To set an interval that fits the “Other” category:
a. Click Advanced….
The Advanced Scheduler Information dialog box appears.
b. In the Execution Interval… group box, type the total number of months, days, 
hours, and minutes between executions. 
For example, for US Thanksgiving, use 11 months and 29 days.
c. Do one of the following to indicate the days that Amanda can execute the 
record.
In the Execute On… group box, clear the check boxes for the inappropriate 
days.
For example, for US Thanksgiving, clear all the days except Thursday.
In the Future Days calendar, click the day abbreviations for the appropriate days.
For example, for US Thanksgiving, click the Th for Thursday.
d. To check the interval on the Future Dates calendar, click Update to apply your 
changes to that calendar.
e. Click OK to return to the Auto Scheduler window.
7. The Schedule Choices list box displays the call-processing options that a scheduling 
record can change. 
MonthMonthly
Mon–SatEvery day except Sunday
YearYearly
WeekendOnly on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays)
Only OnceOnly on the starting date
When you select Only Once, Amanda disables the 
record immediately after the system executes it.
OtherAn interval that is not one of the above. For example, 
you can set an interval that includes hours or minutes. 
Holidays that occur annually on a specific day of the 
week (for example, US Thanksgiving on the fourth 
Thursday of November) require advanced scheduling.
Clicking Advanced… automatically selects Other.