Inter-Tel Inside Track User Guide Issue 2

							Chapter 1— Welcome To Inside Track
3 Inside Track User Guide
About This User Guide
This user guide provides all of the information you will need to install and use Inside
Track. It includes information on the following:
·
Inside Track And Your Telephone System
·
Available Report Types
·
Equipment Requirements
·
Call Record Storage Sources
— Buffer Box
— AXXESSORYTalk PC
— Inter-Tel NetSolutions
·
Hardware Installation
·
Software Installation
·
Using Inside Track
·
Replacement Parts 
						

							Chapter 1— Welcome to Inside Track
4Inside Track User Guide
Inside Track And Your Telephone System
The Inside Track software can be used with the SMDRcall records from the following
Inter-Tel Integrated Systems, Inc. and Premier Telecom Products, Inc. telephone systems:
Inter-Tel Telephone Systems
·
IMX 1224/2460
·
IMX 2448
·
IMX 256
·
IMX 416/832
·
GMX-48
·
GX-120
·
GMX-152D
·
GMX 256
·
GMX 416/832
·
Inter-Tel Axxent
·
AXXESS
Note:The new version 2.0 Inside Track software (part number 827.8854) is not com-
patible with the earliest releases ofAXXESS 5.0 software (versions: 5.000, 5.010, 5.020,
and 5.030).In order to use this software on an AXXESS system, youmustupgrade your
AXXESS software to version 5.040 or higher.
Premier Telephone Systems
·
ESP
·
ESPMDX
·
ESPDX
Note:On telephone systems with wide and narrowSMDR formats, use thewideformat
to allow the Inside Track to properly process the records. OtherSMDR formatting (such as
whether equal access and toll digits are included in the dialed number), should be set up in
the telephone system to meet the customer’s reporting needs. The Inside Track uses the
call data exactly as it is stored by the telephone system. 
						

							Chapter 1— Welcome To Inside Track
5 Inside Track User Guide
Available Report Types
The reports can be customized to add as much detail as you like. For example, the descrip-
tion, tenant group, and department information for each extension number can be included
in the reports. This“enhanced” information allows you to generate a complete profile of
your telephone system’s users. And, if desired, two or more sets ofSMDRcall records can
be combined to generate a single summary report. Reports can be generated to include any
combination of the following information:
·
Account Code
·
Account Code Description
·
Call Cost
·
Call Elapsed Time
·
Call Start Time
·
Call Type
·
Date
·
Location Of Telephone Number Called
·
Station Description
·
Station Extension
·
Station Username
·
Telephone Number
·
Tenant/Department
·
Trunk Description
·
Trunk Number 
						

							Chapter 1— Welcome to Inside Track
6Inside Track User Guide Call records can be arranged using the report templates with up to three“sort keys” (sta-
tions, trunks, etc.) that determine what information is presented. The report templates are
as follows:
·
Detailed by Time (default):This lists the call records in the report by the time of the
call. It details calls by date and time, breaking the calls into sections using the first sort
key.
·
Detailed by Time with Subheaders:This is the same as the Detailed by Time report,
except that report has subsections using the second sort key.
·
Summary:This report type gives summary totals for calls in each section. Sections are
determined by the first sort key.
·
Summary with Subheaders:This is the same as Summary report, except that totals are
given for subsections. The subsections are determined by the second sort key.
·
Summary by Number:This lists the call records by number of calls placed to specific
telephone numbers. The totals are listed in sections determined by the first sort key.
·
Station by Number with Subheaders:This is the same as Station by Number report,
except that report sections are divided by the first sort key and then subdivided by the
second sort key.
·
Summary Totals:This combines data to present total call cost, duration, and number of
calls for the selected sort key (such as account codes).
·
Totals Summary:This report type gives a list of the total number of calls made by each
extension, the duration of those calls, and an approximate call cost, in other words this
report give you a condensed version of the “Summary” report.
The customized reports can be printed on paper, displayed on your PC’s monitor, or saved
to a file on a floppy disk or on your PC’s hard disk. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
7 Inside Track User Guide
Equipment Requirements
Personal Computer (PC)
To use the Inside Track software, your PC must have the following minimum require-
ments:
·
IBM-compatible
·
80386 or higher microprocessor
·
Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows 95, or Windows NT 4.0 (It does not run under Win-
dows NT 3.51, because 3.51 is not compatible with the software security key.)
·
2 megabytes (MB) RAM (4MB recommended)
·
45MB available hard disk space (5MB for the software and 40MB recommended for
data manipulation)
Note:The exact amount of hard disk space needed for data manipulation depends
on the size of the files being sorted.
·
3½-inch (1.44MB) double-sided/high-density floppy disk drive (5¼-inch disks are
also available)
·
If connecting directly to the buffer box, an available COM port (RS-232 serial commu-
nications port)
·
If connecting to the buffer box via modem, an internal or external modem
·
Parallel port
·
Optional printer
The Inside Track software is designed for single-user applications. If the software is in-
stalled on a PC that is part of a local area network (LAN), two procedures must be
followed: (1) Downloads must be performed on the PC that is connected to the buffer box.
(2) Downloads must be performed in single-user mode (i.e., only one user can download
from a particular buffer box at one time). Raw files can be programmed to automatically
store on the network during the download. Once the download is complete, the data files
may then be shared on the network. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
8Inside Track User Guide
Call Record Storage Sources
Your telephone system’s SMDRcall records can be stored using any of the following
methods:
·
The SMDRcall records can be stored in a buffer box connected to your telephone
system.
·
If you have an Inter-Tel AXXESS or Axxenttelephone system, theSMDRcall records
can be stored on the optional AXXESSORYTalk PC or on the Axxent Talk hard disk.
·
Inter-Tel NetSolutions customers can receive call record data on a floppy disk from
the NetSolutions billing system.
Buffer Box
Unless you have an AXXESS or Axxent System equipped with an AXXESSORYTalk PC
or Axxent Talk (respectively), or you will be using data from Inter-Tel NetSolutions only,
your telephone system must have anSMDRcall record buffer box attached to it. The
buffer box originally being used was the PollCat (Pollable Call Accounting Terminal)
buffer box manufactured by Western Telematic for Inter-Tel (contact your dealer for pur-
chasing information). However, this was replaced by one of two new buffer box models:
CRB-256K or ILB-512K. The new CRB (call record buffer) unit and ILB (in-line buffer)
unit are similar in design and function to the original PollCat unit. See page 12 for CRB
unit specifications and page 15 for ILB unit specifications. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
9 Inside Track User Guide
PollCat Buffer Box Specifications
The PollCat buffer box is a solid-state storage system designed for call record data collec-
tion. It uses a double-data compression method to store more than double the amount of
characters that could normally be stored in its RAM (random access memory). A replace-
able lithium battery protects memory for up to sixty days in the event of a power failure.
The PollCat buffer box attaches to the telephone system using an RS-232 port. Refer to
page 34 for instructions on connecting the PollCat buffer box to your telephone system.
To ensure that the buffer box is connected properly to your telephone system, you may
want your local telephone dealer to perform the installation.
Physical Dimensions
The PollCat buffer box has the following dimensions:
Height
Width
Depth
Weight2.0 in. (5.0 cm.)
10.5 in. (26.25 cm.)
7.0 in. (17.5 cm.)
3.0 lbs. (1.35 kg.)
RS-232 Connectors
The PollCat buffer box has two RS-232 connectors. The connector labeled PBX is con-
nected to your telephone system. The connector labeled COMPUTER is connected to
your PC or to an external modem. Refer to RS-232 Connectors section, page 20, for de-
tailed RS-232 information.
Pause Button
The PAUSE button on the front of the PollCat buffer boxallows you to halt the data being
transferred to your PC. Data coming from the telephone system to the PollCat buffer box
cannot be halted unless the RS-232 cable is removed or unless the memory in the PollCat
buffer box is full.
When the PAUSE button is pressed to halt data, the LED under the button is lit. When the
button is pressed again, the data transmission resumes and the LED is unlit.
If necessary, the memory in the PollCat buffer box can be cleared and tested by pressing
the PAUSE button while turning on the AC power switch (see page 42 for instructions).
The memory-clearing procedure should only be performed during the initial installation,
after changing the lithium battery, or after installing memory expansion chips. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
10 Inside Track User Guide
Fuse
There is a 125mA, 250VAC, slow-acting fuse on the back of the PollCat buffer box to
protect it against shock hazards.
DIP Switches
The DIP switches on the back of the PollCat buffer box are used to select the bit rate (bps),
parity type, and X-ON/X-OFF option.
There are two independent bit rate settings on the PollCat buffer box, one for the connec-
tion to the telephone system and one for the connection to your PC (or an external mo-
dem). The PollCat buffer box can communicate with the telephone system at 300, 1200,
2400, or 9600 bps. It can communicate with your PC at 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, or
9600 bps. Parity can be odd or even; however, X-ON/X-OFF should be disabled.
Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
There are five light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the front of the PollCat buffer box. The
LEDs are used to indicate the following information:
·
Power On:This LED lights when the unit is receiving AC power. The power cord
and power switch are located on the back of the unit.
·
% Full:The flash rate of this LED indicates approximately how full the memory is.
When the memory is empty, the LED is unlit. When the memory is between 0% and
10% full, the LED flashes once before pausing. When the memory exceeds 10%, the
LED flashes twice up to 20% full, three times up to 30% full, and so on. For example,
if the memory is 43% full, the LED flashes five times, then pauses for a second before
flashing five times again. If the memory is full (100%), the LED is solidly lit.
On GMX-48, GX-120, GMX-152D, IMX 2448, IMX 1224/2460, and ESPtelephone
systems, this LED may flash once even though the memory is actually empty.
·
80% Full:When memory is 80% full, this LED is lit to indicate that the memory is
almost full and that a download should be performed.
·
PBX Data:This LED flashes whenever the unit is receiving information from your
telephone system (even if the PollCat buffer box is turned off). This allows you to
verify that the unit is properly connected to the telephone system and that call records
are being transferred. If this LED is continually lit, it may indicate a cable or telephone
system port problem. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
11 Inside Track User Guide·
Send Data:This LED flashes whenever information is being transferred from the
PollCat buffer box to your PC.
Optional Memory Expansion Chips
The PollCat buffer box comes equipped with 64k RAM (two 32k chips), which is enough
memory to store approximately 1000–1200 call records. An additional 64k (two chips) of
memory can be installed for a total of 128k of memory (for 2000–2400 call records). Or,
an additional 128k (six chips) of memory can be installed for a total of 256k of memory
(for 4000-4500 call records).
Optional Tandem Unit
For even greater storage capacity, a specially-designed “Tandem” unit can be connected
in series with the PollCat buffer box. The Tandem unit, which is almost identical in design
and function to the PollCat buffer box, is installed between the telephone system and the
PollCat buffer box. When the PollCat buffer box is almost full, subsequent call record data
is automatically stored in the Tandem unit. Refer page 36 for instructions on installing the
Tandem unit.
The RS-232 connectors, LEDs,PAUSE button, battery, and fuse on the Tandem unit are
the same as those on the PollCat buffer box. And, like the PollCat buffer box, the Tandem
unit can be equipped with memory expansion chips, for a combined maximum of 512k
memory.
Although the PollCat buffer box and the Tandem unit are similar, they are not inter-
changeable.
Optional Modem Connection
Your PC does not have to be connected directly to the PollCat buffer box. Call records can
be transferred via modem from the PollCat buffer box to your PC. This is especially useful
if you are processing call records for several telephone systems. To download call records
from a remote PollCat buffer box to your PC, an external auto-answer modem must be
connected to the PollCat buffer box’s PC (COMPUTER) port.
Refer to page 46 for modem installation instructions. Modem configuration and down-
loading instructions are explained on pages 55 and 95. RS-232 settings are explained on
page 112. 
						

							Chapter 2— Equipment Requirements
12 Inside Track User Guide
CRB Unit Specifications
The Call Record Buffer (CRB) unit provides up to 256k of non-volatile, battery-backed
memory (CMOS static RAM). It can reliably store data for up to 60 days, even when
powered off. The unit is powered by an AC adapter (9VDC @ 500mA).
Physical Dimensions
The CRB unit, which is considerably smaller than the original PollCat unit has the follow-
ing dimensions:
Height
Width
Depth
Weight1.2 in. (3.0 cm.)
4.5 in. (11.4 cm.)
6.0 in. (15.2 cm.)
1.0 lbs. (0.5 kg.)
RS-232 Connectors
The CRB unit has two RS-232 connectors. The connector labeled PBX is connected to
your telephone system. The connector labeled COMPUTER is connected to your PC or to
an external modem. Ensure that the RS-232 cables have the correct pinouts as outlined in
the diagram below. Refer to RS-232 Connectors section, page 20, for detailed RS-232
information.
Figure 1RS-232 Interface