Scripting and Media Routing Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise, Release 11.6(1)
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After defining how a script is used to categorize contacts, you typically
use the nodes available in Script Editor to specify how the contact is to be
routed to a target. By selecting routing targets, you determine the
destination for contacts.
A routing target is an entity to which the system can route a contact.
The routing target receives the contact and processes it accordingly.
Peripheral-level skill targets include:
Agents
Skill groups
There are two types of routing targets: Skill targets and Network targets.
Routes
A value returned by a routing script that maps to a target at a
peripheral, such as a service, skill group, agent, or translation route to a
label.
A translation route is a target at a peripheral that does not map to a
specific service, skill group, or agent. When a contact arrives with the
trunk group and DNIS that correspond to a translation route, the Peripheral
Gateway (PG) is responsible for determining the ultimate target.
When
Unified ICM routes a call to a translation route, it sends a message to the
PG. In this message the PG receives the call context from the Router, including the ultimate target and further instructions
for
the PG. This enables the PG to seamlessly pass information set or retrieved in the Routing script to the PIM/peripheral as
well as to CTI clients. For example, the PG might be instructed to coordinate with a host
computer so that the caller's account number appears on the teleset of
the agent who picks up the call.
A target set is a list of possible targets. During script processing, the
actual target is chosen from the set by the preceding node on the script
branch, a Select Node or Distribute Node.
Skill Targets
A skill target is an entity at a peripheral or in the enterprise to which
Unified ICM can route a contact. There are two types of skill targets:
Peripheral-level skill targets and
Enterprise-level skill targets.
In the Agent column, for each row used, select the agent to
which the contact can be routed. You can use the drop-down list for each table
cell, or select multiple agents by clicking
Add Targets and using the dialog box that opens to select
multiple agents.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 2
Optionally, check Allow connection for each target to have an
output terminal appear to the right of each individual target defined in the
node. Control passes through this terminal when the associated target is
chosen. When the script terminates, the route for the selected agent is still
used.
Step 3
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 4
Optionally, add connection labels.
Define Set of Skill Groups to Receive the Contact
You define a set of
skill groups that can receive the contact using the Skill Group node in the
Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 3. The Skill Group Icon
You can specify the skill groups in the set in two ways:
Select Explicit target references to specify static skill group configurations, including the Skill Group, Route, and, optionally, a Translation Route. See
Define Skill Groups by Explicit Target Reference.
Select Lookup target references by expression to enter formulas that are resolved to skill group references at runtime. See Define Skill Groups Using an Expression.
From the defined set, your script can
determine the target skill group by one of the following methods:
Selecting the target by
rules (Select node)
Distributing contacts to
targets in the set (Distribute node)
A combination of selecting
the target and distributing contacts (Route Select node)
Define Skill Groups by Explicit Target Reference
On the Skill Group node in the
Targets tab of the Palette, select Explicit target references to specify the skill groups that can receive the contact:
Figure 4. Skill Group Properties - Explicit Target References
Define Skill Group node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
For each skill group in the target set the following:
In the Skill Group column, for each row used, select the skill
group to which the contact can be routed. You can use the drop-down list for
each table cell, or select multiple skill groups by clicking
Add Targets and using the dialog box that opens to select
multiple skill groups.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 2
Optionally, check
Allow connection for each target to have an output terminal
appear to the right of each individual target defined in the node. Control
passes through this terminal when the associated target is chosen. When the
script terminates, the route for the selected skill group is still used.
Step 3
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 4
Optionally, add connection labels.
Define Skill Groups Using an Expression
On the Skill Group node in the Targets tab of
the Palette, select Look up target references by expression to enter expressions to
select Skill Groups. The formulas are evaluated dynamically at run-time to determine
the actual skill groups.
Figure 5. Skill Group Properties -
Look up Target References by Expression
Procedure
Step 1
Select Look up target
references by expression
Step 2
Select whether to select the skill groups by name or ID:
Select By name to select a skill group by the skill group enterprise name.
Select By ID to select the skill group by the skill group database ID.
Step 3
Write your formulas to select skill groups on the Skill Group page.
Click Formula Editor for help building a formula.
Step 4
Optionally, click Validate to check for errors in the expression.
Step 5
Click OK to save and close the dialog.
When you save the dialog, the configured expressions are validated. If errors are found, the dialog displays a warning and
highlights the rows with errors.
When you use a ScriptTarget node with dynamic skill group configuration as a target node for a
ScriptSelect or ScriptDistribute node, the router evaluates all the targets of the ScriptTarget node and then returns only
valid targets.
If the skill group
expression cannot be evaluated to a valid skill group object, the node continues on the failure branch and the router logs
an error message.
Note
Look up Target References by Expression only supports
skill groups that target Unified CCE peripherals. Expressions that evaluate to
skill groups on any other type of peripheral are not considered valid
targets.
Define a Set of Queue to Skill Groups to Receive the Contact
You define a set of
queue to skill groups that can receive the contact using the Queue node in the
Queue tab of the Palette.
Figure 6. The Queue Icon
You can specify the queue to skill groups in the set in two ways:
Select Explicit target references to specify static queue to skill group configurations, including the Skill Group, Consider If, Route, and, optionally,
a Translation Route.
Select Lookup target references by expression to enter formulas that are resolved to queue to skill group references at runtime.
Define Queue to Skill Groups by Explicit Target Reference
You can select explicit target references to specify the skill groups that can receive the contact.
Define Queue to Skill Group node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
From the
Queue tab of the Palette, click Queue to create a Queue to Skill Group node.
Step 2
From the node, right-click and select Properties.
Step 3
Select the Explicit target references option.
Step 4
For each skill group in the target, set the following:
In the Skill Group column, for each row used, select the skill
group to which the contact can be routed. You can use the drop-down list for
each table cell, or select multiple skill groups by clicking
Add Targets and using the dialog box that opens to select
multiple skill groups.
In the Consider If column, add an expression to one or more rows. If a Consider If expression returns True, the expression
considers the skill group and queues there.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 5
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Define Queue to Skill Groups Using an Expression
You can look up target references by expression to enter expressions to select Queue to Skill Groups. The formulas are evaluated
dynamically at run-time to determine the actual skill groups.
Procedure
Step 1
From the
Queue tab of the Palette, click Queue to create a Queue to Skill Group node.
Step 2
From the node, right-click and select Properties.
Step 3
Select Lookup target references by expression
Step 4
Select whether to choose the skill groups by name or ID:
Select By name to choose a skill group by the skill group name.
Select By ID to choose the skill group by the skill group database ID.
Step 5
Write your formulas to select skill groups on the Skill Group page.
Click Formula Editor for help building a formula.
Step 6
Optionally, click Validate to check for errors in the expression.
Step 7
Click OK to save and close the dialog.
When you save the dialog, the configured expressions are validated. If errors are found, the dialog displays a warning and
highlights the rows with errors.
When you use a queue to skill group node with dynamic queue to skill group configuration as a target, the router evaluates
all the targets of the queue to skill group node and then returns only valid targets.
If the queue to skill group
expression cannot be evaluated to a valid queue to skill group object, the node continues on the failure branch and the
router logs an error message.
Note
Look up Target References by Expression only supports
skill groups that target Unified CCE peripherals. Expressions that evaluate to
skill groups on any other type of peripheral are not considered valid
targets.
Define Set of Services to Receive the Contact
You define a set of
services that can receive the contact by using the Service node in the Targets
tab of the Palette.
Figure 7. The Service Icon
The script can determine the
target service from the set by one of the following methods:
Selecting the target by rules (Select node)
Distributing contacts to targets in the set (Distribute node)
A combination of selecting the target and distributing contacts (Route Select node)
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Service node:
Figure 8. Service Properties - Routing Target Tab
Define Service node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
For each service in the target set the following:
In the Service column, for each row used, select the service
to which the contact can be routed. You can use the drop-down list for each
table cell, or select multiple services by clicking
Add Targets and using the dialog box that opens to select
multiple services.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 2
Optionally, check
Allow connection for each target to have an output terminal
appear to the right of each individual target defined in the node. Control
passes through this terminal when the associated target is chosen. When the
script terminates, the route for the selected service is still used.
Step 3
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 4
Optionally, add connection labels.
Define Set of Enterprise Skill Groups to Receive the Contact
You define a set of
enterprise skill groups that can receive the contact by using the Enterprise
Skill Group node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 9. The Enterprise Skill Group Icon
The script can determine the
target enterprise skill group from the set by one of the following methods:
Selecting the target by rules (Select node)
Distributing contacts to targets in the set (Distribute node)
A combination of selecting the target and distributing contacts (Route Select node)
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Enterprise Skill Group
node:
Figure 10. Enterprise Skill Group Properties - Routing Tab
Define Enterprise Skill Group node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
From the Business Entity drop-down list, select the business
entity for the enterprise skill groups.
Step 2
From the Enterprise target drop-down list, select the enterprise
target for the enterprise skill groups.
Step 3
For each enterprise skill group in the target set the following:
In the Skill Group column, for each row used, select the
enterprise skill group to which the contact can be routed.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 4
Optionally, check
Allow connection for each target to have an output terminal
appear to the right of each individual target defined in the node. Control
passes through this terminal when the associated target is chosen. When the
script terminates, the route for the selected enterprise skill group is still
used.
Step 5
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 6
Optionally, add connection labels.
Define Set of Enterprise Services to Receive the Contact
You define a set of
enterprise services that can receive the contact by using the Enterprise
Service node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 11. The Enterprise Service Icon
The script can determine the target enterprise service from
the set by one of the following methods:
Selecting the target by rules (Select node)
Distributing contacts to targets in the set (Distribute node)
A combination of selecting the target and distributing contacts (Route Select node)
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Enterprise Service node:
Figure 12. Enterprise Service Properties - Routing Target tab
Define Enterprise Service node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
From the Business Entity drop-down list, select the business
entity for the enterprise services.
Step 2
Choose the enterprise target for the enterprise services from the
Enterprise target drop-down list.
Step 3
For each enterprise service in the target set the following:
In the Service column, for each row used, select the
enterprise service to which the contact can be routed.
In the Route column, select the route that maps to a specific
target at the peripheral.
Optionally, in the Translation Route column, select a
translation route.
Step 4
Optionally, check
Allow connection for each target to have an output terminal
appear to the right of each individual target defined in the node. Control
passes through this terminal when the associated target is chosen. When the
script terminates, the route for the selected enterprise service is still used.
Step 5
Click
Validate to check whether the targets you defined are valid.
Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 6
Optionally, add connection labels.
Network Targets
A network target is an end point on the network to which a
script can send a contact. Following are the supported network targets:
Announcement
Scheduled Select
Ring
Busy
Label
Divert Label
Route Call to an Announcement
You can route a call
to an announcement on the network by using the Announcement node in the Targets
tab of the Palette.
Figure 13. Announcement Icon
When executing the Announcement Node, Unified ICM returns the label
associated with the announcement to the routing client. The Announcement Node
terminates the script.
You might use the Announcement Node to:
Explain why the call
cannot currently be handled.
Direct the caller to
another phone number or to another way of contacting the company.
Note
You must configure Announcements and associate them with labels
using Unified ICM Configuration Manager. For more information, see the
Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise.
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Announcement node:
Choose an announcement from the Announcements list.
Step 2
Optionally, add comments.
Route Call to a Scheduled Target
You can send a call to a target that is configured to handle a specific
number of simultaneous contacts based on a periodic schedule by using the
Scheduled Select node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 15. Schedule Select Icon
Unified ICM keeps track of the schedule and the number of calls sent to
the target. The routing client informs Unified ICM when a call at the target
ends, so it always knows how many calls are currently in progress at the
target and whether it can handle an additional call.
When Unified ICM executes the Scheduled Select Node, it searches the list
of selected targets for one that is capable of handling the contact, based
on its current schedule. If a target is found, the routing script ends and
returns a label associated with the target to the routing client. The
routing client then translates the label to a peripheral target.
Note
You must configure Scheduled targets and associated them with labels using
Unified ICM Configuration Manager. For more information, see the
Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise.
Not all routing clients support the Scheduled Select node.
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Announcement node:
Start with first target to have Unified
ICM always start the search from the first target in the
list.
Start with next target to have Unified
ICM start the search from the first target after the last
chosen target.
Step 2
Click Add Target to add a new scheduled target.
In the Add Schedule Targets dialog box, select targets to add from
the Available targets list, and click Add> to
move them to the Add targets list. When finished, click
OK. The targets are added to the list.
Step 3
To add a time period for the scheduled target, select the target
and click Add Period. The Add Periodic Schedule
dialog box opens. Define the time period and click
OK.
Step 4
To modify a time period for the scheduled target, select the time
period and click Modify Period. The Modify Periodic
Schedule dialog box opens. Modify the time period and click
OK.
Step 5
To edit Max Calls for a time period, select the time period and
click Edit Max Calls. The number in the Max Calls
column is now editable. Modify the value as needed
Step 6
Optionally, add connection labels.
Route Call to an Unanswered Ring
You can route a call to an unanswered ring by using the Ring node in the
Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 17. Ring Icon
When Unified ICM executes a Ring node, it returns the first
Ring label associated with the routing client; the routing client then plays
an unanswered ring for the caller.
Note: You must define a Ring label using Unified ICM
Configuration Manager. For more information, see the
Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise.
Note: Not all routing clients support the Ring Node.
To define the Ring node properties, you simply add comments to the node.
Route Call to a Busy Signal
You can route a call to a busy signal by using the Busy node in the
Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 18. Busy Icon
When Unified ICM executes a Busy node, it returns the first Busy label
associated with the routing client; the routing client then plays a busy
signal for the caller.
Note: You must define a Busy label using Unified ICM
Configuration Manager. For more information, see the
Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified ICM/Contact Center Enterprise.
Note: Not all routing clients support the Busy node.
To define the Busy node properties, you simply add comments to the node.
Return Label to Routing Client
You can return a label to a routing client by using the Label node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 19. Label Icon
When Unified ICM executes a Label node, it returns the first valid label for the routing client.
This differs from the Divert Label node, which returns all the values in the Selected Labels list to the routing client.
If Unified ICM finds no valid label, it returns the default label for the Dialed Number. In either case, the Label node terminates
execution of the script
When you define a Label Node, you can select Configured Labels and Dynamic Labels. Configured labels are static, defined through
the Unified ICM Configuration Manager. Dynamic Labels are expressions the CallRouter processes in real time, converting an expression into
a character string that is then returned to the routing client as a label. You use formulas to create a Dynamic Label.
The following registry setting in the router controls where to send the dynamic labels for network transferred calls. This
registry setting controls ALL of the network transferred calls:
HKLM\Cisco Systems,Inc\ICM\<inst>
\Router<side>\Router\CurrentVersion\Configuration
\Global\NetworkXferDynLabelDestination
<setting>
If <setting> =
Then the label is sent to
0
The network transfer routing client
1
The network routing client
2
Either the network transfer routing client or the network routing client, based on the NetworkTransferPreferred setting of
the network routing client
Note
The Label node supports Target Requery.
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Label node:
Figure 20. Label Properties - Label Tab
Define Label node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
Choose the one of the following from Label Type:
Configured, to select from a list of configured
labels.
Dynamic, to define an expression that is to be
returned as a label.
Warning
The incorrect use of dynamic labels in scripts can result in call surges. The router does not do extrapolation for dynamic
labels. So if many calls come in at the same time, the router may send these calls to the same label, and the Available and
LongestAvailable will not be extrapolated. To avoid a site becoming flooded with calls, use static labels assigned to skill
groups and services rather than dynamic labels. The router does extrapolation for labels assigned to skill groups and services.
Step 2
If you select Configured, select labels from the Available
labels list and click Add> to add them to the
Selected labels list.
Step 3
If you select Dynamic, enter a Label Expression, optionally using the Formula Editor.
Step 4
Optionally, check Enable target requery.
Step 5
Optionally, add comments.
Return Multiple
Labels to Routing Client
You can return multiple
labels to a routing client by using the Divert Label node in the Targets tab of
the Palette.
Figure 21. Divert Label
Icon
When Unified ICM
executes a Divert Label node, it returns all the values in the Selected Labels
list to the routing client.
This differs from
the Label node, which returns the first valid label for the current routing
client.
Unified ICM then
tries each label until it finds one that does not produce a Busy or Ring Tone
No Response.
In most cases, you
can specify up to ten labels in the Divert Label node. The exception is in
NAM/CICM configurations, where you can specify up to nine labels; you must
reserve one label for use by the NAM.
When you define a
Divert Label node, you can select Configured Labels and Dynamic Labels.
Configured labels are static, defined through the
Unified ICM
Configuration Manager. Dynamic Labels are expressions the CallRouter processes
in real time, converting an expression into a character string that is then
returned to the routing client as a label. You use formulas to create a Dynamic
Label.
Notes:
With the Divert Label Node,
you can only select labels for routing clients with client types that support
DivertOnBusy. Unified Contact Center client type does not support DivertOnBusy.
The following client types do support DivertOnBusy:
CRSP,
AUCS
INAP NIC,
SS7IN NIC,
NTL NIC and MCI NIC.
When using a Divert Label
node, arrange the labels so that a label defined with a type Busy or Ring the
last label in the Divert Label Selected labels list. The reason for this is
that a Busy or Ring label terminates the call; any label appearing after Ring
or Busy is never used. Also, never use a Divert Label node when only one label
exists in the list; use the Label node, instead.
Never use a Divert Label node
when only one label exists in the list; use the Label node instead.
Define Divert Label node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
Select the Label
Type:
Configured,
to select from a list of configured labels.
Dynamic, to
define an expression that is to be returned as a label.
Step 2
If you select
Configured, select labels from the Available labels list and click
Add> to
add them to the Selected labels list.
Step 3
If you select
Dynamic, enter a Label Expression, optionally using the Formula Editor.
Step 4
Optionally, add
comments.
Selection of Targets by Rules
You can create a script to select a specific target from set of targets
based on the rule you select or define.
For example, you can create a script that selects as a target the skill
group with longest available agent (LAA) from a set of skill groups.
When defining scripts to select targets by rules, you must be
aware of the following:
When you use a Select node, you specify if the script is to search for
the target that matches the criteria you define starting with the first
target in the list, or the next target after the previously chosen
target:
Start with first target - Also referred to as a
homing search, this option has the script search for the target that
meets the criteria you define starting with the first item in the list.
For example, you can define a script to select the longest available
agent from either the Technical Support skill group (the first skill
group in the list) or the backup skill group (the second, and last, item
in the list). When you choose this option, whenever the script can find
an available agent in the Technical support skill group, the contact is
routed to that agent. Agents from the Backup skill group are only
selected as targets when the script fails to find an available agent in
the Technical support skill group. When you select this option, targets
towards the top of the list typically receive a higher percentage
of the contacts.
Start with next target - Also referred to as a rotary
search, this option has the script search for the target that meets the
criteria you define starting with the item in the list after the target
previously selected. For example, you can define a script to select the
longest available agent from one of three separate technical support
skill groups. When you select this option, after a script selects an
agent from the first skill group, for the next contact, the script
starts looking for an agent in the second skill group. When you select
this option, contacts are distributed more evenly among the potential
targets.
Standard Selection
Rules
When you use the
Select node, you can choose from one of the following standard selection rules:
Table 1. Select Node
Standard Selection Rules
Selection
Rule
Applicable
Targets
Formula
Description
Always
Select
Any target
Selects the
first target that passes the specified acceptance rule.
Longest
Available Agent (LAA)
Skill Groups
and Enterprise Skill Groups
Consider if:
*.AgentsAvail > 0 Evaluate: MAX (*.LongestAvailable)
Selects the
target with the agent who has been available for the longest time. This
selection rule helps to ensure that all agents in the skill group set are kept
equally busy. It does not ensure that a particular agent is assigned the
contact. If the target set includes a skill group that has subgroups (.pri,
.sec, etc.), only agents logged in to the base group are considered. Because
agents do not normally log in to the base group, specify the base groups you
want to consider.
Next
Available Agent (NAA)
Skill Groups
and Enterprise Skill Groups
Consider if:
*.AgentsAvail > 0 Evaluate: MAX
(*.
AgentsAvail/*. AgentsSignedOn)
Selects the
target with the highest percentage of available agents.
Minimum
Average Speed Answer (Min ASA)
Services and
Enterprise Services
Evaluate:
MIN (*.AvgSpeedAnswerTo5)
Selects the
target in the set that is, on average, answering contacts most quickly. Because
this selection rule evaluates the historical average, it does not select a
target based on the current or expected future state of the contact center.
Therefore, unexpected load imbalances may occur when you use this rule. To
avoid this potential problem, you can use the Minimum Expected Delay selection
rule instead.
Minimum
Calls in Queue Per Position (Min C/Q)
Services and
Enterprise Services
Evaluate:
MIN (*.CallsQNow/*.AgentsReady)
Selects the
target in the set with the lowest ratio of calls waiting and staffed stations.
If agents are equally efficient at each target in the set, this rule tends to
lead to the shortest average hold times. However, if agents are not equally
efficient, some customers might wait longer than necessary at the less
efficient target. To avoid this potential problem, you can use the Minimum
Expected Delay selection rule instead.
Minimum
Average Queue Delay (Min AvgQD)
Services and
Enterprise Services
Evaluate:
MIN (*.AvgDelayQTo5)
Selects the
target in the set with shortest average hold times, assuming that agents at
each target are equally efficient. Because this selection rule evaluates the
historical average, it does not select a target based on the current or
expected future state of the contact center. Therefore, unexpected load
imbalances may occur when you use this rule. To avoid this potential problem,
you can use the Minimum Expected Delay selection rule instead.
Minimum
Longest Delayed Call (Min Delay)
Services and
Enterprise Services
Evaluate:
MIN (*.LongestCallQ)
Selects the
target with the shortest longest delayed call. Note: This selection rule
evaluates the historical average, not the current or expected future state of
the contact center. Routing contacts to the target with the shortest longest
delayed call does not immediately change the longest delay value. Therefore,
this selection rule may route a disproportionately large number of calls to a
single target. To avoid this potential problem, you can use the Minimum
Expected Delay selection rule instead.
Minimum
Expected Delay (MED)
Services and
Enterprise Services
Evaluate:
MIN (*.ExpectedDelay)
Selects the
target with the shortest expected delay. In making this evaluation, this
selection rule considers the average handle time, the number of contacts in
queue, and the number of positions staffed. This rule is usually the most
effective rule for keeping queue times to a minimum. The MED algorithm is not
supported on Unified CCE/CCH.
Caution: Values used by
the standard selection rules Minimum Average Speed Answer, Minimum Average
Queue Delay, and Minimum Longest Delayed Call change slowly. Because the
averages in these rules only consider what has happened in the past rather than
what is currently happening, using these rules inappropriately can lead to load
imbalances as newly routed contacts have little immediate effect on the values
used to route later contacts. In contrast, the standard selection rule Minimum
Expected Delay takes into account each contact as it is routed. Selecting the
service using the Minimum Expected Delay rule usually provides the best balance
among the services in the target set.
Custom Selection Rules
Instead of using one of the standard selection rules, you can create a
custom selection rule. To write custom selection rules, you must be
familiar with using formulas. For more information on formulas, see the chapter Use of Formulas.
A custom selection rule has three parts:
Consider ifstatement 0. This expression ensures that only
skill groups with at least one available agents are considered
as targets; if a skill group has no available agents, the
expression returns False and the skill group is not considered.
Selection criteria. A numeric expression plus
an evaluation rule. The numeric expression determines a certain
value of each target for which the Consider if statement
returned True. The evaluation rule determines if the target with
the minimum or maximum value returned is selected. If you do not
define selection criteria, the first target to return True for
the Consider if statement is selected. For example, the
Selection criteria for the predefined Longest Available Agent
selection rule is MAX (*.LongestAvailable). This expression
determines the highest LongestAvailable value of all the skill
groups in the target set for which the Consider if statement
returned True.
Accept ifstatement. A Boolean expression that returns
True or False for the target selected by the selection criteria.
If the Accept if statement returns True, the target is selected;
if it returns False, no target is selected by the Select node.
Selection of Targets by Rules
You can select targets by rules by using the Select node in the
Routing tab of the Palette.
Figure 22. Select Node Icon
The Select node sets up a rule by which the node chooses from a set of
routing targets for the contact. You can select a standard rule or
define your own custom rule. This node also has target requery
capabilities.
Notes:
You can follow the instructions in this section to select
targets by rules using the Select node. You can also use the
Route Select node to select targets as well as distribute
contacts to targets.
You must add a skill target and create a connection from the
Select node's success terminal, and define at least one target
in the target set, before defining the Select node.
The Select Node supports Target Requery.
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Select node:
Figure 23. Select Properties - Select Tab
Define Select node properties as follows:
Select from the list of Standard rules, or select
Custom and:
In the Consider if field, enter a Boolean expression. A target is considered for selection only if the Consider If expression is true for that
target. Optionally, use the Formula Editor.
Select Pick the target with the minimum value
of or Pick the target with the
maximum value of and enter an expression to
select the target.
Optionally, in the Accept if field, enter a Boolean expression that must evaluate to true for the target to be selected. It determines whether the target
must be returned or the process must end. The Boolean expression does not permit wild cards and evaluates various conditions
to determine if any target must be returned. For example, you can use a peripheral user variable such as Peripheral.PG_CCM.userRouteToCustomerService==1 in the Accept if field of a Select node to determine whether the script is routed to any customer service skill groups at a particular time.
Select Start with first target or
Start with next target to indicate how
Unified ICM looks for targets. For more information, see the section Types of Target Searching.
Optionally, check Enable target requery.
Optionally, add comments and connection labels.
Distribute Contacts to Targets
You can create a
script to allocate contacts among the targets in the set based on current
information about each target by using the Distribute node in the Routing tab
of the Palette.
Figure 24. Distribute Icon
For example, you can distribute contacts among a set of services based
on the number of agents in the service in the Ready state. Services with more
agents in the ready state are routed more contacts than services with fewer
agents in the Ready state, thus keeping the load balanced.
You can distribute contacts to any of the following types of target
sets: Agent, Skill Group, Service, Enterprise Skill Group, or Enterprise
Service.
When creating a script to distribute contacts to targets, you must
define the following for the Distribute node
using formulas. For more information on using formulas, see the chapter Use of Formulas.
Consider
ifstatement. A Boolean expression that returns True or False
for each target in the target set. Only targets in the set for which the
expression is True are eligible to be distributed contacts. If you do not
define an expression for the Consider if statement, all targets in the target
set are considered. For example,
Distribute
bystatement. A formula used to distribute contacts to targets
Notes
You can follow the
instructions in this section to distribute contacts to targets using the
Distribute node. You can also use the Route Select node to select targets as
well as distribute contacts to targets.
You must add a skill
target and create a connection from the Distribute node's success terminal, and
define at least one target in the target set, before defining the Distribute
Enter node.
Following is the Properties dialog box of the Distribute node:
Enter a condition in the Consider if field to test potential
targets against.
Step 2
Enter a formula by which to distribute contacts in the Distribute
by field.
Step 3
Optionally, add comments and connection labels.
Select Targets and Distribute Contacts with One Node
You can combine the functionality of selecting targets by rules with the
Select node and distributing contacts to targets with the Distribute node by
using the Route Select node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 26. Route Select Icon
Note
The Route Select Node supports Target Requery.
Following is the Properties dialog box for the Route Select node:
To select the Route select type, click
Change. The Route Select Type dialog box
opens:
Figure 28. Route Select Type
For Target Type, select Agent,
Enterprise Service, Enterprise
Skill Group, Service,
Service Array, or Skill
Group.
If you selected Enterprise Service or Enterprise Skill
Group, select a Business Entity and
Enterprise target.
Select Distribute among targets or
Select most eligible targets.
If you selected Select most eligible
targets, select Pick the target with the minimum
value or Pick the target with the
maximum value. In the Accept target if field, enter a condition that the
target must meet to be selected. Select Start with first target or
Start with next target. For more information, see
Types of Target Searching.
In the Target references field, select Explicit
target references to use direct references to
targets, or Lookup target references by
expression to use expressions that evaluate to
names of targets. Note Lookup target references by
expression is not available when an External Authorization server is used with Internet Script Editor and will be grayed out in the
interface.
Optionally, check Enable target requery.
Click OK.
Step 2
The fields in the Route Select Properties dialog box change
depending on your route select type selections. Enter and select
data appropriate for the type you selected.
Step 3
Click Validate to check whether the targets you
defined are valid. Correct any errors that are flagged.
Step 4
Optionally, add connection labels.
Transfer Calls from
Agents to Agents
You can transfer a call from an agent to an agent by using the Agent to Agent node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 29. Agent to Agent Icon
The Agent to Agent node routes the call to the specified agent. You define the agent either by directly selecting the agent
from the database or by providing an expression using a formula. The expression must translate to agent peripheral number
or SkillTargetID. The router then finds a valid label for the agent. If there are no labels configured for the specified agent,
the failure node of the Agent to Agent node is executed.
Following is the Properties dialog box for the Agent to Agent node:
Figure 30. Agent to Agent Properties
Define Agent to Agent node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
Choose an option
from the
Select agent
by drop-down list:
Peripheral
number - To select a peripheral and a provide formula that translates to the
agent's peripheral number.
Enterprise
Name - To select the agent from the list of configured agents.
Skill target
ID - To select the agent by providing an expression that translates into the
agent's SkillTargetID. In the supervisory case, the expression should use the
call's PreferredAgentID.
Step 2
Based on your
selection in Step 1, select the peripheral or agent, or enter an expression, as
necessary.
Step 3
Optionally,
check or uncheck
Fail node if
agent is unavailable:
When
checked, the success branch of the Agent to Agent node is executed and the
router sends the call if the router finds a valid label for the agent, the
agent is available, and the agent state is Ready.
The failure
branch of the Agent to Agent node is executed if the router does not find a
valid label for the agent, or the agent is not available or the agent is in
TempUnavailable mode (the router has just send a call to the agent).
When not
checked, the success branch of the Agent to Agent node is executed and the
router sends the call if the router finds a valid label for the agent. The
failure branch of the Agent to Agent node is executed if the Router does not
find a valid label for the agent.
Step 4
Optionally, add
comments and connection labels.
Send Contact to a Different Unified ICM System
A script may determine that the contact should be routed by a different Unified ICM system.
You send a contact to a different system by using the ICM Gateway node in the Routing tab of the Palette.
Figure 31. ICM Gateway Icon
The ICM Gateway node passes a routing request to the selected Unified ICM system.
Define the ICM Gateway node properties as follows:
Procedure
Step 1
In the Send tab:
Select the gateway to Unified ICM system (and hence the
specific Unified ICM instance) from the ICM Gateways list to
which you want to send the request.
Check Validate returned labels to have
Unified ICM validate the returned labels.
Specify whether Calling Line ID masking instructions
should be applied before the request is passed to the other
Unified ICM system. The Calling Line ID masking refers to
when the caller's phone number is modified so that Unified
ICM application does not display all of the digits; this is
used in a NAM environment, where NAM sends the call to a
customer Unified ICM. Choose one of the following:
1)Do not apply masking rule - If selected, masking instructions are ignored.
2) Apply masking rule if call is presentation restricted - If selected, applies masking instructions if the call variable CLIDRestricted is set to 1.
3) Always apply masking rule - If selected, masking instructions are always applied.
Note
The Calling line ID masking rule is set through the
Unified ICM Configuration
Manager's System Information dialog box.
Step 2
In the Default Label tab:
Figure 32. ICM Gateway Properties
In the Available Labels list, select one default label for
each routing client to be used by the targeted Unified ICM
system.
Click Add to move the selected label to
the Selected labels list.
Step 3
Optionally, add comments and connection labels.
Nodes Used to Stop Script Processing
You can use the following nodes to stop script
processing:
End Node
Termination Node
Release Call Node
End Node
You can terminate the script by using the End node in the General tab
of the Palette.
Figure 33. End Icon
If the script reaches the End node, it has failed to find a target for the contact. Unified ICM
then uses the default route for the Dialed Number.
Several End nodes can appear in the same script. The End node is never
required; a script can terminate with any node.
You do not define any properties for the End node. You can optionally
add comments.
Termination Node
You can terminate the script and specify how to handle the contact by
using the Termination node in the Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 34. Termination Icon
The Termination node includes the following options to
invoke a default contact processing action or route for the Dialed
Number:
Default Label - Unified ICM uses the default label configured
for the Dialed Number.
Network Default - The routing client uses its own default
processing.
Ring - Makes the Termination node equivalent to a Ring node.
Busy - Makes the Termination node equivalent to a Busy node.
Following is the Properties dialog box for the Termination node:
Figure 35. Termination Properties
Release Call
Node
You can terminate
the script and disconnect the caller by using the Release Call node in the
Targets tab of the Palette.
Figure 36. Release Call
Icon
You can use a Release Call node in situations where the caller needs no further service after executing several VRU scripts.
You do not define
any properties for the Release Call node. You can optionally add comments.
Service Requested
ServiceRequested is a call variable available in Script Editor. It provides more details regarding the routing request. The
field is currently only set for multichannel routing (Task Routing), voice callback (Agent Request) and Pick/ Pull routing, otherwise it is set to 0. Based on the value of this field, the
script can take different actions.
ServiceRequested Variable
Service Requested Variable
Description
0 = ROUTE_SERVICE_REQUEST_NONE
No service requested.
1 = ROUTE_SERVICE_REQUEST_VOICE_CALLBACK
Caller is requesting a voice callback.
2 = ROUTE_SERVICE_REQUEST_TRANSFER
Transfer a task that is already assigned to an agent back to a queue.
3 = ROUTE_SERVICE_REQUEST_RONA
A task is being rerouted on no answer (RONA).
Target Requery
Target Requery is a script node feature that you can use to handle routing failures, for example
due to No Answer or Busy responses, or for unreachable targets caused by transient failures in the network (such as network
congestion). If
the determined destination for a contact is available but not reachable,
Target Requery attempts to find a different valid destination.
You need Target Requery to address the following failures:
Failure to deliver a call to an ACD agent.
Failure to deliver a call to an individual Enterprise Agent (EA).
Failure of the outbound leg of a blind-mode Network Transfer.
Target Requery works on a per call basis; that is, the routing
information for one call does not affect the state for other calls.
If the first target selected for the contact was not reachable, the
target is not eliminated from the potential routing destinations for
other contacts.
Note
You can enable the Target Requery feature for CVP, ICM to ICM gateway, and a subset of the supported carrier NICs. You cannot
use the requery feature with any of the multimedia requests because the MR PG does not support requery mechanism.
Target Requery Functionality
In the system, when queried, the CallRouter returns a label to
the routing client. The routing client then routes the call to the
destination specified by the label. If the destination is not reachable
(for example, because of a busy signal or no answer), the call is routed
to the default destination.
With Target Requery in a Label, Route Select, or Select node, if the router fails to route to a target node,
a second attempt is made. If the failure occurs a second time, then the
router continues from the failure path in the node.
Note
In a Queue node, just one target is used. If the router fails to route to the target node, the failure path of the
node is taken immediately. To implement requery in a Queue node, you can create a script that increases the
priority and requeries the call from the failure path to the same
queue.
In the event of a failure, you can handle requerying in the scripting
environment, as you deem appropriate.
Target Requery:
Is compatible with translation routes.
Does not require different definitions for different failure cases. However, you can choose to handle different failures differently.
Assigns the SERVICE_DIVERT_ON_BUSY service type for calls that use target requery. The Event Select in the connect message
includes a REROUTE_REQUESTED_MASK. When a destination cannot be reached, the NIC queries the CallRouter for an alternative
destination label.
Test of the RequeryStatus Variable
You can test the error path of these script nodes using Target Requery
to determine the specific network cause of failure and conditionally
retry the attempt as necessary. You can accomplish this using an If node to check
the value of the call variable RequeryStatus. The decision path for the
script is then determined by the value of the RequeryStatus variable.
The following are possible values for the RequeryStatus variable:
Table 2. RequeryStatus Variables
Requery Status Variable
Description
REQUERY_ANSWER (0)
Script ends. The call
was successfully sent to the chosen target.
Note
This variable is used internally by the CallRouter. You cannot test for this variable in an IF node.
REQUERY_ROUTE_SELECT_FAILURE (1)
Routing client generated an error code from
ReRouteReq msg indicating a Route Select failure.
REQUERY_CALLED_PARTY_BUSY (2)
Routing client generated error code from
ReRouteReq msg indicating the called party is busy.
REQUERY_NO_ANSWER (3)
Routing client generated an error code from
ReRouteReq msg indicating no answer.
REQUERY_ERROR (4)
CallRouter generated an error code. The attempt to
send the call to target failed because the target
was not reachable (i.e., busy, ring no answer).
REQUERY_ABORTED (5)
The attempt to send the call to a target failed because the caller abandoned before the call could be delivered to its destination.
In the case of ABANDON and DISCONNECT, the CallRouter assumes the call has ended and ends the script. The RequeryStatus value
is set to 5, indicating REQUERY_ABORTED.
Note
This variable is used internally by the CallRouter. You cannot test this variable in an IF node.
REQUERY_TIMED_OUT (6)
The call attempt failed because the routing client did not respond to the router within the DivertOnBusyCallTimeout period
(180 seconds by default). If the target node has Router Requery enabled, when DivertOnBusyCallTimeout period expires, the
Router closes the Router Requery with REQUERY_TIMED_OUT .
Note
This variable is used internally by the CallRouter. You cannot test this variable in an IF node.
Nodes That Support Target Requery
The following nodes support Target Requery:
Label
Queue
Queue to Agent
Precision Queue
Route Select
Select
Note
Scheduled Targets do not support Target Requery.
Target Requery with Unified CCE and Unified IP IVR
Target Requery is not supported when Unified IP IVR is used as the queue
point in a Unified CCE system because Unified IP IVR cannot requeue the call. The call is requeued from
Cisco Communications Manager instead. Setting the Target Requery option
on the script node has no effect on the requeuing of the call, and may
lead to timeouts and other script errors for that particular call.
Do not enable Target Requery in script nodes when you use Unified IP
IVR.
Use Target Requery
You define nodes to enable Target Requery. For the Queue, Queue to Agent, and Route Select nodes:
Procedure
Step 1
Open the node properties.
Step 2
Click Change. A dialog box opens.
Step 3
Check Enable target requery.
Step 4
Click OK to close the dialog box.
Step 5
Click OK to close the properties dialog box.
Step 6
For the Label, Select and Precision Queue nodes:
For the Label and Select nodes:
Open the node properties.
Check Enable Target Requery.
Click OK to close the properties dialog box.
Target checking
About Call Tracer
You can use the Call Tracer utility from within Script Editor to test
and debug a routing script and to confirm that the Unified ICM is selecting
targets as you expect. Call Tracer simulates a contact to the CallRouter
and generates a text-based description of how the contact was handled.
The test contact is processed by the active CallRouter, using all the
real-time data of Unified ICM as it exists at that moment, but
interactions with any peripheral is simulated.
Check Targets
To check targets for a voice calls:
Before you begin
Start the Call Tracer by double-clicking the Call Tracer icon in the Administration & Data Server group. The Script Editor
and Call Tracer open. To open Call Tracer if the Script Editor is already open, double-click the Call Tracer icon in either
the Administration & Data Server group or within the Script Editor toolbar.
Figure 37. Call Tracer Icon
Procedure
Step 1
In the Call Tracer window, choose a Media Domain as voice, a Routing Client, and a Dialed Number.
Step 2
Optionally, enter an ANI (callers telephone number).
Step 3
If you want to test a response from a VRU routing script,
enter values in Caller-Entered-Digits (CED) and VRU Responses
for External Script.
Step 4
To use Network Transfer Call, a feature that
integrates Unified ICM Post-Routing function with a carrier
network's call control ability so that a call can be
transferred anywhere in the network without the use of
transfer/connect services or inter-site tie lines:
Select Use Network Transfer.
Select a routing client and a Dialed Number value.
Step 5
Click Send Call to submit the request. The
results appear in the Call Trace Results field.
Step 6
To send additional calls, optionally change any of the call
parameters and then click Send Call again. The
Call Trace Results field is updated.
Step 7
Unified ICM executes only installed scripts in response to
requests from the Call Tracer. Any uninstalled changes in
scripts are not reflected in the Call Tracer results.
Example Results
In the following example results from Call Tracer, Unified ICM invokes
a script called sales. It begins with the Start node and then executes a
Percent Allocation node that has three branches allocated for 42%, 16%,
and 42%, respectively. The asterisk indicates that for this call,
Unified ICM chooses the first branch. This branch leads to a target that
maps to the service Scranton.Sales. Had this been an actual call, the
call would be delivered to that service.
As you continue to send calls to the Unified ICM, the numbers for each
node change to indicate how calls have been distributed. Each time a
call arrives at a Percent Allocation node, the Unified ICM calculates the
percentage of calls previously sent to each branch:
> DialedNumber (8005551212) using CallType
(General_Sales - 6)
In the next example, for each branch the new call is counted in the denominator. Therefore, the numbers add up to less than
1.0 and gradually, as you send more calls, the total increases up to 1.0. Unified ICM picks the branch that is below its allocation
value. For the example allocation, Unified ICM picked the third branch as 0.375 is below the allocation of 42% or 0.42 and
sent the call to the Gary.Sales service.
Traces are linked to live scripts. For example, clicking on the trace
details of a Percent Allocation node immediately, if it is not already
open, opens the script and locates that node in the Script Editor
window. Previously, you needed to manually decode script, script version
and node ID information, and then visually scan the script for the
desired node. Node titles in the trace window support localization.
The Call Tracer results refer to script nodes by their internal
integer identifiers. To find which node maps to each identifier, open
the script and choose Display Node IDs from the Script menu:
> DialedNumber (8005551212) using CallType
(General_Sales - 6)
Call Tracer allows you to simulate responses from VRU
routing scripts. For each Script node Unified ICM encounters, you
can specify one of the following responses:
Fail. Unified ICM treats the External Script nodes as though
it had failed.
No Response. Unified ICM assumes it received no response from
the Run External Script node.
Response. You can specify a CED value and values for Variable1
through Variable10. Unified ICM assumes these values were
returned by the External Script node.
Procedure
Step 1
In the Call Tracer dialog box, click Add. The
VRU Response dialog box opens.
Step 2
Select the type of response (Fail, No Response, Response) the
Call Tracer is to simulate.
Step 3
If you chose Response in Step 2, optionally specify values to
be returned for CED and Variable1 through Variable10.
Step 4
Click OK to apply changes and close the
dialog box.
What to do next
Note
You can also set the initial condition of the 10 call variables for
the first run of the External Script.
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