Outbound with Asterisk 1.6

[viniciusfontes]

Hello. I'm confused about the right way of setting up outbound queues on Asterisk 1.6. As explained on this topic (http://forum.queuemetrics.com/index.php?topic=728.0), we should not use agents.conf at all, relying only on AddQueueMember and so on. But on the topic about setting up outbound queues (http://forum.queuemetrics.com/index.php?topic=261.0), this context depends on the agents functionality:

[queuedial]
; this piece of dialplan is just a calling hook into the [qm-queuedial] context that actually does the
; outbound dialing - replace as needed - just fill in the same variables.
exten => _XXX.,1,Set(QDIALER_QUEUE=q-${EXTEN:0:3})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_NUMBER=${EXTEN:3})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_AGENT=Agent/${CALLERID(num)})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_CHANNEL=SIP/${QDIALER_NUMBER})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QueueName=${QDIALER_QUEUE})
exten => _XXX.,n,MixMonitor(Q-${QDIALER_QUEUE}-${UNIQUEID}.WAV|b|)
exten => _XXX.,n,Goto(qm-queuedial,s,1)

Is there a way to use outbound queues on Asterisk 1.6 and at the same time use callback agents?

[QueueMetrics]

Don't worry - that is just the way this is logged... so it does not actually use a chan agent in Asterisk.

[viniciusfontes]

So far so good. But how could I ensure that only logged on "agents" can dial out?

[QueueMetrics]

You should check that in the dialplan - IIRC there is a function to tell wjhether an agent is logged on or not.

[viniciusfontes]

Yes there is, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't support the xagents way defined for Asterisk 1.6:

[queuedial-loggedon]
; This piece of dialplan will let only logged on agents dial out
exten => _XXX.,1,Set(QDIALER_QUEUE=q-${EXTEN:0:3})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_NUMBER=${EXTEN:3})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_AGENT=Agent/${AGENTBYCALLERID_${CALLERID(num)}})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QDIALER_CHANNEL=SIP/${QDIALER_NUMBER})
exten => _XXX.,n,Set(QueueName=${QDIALER_QUEUE})
exten => _XXX.,n,MixMonitor(Q-${QDIALER_QUEUE}-${UNIQUEID}.WAV,b,)
exten => _XXX.,n,GotoIf($[${LEN(${QDIALER_AGENT})} > 6]?qm-queuedial,s,1)
exten => _XXX.,n,NoOp,Extension ${CALLERID(num)} is not logged on as agent.
exten => _XXX.,n,Playback(agent-loggedoff)
exten => _XXX.,n,Congestion

[QueueMetrics]

If you need to support xagents, that piece of dialplan stores everything in a ready-to-read format in AstDB so it should be trivial to detect.

[viniciusfontes]

Tried that, but then the agents doesn't show up logged on on the wallboard. I would like to have something consistent, and I really don't have much time to develop and test complex dialplans and workarounds for those issues.

I'm considering downgrading to Asterisk 1.4, but I have a few doubts. If I use Asterisk 1.4, can I get a consistent behaviour between QM and Asterisk? For example: when an agent logs on via Asterisk, will he show up on logged agents on QM, even in the case of being an outbound queue?

[barryf]

Hi,

I use outbound queues fine with Asterisk 1.6. If add something like the following to the part of your dial plan where agents actually log in, it should work:

exten => s,n(loggedin),Set(GLOBAL(AGENTBYCALLERID_${CALLERID(num)})=${AGENTID})
exten => s,n,QueueLog(NONE,NONE,Agent/${AGENTID},AGENTCALLBACKLOGIN,${CALLERID(num)}@from-internal)

..in the above, I set the global variable AGENTBYCALLERID_${CALLERID(num)} so that it is then available for the queuedial-loggedon context to check if the agent is logged on.

The Queuelog line will write out to the queue_log that the agent has logged on, which should sort out your agents being displayed on the wallboard.

Hope this helps.

-Barry

[viniciusfontes]

Thanks for the help. How are you registering the agent's logoff?

[barryf]

Thanks for the help. How are you registering the agent's logoff?

In my dialplan which handles this, I include the following:

exten => s,n,Set(GLOBAL(AGENTBYCALLERID_${CALLERID(num)})="")
exten => s,n,QueueLog(NONE,NONE,Agent/${AGENTID},AGENTCALLBACKLOGOFF,${CALLERID(num)}@from-internal,,CommandLogoff)

This basically does the reverse - clears the AGENTBYCALLERID_${CALLERID(num)} variable and writes a suitable queue_log entry.

[viniciusfontes]

Turns out the dialplan provided by Loway actually has two entries much similar to those you kindly posted. The problem was on queue_log that wasn't being generated due to a permissions problem.

Unfortunely there's still one thing bugging me: when an agent logs in, he doesn't show up on the wallboard until he makes his first call. That's not much of an issue (altought I would like to have that working if possible), but the real problem is that when the agent logs off, he still is listed as logged in on the wallboard. Here's a few entries on my queue_log:

1267634130|1267634122.11|NONE|Local/101@xagents|AGENTCALLBACKLOGIN|201
1267634130|1267634122.11|q-001|Local/101@xagents|ADDMEMBER|
1267634228|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|ENTERQUEUE|-|21047051|
1267634234|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|CONNECT|6||
1267634247|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|COMPLETECALLER|6|13|
1267634266|1267634260.16|q-001|Local/101@xagents|REMOVEMEMBER|
1267634266|1267634260.16|NONE|Local/101@xagents|AGENTCALLBACKLOGOFF|

Even after that, the agent is still listed as logged in. Any ideas on solving this?

[barryf]

the real problem is that when the agent logs off, he still is listed as logged in on the wallboard. Here's a few entries on my queue_log:

1267634130|1267634122.11|NONE|Local/101@xagents|AGENTCALLBACKLOGIN|201
1267634130|1267634122.11|q-001|Local/101@xagents|ADDMEMBER|
1267634228|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|ENTERQUEUE|-|21047051|
1267634234|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|CONNECT|6||
1267634247|1267634228.12|q-001|Agent/101|COMPLETECALLER|6|13|
1267634266|1267634260.16|q-001|Local/101@xagents|REMOVEMEMBER|
1267634266|1267634260.16|NONE|Local/101@xagents|AGENTCALLBACKLOGOFF|

Even after that, the agent is still listed as logged in. Any ideas on solving this?

Hi,

The problem is that you are alternating between referring to your aghents as Agent/101 and as Local/101
Queuemetrics by default expects to see Agent/ - that's why it is seeing the agent once they are on a call, but not the login/logoff part.

If you edit configuration.properties and change:
# Rewrites Local/XXX@ext channels in the format Agent/XXX
default.rewriteLocalChannels=false

to
# Rewrites Local/XXX@ext channels in the format Agent/XXX
default.rewriteLocalChannels=true

...you should be good.

Hope this helps.

-Barry

[QueueMetrics]

 

[barryf]

Yeah, but I'm still listed as a newbie 

[QueueMetrics]

Do we have to list you as "Non-continnetal support team"?