Need a puzzle solved with a 2-way PLAR Hotline

[Brian Betourney]

Folks:

Set-up:   Running CUCM 8.6.  A remote facility has a  Cisco 3945 for several analog phones, and also has a number of CP-7962G phones. The  FXS Endpoints are controlled with SCCP, couldnt use MGCP as oen of the phones uses dial-pulse (known Cisco bug MGCP will not work with dial pulse)

Problem:  One of the analog phones is a gate phone that needs to call directly to a security desk with a 7962G phone.   I set-up  a dedicated partition/CSS for the gate phone, and created a Transformation pattern that translates a blank pattern to a pattern of 5555 (A dummy # for one of the security desk lines).      I set up extension 5555 on a unused line/button on the Security desk VoIP phone.    Everything works great, once off-hook the gate phone automatically grabs the blank transformation pattern and rings the 555 line at the security desk.

Now the customer wants the #5555 extension to be able to call back to the gate phone in a similar PLAR.  I have tried various configurations, some which either break the initial hotline, or creates weird conditions were the 5555 acts as a hotline to itself.   I created another PART/CSS/TRANSFORMATION set just for the VoIP-Gate connection, but it still makes the VOIP phone a hotline to itself.   Apparently the  first blank transformation pattern (gate-to-5555) is matched and it never goes to the second pattern.   So apparenlty there is no way to have to two blank transfromation patterns, even if they are connected to different Partitions and CSS.

Anybody had a similar situation where a hotline is needed to work in both directions??

Thanks in advance for any help

[Jaime Valencia]

Well, does the security phone has access to both the partitions of the blank patterns on its CSS???

[Brian Betourney]

Yes, but tried different combinations.  Tried putting both phones in the same partition, but they both grab the same CSS (and both dial the security desk phone).  Tried Separate partitions, but that breaks both hotlines.  Placed both partitions in the same CSS, again both dial the same number. 

Part of the problem is that the analog phone is configured differently from the voip phone, with the analog phone I can assign the CSS directly to the phone itself, not the line.  The Security desk phone is not dedicated as a hotline phone, it also has an administrative line,  so I have to assign the hotline CSS and Partition to an additional line.

[Jaime Valencia]

Then there's your issue, the blank TP for the FXS that dials to security should only be accessible by that phone, that means a special CSS. And the exact same theory for the opposite direction. If two equally good matches are in your CSS, then the order of them in the CSS will determine which one has precedence.

however, there's no way from the security desk it will be a real plar if any other partition beside the one for the gate is in there, it will only dial automatically after it waits for the time for the first digit expires... You might as well simply configure a speed dial for that purpose.

[Brian Betourney]

Jaime, the problem with the speed dial is that it will tie up the admin line, and the customer wants that line free even if the gate phone is in use.

Can the dummy DN be used as an access line for the speed dial without actually assigning the dummy DN to another line button?

Sorry this is such a pain, but the customer is pretty anal about this security desk as they abuse the phones.     They only want two lines/buttons programmed on this phone, a direct line/button to the gate, and the admin line (which only has local access, 911, etc).

I did create a seperate CSS, seperate Part, and seperate TP's at one point, and neither phone would work.    Perhaps I  made a dialing logic programming mistake, I will try it again.

Again, I think the problem is how the CSS is assigned, the gate phone will ONLY work as a PLAR when the CSS is assigned to the PHONE, and the PART is assigned to the line. On the VoIP phone the CSS and PART have to be assigned to the line as the phone is not dedicated to the hotline, and this difference seems to be part of the problem.

I may try what RM760 suggested, configuring the PLAR for the gate phone directly on the gateway, and configuring the VoIP phone as a CUCM PLAR.  That would allow only one TP that points to the gatephone. The gatephone would use its own standalone PLAR dialing logic to make its connection.  Sounds solid in theory, but the CUCM programming doesnt always follow theory!

Thanks for the help...I will try both suggestions today.

[rm760]

Why not try configuring SCCP PLAR directly at the gateway hosting the FXS port. 

voice-port 2/22
 disconnect-ack
 timeouts ringing infinity
 description Gate Call box

sccp plar
  voiceport 2/22 dial 1234567890

As soon as the port goes off hook it dials. 

[Brian Betourney]

rm:

Are you saying to create the Gate-to-Security Desk Phone PLAR directly on the gateway, and then use the CUCM transformation pattern on the CUCM for the Security Desk-to-Gatephone return path?  That may be the fix!!  Will try it and let you know, thanks.