OmniPCX OMC - Questions on checking license utilisation and provisioning new IP phones

[mulgar]

Hi Alcatel Unleashed,

I guess like many posts here I've started a job which is using Alcatel PBX but this is new to me and apart from access no documentation is available. I have a background in Cisco telephony but this PBX is new to me. I'm also not opposed to getting trained engineers to do things properly, but I'd keen to get a basic understanding to do some basic things (moves/adds/changes) myself.

The hardware is OmniPCX Office and I'm using OMC to connect to view the configuration. If there are any other relevant hardware or version details which need to be provided for context I'm happy to share. I've also tried to find the answers myself, and discovered in the online help from within OMC itself which is somewhat helpful but still not helping me with what I need to know.

For now I'm keen to be able to understand license utilisation, allocation, new device provisioning and minor edits. I have questions later but for now I have the following specific questions to try to scope the responses a bit:

1. How do I check our current license utilisation, specifically for just IP phone devices (it's a fairly straight-forward environment with about 50 phones, and some special routing for reception and personal assistants but apart from that very standard). I found Hardware and Limits -> Sotware Key Features, which shows me that I have 40 "IP users" authorised and activated. However when I count the number of subscribers in use the count is higher than 40 (close to 50). So this has me doubting if this is accurate.
2. How does license activation work? I imagine we'll be licensed for almost exactly for what we need so I'll need to purchase some extra licenses to provision some new phones. In Modification Typical -> Software Key I see the key, I'm assuming we need to go through an Alcatel partner to get a replacement license file and we just import it. Does it need to include all our original licenses or you can import an 'add-on' style license.
3. Provision a new phone: Modification Typical -> Subscribers. On connecting a new (technically refurbished but reset) phone to our network, it will automatically be allocated a somewhat random internal number (eg: B123) and show up in this subscriber list. Then I could update to an available internal number and external number on the entry and set a few other things like barring and trunk. This worked for one phone, I could make internal calls both ways, external calls out, unfortunately I couldn't make external in calls (but I think this is a separate issue getting picked up in some out of hours call handling). But the main issue I had is the config wouldn't "stick". Upon resetting the phone, it would be assigned a new random number, the physical address would be different and the previous entry I configured would be there but not registered. FYI I'm adding 4018 and 4028 devices. Is there something simple I'm missing to get the device configuration to stick? It seems like I'm so close as all the calls were working but resetting the device brought it undone.
4. Incoming call routing. Can someone help me with the main configuration items to check which could 'catch' an incoming call and prevent it from being directly rung through to an internal extension. I assigned a new device to the trunk on subscriber settings. When I call in from external it goes to an after hours message. This doesn't happen on all our extensions, and I was trying to compare between a number where it happens (reception) and where it doesn't (IT) but I couldn't find the differences. Any pointers on areas to check would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the long winded questions and being a beginner, am just trying to supply enough information in case the context is helpful. If anyone can provide any general guidance to point me in the right direction that would be greatly appreciated.

[KoenC]

Hi Mulgar,

1. You can register more IP phones than licensed. However, you can only physically activate the number of IP Phones which is licensed.
2. The licensing in OXO works FIFO. For example: if you have 50 licenses you can really activate 50 phones, the 51st wil not connect untill you deactivate or plug out a phone.
3. After configuration of your phones, try to save your configuration by writing it to the PBX: OMC > Connect > Write to PCX.
This also could be an issue in the configuration of your phones. Check the IP confuration during step 2 out of 5 of the booting process (tap i #).
PS. If you have a phone with the correct settings (barrings, services, features, etc.), you can simply copy those settings to another phone in the Subscribers/Basestations List. Maybe you should troubleshoot this some more in order to create some clearance in the issue you are facing.
4. Check in the OMC > numbering > Numbering Plans for the call routing. The help function in OMC could lead you a long way in the configuration of the numbering plans.

Good Luck

[mulgar]

Hi KoenC,

This reply is well overdue (sorry). I just wanted to thank you for your reply as this information was very helpful in sorting out some of the earlier issues I was having. Better late than never, thanks!