QoS in ALU switches and ALU Softphones

[joao.carlos]

Hi,

I have a project with kind of 3000 ports, still hybrid (Cisco and ALU switches).
We have a voice recorder (OmniPCX Record) and the quality of the records are poor.

So we changed the CallCenter switches for Cisco to ALU, and all the way to the Core Switch (were the recorder is plugged) to be of ALU switches.

The way is:

Desktop -> ALU 6450 ----- Fiber Optic ----- ALU 6450 ----- Fiber Optic ----- ALU 6900 <- OmniRecord

So, i'm trying to create an QoS configuration in these ALU switches to guarantee a good quality voice recording.

Can anyone help with these?

I searched forum, but there are many tips of putting QoS on ALU phones by mac, but in my case it's all Softphones, and each company sector is in it's own VLAN. GDs, INTIPs, Appliance Servers and Application Servers (OmniRecord for instance) are all on the same VLAN (VOICE_VLAN) but i can't change all desktops of Callcenter to these VLAN because of other applications and security policies.

Thanks

[frank]

A solution would be to create a new virtual LAN interface on each PC, and make sure that the softphone use it.
Put them in a different IP network, and put this network in a different VLAN.

I mean you have to be real. If you can't do by mac address or IP address, that's the only thing left.
Unless if you can add a diffserv on the application level.

[joao.carlos]

Hi,

I thought it would be possible to QoS the packets by "kind of". Something like UDP port XX-YY. Isn't it possible?

And, if i can do it by ip address, i just need to set DSCP to 46 ?

Thanks.

[frank]

It might be possible, i need to go back into the documentation.
I suggest you do the same.

DSCP 46 should do it.

[silvio]

Hi,
like frank has written best way is always to use an extra vlan for this traffic. So you have an own BC domain and its very simple to make qos depending from the source vlan.

qos no phones
policy condition ALU source vlan xxx
policy action DSCP-VOIP priority 5 dscp 46
policy rule ALU condition ALU action DSCP-VOIP
qos apply


But your are also right: it's possible to use qos depending from the udp port (default at oxe uses 32512 to 32767 - but you should check it at your installation).

qos no phones
policy service voice-d destination udp port 32512-32767
policy service voice-s source udp port 32512-32767
policy service group voice-d voice-d
policy service group voice-s voice-s
policy condition voice-d service group voice-d source ip any
policy condition voice-s service group voice-s source ip any
policy action voice priority 5 dscp 46
policy rule voice-d condition voice-d action voice
policy rule voice-s condition voice-s action voice
qos apply


As source you can also use ip etc. ...

regards
Silvio

[joao.carlos]

Hi, Thanks for all answers.

I've applied QoS based on source vlan. I created one vlan for all call centers machines, but i still have problems with the voice recorder.

It records the agent's voice perfectly, but the client's voice is very robotized. Too much that we can't understand what's being talked.

I've applied this QoS (DSCP 46) for the desktop's (soft phones) and for all the other voice equipment's (crystal hardware, in tip, appliance server, etc).

I did not use the priority 5, i'll try it.

Thanks.

[silvio]

DSCP is enough. Check with mirror-port and wireshark if the dscp is set at all the way.

Did you know if the poor quality is all the time - also if there is no other big traffic in the network?

Are all ports at the way (Desktop -> ALU 6450 ----- Fiber Optic ----- ALU 6450 ----- Fiber Optic ----- ALU 6900 <- OmniRecord) with same speed?
And it's possible to connect one DESKTOP direct at the 6900 (or direct to Record)? And is this quality for this client also poor?

regards
Silvio

[joao.carlos]

Hi silvio,

All the ports are in the same speed.
Unfortunately, the fiber links (between switches) are still 1000 and not 10000.
What is more weird is that when we try to make calls between sets, the call is being recorded very fine. When it's an external call, all the time we have this problem. Eventually we get a good one, but it's only eventually. Internal calls are always good.

Well, we tried to put the desktop directly into the 6900, nothing changed. Now i think this way is good. Now i think the problem is in the other side (ISDN trunk)


Desktop --> ALU 6450 ----- Fiber Optic ---- ALU 6450 ---- Fiber Optic ----- ALU 6900 ----- Fiber Optic ----- Cisco 2960S <--- Crystal MG with the ISDN trunks

The appliance server is connected to 6900 (With his 1000 port)
The OmniRecord is on VMware connected to 6900 throughout a linkagg of 4x1000 ports.

Unfortunately, we can't at this moment change the Cisco switch.

I know it's not the right forum, but do you know if OmniRecord gets the packets to record from desktop, from MG (trunk) or directly from Appliance?

[jpalbinet]

Hi Joao,
OmniPCX-RECORD is retrieving the streaming from the IP phones unless you have a Packetizer BOX and an OXE configured with no direct RTP.
The streaming is duplicated at the softphone level and pushed back to the RECORDER.
Have you tried to record a 4038 or 4068?
If yes Do you have the same behavior?
Can you describe the connection you have with the PSTN?
Are you using G.711?
JP

[joao.carlos]

Hi!

We are using G729:

Global compression type ......... G729
Voip Framing G729 ................ 20 ms
RTP Direct............................ yes
RTP Direct for H323 terminals..... no

There is no packetized in the system. Every set is a soft phone.

I've not tried to record a hard phone. There is no agent with it. I'll try to change someone's set if the supervisor permits, and monitor it.

But, since the streaming is duplicated at soft phone level, and the agent hears the client's voice normally, without problem, any thoughts about what can be causing the bad quality of only one side when recording?

Our connection with the PSTN is a ISDN trunk (NPRAE-2 board). Actually, 3 ISDN links, all in the same ACT.

Thanks for the answer.