Telemanagement Solutions

Asentria TeleBoss products are designed to provide three basic functions for telecom devices such as PBX’s, voicemail systems, ACD’s and other similar devices. The first is call detail record collection (CDR) from a PBX. CDR records are collected by the TeleBoss, and then forwarded to a call accounting software for analysis. The second primary purpose is as an alarm device. The TeleBoss can collect alarms from a PBX or other related piece of telecom equipment, and then deliver notification of the alarms in many different formats, the most common being via an SNMP message. Additionally, the TeleBoss may monitor many different environmental issues that might affect a PBX. Items commonly monitored are environmental issues such as water, temperature, and humidity, power issues related to either AC or DC power at the telecom site, or security issues related to physical access to the telecom location. The third primary purpose of the TeleBoss is to provide remote access to a PBX. This can be as simple as basic terminal server function, accessing the TeleBoss via an ethernet connection, and then passing on to a PBX or other piece of telecom equipment via a serial port. It is also possible to handle many other special requirements related to remote access, regarding more stringent security requirements or unusual means of connecting to a PBX such as via a wireless modem.

EQUIPMENT CABINET
The TeleBoss is most often deployed directly into a PBX switch room to provide CDR collection from PBX’s, gather alarms from various equipment including PBX’s, voicemail, or various power, security, or en­vironmental monitoring equipment, or to provide remote access to the PBX. Frequently a TeleBoss unit is deployed by a PBX vendor to monitor a deployed PBX as part of a service contract.

TELEBOSS TO EQUIPMENT CONNECTIVITY
The Asentria TeleBoss can be physically connected to a PBX by a wide array of connections. Ethernet and serial connections are common for CDR collection/PBX Alarming/Remote Access. Connection to telecom equipment via contact closures may be made for older equipment, or for less intelligent equipment like a contact closure on a power supply to indicate an alarm, or a contact from a sensor like a door or water alarm. Analog inputs may be used for applications such as power monitoring, or for connecting to certain sensors. Output relays can be used to switch something off remotely using the TeleBoss unit.

REMOTE ACCESS
The TeleBoss offers highly secure methods of remotely accessing your PBX equipment. The TeleBoss T850 supports RADIUS and PAP/CHAP authentication, and connections via SSH or SSL to your PBX. It is also possible to restrict access to a TeleBoss unit by only allowing certain IP addresses to access the TeleBoss unit. The TeleBoss can allow IP routing, so it is possible to connect to the TeleBoss via a PSTN modem, or cell modem, and route out across the ethernet connection on the unit. The TeleBoss is capable of performing as just a terminal server, allowing you to connect to the unit via an ethernet connection, and route out of the unit across a serial port. It is possible to create a PPP connection, so you can dial-in to the TeleBoss, and still telnet across a serial port to an attached telecom device.

CDR COLLECTION
The Asentria TeleBoss is capable of collecting call-detail records (CDR) from many different PBX switch types. They can collect via what Asentria refers to as IP Record Collection, or IPRC. This is a means of gathering data via an ethernet connection between the PBX and the TeleBoss unit. PBX’s or PBX protocols supported in this way include Avaya Reliable Session Protocol (RSP), Alcatel OmniPCX, Cisco Call Manager 4.0 to 7.0, Intecom Telari, NEC NEAX2400, Mitel 3000, Nortel BCM, and Siemen’s HiPath. More traditionally CDR is collected via a serial connection, and Asentria has extensive experience collecting CDR in that fashion as well. Asentria can also deliver the collected data in many forms, such as FTP, SFTP, Real-time TCP/IP sockets, and a variety of serial based delivery options.

PBX ALARMS
The Asentria TeleBoss can collect PBX alarms, or otherwise query PBX’s in a variety of ways to determine if they are operating correctly. The TeleBoss features an easy to use and powerful method of gathering and evaluating ASCII text. The TeleBoss is also capable of receiving SNMP traps, doing SNMP polling of a telemanagement device, or through the use of the LUA scripting language, even perform more complex alarm analysis. When any alarm state is detected, the TeleBoss has a wide range of notification methods. It is also possible for the TeleBoss unit to do a wide array of monitoring related to the power, security, and environment in the telecom closet where the PBX is located.

NOTIFICATION PROTOCOLS
The Asentria TeleBoss is extremely flexible in regards to the notification of alarm conditions. Alarm notification methods include email, page, SMS and/or email to SMS. The TeleBoss also has comprehensive SNMP support including SNMP v1, SNMP v2c and SNMP v3 sets, gets and traps.

CONNECTIONS
The TeleBoss is extremely flexible in the manner in which you can connect to them from your central site. Traditional POTS/PSTN phone connections were gradually replaced with ethernet connections for the primary method of connecting to a site. Over time the POTS/PSTN modems have become more commonly used as an out-of-band method of accessing equipment. More recently, a wireless modem (GSM/EDGE/CDMA) has become a more popular primary or backup method of connecting to a TeleBoss. In specialized circumstances, it is even possible to include an ADSL modem internally within a TeleBoss.

Asentria provides a broad range of flexible, scalable, and easy-to-use products for management of remote telecommunications sites. Common uses include:

LEGACY BUFFER REPLACEMENT
Many CDR buffering devices have been deployed over the years. TeleBoss devices are commonly deployed to replace WTI “PollCats” and Teltronics SEBs.

NEW TELEBOSS APPLICATIONS
The Asentria TeleBoss is almost always used directly with a PBX, or with equipment directly related to a PBX such as voicemail. TeleBoss products are commonly found within any enterprise that has high concentrations of PBX’s. Fortune 500 companies, universities, government entities, and military organizations are all frequent users of the TeleBoss products. The TeleBoss is often deployed by PBX vendors to be used as part of service contracts on Customer Premise Equipment (CPE).

COMMONLY USED PRODUCTS
The Asentria TeleBoss 850, 830, and 820 devices, Expansion Cards, Event Sensors, and 3rd party sensors. Frequently the TeleBoss is integrated into leading PBX Call Accounting or PBX Alarming software’s.