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User Guide
RBR2600 Recorder Release 8
Red Box Recorders Ltd
The Coach House, Tollerton Hall
Tollerton,Nottingham NG12 4GQ, UK
t: +44 (0)115 937 7100 e: support@redboxrecorders.com
www.redboxrecorders.com
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Table of Contents
COMMON PROCEDURES/CONVENTIONS ................................................. 6
Options .......................................................................................................................... 6
Option and Button/Field Names ...................................................................................... 6
Selecting Options ........................................................................................................... 6
Activate .......................................................................................................................... 7
OK, Modify and Cancel ................................................................................................... 7
Screen Examples ........................................................................................................... 7
Browser User Interface (BUI) .......................................................................................... 7
1.
GETTING STARTED WITH A RED BOX RECORDER .......................... 8
1.1.
How to Log In..................................................................................... 8
1.2.
How to Change Your Password ....................................................... 9
1.3.
Carrying out a Basic Search........................................................... 10
1.4.
Call Replay Details .......................................................................... 12
1.4.1.
Replay Control ..............................................................................................13
1.4.2.
Pitch Corrected Variable Replay ...................................................................13
1.4.3.
Call Details ...................................................................................................13
1.4.4.
Export WAV ..................................................................................................13
1.4.5.
Export via E-mail ..........................................................................................14
1.4.6.
Call Annotation .............................................................................................14
1.4.7.
Call Authentication ........................................................................................14
1.5.
View Recorder Status...................................................................... 15
1.6.
Configuring Your Own User Settings ............................................ 16
1.6.1.
Replay & Live Acquire Settings .....................................................................17
1.7.
Export Settings ................................................................................ 19
1.8.
Other Settings.................................................................................. 19
1.9.
Defining, Executing and Modifying Searches ............................... 20
1.9.1.
Defining a Search .........................................................................................20
1.9.2.
Executing a Search.......................................................................................24
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1.9.3.
1.10.
2.
Using Live Acquire ...................................................................... 28
CONFIGURATION GUIDE ................................................................... 30
2.1.
Task List ...........................................................................................................30
2.2.
Connecting to the recorder ................................................................................30
2.3.
Logging In to the recorder .................................................................................31
2.4.
Network Settings...............................................................................................33
2.5.
Licensing the recorder.......................................................................................34
2.6.
Configuring Recording ......................................................................................36
2.7.
VoIP Recording Configuration ...........................................................................36
2.7.1.
SIP Configuration .........................................................................................36
2.7.2.
Enabling recording ........................................................................................37
2.8.
Configuring Extension Labels............................................................................39
2.9.
Non VoIP Recording Configuration....................................................................40
2.10.
Configuration of Network Storage......................................................................52
2.11.
Configuring Archiving ........................................................................................56
2.11.1.
Making Archive Choices ...............................................................................56
2.11.2.
Do I need to have a removable archive? .......................................................56
2.11.3.
Why should I archive my calls? .....................................................................56
2.11.4.
I must archive my calls..................................................................................57
2.11.5.
I need to replay a lot of old calls ....................................................................58
2.11.6.
What is Autocycle mode?..............................................................................58
2.11.7.
Should I choose DVD-RAM or Tape? ............................................................58
2.11.8.
Configuration / Archiving ...............................................................................60
2.12.
3.
Modifying a Search .......................................................................................27
Annotation Configuration...................................................................................61
Administrator Guide ........................................................................... 64
3.1.
User Management ............................................................................................65
3.1.1.
Creating a new user ......................................................................................65
3.1.2.
Creating multiple new users ..........................................................................68
3.1.3.
Modifying a user ...........................................................................................68
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3.1.4.
3.2.
Control Functions............................................................................ 70
3.2.1.
3.3.
Deleting a user .............................................................................................69
Control / Archiving ........................................................................................70
View Functions ................................................................................ 73
3.3.1.
View / Channel Activity .................................................................................73
3.3.2.
View / Recorder Status .................................................................................74
3.3.3.
View / Logged in Users .................................................................................74
3.3.4.
View / Statistics ............................................................................................75
3.3.5.
View / Version Information ............................................................................75
3.3.6.
View / Database Details ................................................................................75
3.3.7.
View / Media List ..........................................................................................75
3.4.
Configuration ................................................................................... 76
3.4.1.
Configuration / Interface................................................................................76
3.4.4.
Time Synchronization ...................................................................................78
3.4.5.
Configuration / Groups ..................................................................................79
3.4.6.
Create Groups ..............................................................................................79
3.4.7.
Add Channel Names to a Group ...................................................................80
3.4.8.
Configuration / Misc Settings.........................................................................82
3.5.
Diagnostics ...................................................................................... 84
3.5.1.
Diagnostics / Prepare Diagnostic File ............................................................84
3.5.2.
Diagnostics / Prepare Configuration File .......................................................84
3.5.3.
Diagnostics / Manage Download File ............................................................85
3.5.4.
Diagnostics / Export Events ..........................................................................85
3.6.
Event Logs ....................................................................................... 85
3.6.1.
3.7.
User Settings ................................................................................... 87
3.7.1.
3.8.
Where to get help .........................................................................................86
User Settings / Export ...................................................................................87
Downloading Client Applications................................................... 88
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3.8.1.
Downloads....................................................................................................88
3.8.2.
Uninstallation procedure ...............................................................................88
3.9.
Label Printing .................................................................................. 88
3.10.
Remote Monitor............................................................................ 88
3.11.
Replay and Export Applications ................................................. 90
3.12.
Record on Demand ...................................................................... 90
3.12.1.
Configuration / Recording (Record on Demand) ............................................90
3.12.2.
How RoD Works ...........................................................................................91
3.12.3.
Licensing and RoD .......................................................................................91
3.12.4.
Configuration / Recording (to configure RoD) ................................................92
3.12.5.
Download of Record on Demand ..................................................................93
3.12.6.
Installation Options .......................................................................................94
3.12.7.
Configuration of RoD on the Desktop ............................................................96
3.13.
3.13.1.
Licensing and System Upgrades................................................ 98
Licensing ......................................................................................................98
3.14.
System Upgrades......................................................................... 99
3.15.
Configuration / Licensing............................................................ 99
3.16.
Software Upgrades ...................................................................... 99
© Red Box Recorders 2008
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INTRODUCTION
The Red Box Recorder enables users to record, monitor and replay voice calls, both VoIP
and traditional ‘wired’ telephony and radio calls.
This guide is separated into various sections, according to use of the system.
Section 1 contains the end user guide showing how to log in, log out, carry out search
functions and configure the personal user account. It is aimed at the end user of the
recorder i.e. a replay user.
Section 2 contains the Configuration Guide that must be followed by the recorder
administrator when first setting up the recorder(s)
Section 3 contains the Administrator Guide which should be used by the recorder
administrator for support on regular administration tasks and post-installation tasks.
COMMON PROCEDURES/CONVENTIONS
Here are some of the conventions used in describing most procedures. Incidentally, it is
assumed that users are familiar with the basic operating procedures for Windows™. It is
also assumed that users know how to use an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer™.
Options
The left hand side of each screen provides a menu of the options which are available to
the current user, as determined by the ‘permissions’ set up by the Red Box Recorder
system administrator(s) for each user of the Red Box Recorder system.
The Red Box Recorder application is a browser-based system comprising a series of main
menu items each with sub menu options that are accessed by clicking on the main menu
option on the left of the screen. The sub menu items will appear initially to the right of the
vertical menu bar, or can be displayed below the main menu item by clicking again on the
main menu item.
Option and Button/Field Names
The main menu item names are shown in bold for example: Configuration
Button and field names, parameter names and values, and screen names are shown as
the text with the relevant button shown i.e. OK
.
Generally, if you ‘hover’ the mouse pointer over any particular button, a ‘tool tip’ describing
the purpose of the button will be displayed briefly.
Selecting Options
Oblique strokes are shown between options and associated sub-options to indicate that
first the main option is selected (by clicking on it) at the left of the screen, and then the
required sub-option(s), down to the required level. Thus Configuration / Users means
click on Configuration and then click on Users.
Note: There is no need to click on Configuration (or other main option) first if its suboptions are already displayed.
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Activate
The words ‘activate’, ‘click on’, ‘select’, and ‘choose’ are equivalent within the context of
this document and are used interchangeably in the procedures - meaning click on the
button using the left hand button of the mouse (or the equivalent ‘tab’ and ‘enter’ keyboard
sequence if the mouse is not being used).
OK, Modify and Cancel
OK is used in the procedures as meaning click on/choose/select the Update Details button
for example. Likewise, Modify means click on the Modify button.
. ‘Cancel’
means click on the cancel button.
This action cancels the current procedure,
negating any action/data entered so far within that particular procedure. Cancellation, if
that is what you wish, should be taken as read in all procedures. Click ‘Back’ using the
browsers ‘back’ button should be avoided as should navigating away from a page – no
data will be saved if this is done.
Screen Examples
The various screens shown in this Getting Started Guide are typical but not necessarily
accurate in every detail. Red Box Recorders Limited reserves the right to add, delete or
change screens to suit the current state of product development.
Browser User Interface (BUI)
Every User Interface Computer (UIC) employed for accessing Red Box Recorder functions
must have Internet browser software, such as Internet Explorer™, installed. (Note: This
software is not supplied with the Recorder’s software) In the following procedures the
instruction “Use the BUI to access the Red Box Recorder” means do the following.
1. Double-click on the Internet Browser’s icon on the UIC’s desktop if the browser
application has not already been opened.
2. Type the Red Box Recorder’s IP address into the browser’s address box and press Enter.
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1. GETTING STARTED WITH A RED BOX RECORDER
This section will show you how to log in, change your password and carry out a basic
search for calls to replay. It also explains what the Recorder Status screen tells you.
1.1. How to Log In
To be a Red Box Recorder system user you must first have been assigned a user
name and password by an existing user with the relevant user management
permissions.
Figure 1 - Red Box Recorder Login Screen
1. Enter your Red Box Recorder user name and password (remember passwords are
case sensitive).
2. Click on the screen’s login button to log on to the Red Box Recorder system.
Note
The login screen is re-displayed if your Login fails. Contact your system
administrator if you are unable to log in successfully.
© Red Box Recorders 2008
1.2. How to Change Your Password
If this is the first time you have logged in as a new user, it is recommended that you
change your password. Similarly, if you think that someone knows your password,
you should change it immediately.
Click on User Settings / Change Password - the Change Password screen appears
Figure 2 Change Password Screen
1. Enter your current password (remember it is a case sensitive field)
2. Enter your chosen new password (up to 10 alphanumeric characters, no spaces).
3. Enter your new password again in the Confirm Password field.
4. Click OK
The screen reverts to the Change Password screen and ‘user password has been
updated’ confirms the password change.
Note:
If you do not enter your existing password correctly, or you do not duplicate
the new password correctly, you will get an error message explaining the
problem. Re-enter the relevant password(s) and try again. If you are still
unsuccessful, contact your recorder administrator for assistance.
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1.3. Carrying out a Basic Search
The default call search defined on a Red Box Recorder is the Basic Search. This
search offers you the option of specifying a date and time period within which you
want to search for calls. The Basic Search can be started by selecting Search &
Replay / Search. The following screen is displayed:
Figure 3 Basic Search Screen
Using the date and time picker, specify a period of time within which you want to
search for calls. Dates are selected simply by clicking on the calendar date; time can
be specified by highlighting the existing times and over typing. Remember to use a
colon (:) as the time separator i.e. 12:05:05.
Note that the search screen tells you the earliest date and time that the recorder has
available in the callstore for searching. It is possible to select to replay calls from a
removable archive that has been loaded for replay by selecting Search & Replay /
Select Search and using the What to Search? pulldown menu.
Note:
If your user permissions limit which calls you are allowed to replay then other criteria
may appear on the Search page – you cannot change these. If you cannot find the
calls you need to then contact your Recording System Administrator who should be
able to help.
Once you have specified your date and time range, click OK
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The results of the basic search will appear on screen in a similar format to this:
Figure 4 Basic Search Results
Depending on the number of calls displayed as a result of your search, you will see up
to 100 calls that met the date and time range criteria. If the call you require is not in the
first 100 calls then you can either refine your search criteria or click on the Next
Results button.
By default the results are shown with the most recent at the top of the page – it is
possible to reverse this using the Earliest Call First setting on the User Settings /
Other page. See section 1.7.
It is now possible to replay calls directly from the search results shown simply by
clicking on the Replay Call button
of the call that you want to hear.
Note:
Calls will, by default replay to the PC of the user through headphones. It is
possible to change the replay destination to an extension phone. This is
covered in the User Configuration section on page 17
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1.4. Call Replay Details
Figure 5 Call Replay Window
The call that you have chosen to replay appears on screen at the same time as the
audio is delivered to your headset or loudspeakers. If this screen does not appear then
you may need to download and / or install the Replay Application – see section 1.7.
On this screen you can see:
The call graphically represented by the blue zig zag lines – each line represents the
parties to the call (this is only true for bi-directional VoIP calls). If you were listening to
this call on a stereo headset, you would hear one party in your left ear and the other in
your right ear. It is possible to change this to mono if you have just a single earpiece
headset using the Audio menu.
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You have the option to change the volume of either party to the call via the volume
sliders on the right hand side, and you can mute either party by selecting the Mute
checkbox.
1.4.1.
Replay Control
You can go to any point in the call by using the control buttons in the centre of the
window.
Mark the beginning of
the loop
Replay Loop
Beginning of the call
Go Back 30 Seconds
Go Back 5 Seconds
1.4.2.
Play (toggles to Pause when
pressed)
Pause (toggles to Play when
pressed)
Go forward 5 seconds
Go forward 30 seconds
Go to end of call
Pitch Corrected Variable Replay
The Replay Speed slider gives you control over how fast or slow you would like the
call to be replayed.
If you need to obtain clarity about what one or other party is saying, you can slow the
call down to as little as 25% call speed, with minimal loss of audibility. Conversely if
you want to speed through a long call to a point of interest without having to listen
again to the whole call, you can set the call speed to as much as 400% call speed.
1.4.3.
Call Details
The details of the call you are replaying are shown in the Call Details field. If you
export a call then these details are also mailed as a .txt file, attached automatically to
the .wav file that forms the call itself.
1.4.4. Export WAV
The Export WAV button on the toolbar
enables you to automatically save the
chosen call on any location on your network (local drive or network drive, depending on
the connections that the user’s PC has). The Call Details are automatically saved as a
.txt file with the .wav file.
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1.4.5.
Export via E-mail
enables you to automatically email the
The Export via Email button on the toolbar
call audio (as the .wav file) and its details (as the .txt file) to the recipient of your choice
in a single operation. Clicking on this button will firstly generate an Export Options
dialog box (as a rule accept the default settings and click OK) and then a blank email is
generated, allowing you to add any text or subject you choose before sending the
email in the normal fashion.
1.4.6.
Call Annotation
Call Annotation allows the user to add text to a call which can later be used to search
on or give information about the call to other users.
Note:
Call Annotation may be disabled if the feature has not been set up on the recorder or if
the annotation database fields are configured to be not manually entered.
1.4.7.
Call Authentication
When licensed the Call Authentication feature generates a MD5 hash key for each
recorded call and stores it in the recorder database.
When a call is replayed using the Web Replay Application another MD5 hash key is
generated and this is compared with the one in the database. If as much as a single bit
of data has been changed since the call was recorded then the MD5 hash keys will not
match and an Authentication failure will be displayed.
It is possible to check the Authentication status of a call by clicking the Call
Authentication button on the Web Replay Application.
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1.5. View Recorder Status
View / Recorder Status
This screen can be the first to be displayed automatically when a user logs on as
described in paragraph 1.8, or by choosing the View/Recorder Status option. The
main purpose of this screen is for administrators or technical users to quickly identify
when there are system issues that need to be addressed.
The field meanings are as follows
Figure 6 Recorder Status Screen
Recorder ID
Recorder Status
System Type
Active Alarms
Unarchived Data
© Red Box Recorders 2008
This is the unique recorder number. This number must be
given whenever support is required.
This shows the status of the recorder. This field can show:
Starting up, Recording, NOT recording and Urgent Attention
Required.
This can be Standalone or Parallel Master or Parallel Slave if
the recorder is part of a parallel pair.
Responding to alarms is usually an administrator or senior
user’s role. This is dealt with in section 3.6
This shows the percentage of the data held on the recorder
that has not been committed to removable archives – always
zero if no removable archives are fitted. Ideally this number
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Recorder Utilisation
Calls Being Recorded
Calls Being Discarded
Drive 1
Drive 2
should be as small as possible because data not written to
removable media could be lost in the event of hardware
failure. To keep this number small, replace the archive media
as soon as possible after it becomes full.
This shows the percentage of licensed record channels that
are actually recording.
This shows the number of channels that are being recorded.
This field is only shown on a recorder with ‘Record on
Demand’ licensed on it and shows the number of calls that
are recording but which will be discarded at the end of call.
This shows the status of removable archive drive 1
This shows the status of removable archive drive 2
Note: Depending upon your user permissions you may not be able to view the
Recorder Status page.
1.6. Configuring Your Own User Settings
Apart from changing your password as explained previously in paragraph 1.2 there are
various other settings that you can configure for your own login. Configuring other
user’s settings is dealt with in paragraph 3.1. The settings that you can configure are
as follows:
•
•
•
Replay & Live Acquire settings
Export settings
Other
These are explained below.
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1.6.1.
Replay & Live Acquire Settings
User Settings / Replay & Live Acquire
Figure 7 Replay & Live Acquire Settings Screen
The Replay & Live Acquire settings are set to default to Replay to LAN which will
replay a call to the users PC. However, the user can amend all of the settings to suit
their particular environment.
If the Replay to Phone option is selected, the user must specify which PSTN or
extension number will receive the calls selected for replay or live acquire. When a
search is carried out and the call replay selected, the audio output will be to the
selected phone extension. [This assumes the use of a Red Box Replay to Phone
server]
The option to select Number of Redial Attempts will default to 2, but up to 5 redial
attempts can be selected if desired.
If the Replay to Cisco IP Phone option is selected the user must also specify which
VoIP phone is to receive the replay or live acquire calls.
The Send via Email settings can be used when the same ‘from’ and / or ‘to’ email
addresses are used frequently for the sending and receipt of calls sent as .wav files.
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However, using these settings does not preclude the user from changing the email
address at the point of exporting a call recording.
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1.7. Export Settings
These are dealt with in section 3.7
1.8. Other Settings
User Settings / Other
You can select other settings here to suit your usage of the Red Box Recorder, such as
which page to display upon logging in and other results settings – in particular, the
order in which call search results are shown. The Initial Page setting could be set to the
Search page for a user who is primarily concerned with replay.
If the Save Search Criteria control is checked then the last search criteria entered is
always saved to allow searches to be easily repeated.
Limit Last Call Search can be made to return more entries if desired (up to 10) but this
may slow the search down especially on infrequently used recording channels.
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1.9. Defining, Executing and Modifying Searches
In this section you will learn how to define, execute and modify your own searches.
None of these are difficult to do, as Red Box Recorders have been carefully designed
with ease of use as a priority, but it is useful to understand what the fields relate to, and
the types of results you would achieve using the search builder.
1.9.1. Defining a Search
Search & Replay / Define Search
To define your own searches, select Search & Replay / Define Search from the
menu. If there have been searches already defined on your recorder, they will be
listed. If this is the first time that this option has been selected, the screen advises
that no searches have been previously defined. Click on the ‘Create Search’
. The ‘Create Search’ screen is displayed which displays all of the
button
available database fields that can be searched upon.
Figure 8 The Create Search Screen
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Search Title
Give your search a name that you will recognise it by in the ‘Search Title’ field.
Remember, there may be more than one user who has access to your recorder
using the logged in user account and who may also wish to define their own
searches. Give your search a name that is meaningful to you and which will
allow you to remember which is yours at a later date, for example “Sales Team
Search” or “Transaction Sample”.
Data Source
The ‘Data Source’ field allows you to specify whether you are searching for calls
from the recorder itself (the Callstore) or calls on a removable archive media.
Randomize Results
If ‘Randomize Results is set to ‘Yes’ the user can specify a percentage of the
search results to be specified as ‘random’ in the search screen. For example,
specifying 10% as the Randomized Result will return 10% of calls in a search on
a random basis.
Criteria Fields
The criteria fields along the top of the table are used to define which operators
are applicable to the relevant field and the sort order you want to see your report
in.
Field Name
Field Name
Use as Criteria
Order in Criteria List
Use as Results Field
Order in Results List
Explanation
Description of field to be used in search
There are a range of options (where
applicable) that can be used to define the
search. These can be ‘Specific’, ‘Range’,
‘Any Of’ or ‘All Of’.
This defines the order in which the field will
be displayed in the search results. So ‘1’ in
this field against a field name will mean that
this field will be given 1st precedence in
sorting, ‘2’ will be given 2nd precedence and
so on.
Click in the check box to show this field in the
search results. Fields that are never
populated by your recorder or of no interest
to you can be excluded from the results table
using this field.
This sets the order of the field columns in the
search results. A ‘1’ in this box against a
field will mean that this field is shown as the
1st column, a ‘2’ will mean the 2nd column
and so on.
Field Names
The field names displayed on the left hand side of the criteria table are those
data fields that are used by the recorder to capture call data and which can be
specified to be included in your search. When you specify anything other than
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the default ‘Not Used’ you will be asked to define what your criteria are, each
time you carry out the search. For example, if you specify in the Field Name
‘Extension’ ‘Specific’ when you carry out your search, there will be a field for you
to fill in specifying which extension you are carrying this search out on each time
you perform the search.
Use as Criteria
Not Used – This field is not used as a Search Criteria.
Specific – This field will be used and must exactly match the data in the
database – wildcards can be used. For example %456 will find 123456 and
123% will find 123456 and %34% will find 123456.
Range – Only of use when searching items that are ordered. Allows an inclusive
range to be defined for the chosen field. Any fields where the data falls within
the range will be a match.
Any Of – Finds calls that match ANY of the entered criteria for the chosen field.
For example if 123,456 was entered then fields with data matching 123 or 456
will be found.
All Of – Finds calls that match ALL of the entered criteria for the chosen field.
Note:
All search criteria are case sensitive and care should be given not to put leading
or trailing spaces – the search is exact.
Once you have named your search and specified the data fields you want to
search on, their sort precedence and how you want the columns displayed in
your search results click OK
.
Please note, when you execute your search, if you find that you have made an
error in your specification, it is very simple to return to the search and modify it.
You do not have to create a whole new search!
Once you have clicked on the OK button, the screen returns to the Define
Search screen, with your new search listed.
Figure 9 New Search Listed
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From this screen you can:
Create a new search using the ‘Create Search’ button
Modify any searches listed using the ‘Modify Search’ button
**
Delete any searches listed using the ‘Delete Search’ button
**
** You need to select the specific search that you want to modify or delete by
clicking in the ‘Select’ field
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1.9.2. Executing a Search
Search & Replay / Search
To execute the search you have defined select Search & Replay / Search. By
default the ‘Basic Search (Callstore)’ screen is shown
Figure 10 Basic Search - Callstore Screen
To access your list of defined searches, click on the
the screen.
© Red Box Recorders 2008
button in the centre of
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The ‘Select Search’ screen is shown, with a drop down list of every search that has
been defined on the recorder shown. Select the search you wish to execute and
.
click on OK
Figure 11 Select Search Screen
The new search screen is displayed. (Note the change of search name in the
banner)
Figure 12 New Search Screen
To execute this search enter the date and time options for your search and also the
extension number that is being searched upon then click OK
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Note:
Depending on the size of the database and the number of results to be returned
from the search there may be a short delay whilst the search results are shown.
The search results (up to 100 results per page) will be shown as follows: (Space
limitations prevent all 96 calls being listed here)
Figure 13 Search Results Screen
You can now replay the calls listed as described in section 1 by simply clicking on
.
‘Replay Call’
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1.9.3. Modifying a Search
Search & Replay / Define Search
If you need to refine your search further or correct an error in the specification you
can easily modify an existing search. Select Search & Replay / Define Search
and select your previously defined search from the list of searches created on your
recorder. Click on ‘Modify Search’
Your search and its existing criteria is displayed. Make any changes as required
and save the search using ‘OK’
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1.10. Using Live Acquire
Live Acquire
Live Acquire is a feature of your Red Box Recorder that enables you to listen in on any
call currently underway (provided that you have access permissions allowing you to
listen to the particular extension – contact your administrator for permission settings).
It is accessed by selecting Live Acquire from the main menu bar. The ‘Live Acquire’
screen is displayed.
Figure 14 Live Acquire Screen
From this screen you can listen directly in to any of the live ongoing calls displayed on
the screen or perform a last call search on any of the extensions or channel names
(depending on your recorder’s configuration) listed.
You can do this by selecting the device name / number from the ‘Select the device’
drop down list and clicking either ‘Acquire’
(listen to a currently live call) or ‘Last
Call Search’
to find the last call(s) made on this channel name.
Alternatively, you may click on the telephone symbol
call, or the channel name detail
© Red Box Recorders 2008
to live acquire the current
to initiate the ‘Last Call Search’.
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When the ‘Live Acquire’ option is used, the Replay Call window is shown as with the
results of a ‘normal’ search as detailed in section 1.4 above.
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2. CONFIGURATION GUIDE
This configuration guide should be followed, in the order written, when first setting
up your recorder. It is assumed that you are familiar with general computing and
networking terminology and that you understand the needs of your business and
users in respect of the recorder.
2.1. Task List
2.2 Connecting to the recorder
2.3 Logging in to the recorder
2.4 Network Settings
2.5 Licensing the recorder
2.6 Configuring recording
2.7 VoIP recording configuration
2.8 Configuring extension labels
2.9 Non VoIP configuration
2.10 Configuring Network Storage
2.11 Configuring Archiving
2.12 Configuring Annotation Fields
2.13 Configuring Multiple Recorders in parallel
2.2. Connecting to the recorder
There is no need to use a keyboard and monitor directly connected to the
recorder. It is actually far more secure to NOT do so. The Windows user interface
may be locked down in order to prevent tampering and also to comply with
Windows licensing requirements.
All recorder configuration can be carried out using Internet Explorer 5 or above.
Enter the IP address of the recorder in the browser address bar and the login
screen will appear.
Figure 15 Login Screen
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2.3. Logging In to the recorder
By default there is only one user profile created on a new recorder. The user
name is admin and the password is recorder. It is essential that this password is
changed as soon as possible, and that additional profiles with limited permissions
are created for general use. User management is covered in detail in the
Administrator section of this manual (paragraph 3.1)
Log in to the recorder and the ‘Recorder Status’ page will appear. (This page can
be found at anytime by selecting View / Recorder Status from the menu bar).
Figure 16 Recorder Status Screen
The ‘Recorder Status’ field could indicate that it is unlicensed (at the start of the
configuration of a new recorder).
This screen will advise whether the dongle has been detected – defined by a
number appearing in the ‘Recorder ID’ field. It may take up to 15 minutes for a
dongle to be detected.
If the status is ‘No Dongle Found’ there may be an issue with the dongle or the
drivers. The dongle is only polled infrequently, so it is prudent to restart the
recorder after any corrective action.
To shutdown or restart the recorder, select Control / Recorder from the menu
bar.
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Figure 17 Recorder Control Screen
Select ‘Shutdown’ or ‘Restart’ as applicable and click OK
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2.4. Network Settings
Network configuration is carried out at the Configuration / Network screen.
Figure 18 Configure Network Settings Screen
By default, the recorder may have a different IP address shown to that which is
required. It is essential that the recorder has a static IP Address which is
accessible by the users of the recorder. This should be bound to the ‘Primary’
network adapter.
For VoIP recording, additional NICs are required to act as data acquisition (sniffer)
ports, and these are enabled and configured separately to the ‘Primary’ adaptor,
and must not have any IP Address or other bindings.
If the recorder was built on a computer which was configured for DHCP, it may be
necessary to manually configure the IP settings from the computer desktop prior to
this step.
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2.5. Licensing the recorder
The next step is to license the recorder. It may already be licensed if purchased
directly from Red Box Recorders Ltd or one of its resellers. If upgrading the
recorder or adding features then you will need to obtain one or more licence codes
from Red Box Recorders Ltd or your reseller. It is assumed that when planning
the installation of the recorder that a decision will have been made as to which
licensed features are required.
Navigate to the licensing page using Configuration / Licensing.
Figure 19 Configure Licensing Screen
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This screen shows an already licensed recorder and the licensed features
available on it. For most configurations there are 2 license codes – the first is to
license features on the recorder, the second relates to which type of telephony is
being recorded – referred to as the PP (Protocol Processor).
The license code fields show the following detail of what has been licensed once
the license code(s) have been entered:
Field Name
Recorder ID
No of Archive Devices
Max No of PPs
Number of Replay or
Export Clients
Number of Record
Channels
Record Internal Calls
Time Synchronisation
Label Printing
Network Storage
Replay to Phone
Record on Demand
Call Authentication
Description
This is defined by the dongle
Can be 0, 1 or 2
Normally 1, but may need to be more if mixed
telephony is to be recorded.
Number of simultaneous replay user logins permitted
under the license
Number of simultaneous recordings permitted under
the license
VoIP only – permits the recording of internal calls
Enables the use of NTP/SNTP
Permits labels to be printed for removable archive
media. For a copy of the label printing guide please
contact Red Box Recorders Ltd.
Permits the use of network storage devices see
section 2.10
Permits the replay to phone server to log in to this
recorder.
Enables the Record on Demand feature see section
3.12.1
Shows that visible call authentication has been
enabled.
Protocol Processor Number ‘X’ shows the detail of the protocol processor(s).
Enter the license codes and click OK
to submit the page
Once the license codes have been submitted, return to the licensing configuration
page and confirm that the settings reflect what was anticipated.
It may then be necessary to restart the recorder, for example, if the number of
archive devices has changed. (This applies to a re-license also). A message will
appear on the screen if the recorder needs a restart.
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2.6. Configuring Recording
The Red Box Recorder is designed to be able to record from a variety of sources
on the same recorder. These sources include VoIP (also known as LAN telephony
or IPT), ISDN, analogue sources and digital telephone switch systems (also known
as TDM). This guide treats VoIP and non-VoIP separately insofar as configuration
is applied. If the recorder is to record both, please read and perform both
sections.
2.7. VoIP Recording Configuration
Each phone that is required to be recorded needs to be registered with the
recorder. The method of performing this registration is phone system dependent.
Please choose the applicable phone system from the following list and carry out
the stated action.
Phone System Name
Cisco
3Com NBX
SIP
Alcatel
Avaya
Mitel
Siemens
Nortel
Ericsson
Registration Action
Reset or login to the phone
Pick up the receiver and then replace the receiver
Make a call using the phone
Reset the phone
Reset the phone
Reset the phone
Reset the phone
Reset the phone / Log in
Reset the phone
2.7.1. SIP Configuration
From Release 7A of the RBR2600 software, the SIP implementation has
fundamentally changed. A new method of endpoint identification has been
introduced so that the aim of automatic endpoint detection is still preserved across
all of our VoIP solutions.
In order to achieve this the user must enter certain information about their site, this
predominantly consists of just two items: an include mask which ‘includes’ the IP
address range for all of the endpoints that are required to be recorded and a list of
‘excludes’ which contains the IP addresses of all devices within the ‘includes’ IP
range(s) that are SIP devices but NOT recordable endpoints – these could be
Gateways and Proxies.
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2.7.2. Enabling recording
Select Configuration / Recording from the main menu. The extension(s)
registered will be listed in the ‘Never Record’ list on the right hand side of the
page.
Figure 20 Configure Recording Screen
To enable an extension to be recorded, select it from the ‘Never Record’ list and
press the
key to add that extension to the ‘Allow Recording’ list. The page
should then refresh, the extension will be shown in the ‘Allow Recording’ list and
all calls made on this phone will now be recorded. Once you have registered a
extension with the recorder it should not need to be done again.
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As a final test, a call should be replayed from the newly configured extension to
prove the settings.
LICENSING NOTE
When the recorder was licensed, the number of recording ‘channels’ was entered.
This value is the maximum number of concurrent recordings that the recorder will
allow. As will have been determined whilst the network for recording was being
planned, it is not normally possible to record extension-to-extension calls using VoIP,
and more normally extension-to-trunk calls are therefore recorded. A benefit of this is
that advantage can be taken of the ‘Roving’ mode (see Figure 21 Configuration /
Recording screen above.)
In Non-Roving mode the maximum number of extensions that can be entered in the
‘Allow Recording’ list is the number of licensed recording channels (as seen on the
Configuration / Licensing page.
In ‘Roving’ mode any number of extensions can be entered into the ‘Allow Recording’
list but the maximum number of channels that will be recorded simultaneously is the
number of licensed recording channels.
This allows an installation where you may have 60 lines on the trunk, but 200
extensions on the network.
All of your trunk calls from any of the 200 extensions would be recorded, up to a
maximum of 60 concurrent calls at any one time.
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2.8. Configuring Extension Labels
It is possible to make extension numbers more easily identifiable by assigning labels to
extension numbers. For example, Ext 1234 could be labelled ‘Service Desk’ or ‘Karen
Brown’.
Select Configuration / Channels and the following screen is displayed, with fields
next to the extension numbers for label definition.
Figure 21 Configure Channels Screen
Label any extension as required, remembering to save the screen (using the
button) before navigating away from the page. If this occurs without the page being
saved, all changes will be lost.
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2.9. Non VoIP Recording Configuration
Configuring non VoIP recording is a four step process:
Fitting Line Cards (detailed in the Installation Guide)
Configuring Line Cards
Configuring Line Card Channels
Enabling specific / all Line Card Channels
2.9.1. Add Cards
The card to be configured must first be added to the recorder. Once the new
card has been physically placed in the recorder, select Configuration /
Cards . The following screen will appear.
Figure 22 Configure Cards screen
Any cards currently installed will be shown. To add a new card click on the
add card button
.
The recorder will have detected the presence of the new card and the
following screen will be displayed.
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Figure 23 Add Card Screen
Any unconfigured cards will be shown in the Primary Address field. The type
of the card (DP for ISDN E1/T1, NGX for Digital Extensions, PCM for PCM32
and PT or LD for analogue, POTS or Radio) and also an identification
number (also printed on the card itself) is shown.
Click OK
The following prompt will appear
This advises the user that the system will need to be manually restarted to
register the number of new channels. This enables the addition of multiple
cards in one installation, without the requirement to restart the recorder each
time a card is installed.
Click ‘OK’.
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The new card is registered but with 0 channels shown – this will change
when the system is restarted.
Figure 24 New Card shown with 0 channels
Once all required cards have been added and installed, restart the recorder
using Control / Recorder and Restart. The recorder will restart and the
number of channels available on the new card will now be shown as per the
following screen:
Figure 25 Configure Cards screen with new card detail added
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2.9.2. Configure Cards
Once the card has been recognised by the recorder, and the number of
channels shown on the ‘Configure Cards’ screen, the card(s) must be
configured.
From the ‘Configure Cards’ screen select the card to be configured and click
. The following screen will appear – but the detail of
‘Configure Card’
the configuration required will be dependent upon the type of card installed.
Several examples of the same screen are given here, according to the type
of card given.
2.9.2.1.
NGX Card Options
Figure 26 NGX card configuration screen
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2.9.2.2.
NGX Card PBX decoding options
The NGX card has the following options for ‘PBX decoding’ (this can
change as new switch types are added):
2.9.2.3.
NGX Card Compression Algorithm options
The NGX card options for ‘Compression Algorithm’ are:
Uncompressed
MS GSM
G.729A
All channels on the card take this compression setting, but the compression
can be overridden on a per channel basis using the Configuration /
Channels page. For example, a set of analogue channels are set to use
G.729A but one channel may be needed to be left uncompressed to
maximise legibility.
Uncompressed channels create 8000 bytes / second of recording.
MS GSM channels create 1650 bytes / second of recording.
G.729A channels create 1000 bytes / second of recording.
To maximise the amount of calls that can be available on-line for instant
replay and to maximise the capacity of any archive media it is best to select
the highest compression (G.729A).
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2.9.2.4.
PCM Card Options
Figure 27 PCM Card Configuration screen
2.9.2.5.
PCM Card Compression Algorithm options
The PCM card options for ‘Compression Algorithm’ are:
Uncompressed
MS GSM
G.729A
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2.9.2.6.
DP Card Configuration options
Figure 28 DP Card Configuration screen
2.9.2.7.
DP Card Framing Options
DP ‘Framing Options’ are:
CRC-4
G.704
2.9.2.8.
DP Card Line Encoding options
DP ‘Line Encoding’ options are:
HDB3
AMI
2.9.2.9.
DP Card Compression Algorithm options
The DP card options for ‘Compression Algorithm’ are:
Uncompressed
MS GSM
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G.729A
2.9.2.10.
PT / LD Card Configuration options
TBW
Once the configuration settings have been set click OK
2.9.3. Configure Channels
Now that the card(s) has been configured the channels should be
configured.
When cards are installed they are given a card ‘name’ which by default is ‘A’
‘B’ ‘C’ and so on. The card ‘names’ are shown on the ‘Configure Card’
screen as the ‘CardID’. The logical channels are then numbered in
sequence according to the cards in alphabetical order. For example, in the
screens above the DP card is card A. This card has 32 logical channels.
Therefore the first 32 logical channels will be those on this card.
Channels can be named at any time but it is useful to be able to identify
which card carries which channels, in the case of multiple cards. When
configuring the channels, the card information is shown at the top of the
screen (see Figure 29 below). Using this information, the channel name can
then be added from the Configuration / Channels main screen
Select Configuration / Channels and click on the channel that needs to be
configured. Click on the
button and the following screen is
displayed.
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Figure 29 DP Card Channel Configuration Screen
This screen allows the user to configure the channels according to the type
of card installed.
The buttons across the bottom of the screen are common to all card types
and the extra buttons have the following purposes.
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enables the user to set the configuration
The ‘Type Copy All’ button
for multiple channels on the same card type, avoiding the need to go to each
channel and copy the configuration information. Clicking this button will copy
the configuration settings on this channel to the rest of the channels on the
recorder on this type of card. A window requiring the user to click OK will
advise of this before the changes take place.
The ‘Reset to Default’ button
configuration.
2.9.3.1.
NGX Card Channel configuration descriptions
Field Name
Compression
Ring Hang Time
Activity Alarm
No Activity Alarm
Configure AGC
2.9.3.2.
will restore the channel to a default
Description
Clearing this check box allows channels to be
recorded without compression.
This is the time that the ‘ringing’ state persists
after the ringing power has gone – it should be
set to at least the longest gap between the
rings.
When enabled, if activity persists on a channel
for a period longer that that set, then an alarm
will be generated.
When enabled, if there is no activity detected
on the channel for a period longer than that
specified then an alarm will be generated.
It is possible to configure Automatic Gain
Control when recording. It may be best to leave
this alone and rely on replay level control
unless the signal levels are particularly low or
high.
NGX Card Channel Activity / Silence Detection
descriptions
Field Name
Activity
Silence
Description
When recording using the Activity trigger, this
setting allows the amount of activity to start and
keep recording to be set.
When recording using the Activity trigger, this
setting allows the period of silence after which
recording ceases to be set.
Note the Activity / Silence Detection has a very useful ‘Help’ function
available on screen.
2.9.3.3.
NGX Card Record Events descriptions
Field Name
Activity
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Description
Starts recording when activity is detected.
Stops when silence / no activity occurs.
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Hook
PBX Call
Lights
CTI
Ring
Continuous (Start only)
2.9.3.4.
Records when the extension is off-hook.
Records when the extension is in a call. (Does
not work for all switch types and configurations)
Allows the start and stopping of recording when
certain lights are present on the extension.
Allows recording to be controlled by third-party
applications.
Starts to record when ringing is detected.
If this is set then the channel will record
continuously regardless of what signals are
applied.
PCM Card Channel Configuration options
TBW
2.9.3.5.
DP Card Channel configuration descriptions
Field Name
Compression
Activity Alarm
No Activity Alarm
Configure AGC
2.9.3.6.
Description
See NGX descriptions
See NGX descriptions
See NGX descriptions
See NGX descriptions
DP Card Channel Activity / Silence Detection descriptions
Field Name
Activity
Silence
Description
See NGX descriptions
See NGX descriptions
Note the Activity / Silence Detection has a ‘Help’ function available on
screen
2.9.3.7.
DP Record Stop / Start Events descriptions
Field Name
Activity
ISDN Call
CTI
Continuous
2.9.3.8.
Description
See NGX descriptions
Records when a call is in progress.
See NGX descriptions
See NGX descriptions
PT / LD Card Channel configuration descriptions
TBW
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2.9.4. Enable Channels
The final stage of the card and channel configuration is to enable the channel(s) to
be recorded. Using Configuration / Recording the following screen is displayed:
Figure 30 Configure Recording Screen
To enable a channel to be recorded, select it from the ‘Never Record’ list and
press the
key to add that extension to the ‘Allow Recording’ list. The page
should then refresh, the number will be shown in the ‘Allow Recording’ list and all
calls made on this phone will now be recorded. Once you have registered a
phone with the recorder it should not need to be done again.
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2.9.4.1.
Configure Record on Demand
See 3.12.1 Configuring Record on Demand (this is a routine administration
task that is accessed via the Configuration / Recording screen and is not
essential at the start of an installation.
2.9.4.2.
Channel Allocation Mode
This allows the setting of roving and non-roving mode. [Not applicable to
Line card recording]
2.10.
Configuration of Network Storage
Callstore network storage configuration should be carried out before the recorder
is brought into regular use. If the default settings on the recorder are used, calls
will be stored onto the local hard disk drive and once this reaches capacity the
oldest calls will be deleted.
It is possible to configure the recorder to use an alternative location for the
storage of calls on a RAID for example. As explained in the Installation Guide, it
is better to use a RAID for the whole recorder, and so this setting is best left set
to Local Drive.
The Callstore size can be increased by use of network storage such as NAS or
SAN.
From Release 8 of the RBR2600 it is possible to have more than one piece of
Networked Storage attached to the recorder. Only one can be being written to but
any number can be connected for reading.
If the Write Mode is set to “Network Archive” then when the Network Storage
becomes full it becomes a read-only archive and archiving can continue on
another device. This way archives can be added over time allowing all of the
recordings to be retained.
If the Write Mode is “Callstore Extension” then the networked storage is treated
as if it were a part of the callstore – when it becomes full the oldest calls are
deleted and the space re-used. In this mode the Networked storage must be a
larger capacity than the recorders Callstore.
It is also possible to import network archives from other recorders as read-only
archives.
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To configure the callstore to use network storage, select Control / Network
Storage. The following screen is displayed:
Selecting Add brings up the selection page.
Creating a new empty Network Storage brings up the Create Network Storage
page.
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Figure 31 Create Network Storage screen
Note: ‘Network Storage Support is not enabled’ will appear as standard until the
network storage configuration is completed.
Field Name
Name
Network Storage location
Account
Write Mode
Maximum allocated size (in GB)
Schedule…
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Instruction
A name for this storage.
Enter the network storage address in UNC
User name and password refers to the user
name and password of the account on the
storage device that will be accessed by the
recorder. NOTE: When setting up the
Networked Storage Device it should be set
such that its password never expires.
Described above.
The recorder will use this much of the
Networked Storage.
It is possible to only write to the Networked
Storage between two times – this allows
bandwidth management.
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Start transfer from earliest…
If this is checked then archiving starts from
the earliest available call otherwise it starts
from calls recorded from now.
If the following screen appears instead of the configuration screen it indicates that the
recorder is not licensed for network storage.
Please contact your dealer, or Red Box Recorders to purchase your license.
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2.11. Configuring Removable Archiving
It is important to ensure that you have configured your archiving prior to the
recorder coming into regular use. If archiving is not configured, then calls will be
stored onto the local hard disk, and once the disk reaches capacity, the oldest
calls will be deleted. This section discusses the options for archiving to assist in
informing the administrator in archive choices, prior to offering an explanation of
how to configure the archiving.
2.11.1.
Making Archive Choices
The Red Box RBR2600 series recorders can be purchased with no archive
capability, one archive drive or two archive drives and a choice of DVD-RAM or
VXA Tape media. Consideration needs to be given to the type of archiving to be
used with the relevant RBR2600 series recorder. The archiving option that is the
best match for any given requirement is given here.
2.11.2.
Do I need to have a removable archive?
The CallStore of the RBR2600 recorder holds the recorded calls and is
considered to be the on-line storage. Once the Call Store becomes full, the space
is automatically recovered by deleting the oldest calls, thus the Call Store
contains the most recent calls. The Call Store capacity can be easily extended
using Networked storage devices which also have the benefit of providing a
disaster recovery option since the Call Store can be rebuilt from the data stored
on the networked storage
If your requirement is to record your calls and only be able to replay them within a
few days, weeks or months of them being recorded then you may not need
archive capability.
For example, a customer may have 20 recorded extensions and the average
usage is 4 hours a day so the Call Store may, on average, hold the last 200 or so
working days of calls. So if the customer just needs to record for Quality
Monitoring purposes there seems to be no need for archiving.
Any calls that are singled out for attention can easily be saved as a WAV file on
the replay user’s computer and if they need to be kept for longer they can then be
written, for example, to a CD.
2.11.3.
Why should I archive my calls?
There are three main reasons for archiving calls:
•
•
•
Business need
Statutory requirement
Avoiding data loss
If the primary need is to extend the period over which recorded calls are kept
then this is achieved by archiving the calls to a removable media, then storing
this media in a safe place for a period of time at the end of which the media may
be reused.
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The period of time that the media is stored varies from customer to customer
depending on their business practices. For example, Financial Service
companies generally keep calls for a minimum of a year, but a legal or medical
practice might feel that longer than this may be appropriate and a customer
support operation may feel that just a month is long enough.
Another reason for archiving is to avoid data loss. Common sense dictates that a
call held in more than one place must be less susceptible to loss than a call held
just in one place. This can be achieved by use of a networked storage and can
be further enhanced if the storage is held at another location.
The RBR2600 series recorder provides a Parallel archiving mode which further
extends this concept by not only archiving the calls but also making an identical
copy of the archive media, so archived calls could be stored both on-site for rapid
access but also off-site for security.
2.11.4.
I must archive my calls
If you have decided that you must archive your calls to removable media then the
archive mode must be chosen. Remember, if no archiving mode is chosen then
the calls are deleted from the Call Store using an oldest first method. If an
archiving mode is selected, this still happens but if the calls are not archived then
the recorder will fill up and alarm, although this may take many weeks or months
before there is a problem.
You may choose to have just one archive drive fitted. Calls are archived to the
media in this drive and during the times when the drive is not archiving (for
example, when the media is full, when no media is in the drive or when the drive
is being used for the replay of archived calls), the calls are still being recorded to
the Call Store and will be archived to the drive when archiving is re-started.
Choosing one drive is the right choice for users who infrequently replay from
archive or do very little recording.
Fitting two drives and using one drive for archiving and the other for replay
purposes is also an option. Selecting one of the single drive archiving options
allows archiving to take place on one drive only, whilst leaving the other drive free
for replay or use in the event of primary archive drive failure. This has the added
benefit that if another set of archived calls needs to be replayed, the archive drive
can be used for replay also, giving more archive replay capability. Additionally, if
the archive drive became faulty, the recorder can easily be re-configured to use
the replay drive until the recorder is repaired, likewise if the replay drive failed,
the archive drive can always be used for replay purposes.
For many customers, the sequential archiving mode is ideal. In this mode,
archiving takes place to each drive in turn. When the media in one drive becomes
full, the other drive takes over archiving. The customer can then replace the full
media at a convenient time, loading new media and putting the drive into standby
ready to be used when the ‘active’ media becomes full. This gives the customer
confidence that the calls are always being archived and allows the recorder to be
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left unattended for extended periods of time. The drive that is not being archived
to can also be used for replay purposes. This mode maximises drive life, with
each drive being used for only half of the time, minimises the time that the
recorder is not archiving and maximises the unattended duration of the recorder
whilst still allowing full replay capability because both drives can be used for
replay.
If you always require a duplicate copy of the archived media, choose parallel
archiving mode. The downside of this mode is that archiving and replay from
archive cannot take place concurrently, if one drive is stopped in order to replay
from archive, the other drive stops.
2.11.5.
I need to replay a lot of old calls
Customers who do a lot of replay from archived media should choose a twoarchive drive configuration and avoid parallel archiving mode unless they also do
very little recording.
2.11.6.
What is Autocycle mode?
Autocycle mode is included in the product primarily as a future-proof for a time
when the capacity of the archive media exceeds that of the Call Store. Currently,
the only customer benefit is that in this mode, when the media in a drive becomes
full, it is automatically put into standby and recording takes over on the other
drive. When this drive becomes full, archiving starts on the standby drive. Thus
the recorder can be left unattended.
2.11.7.
Should I choose DVD-RAM or Tape?
There are three main factors affecting media choice:
•
•
•
Capacity
Cost
Performance
Currently the stated maximum native capacity of the DVD-RAM media and Tape
media we offer are 4.7GB (per side) and 74GB respectively. Converting this into
hours of uncompressed VoIP recording, we can get around 80 hours onto DVDRAM and around 1200 hours onto tape.
As can be seen from this, you are going to have to change your media more
often if you use DVD-RAM than if you use tape. We recommended that
customers who record more than 80 hours of calls a day should not use DVDRAM although there is no technical impediment.
The cost of the media is another important factor. Tape is traditionally less
expensive than DVD-RAM although the cost of DVD-RAM media has dropped in
recent times.
The media life (stated by media manufacturers) is 30 years for both DVD-RAM
and Tape and both can be heavily re-used. The handling and storage
requirements for both media are also similar.
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In the end it comes down to cost (DVD-RAM is more expensive per Gigabyte)
and performance although if you are intending to record more than 80 hours per
day, you should also consider the fact that you will be changing the DVD-RAM
media more than once a day.
In performance terms, DVD-RAM beats tape. Compared to DVD-RAM, the load
and unload times are slower and most importantly the time taken to replay from
archive is significantly slower.
The typical replay times are:
DVD-RAM is < 5s
Tape < 60s
These times change little for DVD-RAM but can vary enormously for tape
because the recorder has to locate the call. This usually manifests itself in the
form that it can take up to a minute to find a call but then replaying calls which are
local to the first one on the tape is much quicker (usually just a few seconds).
Your dealer / reseller should be able to advise you or if you still have queries
please contact Red Box Recorders directly.
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2.11.8.
Configuration / Archiving
To configure the archive mode select Configuration / Archiving.
Figure 32 Configure Archive screen
Field
Archive Mode
Optimization Mode
Nearly Full
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Options
None
Drive 1 only
Drive 2 only
Autocycle
Sequential
Parallel
Maximum Performance
(Standard)
Maximum Resilience
Number field (75 to 99)
Description
Archive modes
In maximum resilence
mode, call data is written
to the drive as soon as
possible as it is being
recorded. This can mean
that even lightly loaded
recorders can cause the
DVD or Tape drive to be
operating continuously
causing a lot of wear and
reducing drive and media
life. Maximum performance
mode is preferred because
this improves drive life.
This is the threshold value
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Watermark
Percentage
Media Security
Always Ask
Option to overwrite from 1
month to 14 months (user
defined)
Never Overwrite
Automatically
Eject?
Check box
at which the recorder alerts
the user to the fact that the
media is becoming full. On
lightly loaded recorders
this can be set to higher
values than heavily loaded
ones.
Use of this field can
prevent media being
reused if the calls on it are
less than the age
specified, thus allowing a
rolling reuse strategy to be
deployed. The ‘Never
Overwrite’ option prevents
the media ever being
overwritten.
In cases where the media
drive is behind a panel
(i.e.in a rack mount)
automatically ejecting the
media may cause the drive
door to hit the panel,
causing it to reload.
Deselecting this checkbox
allows the media to be
manually unloaded by
physically pressing the
unload button on the front
of the drive.
2.12. Annotation Configuration
Up to 2 fields in the recorder database can be created, sized and named in the
configuration phase. Once the fields are created and defined, the information
contained within them can be searched upon. It is important to note that only
users with the Annotation privilege (see Configuration / Users section 3.1) can
populate the fields.
Note: It is possible to configure the annotation fields post installation, but it would
be far better to make the business rules relating to them prior to installation so
that they are utilised fully and correctly from the initial use of the recorder and
relevant information for all calls to store is captured.
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Select Configuration / Callstore to define the annotation fields at the bottom of
the screen as follows:
Figure 33 Configuration Callstore screen – Annotation Database Fields detail
Field
Reference Field
Field Name (Max 80)
Field Size (10 -20)
Allow manual annotation
Text Field
Field Name (Max 80)
Field Size (50 -260)
Allow manual annotation
Description
Checkbox to indicate this field is to be available for
annotation use
Free text field for naming of field on database
Number of characters permitted in the field **
Selecting this checkbox allows annotation using
replay and record on demand applications
Checkbox to indicate this field is to be available for
annotation use
Free text field for naming of field on database
Number of characters permitted in the field **
Selecting this checkbox allows annotation using
replay and record on demand applications
** The reference field will always have fewer characters than the text field. The
reference field could be used, for example, for the customer name, account
number or a coded reference to the context of the call (i.e. Sales, New Lead,
Technical Query, etc.) and the text field for the detail of the call, for example the
actions required as a result of the call. If the conventions are adhered to by
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users, it would then be possible to run a search on the Reference Field and
organise any activities required as a result of the record made.
2.13. Multiple Recorder configuration
It is possible to run recorders as parallel pairs. The advantages of doing this with
2 recorders is to create a 100% resilient system wherein if one recorder fails, the
parallel recorder continues recording. The configuration is carried out using the
Configuration / System page as detailed below:
Selecting ‘Parallel’ as the ‘type of system that this recorder is part of’ activates
the ‘Recorder Type’ and ‘Parallel Slave’ fields. If the ‘Recorder Type’ is ‘Master’
the IP address of the parallel slave to the master should be entered in the
‘Parallel Slave’ field.
The parallel pair of recorders must be identical (have the same hardware) – any
changes applied to the master configuration are sent to the slave. Both recorders
record the same calls but the Slave recorder does not write any calls to its
archive devices (either removable or networked). If the Master fails or the Slave
loses contact with the Master then the Slave recorder archives calls from a period
starting 2 hours prior to the failure (to guarantee an overlap). The slave continues
to archive calls until it is told to resume standby (and can communicate with an
error free Master) and then continues for a further 2 hours after that time before
suspending archiving and entering standby once more.
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3. Administrator Guide
This section covers the ‘regular’ administration tasks that should be carried out on your
Red Box Recorder. It is assumed that you are familiar with general computing and
networking terminology and that you understand the needs of your business and users in
respect of the recorder
Topics covered:
User Management
Control
View
Configuration
Diagnostics
Event Logs
Export Settings
Downloads
Application support
Upgrading the recorder
Faults
Automatic Call Deletion
Search and Replay and personal user configuration is detailed in the User Guide,
section 1.
Initial configuration information is contained within the Configuration Guide, section 2.
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3.1. User Management
3.1.1.
Creating a new user
Users are created through Configuration / Users. The following screen is
displayed
Figure 34 Configure Users Screen
The existing users on the recorder are listed.
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To create a new user click
. The following screen is displayed
Figure 35 Create User screen
Enter the new user name and create / confirm a password. (Users are advised to
change their password on receipt. Section 1.2 in the user guide advises how this is
done by the user).
Field
User Management
System Configuration
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Description
Enables the user to create, modify and delete
other users (but not to modify or delete own
user specification apart from password
change)
Enables the user to:
Set the time out period for automatic
logging off from the Red Box Recorder
facility if an associated UIC is not used
for the Red Box Recorder transactions
within the specified period (note: the
same specified period will apply to all
UICs)
To configure recording (i.e. which
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extensions are or are not to be
recorded)
To switch the Red Box Recorder on or
off
To display:
o List of logged in users
o Database details
Specify the display language (English
only at present)
Annotation
Live Acquire
Replay
Replay Specific Option
Replay Specific Option Data
Media Management
Event Log Access
Allows the user to enter detail into the
Annotation Fields defined by the administrator
on set up. See section 2.12
Enables the user to Live Acquire calls on the
recorder. See section 1.10
Used to define the user’s replay constraints
i.e. the permissions to replay recordings of
calls which has been recorded at all, or of
certain specified telephone extensions.
‘None’ – no replay permitted
‘Specific’ – Replay of specified calls permitted
(to be defined in ‘Replay Specific Option’ and
‘Replay Specific Option Data’ fields)
‘Replay All’ – full replay permissions on all
permitted extensions
Use to specify the database field on which the
permissions are to be granted
Free text field to qualify the ‘Replay Specific
Option’ for example if ‘Group’ is selected in
‘Replay Specific Option’ field, this field is used
to specify the ‘Group’ name that is permitted
to be replayed for example ‘Sales East’.
Multiple text entries (i.e. user can replay some
but not all extensions for example) should be
entered with a comma delimiter between each
value
Defines the user’s media management
permissions – none, ability to remove/replace
tapes or full media capability.
Defines which event logs the user can see –
none, all or just the user’s own.
The permissions granted to the user on set up can be amended subsequently
according to the needs of the business.
When the user has been set up click OK
The new user will now be listed on the ‘Configure Users’ screen.
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3.1.2.
Creating multiple new users
In the initial stages of recorder use, it is conceivable that many users with the same
permissions will need to be set up. Once the ‘model’ user has been created it is
possible to copy this user’s settings to create more new users.
From the Configuration / Users screen select the ‘model’ user by clicking on the
. The Create User
associated ‘Select’ radio button and click ‘Copy User’
screen is displayed, with the permissions of the ‘model’ user displayed but with the
user name and password fields blank.
The administrator then enters the new user name and password / confirms
password and clicks OK
.
3.1.3.
Modifying a user
To modify a user’s permissions or change the user name or password select the
user from the Configuration / Users screen by clicking on the associated ‘Select’
radio button and click ‘Modify User’
The ‘Modify User’ screen will appear.
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Figure 36 Modify User screen
The user name, password and any other permissions can be changed as required.
When the changes have been made, click OK
Changes are dynamic and immediately effective
3.1.4.
Deleting a user
Users are deleted directly from the Configuration / Users screen listing. To delete
a user select them from the Configuration / Users screen by clicking on the
. A confirmation of
associated ‘Select’ radio button and click ‘Delete User’
the deletion will appear:
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Click OK to confirm the deletion or Cancel to return to the user listing.
3.2. Control Functions
The administrator can control archiving and the recorder through the Control menu.
3.2.1.
Control / Archiving
This will display the current state of the archive media and enable the administrator
to eject either or both archive drives.
Figure 37 Archiving Status screen
The drives can be ejected by clicking on
drive 1.
© Red Box Recorders 2008
. In this shot, there is no media in
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Once the media has been ejected, the following options will appear on the Archive
screen:
Figure 38 Archive media unloaded screen
The new buttons offer the following options.
Button
Description
Unloads the media
Overwrites media
Load media for replay
Recover archive
Load media for duplication
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Control / Recorder
Select ‘Shutdown’ or ‘Restart’ depending on what is required and click
‘APC Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Support’ – ‘Enabled’ will ensure that a
warning is displayed when the mains supply fails, and also when the UPS battery is
about to become fully discharged, in which case the Red Box recorder will perform
a proper shut down. If ‘Disabled’ is chosen no warnings regarding mains failure or
UPS battery discharge will be given.
NOTE: This feature should only be enabled if an APC UPS is actually fitted to the
recorder.
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3.3. View Functions
The administrator can obtain extensive information regarding the recorder, the calls
and the users through the ‘View’ menu functions.
3.3.1.
View / Channel Activity
This enables the administrator to determine which channels are currently being
recorded and their current recording state. The maximum number of channels to
monitor at any one time is 16, allowing the administrator to filter the channels being
viewed from a potential list of hundreds.
Select View / Channel Activity and click
displayed:
. The following screen is
All channels available to the administrator would be shown in the ‘Available
Channels’ field. Highlighting the required channel(s) and clicking
moves the
channel(s) into the ‘Channels to Monitor’ field.
Removing channels from the ‘Channels to Monitor’ field is done by selecting the
channel(s) to be removed and clicking
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‘Refresh activity display every XX seconds’ enables the administrator to specify
how frequently the channel monitor page is redisplayed. The default is 10 seconds,
but as few as 5 or as many as 60 seconds can be selected. The value selected is
stored as part of the user’s profile. NOTE: Setting this to a low value could cause
the page to refresh before it has completed being drawn if the browser is on a ‘slow’
link or the recorder is very heavily loaded.
To view the channel activity, highlight the required channel and click
following screen is displayed:
. The
If the channel was currently being recorded on a ‘live’ call, the telephone symbol
would be red, and clicking on the phone symbol would enable the administrator to
Live Acquire the call.
Clicking on the channel details box performs a search for the last call which, once
found is then replayed.
3.3.2.
View / Recorder Status
This is available to all users and is detailed in section 0
3.3.3.
View / Logged in Users
This enables the administrator to view which users are currently logged onto the
recorder, their IP address and the time of their last activity. If the ‘Replay Client’
field has an asterisk in it, this means that the user has used a replay client license
in this particular log in session.
If the administrator needs to log a user out of the recorder remotely, clicking on the
user name will prompt the recorder to confirm that the user should be logged out.
It is not possible to log oneself out using this screen.
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3.3.4.
View / Statistics
The administrator has access to a wide range of statistical data organised on this
screen. The statistics provide an indication of the systems workload and may also
be useful when used alongside the diagnostics available on the recorder.
The range that the statistics can be viewed over is 1 to 100 units (where units are
minutes, hours, days or weeks)
3.3.5.
View / Version Information
This is available to every user, and can also be viewed without being logged in to
the recorder and provides version numbers of the various recorder components.
3.3.6.
View / Database Details
This shows the list of fields in the database, their data type, field length and their
visibility.
3.3.7.
View / Media List
A list can be produced that shows the ‘Media ID’ and the date and time of the first
and last recorded calls on each piece of archive media. Therefore if an historical
call is required, knowing the approximate date (and possibly time) of the call will
enable the correct archive media to be retrieved by using this list as a guide.
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3.4. Configuration
The key configuration activity that must be carried out prior to a recorder being put into
use is dealt with in Section 2 – Configuration Guide. However, there are some other
configuration issues that can be dealt with post installation.
3.4.1.
Configuration / Interface
The administrator can configure the login timeout period, the number of event log
entries shown, the language (currently only English, but additional languages will be
available) and the ability to download client applications.
3.4.2. Configuration / SNMP (Simple Network Managed Protocol)
The Red Box Recorder can be configured to fire events to an SNMP client (such as
HP OpenView) which can then forward warning messages to a system
administrator via email, SMS, pager etc.
Select Configuration / SNMP. The following screen is displayed:
Figure 39 Configure SNMP Screen
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3.4.2.1.
Contact Details
Entering ‘Contact Name’ and ‘Location’ are optional fields allowing for further
details to be added to the warning message, which will contain the originating
recorder’s IP address as standard. Neither field is mandatory, but the
administrator may find it easier to identify a recorder by configuring these in the
case of multiple recorders on site.
3.4.2.2.
Trap Destinations
The trap destination is the IP address and Community name of the machine on
which the SNMP client is running. The address(es) need to be entered to
enable the traps to be sent as alerts to the relevant person (usually the
administrator).
The third party software will need a MIB file to interpret the events and this is
included on the release CD with the Red Box Recorder or is available from your
dealer / reseller or Red Box Support.
3.4.3. Configuration / Time (Simple Network Time Protocol)
Time is an important parameter in call recording, and it is critical that it is accurately
maintained within the recorder. One option that can be purchased is the ability to
synchronise the recorder to an SNTP Time Server. Selecting Configuration /
Time will display the following screen:
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Figure 40 Configure Time screen
3.4.4.
Time Synchronization
Select ‘SNTP’ in the ‘Time Source’ drop down box. Enter the SNTP server that
you wish to synchronise with (either by DNS lookup name or IP address). You
may also select up to 3 redundant Time Server Locations. Click OK
which
will automatically update the SNTP server details and will execute an immediate
synchronization.
Click on
to reset the SNTP without saving changes.
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3.4.5.
Configuration / Groups
The channels on a recorder can be organised in a logical fashion by being linked
together as a group. This will then allow groups of calls to be found in a search.
For example, if a team is dedicated to a particular activity, the team channel
names can be grouped (i.e. Spring Campaign) and searches carried out on the
group name ‘Spring Campaign’ which will return all calls made by members of
that group, as opposed to having to remember which channel names comprised
that group.
Similarly it is possible to restrict user permissions to groups ensuring that a user
can only access calls relating to the appropriate group.
In order to configure groups it is important to ensure that all of the channels that
are required to be included in the Group(s) are named as detailed in section 2.8.
Note: It is possible to create groups based on physical channels rather than
the Channel Name – please refer to Red Box Recorders for support if this is
required.
3.4.6.
Create Groups
Select Configuration / Groups and the following screen will be displayed,
showing all available channels and any groups that have already been created,
or show that none have been configured yet.
Figure 41 Configure Group Members Screen
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To create a new group click ‘Configure Group Name’
Click ‘Create Group’
and the Create Group screen is displayed.
Enter the name of the new group and click ‘OK’
displayed:
the following screen is
Further new groups can be created from this screen using ‘Create Group’
Selecting the group name enables it to be modified using ‘Modify Group’
Selecting the group name enables it to be deleted using ‘Delete Group’
3.4.7.
Add Channel Names to a Group
To add channel names to the group select ‘Return to Configure Group
Members’
from the above screen, which redisplays the Configure
Group Members screen.
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Figure 42 Configure Group Members screen
A list of groups that have been set up will be shown in the ‘Group’ drop down
list. Select the group that is to have the channel names added.
The list of available channel names on the recorder is shown in the ‘Available
Group Members’ field on the right. Select the channel name(s) (using Ctrl key
to select various non sequential names or Shift key to select a sequential block
of names) to be added to the ‘Members of Group’ field on the left. Add the
channel name(s) by clicking ‘Add to Group’
. The channel name(s) are
now transferred to the ‘Members of Group’ field.
To remove name(s) from the group, select them in the ‘Members of Group’ field
and click ‘Remove from Group’
Selecting a channel name for deletion by using ‘Delete Group Member’
will remove the channel name from either field, but will not delete the channel
from the recorder. If the deleted channel name is subsequently required, it will
need to be added to the ‘Available Group Members’ field again. This is done by
clicking ‘Add Group Members’
. The following screen is displayed:
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Figure 43 Add Group Members screen
refreshes the channel names
Selecting ‘From Channel Names’ and ‘OK’
on the ‘Configure Group Members’ screen and the deleted channel name should
reappear in the ‘Available Group Members’ field.
Alternatively the channel name can be entered in the ‘Named’ field by entering
the correct channel name.
3.4.8.
Configuration / Misc Settings
Use the ‘Enable ‘No Calls’ Alarm’ checkbox to receive an alarm when no calls are
being recorded. The ‘No Calls Timeout’ field allows the administrator to specify
what period of time may pass before the alert is sent. Note: It is unlikely that this
would be set at less than 3 days, as alerts would be triggered over the weekend
or holiday periods, however the timeout ranges from 1 to 999 and can be set to
minutes, hours and days.
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3.4.9. Configuration / Callstore (Callstore Location)
The Red Box Recorder can be configured to store calls on either the C: drive
(partition) or the D: drive (partition). This is configured through Configuration /
Callstore. The following screen is displayed:
Figure 44 Configure Callstore screen
Calls and the associated database entries are stored on the selected drive.
A re-start of the recorder is required before this setting change takes effect.
Note:
If this setting is changed after calls have been recorded then all existing recordings
will be lost.
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3.4.10.
Configuration / Callstore (Aged Call Deletion)
The Red Box Recorder can be configured to delete calls over a specified age. This
is configured through Configuration / Callstore.
Setting ‘Aged Call Deletion’ to ‘Enable’ then allows the administrator to specify the
‘Max Call Age’ in days. All calls in the callstore that reach the specified age will
then be deleted automatically by the recorder.
Notes On Aged Call Deletion
This feature enables the administrator to specify how long a call will be
stored until it is deleted automatically. However if a call is archived before it
reaches the Max Call Age it may be deleted through the archive process,
and will not be available on the recorder, even though its max age has not
been reached.
This feature does not remove data from the removable archive media
If a recorder is using Networked Storage then the calls will be removed from
the Networked Storage. If the Networked Storage is rebuilt, it is possible for
the call to re-appear. The call will quickly disappear again if the Aged Call
Deletion feature is still enabled.
3.5. Diagnostics
The recorder has 4 diagnostic features to choose from:
3.5.1.
Diagnostics / Prepare Diagnostic File
The administrator will only need to access this when requested by Red Box
Recorders support team or your dealer / reseller. A file is generated which will be
sent to the Red Box Support team for analysis
3.5.2.
Diagnostics / Prepare Configuration File
The administrator will only need to access this when requested by Red Box
Recorders support team or your dealer / reseller. A file is generated which saves
certain recorder settings for later use by the support team
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3.5.3.
Diagnostics / Manage Download File
The administrator will only need to access this when requested by Red Box
Recorders support team or your dealer / reseller. Certain files can be downloaded
and deleted here with support guidance
3.5.4.
Diagnostics / Export Events
The recorder generates a number of Events logs that give information relating to
activities on the recorder. This event log can be exported as a .csv file for detailed
analysis by the administrator or, more usually for sending to the dealer or support
team for assistance with the analysis and fault finding. Selecting Diagnostics /
Export Events generates the file which will appear, once uncompressed, similar to
the following (in whichever program is used for viewing .csv files).
14:11:2005
14:24:38
14:11:2005
14:18:20
14:11:2005
13:48:15
User
User
The user logged in from IP address
123.0.0.45.
The user logged in from IP address 123.0.0.45
admin
admin
Configuration
The user attempted to configure Groups.
admin
Note: If the event log is a large one, it may take upwards of 2 minutes to export the
file.
3.6. Event Logs
Activities on the Red Box Recorder are recorded in the event logs. The event logs
are separated into sections to allow a user to view the logs that are relevant to
them, and to make them more easily accessible. All of the logs have the same
configuration:
Date & Time
Type
Event
User Name
Date & Time of the event occurrence
Type of event – configuration, alert, user etc
Description of the event i.e. “Group Member 'Admin North'
was added to Group 'Sales Team'.”
If the event was generated by the Recorder the User Name
is displayed as ‘Recorder’, otherwise the logged in user
name is shown
The types of event log available are:
All – the entire listing of the last 100 events on the recorder
Fault – Faults detected by the recorder are shown. For example the archive
media is full, not enough files for network storage. If fault resolution is not
obvious, the administrator should contact Red Box Recorders Support Team for
assistance.
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Configuration – This log shows when configuration events have occurred and
can perform an audit trail function. It is possible that a user with adequate
permissions made a simple configuration change (i.e. move a block of channels
from Always Record to Never Record) and the recorder then made lots of
changes as a result of this.
Alerts – These are usually Recorder generated. They include events such as a
user attempting to login with an incorrect password, or with an unrecognised
user name. Alerts also give information regarding media nearing capacity and
appear as warnings on the Recorder Status screen.
User – The user events show a log of the user trying to carry out an activity.
3.6.1.
Where to get help
In the event of any support issues your dealer / reseller should be the first point of
contact.
You can contact the Red Box Support team by email at
support@redboxrecorders.com if required.
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3.7. User Settings
3.7.1.
User Settings / Export
This screen enables the user to export call data as WAV files to a client PC or to
third party applications for use in their processes to generate statistics or reports.
Figure 45 Export Settings Screen
Field Name
None
Export to File
Export to CSI Agent
Evaluation
Show configuration
Export to Other
© Red Box Recorders 2008
Explanation
When this option is selected no Export buttons appear on
search results pages for this user and no export
functionality is available to them
This option configures the recorder, for the logged in user,
to output the audio for a call as a WAV file on the client PC
when an export is requested.
This option configures the recorder, for the logged in user,
to output the audio for a call to the CSI Agent Evaluation
application on the client PC when an export is requested.
The associated Show Configuration check box determines
whether the Export Options dialog is displayed allowing the
user to select the WAV format for each export. If this box is
clear the default (last used) format is used.
See above
This option configures the recorder, for the logged in user,
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Field Name
Show configuration
Application Path:
Select the Application
Application Path:
Parameters
Explanation
to output the details for a call to another application on the
client PC, as configured below, when an export is
requested. The two edit controls are used in association
with the Export To Other option. These controls are only
enabled if the Export To Other option is selected. The
associated ‘Show Configuration’ check box determines
whether the Export Options dialog is displayed allowing the
user to select the WAV format for each export. If this box is
clear the default (last used) format is used.
See above
This allows the user to enter the path and filename of an
external application or browse for it with the associated
button.
This allows the user to enter up to 4 parameters to be
passed to the external application.
3.8. Downloading Client Applications
3.8.1.
Downloads
This feature allows the user to have access to the latest associated applications. The
downloadable applications currently available are:
Label Printing
Remote Monitor
Replay and Export Applications
Record on Demand
To download an application select Downloads. A screen showing each of the above
to commence the download of the
options is shown. Click on ‘Download’
application required. The download will then start and the administrator should follow
the instructions on the screen.
3.8.2.
Uninstallation procedure
The Client Applications should only be removed through the standard Add/Remove
programs function in the Control Panel.
3.9.
Label Printing
The label printing manual is available from your reseller or from Red Box Recorders
Ltd. Please contact for a copy.
3.10.
Remote Monitor
The Remote Monitor application is a standalone application that runs on Windows
machines. It enables the PC on which it is installed to display the current status of a
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recorder, and also advises when there are changes in the status of the recorder
ensuring that an administrator is advised of these changes wherever they are working,
(provided that Remote Monitor is installed).
Clicking on the Remote Monitor application icon on the desktop launches the
application. First use of the application will demand configuration with the IP address
of the Red Box Recorder through the following screen.
Figure 46 Remote Monitor Configuration Screen
Enter the IP address of the Red Box Recorder in the ‘Address’ field and the name by
which the recorder is known (if used) in the ‘Name’ field.
‘Monitor Interval’ is the poll frequency for the application status reporting. The default
is 1 minute.
The four check box options may also be used to change the default configuration:
Field Name
Popup on Status Change
Message on Status OK
Animate on Status change
Sound on status change
Description
Each change in recorder status generates a popup on
screen
Each time the recorder status returns to OK a
message box will confirm this on screen
Each change in recorder status animates the Remote
Monitor application icon in the system tray
Each change in recorder status generates a sound
Once the Remote Monitor application has been configured correctly, a green tick
appears in the system tray.
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There are 2 other icons that may appear in place of the green tick:
•
•
Exclamation mark – The recorder is still recording but requires attention
Red Cross – The recorder has a serious problem or cannot be contacted.
To access recorder information from the Remote Monitor right click the mouse on the
icon in the system tray. A short menu appears. The menu items are as follows:
‘BUI Recorder Status’ This will open the recorder status window
‘About’ This will open the ‘about’ box for the recorder showing the copyright of the
application and the version currently running
‘Options’ This displays the configuration screen and enables changes to be made to
the configuration of this Remote Monitor on the specific PC
‘Exit’ This will exit this instance of the Remote Monitor application.
To monitor more than one recorder using Remote Monitor this can be achieved by
launching the application again from the desktop and entering the IP address and
configuration details of the other recorder.
If the PC on which Remote Monitor resides is shut down, restarting the PC will restart
the application and it will revert to the last configuration.
3.11.
Replay and Export Applications
In order for a user to be able to use the replay application on the recorder this
download must have been made on the user’s PC.
3.12.
Record on Demand
If Record on Demand (RoD) has been purchased the application should be
downloaded onto the PCs of those users who are to use it. Once the download and
installation has been carried out on a PC, two activities have to take place – the
configuration of the user’s channel on the recorder by the administrator to allow RoD,
and the set up of RoD on the user’s PC.
3.12.1.
Configuration / Recording (Record on Demand)
Devices (usually phones) that are known to the recorder can be either set to be
recorded or never recorded using the Configure Recording page. From this page
the devices can also be enabled for Record on Demand (RoD).
Regardless of whether a Device is currently enabled to be recorded it can be
configured for RoD. The Device can be set to an initial default state to either
Record or Discard calls unless commanded otherwise; so for example a device
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could be configured to discard by default and therefore all calls that would be
recorded on that Device are discarded.
It is possible to set any number of Devices for RoD. Devices that are not set for
RoD cannot be controlled using the RoD commands or applications, so if it is felt
that a Device may be used for RoD in the future, but for now is to be blanket
recorded then configuring it for RoD but with the default state of ‘Record’ would
be a good idea.
3.12.2.
How RoD Works
It can be conceptualised that at the end of a call, if the Device is set to ‘Discard’
its calls, the call is then deleted and is never archived to removable media or
written to Networked Storage. Once a call has been discarded it can never be
recovered or replayed.
If a Device is set to ‘Record’ its calls, the call ends and is kept in the recorders
database and archived to any removable media and written to any Network
Storage devices as normal.
During the call, if the Device is set to discard its calls, the call cannot be found in
a search however, any user with permission to Live Acquire (monitor) the
Device can still listen in.
It is possible to change the RoD state from ‘Record’ to ‘Discard’ and visa versa
at any time but the decision to keep or discard the call is only made at the point
that the call ends, or in the case of long calls, when it is split by the recorder
after 30 minutes.
When using RoD the archive process behaves in a slightly modified manner. If
any call is being recorded on a Device that is configured for RoD, the call is not
archived until the call ends (or is split by the recorder). This is to prevent any
part of call that is to be possibly discarded being written to removable media.
This also has the effect of not using up archive media by writing data that can
never be found and replayed. The same is true of Network Storage, the data is
not written until the state of all the calls represented by the data is known.
3.12.3.
Licensing and RoD
To use RoD, the feature must be licensed. The license can be obtained either at
the point that the recorder is purchased or as an upgrade at any time.
Recording licenses work in an identical manner regardless of whether a device
is enabled for RoD. This is an important consideration especially when using a
‘Roving’ recording licensing mode.
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3.12.4.
Configuration / Recording (to configure RoD)
To configure RoD select Configuration / Recording and click on ‘Configure
. The following screen is displayed
Record on Demand’
Figure 47 Configure Record on Demand screen
The list of ‘Available Devices’ is used to populate the ‘Record on Demand’ field
by selecting the device and using:
‘Move to Record on Demand list to Record Calls’ or
‘Move to Record on Demand list to Discard Calls’
Removes the device from the Record on Demand list
Refreshes both lists following movement activity
Returns to ‘Configure Recording’
That completes the configuration on the recorder and the download of the client
and configuration applications must now be carried out.
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3.12.5.
Download of Record on Demand
To download RoD select Downloads and click on the ‘download’ button
Figure 48 Download Record on Demand
You will then be taken through the installation process.
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3.12.6.
Installation Options
Choose the ‘run’ option when prompted, to initiate the installation. The following
options will then be presented
Figure 49 RoD Installation Options
Option Name
Record on Demand Configuration
application
Optional Free-Seating
components
Automatic Channel naming by
Windows Login name
Description
Select to install the configuration
application on the desktop
Components of RoD that are optionally
installed. These can be changed post
install if required
The windows login component ensures
that the channel name on the recorder is
set to the current user ID used to log into
windows itself on the workstation.
When the component is invoked by the
application, no user interface is presented
to the user; the channel name change is
automatic.
This component is only invoked on start-up
and when the user changes the channel; it
is not possible to invoke this component by
double-clicking the username in the control
dialogue.
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Manual channel naming by Free
Text Entry
Channel name is set to text entered by the
user. The free text component allows the
user to change the name to anything they
specify; the entered name is not checked
or validated.
Manual Channel naming by
Channel name is set to a user ID on the
Recorder User Name
recorder, chosen by the user. The
recorder user component allows the user
to change the channel name to match the
user ID of any user configured in the
recorder, provided that they also provide
the valid password assigned to that user.
Manual Channel naming by Agent Channel name is set to an agent name
Selection
selected from a list of agents on the
recorder by the user. The Agent selection
component allows the user to change the
channel name to that of any agent
configured on the recorder by selecting the
name from a list of all configured agents
Record on Demand Client
Select to install the client application on
application
the PC
Start Record on Demand
Selecting this option will ensure that RoD
automatically at Windows start up is automatically started when Windows is
started up.
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3.12.7.
Configuration of RoD on the Desktop
Double clicking on the Configuration icon on the desktop
makes the following setup dialog box appear
Figure 50 RoD Setup Dialog box
The record IP address should be entered and the username and password set on
the recorder of the person who will use the RoD function.
Click on Next>
The following box appears which will offer a list of all of the channels available for
RoD on the selected recorder, based on the earlier configuration exercise (see
3.12.4 Only channels available to the user entered in Figure 50 RoD Setup
Dialog box are shown.
Figure 51 Channel selection dialog box
Once a channel is selected click Next>
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The following screen is displayed
Figure 52 Default Channel State selection
The default channel state is set during configuration of RoD on the PC. The
default channel state is not used for controlling an individual call but is the default
activity for each call on the channel. If the ‘Allow the user to change the default
channel state’ checkbox remains unchecked, the user has no control over
whether calls are kept or discarded by default, and will only have control over
individual calls as they are completed. The two possible default channel states
are:
-
Discard Calls – if this default channel state is selected the control dialog
allows the user to select whether the current call only is recorded. By
default all calls are discarded. When a call ends it is kept only if the user
has opted to record that call by using the “Keep Call” button on the
Control screen.
-
Keep Calls – if this default channel state is selected the control dialog
allows the user to select whether the current call only is discarded. By
default all calls are recorded. When a call ends it is discarded only if the
user has opted to discard that call by using the “Discard Call” button on
the Control screen.
The “RoD Client” application queries the recorder for current state of the channel.
If the current state of the channel on the recorder is “Record” the “Keep calls”
option will be ticked. If the current state of the channel is “Discard” the “Discard
Calls” option will be ticked.
On the user’s PC click on the RoD icon on the desktop. The ‘Setup’ dialogue
box appears. Enter the IP address of the recorder in the ‘Custom’ field. Enter
the administrator user name and password and click OK.
From the drop down list select the channel name of the user. This will be stored
by default as the RoD setting until it is changed.
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The RoD icon is now in the system tray and if it is displayed red it is currently
recording all calls and if it is displayed black it is currently discarding all calls.
The user can toggle between recording and discarding by double clicking on the
icon to generate the control box and clicking on the record or discard button
displayed.
Note: 2 key things relating to RoD are:
The administrator controls who has RoD enabled through the Configuration /
Recording / Configure RoD settings
The user should know that even if they are discarding calls, another user with
requisite permissions can still listen to their calls using Live Acquire.
3.13.
Licensing and System Upgrades
3.13.1.
Licensing
The Red Box Recorder system is designed to enable customers to purchase
licenses for the components that they need. The components and capabilities
of the system are licensed with respect to the following:
Which specific PPs (Internet switches) are useable with the Recorder
The number of recording channels
The number of concurrent replay clients
The number of archiving devices
Whether extension-to-extension recording is to be supported
Whether SNTP is enabled
Whether Label Printing is enabled
Whether Network Storage is supported
Whether Replay to Phone is supported
Whether Record on Demand is supported.
Whether Call Authentication is visible.
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3.14.
System Upgrades
It is probable that an organisation will want to enhance the capabilities of the
Red Box Recorder over time. The system and associated license can be
upgraded to achieve this and to enable the organisation to take advantage of
new features which Red Box Recorders may introduce from time to time in
response to user needs and market trends.
3.15.
Configuration / Licensing
Upon the purchase of a new license, the administrator should:
select Configuration / Licensing
Enter the license/upgrade key supplied
Click OK to process the new license.
The recorder may issue a message that the recorder requires a restart, in which
case a restart is necessary before ALL of the entered features take effect.
New license codes that simply increases the number of VoIP recording channels
or change the number of Replay clients do not require that the recorder is
restarted.
3.16.
Software Upgrades
Software upgrades are inevitable as Red Box Recorders are continually
improving their products. Upgrading is easy and consists mainly of obtaining
the appropriate ‘RBR’ upgrade file (from your authorised dealer / reseller or from
Red Box Recorders directly) and then proceeding as follows:
1. Copy the RBR file to a location that is accessible by the machine that the User
Interface is running on.
2. Chose the Configuration/Software option.
3. In the “File to Upload” text box insert the name of the RBR file complete with its full
path – or alternatively find it using the Browse button.
4. Select the Upload button
5. The file transfer status will give an indication that the file is being uploaded.
6. Once the upload completes, the screen will be updated to include the message
‘The file Release xx.RBR has been uploaded’ or similar.
7. The uploaded file will appear in ‘select software update to prepare:’. Select from
the drop down box the file you wish to apply and press the Prepare Software
Update button
.
8. Once the Prepare Software Update has been selected a new screen displays the
release note information for the selected update. You must check to ensure these
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requirements are desirable before continuing, by selecting the Perform Software
button. If for any reason you do not wish to proceed with the update
Update
you can cancel by clicking on the “Abort Software Update” button
.
9. The third section of the Configuration / Software screen is the ‘Empty Uploads
Directory’ button
which enables the administrator to clear the uploads
d
i
r Note: It is important that you ensure all other users are logged out of the
e system prior to performing a software upgrade.
c
t Caution: Choosing to update the software will result in the user interface
o losing contact with the recorder. The process of upgrading includes
r stopping the recorder, applying the upgrades and then restarting the
y recorder – this may take quite a while to perform. During this process
access to the recorder will be temporarily lost as the software is replaced.
You should be prepared to leave the Recorder for at least 10 minutes and
then log in as usual.
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