About Call Detail Recorder

Note: This option must be enabled/configured using the Text Console.

Call Detail Recorder (CDR) is an optional feature that implements a call accounting system that is referred to in the telecommunications industry as call detail recording. This section describes the features and capabilities of the Call Detail Recorder optional feature. It works with the NuPoint Voice application on the NuPoint UM server and must be enabled/configured using the Text console. You can generate reports about call detail information using either the Web console or the Text console.

CDR creates a record of each call transaction (such as a voice message) on the NuPoint Unified Messaging server. Records are stored in a single-line, fixed-length format. They are uniquely identified by consecutive Call Sequence Numbers, which range from 1 to 999999. After record 999999 is written, the next record is number 1. Records are not overwritten when the Sequence number goes back to 1. Overwriting only occurs when the defined maximum number of records have been stored.

The CDR application is designed to be run by one user at a time to avoid two people overwriting each other’s selections. If the CDR Main Menu is running on one terminal, and a second user tries to start the CDR Main Menu, it terminates after giving the second user an error message.

CDR runs continuously once you start it. Even if you shut down or reboot the server, CDR restarts when the NuPoint Voice application loads. Similarly, if you stop CDR, it remains off until you restart it from the CDR menu.

Most configuration options can be changed while CDR is running EXCEPT the following:

• Deleting CDR records

• Reducing the maximum number of CDR records.  However, you can increase the maximum number while CDR is running.

CDR Features

Call Detail Recorder is designed for easy data transport to another computer system. The remote site can then process the call information using any appropriate application. Call Detail Recorder provides the following features:

• Multiple call types, including network

• Call details using abbreviated codes

• Flexible output file format (40 160 columns per line)

• File wraparound capability

• Warning messages before CDR records are overwritten

• Active status maintained across server resets

• Administrator-defined CDR file limit

• Online report generator

• Output file download capability, including:

• • Limited download search criteria

  • Administrator-defined field delimiter, pad string, and length

  • ASCII/Text transfer support

  • Test download capability

  • Auto-disconnect after download

CDR Records

CDR creates a record of each call transaction on the NuPoint UM server (for example, a voice message).  Records are stored in a single-line, fixed-length format.  They are uniquely identified by consecutive Call Sequence Numbers, which range from 1 to 999999.  After record 999999 is written, the next record is number 1.  (Call Sequence Numbers "turn over," just like the odometer in a car.)  Records are not overwritten when the Sequence number goes back to 1.  Overwriting occurs when the defined maximum number of records have been stored.

Note:  CDR records are sometimes referred to as "messages" in the menus or prompts.

CDR Fields

The CDR Record Fields table below lists the 26 fields that can appear in a CDR record. For information about field length and/or formatting, see CDR Reports.

CDR records contain certain fields that need further explanation. These fields contain two-digit numerical codes that identify certain details of every call monitored.  The tables that follow this one describe the meanings of these fields:

• Field 13: CDR Call Types

• Field 14: CDR Access Types

• Field 15: CDR Termination Types

• Field 23: CDR Error Codes

Finally, you can see the interrelationship of the above fields by referring to Interpreting Your Results.

Call Types (Field 13)

CDR allows you to determine different types of calls, which lets you bill them at different rates, for example, or ignore certain types you include in your basic service package.  The table below shows the available call types you can track.

Call Type (CT) is the 13th field in each CDR record.

You should use Call Type 1 only when you need as much detail as possible, such as when troubleshooting. It lists every message sent to and from each mailbox.  For example, if a user sends one message to a distribution list with four users, and you are logging Call Type 1 messages, CDR generates four records, one for each recipient.  If you do not log Call Type 1, CDR still creates one record indicating that a user sent four messages (4 appears in the MS field).

Each of these Call Types and their related fields is described in the "Analyzing CDR Data" section.

Networking Application Call Types

NP Net has its own call types (see the table above) that display Call Setup information. These call types only log the time used by the handshaking process to connect a pair of NP Net servers.  In addition to the Call Setup message types, NP Net has its own incoming and outgoing call types that log the time used in transmitting or receiving each individual message between two NP Net servers. Finally, there are two NP Net disconnect call types.

Access Types (Field 14)

Access Type (AT) is the 14th field in each CDR record and shows how the caller or user accessed the server.  You can use Access Types for differential billing or to determine your clients’ usage of the server.  The following table shows the possible access types.

Termination Types (Field 15)

Termination Type (TT) is the 15th field of each CDR record.  It indicates how the call was ended.  Again, you can use this for differential billing or to determine your clients’ usage of the server.  The following table lists the Termination Types available.

Termination Types 1 through 8 are generated at the completion of a call.  Types 9 and 10 are for calls that continue after a record is logged.  For example, if an outside caller leaves a message and stays on the line to hear the prompt, the caller can then leave a message for another user.  CDR creates a second record for the next action the caller performs.  This subsequent record indicates the mailbox being used in the From Mailbox field (FMBX, field number 8).

Error Codes (Field 23)

The Error Code (EC) is the 23rd field in the CDR record.  It indicates if there was any error or problem with the call.  You can use error codes for differential billing (for example, only bill calls with certain codes) or to determine if there is a problem with the server when troubleshooting.

The following table lists the available Error Codes and their meanings.