Configuring Network Mailboxes

Creating Network Mailboxes

There is very little difference between a regular mailbox and a network mailbox. A regular mailbox becomes a network mailbox when you associate it with a network class of service (NCOS) that allows messaging across the network. Network Class of Service is described in Configuring the Network Class of Service.

Unless you specify otherwise, all mailboxes are assigned NCOS 1. To make administration easier, you should configure NCOS 1 to match the needs of the largest group of network users.

If you enabled GCOS checking across the network (NCOS feature 001), you must pay special attention to the GCOS that you assign to each mailbox so that the mailbox owner can communicate with the appropriate people.

Modifying Existing Mailboxes for Networking

When you add NP Net software to a NuPoint Unified Messaging server that is already processing calls, the default NCOS that was assigned to all mailboxes becomes effective. To change mailbox NCOS assignments on one mailbox or on a range of mailboxes.

Adding Network Mailboxes to Distribution Lists

If you maintain any distribution lists from the console, such as system-level distribution lists, you can add remote mailboxes to those lists. You add remote mailboxes from the console using the same letters as the dialing plan: N and P. When adding members to a distribution list, enter N and a remote mailbox number (just like a user would enter the number when addressing a message), or P and a prefix and mailbox number.

Any remote mailbox entries that you put in distribution lists must match the dialing plan and Node Access Table configuration.

Broadcasting over the Network

A Broadcast mailbox (mailboxes with FCOS bit 122) functions differently when broadcasting to remote mailboxes:

• FCOS bit 123, which directs the system to announce the broadcast mailbox number/name to the recipient, rather than the sender's mailbox number/name, does not work when the message is sent to a remote node.

• Messages made for a broadcast mailbox are automatically sent to every member of distribution list 01 of that mailbox. Local and remote mailboxes can be included in this distribution list. Distribution lists are limited to 200 members, and each local or remote mailbox in the list counts toward that limit.

• The same system will not perform a "double broadcast," that is, if one of the child mailboxes is also a broadcast mailbox, the message will not be sent to the mailboxes in its distribution list 01.

• If a remote broadcast mailbox is included in distribution list 01 of the local broadcast mailbox, the message will be broadcast to the remote mailbox's distribution list 01, since each broadcast is done by a different system.

Message Queues and the Mailbox Message Count

The mailbox Limits Class of Service limits the number of messages that can be stored in a mailbox. The maximum number of messages allowed is 200 (note that attachments to a message count toward this total). Network messages that are queued but have not been sent count toward this limit, and so do message receipts. You must take these additional demands on mailbox message storage into account when programming network queue configurations and when assigning Limits Classes of Service to network mailboxes.