Multi Line Hunt Group

The Multi Line Hunt Group (MLHG) object defines a set of lines within a Business Group (MLHG Members), so that calls to the group are passed to a non-busy line within the Hunt Group, or may be added to a queue if all lines are busy. It is a child of the Multi Line Hunt Groups object.

A MLHG has up to 32 MLHG Member child objects, each corresponding to a Business Group Line that can accept calls to the MLHG.

You can optionally assign one or more MLHG Pilot Directory Numbers to the Hunt Group. These provide a contact number for the whole group that will always pick a free line, instead of being associated with a specific line within the Hunt Group. This could be useful, for example, if you are using a Multi Line Hunt Group for a call center and wanted to provide one number for the public to call. Additionally, calls that are dialed directly to a number within the Hunt Group can be forwarded to a non-busy line within the Hunt Group if the number they are calling is busy, or may be treated as busy if you prefer. Intercom calls are never hunted.

Users who want to temporarily remove themselves from the Multi Line Hunt Group can log in and out of the Hunt Group, if they have been allowed to do so, configured on the MLHG Member object. Alternatively, they can use Do Not Disturb, but doing this prevents all calls to them (including intercom calls), not just calls from the Multi Line Hunt Group.

The Multi Line Hunt Group object configures the overall behaviour of the Group. The directory numbers that are part of the Multi Line Hunt Group (MLHG Members), and any Pilot Directory Numbers you want to assign to the group as a whole, are defined by child objects of the Multi Line Hunt Group.

A Multi Line Hunt Group and its child MLHG Pilot Directory Number and MADN Members can be managed by a Web Self-Care user who is an administrator for the department specified in the Department field, or for a higher-level department of which this is a sub-department.

Object-Specific Actions
Statistics Opens the Statistics viewer, which allows you to view historical statistics data for this object.

Parameter

Access

Description
Name Change A text string used in the EMS System Explorer to identify this Multi Line Hunt Group. Specify a string of up to 64 characters. (This name can include accented / international characters as defined in ISO 8859-1.)
Number Change Specifies an identifying number for this MLHG. This is used by a BG Line user when logging in to the MLHG. Range: 1-2147483647 If you do not specify a number, the lowest available number is allocated when you apply the changes to this object.
Login/logout supported by default for new members Change Specifies the default value for the Login/logout support field for new MLHG Members that are created as part of this MLHG. Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Department Change The department within this Business Group, if any, to which this MLHG belongs. Select from the drop-down list of all Departments configured in this Business Group. The MLHG can be managed by a Web Self-Care user who is an administrator for this department, or for a higher-level department of which this is a sub-department. To specify that this MLHG belongs to the top level of the Business Group and not to any department within it, select the entry None. The default is None.
Distribution algorithm Change Inactive Specifies the method used for determining which non-busy line in the Multi Line Hunt Group will receive a call. Values:
  • Linear (default)
    If a Pilot Directory Number is called, hunting starts with the first MLHG Member child object and continues through the list in order until a non-busy line is found.
    If a busy MLHG Member is dialed directly, and Hunt on direct dialed calls is set to True, hunting starts with the MLHG Member after the dialed number and continues to the end of the list until a non-busy line is found. It does not start again from the beginning of the list.
  • Circular
    If a Pilot Directory Number is called, this is the same as Linear (above).
    If a busy MLHG Member is dialed directly, and Hunt on direct dialed calls is set to True, this is the same as Linear (above) except that once the end of the list is reached, hunting will continue from the beginning of the list until it reaches the dialed MLHG Member.
  • Uniform (Round robin)
    If a Pilot Directory Number is called, hunting starts with the first number after the line that was selected by the previous hunt. When the end of the list is reached, hunting continues from the beginning of the list until it reaches the number it started with.
    If a busy MLHG Member is dialed directly, and Hunt on direct dialed calls is set to True, this is the same as Circular hunting.
  • Uniform (Longest idle)
    If a Pilot Directory Number is called, or a busy MLHG Member is dialed directly and Hunt on direct dialed calls is set to True, hunting starts with the MLHG Member that has been idle for the longest. The idle time for a Member is calculated using the end time of any incoming or outgoing calls to or from the Member, not just those allocated by hunting. When an MLHG Member disables the Do Not Disturb call service, its idle time is reset to zero.
Queuing supported Change Inactive Specifies whether queuing is supported for this Multi Line Hunt Group, if all lines are busy. Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Maximum queue length Change Inactive This field is visible only if Queuing supported is set to True. Specifies the maximum number of calls which can be queued at one time. Range: 1 - 256. The default is 16.
Limit queuing time Change Inactive This field is visible only if Queuing supported is set to True. Specifies whether there is a limit to the length of time a call can be held in the queue. Once this time limit is reached, any call services for busy calls (for example, Busy Call Forwarding) are activated based on the configuration of the number originally called. Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Maximum queue timeout Change Inactive This field is visible only if Queuing supported is set to True and Limit queuing time is set to True. Specifies the maximum length of time a call can be queued for. Range: 1 - 3600 seconds. You must supply a value for this field, if it is visible.
Hunt on direct dialed calls Change Inactive Specifies whether external calls directly to a line within the Multi Line Hunt Group are treated to line hunting or not. (Note that this does not apply to intercom calls.) Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Delivery of called DN as Caller ID Change Inactive Specifies whether the directory number that was called should be delivered as the caller ID. This can be used so that, for example, a helpdesk receiving calls could know whether the "Helpdesk" or "Accounts Enquiries" number had been called. Values:
  • True
    The directory number that was called is delivered as the caller ID. For subscribers whose phones can report a redirecting number (typically SIP or ISDN subscribers), this number is not delivered as the redirecting number.
  • False (default)
    The original calling number is delivered as the caller ID. For subscribers whose phones can report a redirecting number, the called number is delivered as the redirecting number.
Traffic study Change This field specifies whether this Multi Line Hunt Group should have statistics for line traffic usage recorded in the metastats.txt log file. See the Ancillary Servers Guide for more details of this file. The child statistics object of a Multi Line Hunt Group always reports line traffic usage. Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Note that if the maximum allowed number of currently active studies has been met, setting this field to True will be rejected when you apply the change.
Diagnostics - logging - log level Change Specifies the level of logs recorded for this object. Logs with a priority equal to or greater than the priority specified are recorded. Set to Default level to use the system-wide default level. Values:
  • Level 10 (diagnostics)
  • Level 20 (verbose statistics)
  • Level 30 (verbose operational)
  • Level 40 (statistics)
  • Level 50 (audit)
  • Level 60 (operational)
  • Level 70 (unexpected)
  • Level 80 (error)
  • Level 90 (fatal)
  • Default level (default)
Diagnostics - API trace - enabled Change Specifies whether API tracing is enabled for this object. Values:
  • True
  • False (default)
Diagnostics - API trace - trace tag Change An optional text string inserted into API tracing and PD logging for this object. (This string can include accented / international characters as defined in ISO 8859-1.) If you want to filter on this tag in the craft interface, do not include spaces or any of the characters ^ \ $ * + ? | ( ) , . ' ' " [ ] { }.
Diagnostics - API trace - trace remote number Change The remote directory number that should be API traced. Outgoing calls made to this number or incoming calls received from this number should be API traced. If a directory number is not specified, all calls made by and received by this subscriber will be API traced.
Child Call Service Attention Required alarms Read only The total number of Call Service children of this object that are in Attention Required state.
Child Call Service Attention Required alarm events Read only / Reset The total number of times that the alarm state for a Call Service child object has gone to Attention Required.
Child Call Service Attend To Dependent alarms Read only The total number of Call Service children of this object that are in Attend To Dependent state.
Child Call Service Attend To Dependent alarm events Read only / Reset The total number of times that the alarm state for a Call Service child object has gone to Attend To Dependent.
Summary child alarm state Read only Summarizes the alarm status for all children of this object. Values:
  • Clear
    No alarms are currently raised.
  • Attention Required
    Attention Required - one or more child objects are not operating normally, and need operator intervention.
  • Attend To Dependent
    Attention Required elsewhere - another object on which one or more child objects depend is not operating normally.
Requested status Read only Specifies whether an administrator has attempted to enable the Multi Line Hunt Group. Values:
  • Enabled
    The object has been enabled.
  • Disabled
    The object has not been enabled or has been disabled.
Actual status Read only Specifies the current status of the Multi Line Hunt Group. Values:
  • Enabled
    The object has been enabled.
  • Disabled
    The object has not been enabled or has been disabled.