1、 ATIS-0300108 ATIS Standard on - BEST PRACTICES FOR AUTO DIALER CALL VOLUME TESTING PROCEDURE: TDM AND VOIP As a leading technology and solutions development organization, ATIS brings together the top global ICT companies to advance the industrys most-pressing business priorities. Through ATIS commi
2、ttees and forums, nearly 200 companies address cloud services, device solutions, emergency services, M2M communications, cyber security, ehealth, network evolution, quality of service, billing support, operations, and more. These priorities follow a fast-track development lifecycle from design and i
3、nnovation through solutions that include standards, specifications, requirements, business use cases, software toolkits, and interoperability testing. ATIS is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ATIS is the North American Organizational Partner for the 3rd Generation Part
4、nership Project (3GPP), a founding Partner of oneM2M, a member and major U.S. contributor to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Radio and Telecommunications sectors, and a member of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL). For more information, visit. Notice of Disclaime
5、r the vendor of the Auto Dialer system; and the Auto Dialer User/Vendor. It is recommended that the bridge be opened 15 to 30 minutes before scheduled start time of the test. The provider of the conference bridge for coordination should be mutually agreed upon by the testing parties. 3. Once the tes
6、t has been initiated Telecommunications Service Provider monitors their call data systems to check for call completion or blockage. The central office technician or Network Operations Center surveillance personnel checks for an overload condition within the office. The Auto Dialer User/Vendor checks
7、 the call volume to the recipients to see if they are completing as well. All participants provide feedback to the conference bridge for the duration of the test. 4. If a critical incident affecting the network occurs (e.g. mass evacuation notification due to wildfire, earthquake, etc) it will be mu
8、tually agreed upon between the parties to suspend and/or reschedule the testing. 5. During the test Telecommunications Service Provider(s) captures snapshots of data screens to be used for future reference (normally reserved for use within Telecommunications Service Provider only). Based on the call
9、 volume presented during the test on the trunk group(s) going through the central office(s) that the Auto Dialer User/Vendor is targeting, Telecommunications Service Provider could make a recommendation on the optimal number of calls that can be sent in concurrent 1-minute periods without causing ne
10、twork blockage or the need for redialing the individual customers on the distribution list. If significant blockage occurs, the TSP could require the auto dialer user to reduce the total number of simultaneous calls or request a total stoppage of the test. 6. In the event that there are capacity cha
11、nges in the Telecommunications Service Providers network, or the Auto Dialer User/Vendors capability changes, then it may be necessary for new testing to occur. It is therefore recommended that periodic (e.g. monthly or quarterly) testing be arranged. 6 Post Test Discussions Related to Lessons Learn
12、ed and Evolution of Test Plan Once the tests have concluded a post test meeting should be conducted to determine how the tests went, if any lessons were learned, if any anomalies were discovered, and if any changes should be made to the test plan. In this way the test plan will continue to evolve ev
13、ery time testing occurs. It is recommended that tests should be run periodically to ensure that changing conditions are identified and cared for. There are three basic areas to look at in the post test discussion depending on the testing participants and how the system is managed. Test participants
14、could include but may not be limited to: the auto dialer user and/or the auto dialer vendor, and the telecommunications provider. Some basic items for discussion have been listed below. ATIS-0300108 5 6.1 For Auto Dialer User Based upon actual delivery time achieved, in what ways should communicatio
15、ns plans be modified relative to timing when Auto Dialer service is going to be used, or not used, in order to use the system effectively? Does each member of the communications management team have a strong understanding for what areas of the community can be reached quickly versus other areas whic
16、h will require more time? Is any training or re-training necessary for various stakeholders in the community in order to properly set expectations relative to using a mass notification service? Remember to go through these questions after each test or real event. Remember that the network is dynamic
17、 and that the results will change based upon the environment encountered when each call is sent. As with any Auto Dialer testing procedure it is recommended that the team review the results and apply lessons learned to future tests and real-world notifications scenarios. 6.2 For Auto Dialer Vendors
18、What information about the network configuration within the area can be saved and reused? What information about the carrier(s) and or the switch configuration can or cannot be applied to future messages sent on behalf of any and/or all customers? Is there a way to promote standardized testing proce
19、dures among the client base? What additional protocol can be established with the telecommunications service provider that can benefit other mutual clients? It is suggested that the appropriate call throttling algorithms for the respective area should be stored for automatic use in each subsequent c
20、all event. 6.3 For Telecommunications Service Providers If possible, establish an advance warning program for both future tests and, when possible, real-world scenarios. The intent of this process is to bring together the user, the telecommunications service provider, and the mass notification provi
21、der to identify simple scenarios where advanced notification of a mass notification event is given to the telecommunications service provider. Determine if the correct internal parties were involved with the advance testing process. Determine if there were any remote switching facilities that did or
22、 did not have direct access to trunks in the advance testing scenario. During the test was there any congestion between the remote and the host? If so, should this be evaluated for future system modifications and/or should further throttling be implemented and tested? Determine what statistical info
23、rmation can be shared between testing parties. Analyze congestion and make recommendations on where to throttle back traffic. Ask vendors/users to review the validity of phone numbers in database. Would the removal of numbers identified with fax machines and non-working numbers in the database bette
24、r alleviate congestion? Ask vendors/users how often the database is scrubbed for non-working numbers? Would scrubbing the database improve the performance of future tests? ATIS-0300108 6 7 Summary Auto Dialers Users, Auto Dialer Vendors, and Telecommunication Service Providers need to work together
25、to perform periodic coordinated tests. These tests will be used to determine the appropriate call throttling algorithms for the respective area as well as to foster ongoing dialogue among all parties to ensure timely and efficient communications. The auto dialer procedures and systems will continue to evolve.
