BLF Implementation

[jdwango]

Hi Everyone,

After doing an install with 15 Snom Phones that were supposed to support their Expansion Modules on my Quadro 16X, I must say that I am extremely upset with the implementation of BLF in the 16X.

I had no idea there was a limitation at all. I'm not saying that the 100ish watch limit wasnt in some kind of manual or data sheet, but I didnt see it. I think that this is something that must be more prominent. I have worked with Alloy to boost mine up a bit in order to do what I needed to do, but we are at the brink of the 100-something BLF instances. In a day, some of our phones go off line, and then that poor user gets an unexpected reboot for any reason and is forced to work without BLF for the rest of the day. I cannot justify rebooting the system for one user to get their BLF back.

If there was at LEAST a way to program the Quadro to release the watches from one extension, Say if Ext 13 goes off line, that there was a button I could press in the web interface that released all of Ext 13's BLF reservations and then I could plug it back in and it would get its reservations back, that would be very helpful. At least a current number of BLF reservations would be nice.

I find that the implementation EXTREMELY limits our ability to grow with the Quadro. I have 49 ip lines in use, and I cant use a basic feature on 3/4ths of them. I dont know what I am going to do at this point when I get new admin staff.

I understand that this is just how it works, and I'm sorry if it seems that I'm on a bit of a rant. I know that I am not the typical 16x installation, but If I just bought the Quadro 16x, and found out that I need the bigger system, what am I to do?

If there is anything I am missing in the manuals or web interfaces that magically fix this problem, flame away. I'd rather look like a fool than not know what I need to do to help my situation.

Thanks for listening :-) --J

[KSComs]

You can increase the 80 blf limit just make sure that you throw a decent enough memory stick in it ( 2 gig sandisk are good )

There is a hidden page in the Quadro.... this will allow you to get toward your number....


Kev

[davrays]

I am afraid the memory stick will not solve the problem (it is like feeding your car with more gasoline, hoping that it will go faster or will learn to fly...).

The 80-100 BLF limit on the 2x/4x/16x is a hardware limitation, which cannot be solved by adding a USB memory (probably you had such impression, Kevin, because somebody told you that "adding more memory could solve the problem", but it is different kind of memory they were talking about... - actually the device needs more RAM to be able to support more BLF, and so the USB Flash will not help).

The hidden page could help to some extend, but as I wrote in another thread here (http://support.epygi.com/forum/showp...30&postcount=4) - you should not increase it too much (up to 150 could be ok). Do you need much more, jdwango?..

The idea to show the current BLF vs allowed number of BLF is a good idea. Probably we could also raise a system event if the BLF limit has reached. We will consider implementing that...

Best regards,
David

[jdwango]

I am afraid the memory stick will not solve the problem (it is like feeding your car with more gasoline, hoping that it will go faster or will learn to fly...).

The 80-100 FLF limit on the 2x/4x/16x is a hardware limitation, which cannot be solved by adding a USB memory (probably you had such impression, Kevin, because somebody told you that "adding more memory could solve the problem", but it is different kind of memory they were talking about... - actually the device needs more RAM to be able to support more BLF, and so the USB Flash will not help).

The hidden page could help to some extend, but as I wrote in another thread here (http://support.epygi.com/forum/showp...30&postcount=4) - you should not increase it too much (up to 150 could be ok). Do you need much more, jdwango?..

The idea to show the current BLF vs allowed number of BLF is a good idea. Probably we could also raise a system event if the BLF limit has reached. We will consider implementing that...

Best regards,
David

Don't take this the wrong way, but yes.

My Quadro can support up to 50 IP Lines if I so choose to spend another 1000+ dollars with my Egypi reseller.

If I can spend the money with Egypi, I cant afford to watch all of those IP lines due to this limitation.

Why wouldnt I want to watch them all?

I can easily purchase the buttons.

As I said earlier, the reason for my post is so that other people are aware. I had no idea, and this is one limitation that most newcomers to epygi cannot afford to be let down with.

If it wanst so late in the game, I would return my Quadro. I'm left dissappointed and with out a whole lot of options.

--JM

[davrays]

Yep, I agree this limitation should have been presented more clearly in the documentation. We would probably need to wrtite a small Knowledgebase article on this at least...

if you have 50+ phones, you can watch all of them, but only from one or two phones. You cannot watch all phones from all phones (not sure why someone would need that, but ok, this could be the case, and I have seen other integrators doing the setup that way).

I agree that people should be warned, not to make such kind of setups (watching everybody from every phone), or to consider another hardware (including M32x), if they really need that setup.

Thanks for your post - making people aware is our common goal in this forum.

Best regards,
David

[medoneit]

A quick release of inactive BLF's would be handy.

Surely it makes sense in a dynamic world

It likes having to reboot my 2003 server because a user opened and closed to many files in one day!

[davrays]

What you mean saying "inactive" BLF?

[medoneit]

From what ive heard, the epigy has 100 BLFs available.

When a phone starts, it allocates its monitored extensions, and the availble BLF pool is reduced.

When a phone is reboot, it allocates more monitored extensions, further reducing the BLF pool.

Inactive = a BLF not in use anymore

[davrays]

Well, ok... But this case differs from your example with Win 2003 server. On your server the user "opened and closed to many files", while in this case the phone never cares to close (unsubscribe) the BLF key...

So the PBX is completely unaware that the keys are not needed anymore. Thus it can free the key only after the timeout expires..

If the phone was rebooted by the PBX, agree, PBX can free the BLFs used by that, but if the phone rebooted itself, how do you think we need to find out that the key subscription is not needed by the phone anymore?

[medoneit]

Good point, it is true that files can be left open on a windows server if the connection is severed un cleanly. I found one today!

Is there a timeout on subscribed BLFs? If you were to flush all subscriptions, would the phone auto matically reregister them without restarting?