About This Manual

Welcome to the Installation and Operation manual for the Cisco StrataCom Voice Network Switching (VNS) system.

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM, a member of the Cisco Connection Family, is updated monthly. Therefore, it might be more up to date than printed documentation. For further information about the Cisco CD-ROM package, see the section Cisco CD-ROM.

This preface includes the following sections:

• Objectives

• Audience

• Organization

• Related Documentation

• Cisco CD-ROM

• Conventions

• New Features in VNS Release 2.2

Objectives

This publication will step you through the initial site preparation, installation, and configuration of the VNS and the Voice Network Switching function.

Audience

This publication is designed for the person installing the VNS, who should be familiar with electronic circuitry and wiring practices and have experience as an electronic or electromechanical technician. It is also intended for the network administrator who will configure the VNS and provision the network to support voice SVCs. The installers and network administrators should also be familiar with Cisco StrataCom IGX and IPX switches, voice connections, and Cisco StrataCom wide area networks. During the initial installation of a VNS, it is also helpful to have a system administrator on-hand who is familiar with your network and UNIX servers.

Organization

This publication contains the following chapters:

Chapter 1	Introduction to Voice Network Switching This chapter describes Voice Network Switching, the VNS processor, and basic VNS features. It concentrates on the interfaces between a PBX and the VNS and the VNS and the Cisco StrataCom switch and network.
Chapter 2	Site Requirements This chapter describes the equipment and site conditions that should be in place when you get ready to set up your VNS.
Chapter 3	Unpack and Inspect the VNS This chapter describes unpacking your VNS shipping package.
Chapter 4	Rack Mounting the VNS This chapter describes how to install your VNS into a rack, typically with a Cisco StrataCom IGX/IPX node.
Chapter 5	Connecting Power to the VNS This chapter describes how to connect AC or DC power to your VNS and power it up.
Chapter 6	VNS Interface Connections This chapter describes how to connect the VNS physical interfaces to a terminal, a Cisco StrataCom node, and a SV+ Workstation.
Chapter 7	Understanding the VNS Configuration Interface This chapter describes the VNS Configuration Interface, a command line interface (CLI), and its menus, options and parameters.
Chapter 8	VNS Network Operation This chapter describes some of the common procedures encountered during the operation of a VNS network, particularly the provisioning of a VNS network through the VNS Configuration Interface.
Appendix A	Cable Information This appendix provides information about the AC power cables and the null modem cable.
Appendix B	Troubleshooting This appendix provides some VNS troubleshooting hints as well as a list of the VNS SNMP Traps.
Appendix C	Call Detail Records This appendix provides information about the format and content of the Call Detail Records (CDRs) that are kept by the VNS for each call.
Appendix D	Dial-In Support This appendix provides instructions for connecting a modem to the VNS to provide remote access for customers support.
Appendix E	Reinstalling VNS Interface Drivers This appendix provides instructions for reinstalling the interface drivers for the Frame Relay Card and the E1 Network Interface Cards (E1 NICs). These drivers are factory installed and should normally not have to be reinstalled in the field.
Appendix F	Upgrading VNS Software This appendix provides instructions for upgrading VNS software.
Appendix G	SPNNI Operation This appendix provides some guidelines for calculating the Frame Relay bandwidth needed for the connection between two VNSs controlling separate domains.
Appendix H	VNS Terminology This appendix defines the terms that help you understand the Voice Networking Switching enhancement to Cisco StrataCom wide area networks. It includes some common networking terms that have specific meaning for the VNS.
Appendix I	Channel Associated Signaling Voice Switching This appendix describes Voice Network Switching for PBXs using Channel Associated Signaling (CAS). It also describes the special configuration procedures for the IGX's Universal Voice Module Model C (UVM-C) which is required for CAS-to-QSIG conversion.
Appendix J	VNS Configuration Sheets This appendix provides some blank VNS configuration worksheets which can be copied and used during configuration of your system.

Related Documentation

• Cisco StrataView Plus Operations providing for procedures for using the StrataView Plus network management system.

• The appropriate release of the Cisco StrataCom IGX/IPX/BPX publication set, including:

  • Cisco StrataCom System Overview providing an introduction to Cisco StrataCom networks.

  • Cisco StrataCom BPX Service Node Reference providing a general description and technical details of the BPX broadband node.

  • Cisco StrataCom IPX Reference providing a general description and technical details of the IPX narrowband node.

  • Cisco StrataCom IPX Installation providing installation instructions for the IPX.

  • Cisco StrataCom IGX Reference providing a general description and technical details of the IGX node.

  • Cisco StrataCom IGX Installation providing installation instructions for the IGX.

  • Cisco StrataCom AXIS Reference providing a general description and technical details of the AXIS node.

  • Cisco StrataCom Command Reference providing detailed information on operating the BPX, IGX, and IPX systems through their command line interfaces.

Cisco CD-ROM

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM, a member of the Cisco Connection Family, is updated monthly. Therefore, it might be more up to date than printed documentation. To order additional copies of the Documentation CD-ROM, contact your local sales representative or call customer service. The CD-ROM package is available as a single package or as an annual subscription. You can also access Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at http://www.cisco.com, http://www-china.cisco.com, or http://www-europe.cisco.com.

Conventions

This publication uses the following conventions to convey instructions and information.

Command descriptions use these conventions:

• Commands and keywords are in boldface.

• Arguments for which you supply values are in italics.

• Elements in square brackets ([ ]) are optional.

• Alternative but required keywords are grouped in braces ({ }) and are separated by vertical bars ( | ).

Examples use these conventions:

• Terminal sessions and information the system displays are in screen font.

• Information you enter is in boldface screen font.

• Nonprinting characters, such as passwords, are in angle brackets (< >).

• Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets ([ ]).

Warning This warning symbol means danger. You are in a situation that could cause bodily injury. Before you work on any equipment, you must be aware of the hazards involved with electrical circuitry and be familiar with standard practices for preventing accidents. (To see translated versions of this warning, refer to the Regulatory Compliance and Safety Information document that accompanied the product.

Caution  Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

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Note Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not contained in the manual.

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New Features in VNS Release 2.2

The major new feature added to Voice Network Switching in Release 2.2, covered in this manual, is:

• CAS2.2 which is a variation of VNS QSIG protocol that supports switching for PBXs which use Channel Associated Signaling. This feature is supported in conjunction with the IGX's Universal Voice Module (UVM) with Model B firmware. This version of the UVM, which provides CAS-to-QSIG conversion, is supported in switched software release 8.5.

The Voice Network Switching features that were added to VNS in Release 2.1, and are covered in this manual, include:

• Q931A (Japanese ISDN) which adds another signaling protocol variant that Voice Network Switching supports.

• Database validation which provides automatic and periodic checking of the VNS database's integrity. This new feature also permits an operator to manually validate the database through the VNS Configuration Interface.

• Wildcard addressing routing for QSIG 2.1 allows an operator to enter wildcards as characters in VNS addresses. This feature simplifies addressing and speeds up call routing.

• Numerical sorting of addresses in the VNS database, which permits the VNS database address records to be browsed systematically.

• D channel preferred routing allows the operator to specify preferred routes for the D channel signalling between a PBX and the VNS and between VNSs in separate service areas (domains).

• D channel status provides a visible indication on the StrataView Plus network management system to indicate when a D channel has failed.

• Call Detail Records have been enhanced to indicate if the record is for either a voice or data call. These records also include four digits to indicate the year in date- and-time stamps to prevent problems when the year 2000 comes around.

• Break-Out/Break-In (BOBI) feature which allows PBXs using DPNSS to make calls through a Cisco StrataCom VNS network to a user connected to the European ISDN public network. It also allows users on the European ISDN network to call into a DPNSS through the Cisco StrataCom VNS network.

• Support for European ISDN (ETSI) the signalling variant used by the European ISDN network.

• Multi-homed links support for two or more links to the same end-user site (CPE or PBX).

• Multiple service areas which allows each VNS system to be assigned to control one or more nodes (i.e., IGX or IPX). This allows the VNS network to be divided up into more efficient domains.

• Multi-level logins provides user-access verification to control access and use of the VNS Configuration Interface. In other words, the use of the VNS Configuration Interface is password controlled.

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Note VNS Release 2.2 consists of QSIG 2.1, DPNSS 2.1, and Q931A (Japanese ISDN) 2.1 protocol releases, as well as the CAS switching feature. All of these protocol releases, which are independent of one another, are covered in this document. Where appropriate, differences between the QSIG 2.1, DPNSS 2.1, and Q931A 2.1 are pointed out. DPNSS 2.1 is compatible with switched software release 8.4, while QSIG 2.1 and Q931A 2.1 are compatible switched software release 8.2. (Customer Service can identify the current switched software releases.)

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