The Softdial Scheduler service is installed as part of the standard install of Softdial Contact Center™.
Using Softdial Scheduler,
- groups (queues) can be brought into and put out of service
- agents can be logged on/ off
- agents can be assigned to/removed from queues
- campaigns can be opened/ closed
- commands can be dispatched to the Dialer
- shell commands can be executed
at specific times for specific days, by defining Group, Agent, Campaign, Dialer Message or Shell Command schedules within the Scheduler config.xml file. This can be found by default in C:\Softdial\SCH\ and can be edited using any text editor.
Usage Details
Schedules can be configured in config.xml for 5 types of actions:
- group (queue)-specific,
- agent-specific,
- campaign-specific,
- Softdial CallGem™ message-related
- Shell command-related
| Type | Section | Details |
|---|---|---|
| group (queue)-specific | groupSchedules | Allows queues to be brought into and put out of service on specified days at specified times |
| agent-specific | agentSchedules | Includes login/logout and group assignment/removal configuration |
| campaign-specific | campaignSchedules | Includes campaign startup and shutdown configuration |
| Softdial CallGem™ message-related | dialerMessageSchedules | Covers configuration for scheduled dispatch of valid messages to Softdial CallGem™ |
| Shell command-related | shellCommandSchedules | Enables the user to specify a shell command for execution at certain time |
Connecting to Softdial CallGem™
In order to perform actions, Softdial Scheduler must be connected to Softdial CallGem™, as configured in either Scheduler.exe.config or the Registry (which overrides any other settings).
Scheduler.exe.config
In the <appSettings> section:
| Key | Default Value |
|---|---|
| Softdial Server | localhost |
| Softdial Base Port | 6502 |
Registry
If the ServerName and PortNumber values are present under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sytel\Scheduler
they will override the server name and port number specified in Scheduler.exe.config.
Checking Status
After the connection with Softdial CallGem™ is established, Softdial Scheduler subscribes to Softdial CallGem™'s enumeration events (such as Agent Data [AZ]). Enumeration events provide Softdial Scheduler with all the necessary state information on entities (such as agents) registered with the Dialer.
Having received its initial enumeration update, Softdial Scheduler checks whether the reported states are consistent with those specified in Config.xml.
Schedule Example
Let us assume there is a schedule configured for an agent with identifier Agent1, and the schedule states that Agent1 should be logged in between 08:00 and 17:00. What follows is:
- Softdial Scheduler processes all Agent Data [AZ] updates from Softdial CallGem™ at 08:00, and detects that the state for Agent1 is not reported. This means that Agent1 is not registered with Softdial CallGem™ (or still logged off).
- This prompts Softdial Scheduler to send an Agent Login [AL] message to Softdial CallGem™ with that agent's data (as specified in config.xml).
- Moreover, if the agent is logging into the system campaign, Softdial Scheduler will also send a Group Membership [GM] message to assign the agent to the queue specified in config.xml.
Message Logging
All the messages that Softdial Scheduler dispatches to and receives from Softdial CallGem™ (as well as other application events) are logged by Softdial Scheduler in the C:\Logs\SCH\Scheduler.txt file by default.
The log file settings can be specified in Scheduler.exe.config file in the logFile section. However, if present, the LogFilePath value under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sytel\Scheduler
will override the name of the log file specified in Scheduler.exe.config.