Knowledge Bas Articles: Data Collection

• PhoneControl is not collecting call data. What should I do?
• PhoneControl is not recording call data overnight or at weekends. Why?
• The Data Collection program has been accidentally closed. How do I restart it?

Q. PhoneControl is not collecting call data. What should I do? A. There are several causes for not collecting call data from the PABX, including;

• Data collection program has been closed down Windows shut down SMDR feed from PABX turned off Data cable removed or loose PC's communication port is faulty PC's hard disk is full Power Management is enabled Disconnected cable in patch panel
• Modem not responding for remote dial up

Check the following;

1. PC is on and working.Check the serial cable from the PABX is properly connected to the data collection communication port.Make sure the Data Collection program is running. If in doubt re-start the PC and this will automatically start Data Collection. To monitor Data Collection you may launch Data Collection Monitor. By right-clicking on the Site Name and selecting Properties, you can see when the last call was collected in Last Data Received. Also, you can right-click on the Site Name in the Connected pane, select Remote Connection then click Connect. The Realtime Data Monitor screen will display live call details. If you see call details then this confirms you are collecting call data. Once finished click the Disconnect button then Close.Sometimes the PABX will go into “sleep” mode and stop outputting call data. This may occur when the cable is disconnected, when there is a power failure, a fault with the SMDR card, or work is done on the PABX. You should contact your PABX maintainer to reset the PABX to enable the data stream from the SMDR.If the above fails try running “Hyper Terminal” to confirm data is being collected.Check all other devices used for collecting call data are working properly, for example your modem or buffer.Ensure Power Management is disabled in both Windows and BIOS.
2. If you are unable to see call data via “Hyper Terminal” the problem may lie with the communication port, cabling, or PABX. Contact your PABX maintainer for assistance.

Note: this is not a comprehensive list but serves as a general guide. You may need to contact your PABX technician to come on site, or, the cabling/computer to be checked by a qualified technician.

Q. PhoneControl is not recording call data overnight or at weekends. Why?

A. This suggests that the PC has Power Management enabled or that it has a screen saver with compatibility issues. Alternatively, someone else in your organisation may be shutting it down, e.g. to reduce electricity consumption. You need to disable power management on the PC. You may need to do this in the PC BIOS at start up, as well as in Control Panel > Power. It is critical that the PC always remains on, to ensure it continually collects data from the PABX. Check with other personnel in the area of the PC, and with your Network Administrator, to see if someone routinely shuts down PCs at night or at weekends (like the cleaner!).

Q. The Data Collection Program has accidentally been closed. How do I restart it?

A. The best way is to restart the computer because the Data Collection program is place in Start Up (in Program Configuration > Windows Startup). It will automatically run becuase it is in the computer Registry or it may be installed as a Service under Windows NT/2000.