Amanda [email protected] Version 3.xx Service manual

Administering
[e-mail]
Version 3.xx
Designed for
Administrator’s Guide Edition 7/01

ii Administering [e-mail]
Copyright, Trademark, and Other Notices
Copyright 1992–2001 The Amanda Company. All Rights Reserved. This guide and the
software described herein are copyrighted with all rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into
any language in any form by any means without the prior written permission of The
Amanda Company.
Amanda and Amanda@ are registered trademarks and sales trademarks of The Amanda
Company. Other brand names and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
[e-mail] is housed in an ITOX, Inc. Tiger Cub unit. The part number is WI-
EAR-33/4M, and the hard drive is HD-TC. This unit’s FCC registration number is 47CFR
part 15, class B. Its UL control number is C-UL;CSA.
Limited Warranty on Software
The Amanda Company warrants the media on which the software is recorded to be free
from defects in materials and faulty workmanship for a period of 90 days from the date the
software is delivered. If a defect in the media should occur during this period, you may
return the media to The Amanda Company and The Amanda Company will replace the
media without charge.
THE AMANDA COMPANY MAKES NO WARRANTIES (OTHER THAN THOSE
SET FORTH ABOVE) TO ANY PERSON OR ENTITY WITH RESPECT TO THE
PRODUCT OR ANY DERIVATIVES THEREOF OR ANY SERVICES OR LICENSES
AND DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, PERFORMANCE,
NONINFRINGEMENT, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE
AMANDA COMPANY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY BUG, ERROR,
OMISSION, DEFECT, DEFICIENCY, OR NONCONFORMITY IN ANY SOFTWARE.
THE SOFTWARE IS LICENSED “AS IS,” AND THE PURCHASER ASSUMES THE
ENTIRE RISK AS TO ITS QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE.
IN NO EVENT AND NOTWITHSTANDING ANY DOCUMENT, REPRESENTATION,
OR OTHERWISE, SHALL THE AMANDA COMPANY BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONTINGENT, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING DAMAGES FROM LOSS OR
CORRUPTION OF DATA, INTERRUPTED USE, LOST PROFITS, COST OF
PROCURING SUBSTITUTE GOODS, TECHNOLOGY OR SERVICES, EVEN IF THE
AMANDA COMPANY OR AN AUTHORIZED AMANDA COMPANY DEALER HAS
BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. YOU AGREE THAT
THE AMANDA COMPANY’S LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF CONTRACT,
NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, WARRANTY, OR OTHER LEGAL OR
EQUITABLE THEORY SHALL NOT EXCEED ANY AMOUNTS PAID BY YOU FOR
THIS PRODUCT. Any written or oral information or advice given by Amanda Company
dealers, distributors, agents, or employees will in no way increase the scope of this
warranty, nor may you rely on such oral or written communication. Some states do not
allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or liability for incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. This
warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary
from state to state. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California
without regard to the conflicts of laws or provisions thereof.

iii
Fraudulent Usage Advisory
Although the Amanda software is designed to resist fraudulent usage, including
unauthorized access to a long distance network, no product, including the Amanda
software, is able to prevent such unauthorized usage. The Amanda software is likewise
unable to prevent such uses as may constitute an invasion of privacy or other tort. THE
AMANDA COMPANY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY AGAINST
UNLAWFUL OR UNAUTHORIZED USE OF YOUR AMANDA SYSTEM OR ITS
CAPABILITIES AND HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY ARISING FROM
SUCH USE. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNIFY, DEFEND, AND HOLD THE AMANDA
COMPANY HARMLESS FOR ANY UNAUTHORIZED OR FRAUDULENT USE OF
YOUR LICENSED AMANDA SOFTWARE.
THE AMANDA COMPANY
13765 ALTON PARKWAY, UNIT F
IRVINE, CA 92618
TELEPHONE [phone] FAX [phone]
Conventions
This manual uses the following terminology and conventions:
Amanda The name by which this manual refers to the Aman-
[e-mail] system to make reading about the
system easier. Because of the name Amanda, the
system is also referred to as “she.”
caller Someone who calls into Amanda. A caller often ob-
tains information, leaves a message for someone,
and/or provides information. Because Amanda is
referred toas “she,” callers andusers are referredto
as “he.”
user Someone with an extension that Amanda transfers
calls to and/or stores messages for. A user can ac-
cess Amanda to play, delete, and send messages as
well as set personal options such as Do Not Disturb.
fixed-space type This guide displays information that you must type
and messages from Amanda in fixed-space type.

iv Administering [e-mail]

Contents
Copyright, Trademark, and Other Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii
Limited Warranty on Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii
Fraudulent Usage Advisory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Chapter 1:
Introducing Amanda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
What Amanda Does. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
How Amanda Operates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
A Mailbox for Each User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Mailboxes that Control Call Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Mailboxes that Provide Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
The Power of Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Processing Calls and Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Processing a Call. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Processing a Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Customer Service and Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
End User Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
System Administration Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Installation Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Application Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Chapter 2:
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Starting Amanda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Using Command-line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Shutting Amanda Down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Changing the Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Chapter 3:
Monitoring Amanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Using the Main Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Avoiding Security Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Resetting Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Tracing Port Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Resetting the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Copying Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Chapter 4:
Recording the Greetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Calling Amanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Recording the Company Greeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Sample Greetings for mailbox 990. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Sample Scheduling Records for Mailbox 990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

vi Administering [e-mail]
More Holiday Samples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Recording Caller Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Sample Instructions for Mailbox 991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Sample Scheduling Records for Mailbox 991. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Recording Employee Directory Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Chapter 5:
Setting Up Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Accessing the Users Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Managing Mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Using a Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Using Templates with an Amanda/Norstar System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Asking the User for Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Personal Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Creating a Personal Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Creating a Mailbox for Someone Without a Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Creating Mailboxes Automatically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Informational Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Creating an Information Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Creating a Range of Mailboxes from an Existing Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Modifying an Existing Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Moving from One Mailbox to Another. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Deleting an Existing Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Mailbox Field Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Chapter 6:
Notifying Users. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Selecting a Port for Notification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Planning Your Notification Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Accessing the Notify Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Managing Notification Records and Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Creating a Notification Record and a Notification Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Creating a Notification Record from an Existing Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Modifying Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Testing a Notification Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Disabling a Notification Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Changing Notification Telephone Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Changing the Notification Variable by Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Examples of Notification Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Controlling a Message Light. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Using %U and %V instead of %E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Using Voice Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Calling a Pager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Relaying Information to a Pager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Calling Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Emergency Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

vii
Chapter 7:
Automatic Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Managing Automatic Call-processing Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Creating Scheduling Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Modifying Scheduling Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Testing a Scheduling Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Disabling a Scheduling Record. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Example: Changing User’s Greetings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Chapter 8:
Generating Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Managing Reports and Report Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Creating Reports and Report Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Creating Reports from Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Printing Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Saving Reports as Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Chapter 9:
Using the Administrator Mailbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Administering Amanda by Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Managing System Announcements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Changing the Busy Hold Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Locking and Unlocking Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Resetting Mailboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Shutting Amanda Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Listening to System Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Creating System-wide Mailing Lists. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Resetting the Date and Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Setting Up the Administrator Mailbox from the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Chapter 10:
Using Utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Backing Up and Restoring Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Deleting Mailboxes and Mailing Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Deleting Mailboxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Deleting Personal Mailing Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Displaying Message Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Validating Notification Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Managing Text Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Searching Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Editing a Text File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
JOVE Commands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89
Displaying Text Files (20 Lines at a Time). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Displaying the Last n Lines of Text Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Performing Operations at Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Reviewing Installation History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Appendix A:
Setup Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Company Greeting Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Caller Instructions Example. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94
Mailbox with Greetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Mailbox with Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
General Mailbox Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97

viii Administering [e-mail]
Mailbox Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
Notification Records. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Appendix B:
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Chapter 1:
Introducing Amanda
What Amanda Does
[e-mail] is an automated attendant and voice processing system designed
especially for ease of use and flexibility. As a PC-based product, Amanda takes advantage
of the technical innovations in the personal computer market. In addition, Amanda’s
standard hardware components can be repaired or replaced by any PC service company.
The computer on which Amanda is installed must be used only for Amanda.
Depending on what lines from your PBX are connected to Amanda and when calls are
sent to Amanda to be processed, Amanda can serve you or your customer in a variety of
ways.
Configured as a primary attendant: Amanda answers all your incoming calls on the
lines you designate and allows the callers to direct their calls to a specific person or
department without being placed on indefinite hold. If a specific person is unavailable,
Amanda can take a private message for that person without missing any details.
In this case, the telephone switching system sends all incoming calls to Amanda.
Configured as a secondary attendant: Amanda assists your regular operator when call
volume is heavy, allowing callers to direct their own calls or hold for the operator. Some
companies provide specific incoming lines for Amanda as a backdoor attendant for calls
from vendors, family members, friends, and special clients who prefer to have Amanda
process their calls.
In this case, the telephone switching system sends incoming calls to Amanda only when
the regular operator’s extension is busy or not answered.
Configured as an off-duty attendant: Amanda provides 24-hour access to your
company and its employees when an operator is unavailable.
In this case, the telephone switching system sends all incoming calls to Amanda while the
office is closed.
Configured as a voice messaging center: Amanda takes messages and allows users to
send, store, and forward messages, increasing productivity and enhancing inter-office
communication.
In this case, the telephone switching system transfers any incoming call to Amanda if the
extension being called is busy or not answering.
Configured as an information system: Amanda provides answers to your callers’ most
frequently asked questions (so you can avoid costly interruptions and provide a higher
level of customer service 24 hours a day). Information such as your address, available

2 Administering Amand[email protected]e
hours, directions to your offices, and so forth, might be better handled by Amanda.
Amanda’s serial ports can access databases and other information stored in other
computers, allowing Amanda to give callers information on account balances, train
schedules, and so forth.
In this case, the telephone switching system or even an operator can send incoming calls to
Amanda. Then automatically, or if selected, Amanda plays out the requested information.
How Amanda Operates
To users and callers, Amanda is a voice on the telephone guiding them to people, services,
and messages. However, Amanda’s entire design revolves around the mailboxes defined
by you, the system administrator. This chapter explains what a mailbox is, how Amanda
uses mailboxes to process calls, and how Amanda processes each mailbox based on the
contents of fields associated with it.
A Mailbox for Each User
Each user of the Amanda system has a mailbox. The Amanda Company recommends
using the same number as the extension number, but you don’t have to—unless you are
using digital integration (such as SMDI). Amanda dials the extension number to reach a
user who has a call. The mailbox identifies a record in Amanda’s database. The record
contains fields that define how Amanda processes each user’s calls. The system
administrator initially (and ultimately) controls the contents of these fields, but the user
can change many of them. For example, the user can turn Do Not Disturb on and off
during a hectic day.
The user changes the contents of these fields using a telephone and a series of menus. The
administrator changes them from Amanda’s Users screen. The administrator can view all
the fields associated with the mailbox at the same time and move easily from the fields for
one mailbox to the fields for another.
In addition to these fields, each mailbox has one or more recorded greetings. For example,
when a user does not answer a call, the caller hears a greeting, such as “Hi. This is Ralph
at extension 123. Please leave a message….”
A typical mailbox is configured to ring a telephone extension and record messages from
callers. Users periodically check their mailboxes for messages, or they can be notified that
a message exists in a variety of ways. Typically, there is one user for each mailbox, even
though several mailboxes might share a single telephone extension.
Mailboxes that Control Call Processing
There are more mailboxes than there are users. This is because mailboxes also control the
flow of a call. For example, the company greeting and all the menus are played as
greetings for mailboxes. One mailbox directs the call to another mailbox for further
processing.
By default, Amanda starts with mailbox 990, known as the Company Greeting mailbox.
Amanda plays a very short greeting for that mailbox, which is something similar to
“Thank you for calling The Amanda Company.”

Chapter 1: Introducing Amanda 3
The Done Chain field, one of the fields associated with mailbox 990, causes Amanda to
route the call to mailbox 991, known as the Caller Instructions mailbox—unless the caller
enters the DTMF (touch tone) digits for another mailbox, such as Ralph’s 123. The
greeting Amanda plays for mailbox 991 is a menu of choices (for example, “For sales,
press 1. For customer support, press 2….”). If the caller presses a number from the menu,
Amanda routes the call to the mailbox associated with that menu number.
The Caller Instructions mailbox (by default mailbox 991) is very important because the
caller returns to it if all else fails. It is what keeps the caller from becoming lost in the
system.
You don’t have to use mailboxes 990 and 991, but it is very important that you use two
mailboxes. The first should always provide a very short general greeting. The second
should be a very specific set of instructions or a menu that allows the caller to reroute
himself. The caller can hear it under a variety of circumstances. The second mailbox must
be the value stored in the first mailbox’s Done Chain field.
You can use these two mailboxes for all calls coming into Amanda, or you can use two
different mailboxes per port. This allows you to have a separate general greeting and set of
instructions for each port.
Mailboxes that Provide Information
An informational mailbox (such as 990 or 991) does not accept messages from callers;
instead, its greeting is played to callers to provide them with various pieces of
information, such as the company’s hours of operation, location, and so forth. No real user
or telephone extension corresponds to this kind of mailbox.
The Power of Mailboxes
Amanda makes a distinction between the mailbox and the user’s extension, although they
are usually the same number. The mailbox is the number for a record in Amanda’s
database. The extension is what Amanda must dial to transfer a call. By making this
distinction, Amanda can provide powerful features through her Token Programming
Language.
All of Amanda’s mailboxes are stored in a single database, so no two users can have the
same number. For example, you can have only one mailbox 0 (usually the company
operator). To use 0 more that once, Amanda provides single-digit menus. When you
define a single-digit menu, you provide a mailbox to be processed for each number on the
menu (1–9 and 0). Amanda processes that mailbox when the user or caller selects the
corresponding menu number. For example, if a caller is in mailbox 100 and mailbox 100
maps the menu number 0 to mailbox 222, then Amanda sends callers who press 0 to
mailbox 222 rather than to the company operator designated as mailbox 0.
When a digit is not mapped as a menu number, Amanda treats the digit as a mailbox. For
example, if 0 is not mapped, the caller who enters it reaches mailbox 0, which is usually
the operator. Similarly, if a caller enters more than one digit, such as 123, the caller
reaches mailbox 123 (if it exists).

4 Administering Amand[email protected]e
Processing Calls and Mailboxes
To learn the basics of Amanda’s call processing capabilities, you must understand the
following concepts.
• How Amanda processes a call by going from one mailbox to another
• How Amanda processes an individual mailbox based on the contents of its fields
Processing a Call
Amanda waits for incoming calls directed to her by your telephone switching system.
When a call comes to an Amanda telephone port, Amanda goes from one mailbox to
another as she processes that call. How does she know what mailboxes to use?
• As Amanda answers a call, she starts with the mailbox defined for use with the
port that handles the call. This is usually mailbox 990, the Company Greeting
mailbox. See “Recording the Company Greeting” on page 22 for more informa-
tion about setting up this mailbox.
• She proceeds with the mailbox she finds in the Done Chain field for the current
mailbox unless the caller enters an extension.
• Amanda translates the digits that the caller enters (whether an extension or a num-
ber from a menu) to a mailbox and continues processing at that mailbox.
• Depending on the fields associated with a particular mailbox, Amanda uses the
contents of that mailbox’sExtension field, Done Chain field, Busy Chain field, or
RNA (Ring No Answer) Chain field to determine what to do next.
• Tokens from Amanda’s Token Programming Language are used in the Extension
field. The Done Chain, Busy Chain, and RNA fields contain only mailboxes. See
Installing [e-mail] for more information about the Token Program-
ming Language.
• Eventually, the caller talks to someone, leaves a message, and/or hangs up.
The following diagram helps to illustrate this concept.

Chapter 1: Introducing Amanda 5
Call Processing Diagram
NOTE:If a Done Chain field is not defined, Amanda uses the Done Chain field of the
Company Greeting mailbox as a default. While this default Done Chain can
vary from port to port, it usually is the Done Chain field for mailbox 990 and
is initially set to mailbox 991 (referred to as the Caller Instructions mailbox).
Because of this feature, callers who make invalid choices return to the Caller
Instructionmailboxand hear amenuofchoices.Thiskeepsthem from getting
lost in the system.

6 Administering Amand[email protected]e
Processing a Mailbox
Every time Amanda processes a mailbox during a supervised transfer, she follows the path
shown in the following diagram. The settings for the fields associated with the mailbox,
such as the Do Not Disturb, determine what actions Amanda does or does not take.
While Amanda processes every mailbox the same way, the dotted rectangle around the left
column of the diagram’s first page shows a typical call—starting with Amanda dialing a
user’s extension and ending with the call being answered, busy, or not answered after a
number of rings.
The right column of the first page (outside the dotted rectangle), shows the processing for
additional (in some cases, special) features. For example, it shows how Amanda:
• Routes the call if Do Not Disturb is on
• Identifies the caller, the called party, or both
• Allows the called party to screen calls
• Knows when to go to another mailboxor processtokens from theToken Program-
ming Language
The second page of the diagram shows in detail what Amanda does when she supervises
the transfer of a call and finds that the extension is answered, busy, or not answered. The
third page shows when messages are recorded and where they are stored.
NOTE:At any time, the caller can enter a number from the menu or the number
for another mailbox. If the caller enters a single digit and there are menu
fields, Amanda checks for values in those menu fields first. If the menu
field for that digit is empty or if the caller enters more than one digit,
Amanda assumes that the caller entered a mailbox.

Chapter 1: Introducing Amanda 7
Mailbox Processing Diagram

8 Administering Amand[email protected]e
Mailbox Processing Diagram (continued)
Mailbox Processing Diagram (continued)

Chapter 1: Introducing Amanda 9
Customer Service and Support
The Amanda Company provides customer service and support Monday through Friday
from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time, except holidays.
Customer Support:
(800) 800–9822
For sales, contact The Amanda Company at the East Coast office.
Dealer Sales:
Telephone: [phone]
Distribution Sales:
Telephone: [phone]
International Sales:
Telephone: [phone]
International Support:
Telephone: [phone]
Web Site:
http://www.taa.com
End User Support
End user support covers the actual usage of Amanda through the telephone, such as
picking up messages, sending messages, changing greetings, and using distribution lists.
Registered Amanda sites receive free end user support for the life of their systems. Be sure
to send in your registration card!
System Administration Support
System administration support covers the configuration of Amanda; such as setting up
mailboxes, programming notification, setting automatic schedule changes, and creating
reports. Registered Amanda sites receive free system administration support for up to six
months after the installation. Be sure to send in your registration card!
Installation Support
Installation support covers the initial connection of Amanda to a telephone switching
system as well as problems that occur when the system changes or Amanda is upgraded.
The Amanda Company offers installation support to any dealer who buys a turnkey
system.
Qualified Amanda marketing partners and solution providers, who are in good standing,
receive installation support for any system.

10 Administering [e-mail]
Application Support
Application support covers extended programs that can be configured using Amanda’s
powerful Token Programming Language. The Amanda Company can write custom
applications for you. All Amanda solution providers, who are in good standing, receive
application support. Please contact your Amanda sales representative for more
information.

Chapter 2:
Getting Started
Starting Amanda
To start Amanda:
1. Turn the computer on.
Amanda displays:
Do you want to run SCANDISK[Y,N]?
SCANDISK is a DOS program that checks that your disk and file structures are
intact.
2. Press Y for Yes or N for No. If you do not make a selection within 30 seconds,
SCANDISK starts automatically.
3. Next Amanda displays:
Do you want to run [email protected][Y,N]?
Press Y for Yes. If you do not make a selection within 30 seconds, Amanda starts
automatically. This allows for unattended operation.
After Amanda loads and checks all the mailboxes, she displays the Main screen. The
word Main appears in the upper right corner of the screen.
NOTE:At step 3, press N to access system files or perform system testswith
an Amanda Company representative. After performing those opera-
tions (or if you press N accidentally), restart Amanda by typing
amanda at any DOS prompt.
During start up, if Amanda cannot load the PBX and TON files,
which store dial codes, tone patterns, and integration patterns for
your telephone switching system, she displays a panic message and
immediately shuts down.
Using Command-line Options
Amanda can be run with a variety of command-line options. The brackets [ ] indicate
when nis optional. Do not use the brackets in the command-line option. The value nis
italicized because you must replace it with a number if you use it.
/I Runs Amanda in what is called “demonstration mode.” Amanda does
not answer calls, but you can change mailbox settings, notification
records, and so forth.

12 Administering [e-mail]
To change the command-line options, you can doing either of the following:
• Simply type the options after AMANDA as you start Amanda. (Your options are
added to those already appearing on the RAMANDA line in the AMANDA.BAT
file. If an option is used more than once, its last form is the one that goes into ef-
fect.)
• Alter the AMANDA.BAT file that runs Amanda. It is found in the root directory
(C:) Use JOVE or another editor to change the line that starts with the name of
Amanda’s executable, RAMANDA.
Shutting Amanda Down
To shut down Amanda:
1. Press Alt+S.
The password dialog box appears.
2. Type in the password. (The default is AMandA with only the first two and the last let-
ter capitalized.)
3. Press Enter.
4. Press Y (to confirm the shutdown).
5. Press Y again (to reconfirm).
6. After the DOS prompt C:\AMANDA> appears, wait 30 seconds before turning off the
power.
/T[n]Causes Amanda to trace the activity on all ports, storing that
information in C:\AMANDA\TRACE.OUT. Specifying ncauses
Amanda to write to disk after every nlines. (By default, Amanda
writes to the trace file every 1024 characters.) New installations of
6.02 run with /T /S1300 and store the last three trace files as well as
the current one. Amanda creates a new trace file every time she
restarts. 1300 kilobytes is suitable for copying to 1.44 MB floppy
disks.
/S[n]Limits the size of the trace file to the last nkilobytes of information.
/PnRestricts trace information to port n. Use two digits, such as 01 or 12,
to indicate the port.