Natural Access components

Natural Access is a complete software development environment for voice applications. It provides a standard set of functions grouped into logical services. Each service has a standard programming interface. The Natural Access components include:

• Natural Access development environment that provides services for performing call control, system configuration, media processing, and other functions.

• NMS OAM software that configures, administers, and maintains the system.

• OAM configuration files that describe how the board is set up and initialized.

• Runtime software and drivers for controlling CG boards.

• One or more trunk control programs (TCPs) that allow applications to communicate with the telephone network using the signaling schemes (or protocols) used on the trunk.

• NMS DLCP software

The following illustration shows the Natural Access software environment:

DLCP applications require the following services:

If your application requires functionality provided by any other Natural Access services, you must also install and initialize these services.

NMS OAM

NMS OAM manages and maintains system resources. These resources include hardware components (including CG boards) and low-level board management software modules (such as the Hot Swap process).

You can perform the following tasks using NMS OAM:

• Create, edit, delete, and query the configuration of a component.

• Start (boot), stop (shut down), and test a component.

• Receive notifications from components.

NMS OAM maintains a database containing records of configuration information for each component as shown in the following illustration:

Information in this configuration database consists of parameters and values, expressed as keyword name/value pairs (for example, Encoding = muLaw). You can query the NMS OAM database for keyword values in any component. Keywords and values can be added, modified or deleted.

Use the oamsys utility to initialize your boards based on the information in the configuration files. oamsys transfers all software modules specified in the system configuration file (and the board keyword files referenced by it) to the boards on the system. oamsys also performs other configuration tasks as needed. In addition, NMS OAM provides the following utilities:

• oammon allows you to monitor boards for errors and other events.

• oamcfg allows you to change system information or board parameters while the system is running.

For more information about NMS OAM and NMS OAM utilities, refer to the NMS OAM System User's Manual.

NMS OAM configuration files

An NMS OAM system configuration file and the board keyword files it references provide information that tell the oamsys configuration program how to configure the boards on the system. When you set up your system, edit these files to specify configuration information for all boards in your system.

Several sample board keyword files are included with the DLCP software. These sample board keyword files show keyword settings for systems that use different types of CG boards. For more information, refer to Customizing OAM configuration files.

Runtime software

CG runtime software consists of runfiles (also known as downloadable modules or DLMs), a core file stored in non-volatile memory (Flash memory), and DSP files. The runfile is the basic low-level software that a CG board requires to operate. DSP files enable the CG board on-board DSPs to perform certain tasks, such as DTMF signaling, voice recording, voice playback, CAS robbed-bit signaling, and HDLC processing.

Several runfiles and DSP files are installed with Natural Access. You specify which files to use for your configuration in the board keyword file. When NMS OAM boots a board, the runfile and DSP files are transferred from the host into on-board memory.

Trunk control programs

To provide call control capabilities on PSTN ports, applications associate a telephony protocol with each port. On CG boards, telephony protocols are supported as trunk control programs (TCPs) that are loaded when the board is initialized. When applications start a protocol, TCPs enable the application to use the call control functions associated with that protocol. NMS provides TCPs for most standard telephone line interfaces, and also provides a NOCC (no call control) TCP for applications that do not perform call control or that manage line interfaces manually. For more information about Natural Access TCP software, refer to the NMS CAS for Natural Call Control Developer's Manual.

NMS DLCP software

The NMS DLCP software is installed when you install Natural Access. NMS DLCP software consists of the following components: