Manage Call Links

About Call Links

Call links are classified either as in database or ad hoc. When a call link is clicked, the Cisco Jabber Guest web client opens and checks if the link exists in the database. If the link exists in the database, the following operational parameters for the call are taken from the database:

  • Destination endpoint

  • Caller ID

  • Called ID

  • Time

If the link is not listed in the database, the server checks the Allow ad hoc links setting (in Cisco Jabber Guest Administration > Settings > Links). If ad hoc links are enabled, the server sends the call to Cisco Expressway or Cisco Unified Communications Manager using the string to the right of /call/ as the route string. If Allow ad hoc links is disabled, the call is not routed unless the link exists in the database.

Calls can be made to any Cisco Unified Communications Manager endpoint by dialing the directory number (DN). Calls also can be placed using a URI if URI dialing has been enabled.

Best Practices for Creating Links

Allow Time for Links to Replicate

When you create a click-to-call link on a Cisco Jabber Guest server that is a member of a cluster, you must allow a small amount of time before that link is active on all servers in the cluster. This applies whether you create the link by using Cisco Jabber Guest Administration or the link API. In both cases, the link information replicates automatically to all other servers in the cluster. The amount of time required for replication varies depending on factors such as the network connection speed between the servers. Complete replication can occur within a second or may take several seconds.

If you deploy an application that creates links dynamically by using the link API and pushes them to the Cisco Jabber Guest client, we recommend that you factor this replication delay into your design. If a Cisco Jabber Guest user attempts to use a link that has not yet been replicated to the Cisco Jabber Guest server that handles the request, the attempt will fail.

Maximum Number of Call Links

There is no hard limit on the number of links that you can create on a Cisco Jabber Guest single server or cluster. We have tested with upwards of 25,000 links.

Create Link

Want to specify a time and date in which a link is active? For example, if your company is hiring, you can create a link that a candidate uses to call for an interview. You can specify that the link is active between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the day of the interview.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, click Links.

Step 2

Click New.

Step 3

Set the request path, which is the part of the link after /call. The request path must be unique:

  • If you want the domain name or DN to appear, click the Destination drop-down arrow, and choose Destination.
  • If you want a custom string to appear, click the Destination drop-down arrow, choose Custom string, and enter the string in the Request path field.
  • If you want a random string to appear, click the Destination drop-down arrow, and choose Random string.

For more information, see Call Link Format.

Step 4

For Destination, do one of the following:

  • Enter the DN or URI and domain name of the person who you want to call. For example, 1000@cisco.com or johndoe@cisco.com.
  • Enter the DN of the person who you want to call. For example, 1000. The Cisco Jabber Guest server will populate the domain name by using the value in the SIP domain field (in Settings > Call Control and Media).
Important 

The destination must resolve to a DN or URI that is routable from Cisco Expressway-C and Cisco Unified Communications Manager.

Step 5

For Display name, enter the name to display on the client when a call is placed using this link. For example, if the link calls a help desk, enter Customer Support.

You can set a default display name for all links.
Step 6

For Caller name, enter the name to display on the destination endpoint in the enterprise. For example, if the link calls a physician's hotline, enter MD Hotline caller. If you do not enter a value, the caller name is Jabber Guest.

Step 7

If you want to allow guest clients to specify their own caller names, check Allow customized caller name. Guest clients can append additional URL query parameter callerName to override Caller name with a customized value. This customized value will be displayed on the destination endpoint in the enterprise and could be specified in different languages other than just English. See Call Link Format.

In order to preserve customized caller name in SIP messages and display correctly on destination endpoints, make sure that the following actions are applied to Cisco Unified Communications Manager and the destination endpoints:

  • The selected language locale is supported and installed on Cisco Unified Communications Manager and the destination endpoint(s).

  • The destination endpoint User Locale matches locale setting of Common Device Configuration in SIP trunk setting.

  • Transmit UTF-8 for Calling Party Name in SIP trunk setting is checked for Unicode support.

See Cisco Unified Communications Manager Configuration Guide for more details.

Note 

This setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 11.1(0) and its later releases.
Note 

If the guest client specifies the customized caller name on Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 or earlier version with different language other than English, the customized value cannot be displayed correctly on destination endpoints as the URL query parameter cannot be encoded with UTF-8.

On Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, guest client needs to follow these steps to enable UTF-8 encoding on the URL query parameter to ensure customized caller name is displayed correctly on destination endpoints:

  • Go to Internet Options > Advanced .

  • Check Send UTF-8 query strings for Intranet URLs and Send UTF-8 query strings for non-Intranet URLs.

  • Restart Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Step 8

For Caller SIP alias, enter the caller ID that you want to display on the destination endpoint in the enterprise. If you do not enter a value, the caller ID is the value in the Default caller SIP alias field.

The caller ID can contain only the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, hyphen (-), underscore (_), period (.), and the plus sign (+).

Step 9

If the link calls a video conference bridge that requires a unique caller name, check Append unique identifier to SIP alias. A unique number is appended to the SIP alias. Each time the link is clicked, the number increments.

Step 10

For State, choose when the link is active.

Step 11

For Auto call, select the Disable or Enable option.

Disable is selected by default.

If you select Enable, you must enter the timer in the Seconds field to start a call automatically. The permitted range of values is between 0 and 60.

Note 

The Auto call setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 10.6(9) and its later releases.

Step 12

For Guest video policy, select the option as per the privacy control you wish to set:

Option Description
send and receive, can start/stop sending during call (default)

The guests can send their video and receive the video of the person they are communicating with.

They can start or stop the transmission of their own video during the call.
cannot send or receive throughout call

The guests cannot send their video and receive the video of the person they are communicating with throughout a call.
receive only, cannot start sending during call

The guests can only receive the video of the person they are communicating with, but not send their own video, during the call.

receive only initially, can start/stop sending during call

The guests can receive the video of the person they are communicating with, not send their own video at the start.

They can start or stop sending their own video, later, during the call.
Note 

The Guest video policy setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 10.6(9) and its later releases.

Step 13

Click Create.

What to do next

If you chose start and end dates for any of the links that you created, you can Set Your Links to Automatically Delete

Create Multiple Links at the Same Time

You can create links in bulk by using the Cisco Jabber Guest API.

To download a sample application from the Cisco Jabber Guest API web page, click Downloads > Jabber Guest Links Management Sample.

Request Path Cannot Be Changed After Link is Created

You cannot change the request path of a link after the link is created. For example, if the request path of a link reflects the link destination and the link destination changes, you must create a new link. You cannot update the request path to reflect the updated destination.

Set Default Display Name for Links

Complete this task to set a default display name for all links, including ad hoc links.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings > Links.

Step 2

For Default display name, enter the name to display on the client when calls are placed. If a Display name is set for an individual link, that name overrides the Default display name.

Step 3

Click Update.

Set Default Caller ID for Links

Complete this task to set a default caller ID for all links, including ad hoc links.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings > Links.

Step 2

For Default caller SIP alias, enter the caller ID that you want to display on the destination endpoint. If a Caller SIP alias is set for an individual link, that value overrides the Default caller SIP alias.

The caller ID can contain only the following characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, hyphen (-), underscore (_), period (.), and the plus sign (+).

Step 3

Click Update.

Set Your Links to Automatically Delete

If you chose start and end dates for any of the links that you created, you can choose to automatically delete these links after the end date passes.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings > Links.

Step 2

For Expired links deleted after n days, choose how many days after the end date passes that you want to delete the links.

If you do not enter a value or if you enter a value of 0, expired links are kept in the database indefinitely.

Set Up Ad Hoc Links to Automatically Start a Call

Complete this task to set a timer to automatically start a call for ad hoc links.


Note

This setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 10.6(9) and its later releases.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings>Links.

Step 2

For Auto call for ad hoc links, select the Enable option.

Step 3

Enter the timer in the Seconds field to start a call automatically.

The permitted range of values is between 0 and 60.

Step 4

Click Update.

Set Up Ad Hoc Links to Control Guests' Video Call Ability

You can set controls on the guests' ability to conduct video calls. That way, you can ensure that the guest users can be permitted to make audio calls and you can set restrictions on their video call capability.


Note

This setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 10.6(9) and its later releases.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings>Links.

Step 2

For Guest video policy for ad hoc links, select the option as per the privacy control you wish to set:

Option Description
send and receive, can start/stop sending during call (default)

The guests can send their video and receive the video of the person they are communicating with.

They can start or stop the transmission of their own video during the call.
cannot send or receive throughout call

The guests cannot send their video and receive the video of the person they are communicating with throughout a call.
receive only, cannot start sending during call

The guests can only receive the video of the person they are communicating with, but not send their own video, during the call.

receive only initially, can start/stop sending during call

The guests can receive the video of the person they are communicating with, not send their own video at the start.

During the call they can start or stop sending their own video.
Step 3

Click Update.

Set Up Ad Hoc Links for Video Conference Bridges

A unique caller name is required to allow Cisco Jabber Guest callers into some video conference bridges. Complete this task to append a unique identifier to ad hoc links.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings > Links.

Step 2

Check Append unique identifier to SIP alias for ad-hoc links.

A unique number is appended to the SIP alias. Each time the link is clicked, the number increments.
Step 3

Click Update.

Set Up Ad Hoc Links for Customized Caller Name

Complete this task if you want to allow guest clients to specify their own caller names for ad hoc calls. See Call Link Format for more information on customizing a guest caller name.

Guest clients can append additional URL query parameter callerName to customize their own caller names, in order to preserve customized caller name in SIP messages and display correctly on destination endpoints, make sure that the following actions are applied to Cisco Unified Communications Manager and the destination endpoints:

  • The selected language locale is supported and installed on Cisco Unified Communications Manager and the destination endpoint(s).

  • The destination endpoint User Locale matches locale setting of Common Device Configuration in SIP trunk setting.

  • Transmit UTF-8 for Calling Party Name in SIP trunk setting is checked for Unicode support.

See Cisco Unified Communications Manager Configuration Guide for more details.


Note

This setting is supported only in Cisco Jabber Guest 11.1(0) and its later releases.

Note

If the guest client specifies the customized caller name on Microsoft Internet Explorer 10 or earlier version with different language other than English, the customized value cannot be displayed correctly on destination endpoints as the URL query parameter cannot be encoded with UTF-8.

On Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, guest client needs to follow these steps to enable UTF-8 encoding on URL query parameter to ensure customized caller name is displayed correctly on destination endpoints:

  • Go to Internet Options > Advanced .

  • Check Send UTF-8 query strings for Intranet URLs and Send UTF-8 query strings for non-Intranet URLs.

  • Restart Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Procedure

Step 1

From Cisco Jabber Guest Administration, choose Settings>Links.

Step 2

Check Allow customized caller name for ad hoc links .

Step 3

Click Update.