Case Study "IBM, Switzerland" - New Voice International AG

New Voice Australia 

mobicall@newvoice.com.au 

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Case Study "IBM, Switzerland" 

Mobicall Alarm Server Solution 

Alarm Server Requirements 

The IBM network is spread over several locations and is to be treated as one network 

where any location can include any of the alarms sources described below. 

Alarm input from different sources: 

• Serial Link Interfaces: 

o Fire Alarm System (BMA) 

o Evacuation System (EVA) 

• via Relay Server 

o Access Control System (ZKS) 

o Building Automation System (GA) 

• via TCP/IP 

o SNMP Traps 

o Intrusion Detection System (EMA) 

Notification using the following equipment: 

• Sending SMS messages via SMS-Module 

• Sending pager messages using a pager-modem (temporarily deferred) 

• Sending emails 

• sending fax messages using Email2Fax 

• Output to printer 

• Output to Infosystem (Screens) 

Mobicall Case Study - Health 1



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The following list shows required functionality by IBM: 

• Conferencing for certain incoming calls with predefined numbers to be 

included into the conference. 

• Line Supervision for all IBM office buildings (any location). 

• Schedule plan for routing alarm outputs and inputs. Some alarms are routed 

back to Mobicall for a playback of certain voice messages according to the 

schedule plan. 

• XML Interface to Infosystem in order to display information on different 

screens. 

• Redundant alarm server system, automatic synchronization of configuration 

details. 




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Mobicall Solution Overview 

The Mobicall solution is set up fully redundant using a master-slave concept where 

the slave is active only if the master does not respond to an alarm. Both servers 

receive the same alarm input information and are connected over TCP/IP for 

automatic synchronization. 

The alarm servers supervise each other (watch-dog concepts) as well as performing 

line supervision for all IBM locations within Switzerland in given intervals. 

A relay server is used accessing two systems via FTP frequently downloading an 

alarm file which is transferred to the Mobicall servers and then processed. 

Conferencing is activated for a range of alarm input numbers which start a 2-pary 

conference with another participant. 

The alarm server is located in the main office building of IBM receiving alarm 

information from any IBM location in Switzerland over the TCP/IP network or by 

telephone. 

sms Web interface 

IP 

Contacts 32/8 

Comport 

BMA Interface Splitter 

Master 

Ambulance Emergency Call 

Cisco Call Manager 

Cluster 

PSTN 

EVA Interface 

sms 

Slave 

GSM voice 

Direct Cat7 connection to 

separate network cards 

Relay Server 

Blue-LAN 

(Office LAN) 

Siemens 

HiPath 

external 

GA 

Interface 

ZKS 

Interface 

Information 

Database 

internal 

Figure 1: Overview Mobicall Solution "IBM Switzerland" 




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Method of resolution 

The following figure shows how alarm inputs and alarm outputs are connected to the 

telephony infrastructure and the alarm server. 

Alarm Input 

Web Interface 

Alarm Output 

email 

Dry Contacts 

Mobicall Process 

infosystem 

Relay Server 

sms 

Alarm Server 

pager 

Interfaces 

Siemens 

HiPath 

Ambulance 

Emergency Call 

Cisco Call 

Manager 

Cluster 

Voice messages, 

conference & 

evacuation 

Figure 2: Method of resolution "IBM Switzerland" 




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Short description 

• Alarm server: Mobicall Solution Master-Slave concept 

• PABX: Siemens HiPath 

o Connection: PRI 30 channels (1-30) 

• PABX: Cisco Call Manager 

o Connection: H323 30 channels (31-60) 

• Interface: ZKS, GA, BMA, FMA, SNMP, Contact Controller 

• Alarming end devices: PSTN and GSM telephones, 

Infosystem, Email, Printer, Fax 

Implementation 

The following describes the implementation of the Mobicall Solution at IBM in 

Switzerland. The challenges were the integration of the interfaces using a relay 

server as well as the telephony network topology using Cisco Call Manager (CCM) 

as well as Siemens HiPath PABX. There are a total of 60 channels available, 30 

channels to the CCM over H323 and 30 channels to Siemens HiPath over a PRI 

connection. 

Redundancy 

The entire Mobicall solution is fully redundant where the master and the slave can 

execute any task configured. Both servers are automatically synchronized in given 

intervals or if the configuration has been changes on either of the servers. 

The servers are supervising each other and the telephony network in the main office 

of IBM (headquarters in Zurich) by frequently calling a predefined number on the 

other system. If either the call is not made or no response is received an alarm is 

launched notifying the responsible group. 

Interfaces 

The following systems are sending alarm information to Mobicall which then are 

processed and the defined action is triggered. 

BMA (Fire Detection) 

The Fire Detection system is connected trough RS232. Since the system only 

provides one output, it is routed through a com-port splitter box which provides 2 

outputs with the exact same information shared by the master and the slave. 

The com-port splitter outputs are connected to N-Port devices converting the serial 

link to TCP/IP which are connected to both servers using a separate network card. 

The protocol used by this interface: ESPA 4.4.4 




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EVA (Evacuation) 

The evacuation system provides to RS232 connections which are routed through N- 

Port devices converting the serial link to TCP/IP which are connected to both servers 

using a separate network card. A separate CAT7 cables are used for the 

connections. 

The protocol used by this interface: ESPA 4.4.4 

EMA (Intrusion Detection) 

The Intrusion Detection is connected to the alarm server using dry contacts over a 

contact controller which is connected to the TCP/IP network. 

SNMP (Network alarms) 

Several SNMP traps are sent to the alarm servers indicating network problems from 

various devices and systems. 

If a SMTP trap is received, the appropriate technical alarm is started. 

XML-interface to Infosystem 

On several screens throughout the IBM network are messages displayed in case of 

an alarm. The following steps describe how the messages are distributed: 

1. Launch of alarm 

2. a XML –file is sent from the alarm server to a specified server via FTP 

3. the screens show a HTML site which is stored on the Mobicall server. 




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Relay Server 

The relay server collects alarm information from the following systems: 

o 

o 

Access Control System (ZKS) 

Building Automation System (GA) 

IP 

Master 

Relay Server 

Slave 

GA Interface 

ZKS Interface 

Information 

Database 

Blue-LAN 

(Office LAN) 

Figure 3: Relay Server 

The relay server collects alarm files in given intervals from the interfaces using FTP. 

The alarm files are located in a predefined directory. The files are transferred onto 

the alarm servers and deleted on the interface systems. 




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Conferencing / Call routing /Schedule planner 

Incoming calls to specific internal numbers are routed through the alarm server and 

depending on the schedule planner forwarded (establishing a 2-party conference) to 

the defined number or to another alarm-in on the alarm server which plays a voice 

message. 

Example: 

 

Event 

110 

Description / 

Location 

Genève, Avenue 

Guiseppe Motta 

Alarm 

Input # 

Alarm 

output # 

Access # 

CCM 

Access # 

Siemens 

HiPath 

1904 5101 37904 37904 

37172 GVI Emergency 1961 5311 37172 37172 

from..to forwarding 

to.. 

Group 

from..to forwarding 

to.. 

Group 

Playback 

Alarm-In # 

7:30-21:00 / 34320 118 rest of the time: playback 1001 

8:00-17:00 / 079 403 11 00 211 17:00-8:00 / 079 403 12 06 261 

Table 2 & 3: Alarm Input table for conferencing 

YELLOW: 

GREEN : 

example of playback routing 

example of call forwarding 

Playback 

The alarm inputs 1001 .. 1005 and 1008 are used for the playback of prerecorded 

voice messages. The input type is set to "special function" which plays the assigned 

WAV-file and is started from the alarm inputs 1904 .. 1906 and 1910 .. 1911 as well 

as 1922 which consist of a schedule plan. 

The WAV-files are normal alarm messages which can be recorded over the phone. 




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Line Supervision 

The following phone numbers are called every weekday at 7am and 1pm. 

PABX 

Basel 

internal 

number 

alarm group external number alarm group 

Bern Gümligen 176150 5001 131 32610 5002 132 

Bussigny 

Genf GiuseppeMotta 174151 5003 133 34098 5004 134 

Genf GiuseppeMotta 

(BCRS) 

x x x x 

022 730 99 98 

(automatic 

redirection to 

34098) 

5005 135 

Lugano 175040 5006 136 38891 5007 137 

Winterthur Paulstrasse 173656 5008 138 31548 5009 139 

Winterthur Paulstrasse 

BCRS 

Winterthur 

Theaterstrasse 

x x x x 

052 622 00 48 

(automatic 

redirection to 

31548) 

5010 140 

173657 5011 141 31553 5012 142 

Genf rue de l'Aeroport 177125 5013 143 39326 5014 144 

Zürich Vulkanstrasse 

Avaya 


Cisco 


Siemens 

Is done internally while servers supervise each other. 

Table 1: phone numbers for daily line supervision 

A predefined alarm (5001) is started every weekday at 7am and 1pm. Always 120 

seconds later the next alarm is started up to alarm 5014. Is an alarm not answered 

(playback of test message), an escalation is started to the alarm number + 500. For 

the alarms 5501-5514 the group 130 is notified (email to specified persons). The 

emails are stored on the server and the corresponding email is picked up by the 

escalating alarm. 

The line supervision is executed on the master only. 




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Telephony / Queues on Mobicall 

Executed alarms are posted to a defined queue. Usually to the default queue which 

handles all alarms and makes calls to any available line. Sometimes it is necessary 

to have different queues which use different lines for outgoing calls and have certain 

lines disabled for incoming calls. 

Since Mobicall is connected to Siemens HiPath using channels 1-30 and to the CCM 

using channels 31-60, new queues have been set up for the call routing and 

alarming. 

Queue 0 

Lines 1-30 are deactivated. 

Normal alarms are assigned to the queue 0 and therefore will primarily routed 

through the CCM (lines 31-60) except for conference calls. Is the Call Manager not 

available or all lines are busy, then the alarms are posted into the queue 3. 

Figure 4: Line configuration for queue 0. 




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Queue 3 

Lines 1 – 60 are activated. 

Queue 4 

Siemens only (Lines 31 – 60 are deactivated) 

Incoming calls to Mobicall are routed through Siemens HiPath and have to be routed 

back through Siemens for all conferencing alarms.

Case Study "IBM, Switzerland" - New Voice International AG

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