Customer Guide to Passive VoIP Recording

NICE Uptivity can passively monitor VoIP transactions and record those transactions for long-term storage and retrieval. This method redirects the VoIP traffic on a network to the Uptivity server in one of two ways:

On a typical installation, a single network interface and quad-core processor can support up to 200 simultaneous conversations. This includes all traffic arriving at the interface, regardless of whether the conversation is recorded. Uptivity incurs processing overhead while manipulating the packets of any conversation received on the interface, even if the conversation is not recorded. In implementations over this size, traffic should be split between multiple interfaces and multiple servers.

Network Protocols

VoIP communication usually involves two network protocols: the control (or signaling) protocol and the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP).

Control Protocol

The control protocol handles call setup, phone features, number dialed, and the parties involved in the call. It tells the VoIP phone how to set up the audio stream and where to send it.

The control protocol also communicates information between the phone and the PBX, such as the model and firmware version of the VoIP phone, as well as the features that it supports. The PBX uses the control protocol to send information to the phone, such as LED states or text to display.

NICE Uptivity supports a select list of available control protocols.

Real-time Transport Protocol

The Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) is a standard protocol used for sending audio and video data across a network. Occasionally RTP sends DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) tones. This layer typically takes place within the framework of audio codecs. NICE Uptivity supports a select list of audio codecs.

Known Limitations and Considerations

  • Traffic on your VoIP network cannot be encrypted.
  • Uptivity must support the control/signaling protocol used by your PBX.
  • Uptivity must support the audio codec used to encode your VoIP traffic.
  • You must configure your VoIP network to deliver all necessary traffic to the Uptivity system for processing.
  • Passive VoIP recording does not support the real-time blackout functionality in Uptivity.
  • The API command RECORDSTART is not supported. This command is used to create duplicate recordings.
  • Virtual recording servers are not supported for passive VoIP recording.
  • In ShoreTel environments, VoIP recording is only supported for ShoreTel SIP phones with TAPI integration. ShoreTel uses proprietary encryption for the SIP traffic, making Uptivity dependent on the TAPI messaging for recording.

Telephony Requirements

Passive VoIP recording is dependent on the PBX and network topologies used in the phone system. Due to the many ways a phone system can be configured, an Uptivity Sales Engineer must determine whether the VoIP integration is viable, and how to deploy it properly.

Supported Control Protocols

Uptivity supports passive VoIP recording in environments using DHCP and any of the following VoIP protocols:

Protocol

Description

Avaya H.323 Device reboot while Uptivityis monitoring traffic.
Avaya (Nortel) UNISTIM Registration upon delivery of initial call to device.
CISCO SCCP (Skinny) Registration upon delivery of initial call to device.
NEC Registration upon delivery of initial call to device.
ShoreTel MGCP Device reboot while Uptivityis monitoring traffic.
SIP Registration upon delivery of initial call to device.
Toshiba MGCP Registration upon delivery of initial call to device.

Supported RTP Codecs

Traffic to be recorded in your environment must be configured to use one of the codecs that.NICE Uptivity currently supports:

  • G.711 (A-law)
  • G.711 (µ-law)
  • G.729a
  • iLBC
  • L16
  • G.722

NICE UptivityRequirements

Hardware

Uptivity and VoIP hardware requirements vary depending on system configurations and requirements. Appropriate hardware is identified during the system implementation process. For more information, search the online help for keyword site requirements.

Software

This guide covers the following release:

NICE Uptivity v5.6 or later.

Additional third-party software is required for passive VoIP recording:

• CACE WinPcap version 4.1.x.

Licensing

• 1 Voice Seat license per trunk channel to be recorded
or

• 1 Voice concurrent session license for each simultaneous call to be recorded.

• Additional licensing may be required if the system includes optional features (for example, Uptivity Screen Recording)

This documentation provides customers and prospective customers with the necessary information to understand the implementation of NICE Uptivity in a VoIPClosedVoice over Internet Protocol environment, either without CTIClosedAn acronym for Computer Telephony Integration - any technology that allows interactions on both computer(s) and phone(s) to be integrated. integration or with an integration that depends on a separate audio source.

This document is not intended as a specific system or network design document, although it does contain network design overviews for reference. If further clarification is needed, consult with your telephony vendor(s).

Customer Responsibilities

You are responsible for supplying any necessary physical and IP connections to your VoIP telephony network.

Need-to-Knows

  • If you have questions about configuring Uptivity, consult your Uptivity installation team.
  • If you are using passive VoIP recording in conjunction with CTI integration, refer to the customer guide for that integration for additional requirements and configuration.

 

 

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