Least Cost Routing Settings

Summary: Least cost routes allow short code matching on the number being dialed from the system rather than the number originally dialed by the user or application.

For IP Office 4.0, Least Cost Routes have been replaced by ARS. When an IP Office system is upgraded to IP Office 4.0, the LCR entries are automatically replaced by ARS entries and appropriate short codes.

short codes lcr

When a line, user, user rights or system short code results in a number to be dialed off-switch, the resulting telephone number to be dialed can be further processed by matching to Least Cost Route (LCR) short codes.

LCR short codes are grouped in sets. Within each set, the short codes are grouped into tabs called Main Route, Alternate Route 1 and Alternate Route 2. Each tab also has a priority and a timeout setting.

•	Using a Time Profile Each LCR set can have an associated time profile. LCR sets without a time profile are active all the time. LCR sets with a time profile are only active within the times defined by that profile.

•	Which Number is Used For Matching The telephone number output by the original matched short code is checked against the Main Route tab short codes of the active LCR sets.

•	If a match is found, that set is used for processing.

•	If no match is found, the calls is dialed without LCR.

•	Returning Busy If the LCR short code match is set to the Busy feature:

•	If the user's priority is higher than the LCR tabs, the IP Office will immediately look for a matching short code on the next tab and use that short code if found.

•	Otherwise the user receives busy tone.

•	Switching Outgoing Line Groups If the LCR short code match is a dial feature, the IP Office will attempt to seize a line from the outgoing line group specified by the LCR short code.

•	If a line cannot be seized within the time specified on the LCR tab, the IP Office will look in the next tab for an alternate LCR short code match. If an alternate match is found it is used.

Site A has two outgoing line groups. Outgoing line group 0 contains external lines to the public telephone network. Outgoing line group 1 contains private lines to Site B.

Least Cost Route "SiteB"	Main Route	Alternate Route 1
Timeout	10	30
Priority	3	5
Short Codes	123456/N/Dial/1	123456/N/Dial/0
Short Codes	654321/N/Busy	654321/N/Dial/0

Scenario 1
When a user dials 123456, it matches system short code 1. That short code specifies dialing Site B via the public lines (Outgoing line group 0).

The number to be dialed is checked against the least cost routing Main Route tabs for any match. In this example a match occurs in the SiteB least cost route. The short code there specifies dialing the number using the private lines (Outgoing line group 1).

If the IP Office cannot seize a line for the call from that group within 10 seconds, it looks for an alternate short code match in Alternate Route 1 tab of the Site B least cost route. In this example that match changes the call to using the public lines (Outgoing line group 0).

Scenario 2
When a user dials 654321, it matches system short code 2. That short code specifies dialing the Site B sale hot line number via the public lines (Outgoing line group 0).

Since this short code is set to a Dial feature, the number to be dialed is checked against the least cost routing Main Route tabs for any match. In this example a match occurs in the SiteB least cost route. The short code there specifies Busy and so returns busy to callers.

User 2 has a priority of 4 which is higher than the Main Route tab in the Site B least cost route. Therefore the IP Office will immediately check for a further match in the Alternate Route 1 tab. In this example the short code match for 654321 in the Alternate 1 tab allows the number to be dialed to the public lines.