When installing VoIP recording there can often be conflict with resilient networks.
Care needs to be taken as to what method of VoIP recording you use. For example, ‘passive VoIP recording’ records calls without relying on the soft switch to send it voice packets. The information is taken directly from the network and this makes network design crucial.
Here’s where the issues arise; in VoIP communications, RTP packets travel through the network and a VoIP recording device will rely on ‘mirroring’, i.e. ‘take a copy’ of these packets to record the calls.
Many networks today have resiliency built in to prevent downtime. Resiliency is achieved by the network sending duplicate information, which when no longer required is stripped out and discarded by the active switching and routing topology. By contrast the passive VoIP call recording application will be capturing multiple RTP streams of identical data which has originated from different IP addresses and this can confuse the system.
Duplicated RTP streams can also cause recorder failure due to excessive traffic flow. The system will normally be designed for a specific amount of concurrent usage; if the usage is doubled or perhaps trebled due to duplication, then application failure is highly likely.
So, how best to deal with this problem? Well, avoid a ‘passive VoIP recording’ architecture if you have network resiliency, unless you are not concerned with providing a resilient link to the recorder. When you opt for ‘active VoIP recording’, this does not rely on the network, but gets its information from the VoIP PBX. This sends a copy of the RTP stream directly to the recorder, eliminating the need to re-configure the network.
The major call recording manufacturers are supporting active VoIP recording, but each one uses different methods. For example, some VoIP recording solutions need direct links and this could mean additional licensing costs from your PBX supplier. Other innovative VoIP recording solutions are finding ways to get the information from the VoIP PBX without requiring links from the manufacturer, so this could save you money.
With ‘active recording technology’ becoming more prevalent, passive recording will disappear along with the associated issues. An example of active recording is the use of ‘emulation technology’ from Avaya. Avaya’s emulation software sends a copy of the RTP stream directly to the recorder, eliminating the need to re-configure the network.
So to avoid these potential problems with your VoIP recording, either look into acquiring a VoIP recording solution, which supports ‘active recording’ or speak to Business Systems about how we can efficiently record your VoIP traffic.
For more advice and information contact recording-mgr@businesssystemsuk.com |
