We have an ivr outcall application that starts calling customers at a
certain time every day automatically at a predetermined time to advise those
expected to receive delivery next day that their package is scheduled to
arrive at a certain time. Is a backroom app that sits on a sever with
absolutelu no user interaction, so nobody in the organization ever checks to
see if its running OK and its an SMB so there nill training, no admins
except the owner and maybe one fairly computer lady savvy that can do
things like queries and understand what relations are in a database. But
thats as far as it gets.
Over the pas few days our outcal program was simply not turned on ( I
suspect someone rebooted the machine and simply did not restart the program
or it rebooted by itself after an auto upgrade) We have two identical
softwares installed on two machines in caseone breaks down, so we cant put
the apps autostart mode, cause the telepone lines woulb be hogged by the
wrong machine.
I think wath's needed is some sort of monitoring that adivises people
sitting onother computers that the call out process did not start correctly.
Then when they get the message we could at least give them click by click
instructions on how to verify that all is well and if not tell them how to
start it. We thought of telling then via e-mail that the process had started
OK but my thinkig is this woiul just be ignored. We need to be able to give
'em a great big wake up call HEYJOE WAKE UP, IT AIN'T WORKING. That should I
hope get their attention and with proper instructions ensure that the
situation is corrected quickly. I am however at a bit of a loss on how to go
about this and would welcome suggestions and code snippets on how to do
this.
The calls to be made are in a database (sql 20000) and their call time,
number of calls made until response and succes or failuer of reacing the
client is logged in the table, so one thing coming to mind is running a
report at regular times a few minutes after the process is supposed to be
started and counting if there have been more than a few calls started, this
would indicate successfull start of process, if no calls were started 10
minutes after normal startup time, then send a report to a numberof
responsible people in the organization warning of possible failure to start.
At the time the calls are supposed to be finished send a report detailing
the nuber of calls, sucesses and failures during that call period.
I would welome ideas and suggessions on possible alternate and or better
ways of alerting people in the org of failure to start.
Thanks for any help ideas or suggestions,
Bob
