Setting Up Pooled Systems; Preparing To Set Up Line Pools - AT&T MERLIN 3070 Administration Manual

SETTING UP POOLED SYSTEMS

In pooled systems, you group similar types of outside lines into a line pool. A person
with access to that line pool either presses a button or dials a code to get one of the
interchangeable lines in the pool. For example, you might group five local lines into
one pool, three in-state WATS lines into a second pool, and two cross-country WATS
lines into a third pool. This would free several buttons on voice terminals that would
otherwise be required for individual lines. If you decide to set up a pooled system,
you will probably want to pool all your lines except single, special-purpose lines and
those that are needed as personal lines.
To setup a pooled system, you begin by assigning lines to line pools. Next, you assign
individual lines to buttons on voice terminals. If your system has Button Access to
Line Pools, you also assign selected pools to particular buttons. If your system has
Dial Access to Line Pools, you give each voice terminal access to the pools the user
needs.
The following sections describe how to setup a pooled system. (See "The Square
vs. Pooled Decision," page 17, for more information about pooled systems.)

Preparing to Set Up Line Pools

If you plan to pool the lines in your system, you must first assign individual lines to
the appropriate pools. Before you set up your line pools, please read the informa-
tion below.
Even though you may not be using the full capacity of a Line Module in the con-
trol unit, the lines that would be represented by that module are automatically
assigned to buttons on the administrator/attendant console. A port with no line
cord plugged into it is called a nonequipped line appearance, or "ghost line."
Remove any ghost lines from the buttons to which the system assigned them
on the administrator/attendant console so that these buttons can be used for
custom features.
If you have eight or fewer lines but have two Line Modules, your system assigns
ghost lines to your administrator/attendant console and places the ghost lines
in the main pool. Be sure to remove any ghost lines from the main pool.
You cannot set up line pools unless all the voice terminals in your system are
idle. Once you touch Adm Pool and see the steady green light that indicates
you are free to administer your system, the system cannot place outgoing calls
or receive incoming calls. Any callers will get a busy signal.
Whenever you set switch F on the control unit to Pooled, the system automatically
assigns all your lines to the main pool. Local lines should remain in the main
pool, but all other lines can be removed. You can assign lines that you do not
want in the main pool to other pools or use them as individual lines.
Do not mix different types of lines. For example, do not put regular telephone
lines and WATS lines in the same pool. Even within a WATS line pool, you can-
not mix different bands of WATS lines or include both inbound and outbound
lines. All lines in a pool must be interchangeable since you cannot control which
lines people will get when they use the pool.
The number of lines available for pooling is affected by the number of lines you
must reserve for personal or special-purpose use. For example, if you have ten
outside lines and two people need personal lines, there are eight lines left for
pooling. If a line is assigned to a pool, it cannot be assigned to a second pool
or as an individual line.
. You can have up to 11 pools, with as many lines as you like in each pool. If you
have Dial Access to Line Pools, people can access a particular pool by dialing
the code assigned to the pool (9 for the main pool, 890 through 899 for addi-
tional pools).
3 5