Nomadic Subscriber Support

The Nomadic Subscriber Support object is a child of the Element Management System object. It is used in providing emergency service (E911) support to nomadic VoIP subscribers (subscribers who can access their VoIP service from multiple locations), and in providing Web Self-Care support to allow subscribers to update their location details.

In order to provide this service, you will need a license from one of the following service providers, and some customizations to your Web Self-Care interface to allow subscribers to access the service. For more details, please contact your MetaSwitch support representative.

Nomadic subscribers need to register their current location so that 911 (emergency) calls can be routed to the correct local service point. Normally they will do this using the Web Self-Care interface to access the Dash911 web server or Intrado server that provides this service. However, Service Providers may need to update this information on behalf of the subscriber, and the Nomadic Subscriber Support object provides a mechanism to do this.

The fields in this object define how the EMS accesses the Dash911 web server or Intrado server. Most of the fields appear only if Service configuration - location update service - status is set to Enabled. In addition, if your EMS user type gives you access to subscriber configuration but not to network configuration, you cannot configure the location update service (and many of the fields in this object are hidden), but you can still enter a subscriber number to check and update the subscriber's location details.


While this object is disabled (Service configuration - location update service - status is set to Disabled), subscribers will not be able to update their location details. This means that 911 calls made by these subscribers may not be routed to the correct local service point, which may result in a delay in obtaining emergency service.



There is an FCC requirement to provide a service that allows subscribers to call an operator to request updates to their location details. This means that you should ensure high availability of the EMS by using two or more EMS Servers, or make arrangements with Telefinity or Intrado to provide an alternative mechanism for making these updates. Similarly you should ensure high availability of Web Self-Care by using multiple Web Self-Care servers.


Updating a subscriber's location details: Dash911

When you are using the Dash911 service, the EMS provides access to the Dash911 web server on the subscriber's behalf, so that you can update the information in the same way as a subscriber would update it. To update the location details for a subscriber:


The Query record action is available only from an EMS Client running on Windows (and not from an EMS Client running on Solaris).



For security reasons, your access to the Dash911 web server is limited to 10 minutes for each subscriber update (to avoid access by an unauthorized user of your computer after you have finished). If you have been connected to the server for some time and you see an error message indicating that you can no longer access it, return to the EMS Client and then click Query record again to re-validate access.


Updating a subscriber's location details: Intrado

When you are using the Intrado service, the EMS uses a temporary child object Nomadic Subscriber Location Record to provide access to the information stored on the Intrado server. This object is created when you use the Query record, Add record or Delete record action buttons. See the description of this object for more details.

Object-Specific Actions
Query record This action is disabled if Service configuration - location update service - status is set to Disabled.
  • For the Dash911 service, it starts a Web browser and accesses the location record on the Dash911 web server for the subscriber identified by the Manage subscriber locations - subscriber directory number field.
  • For the Intrado service, it creates a Nomadic Subscriber Location Record object in which you can specify the directory number of the subscriber for whom you want to check location details.
Add record This action is used only if Service configuration - service provider is set to Intrado. It creates a Nomadic Subscriber Location Record object in which you can specify the subscriber's directory number and location details.
Delete record This action is used only if Service configuration - service provider is set to Intrado. It creates a Nomadic Subscriber Location Record object in which you can specify the directory number of the subscriber for whom you want to delete location details.
As an alternative to this action, you may prefer to use the Query record action, which allows you to check the subscriber's location details before deleting them.

Parameter

Access

Description
Service configuration - location update service - status Change Specifies whether the EMS currently provides support for updating subscribers' location information on the Dash911 Web server. Values:
  • Enabled
    Subscribers can use the Web Self-Care interface to update their location information, and the EMS user can use the Query record action to make equivalent updates.
  • Disabled
    Neither the subscriber nor the EMS user can update location information. Most of the other fields in this object are hidden.
Service configuration - service provider Change The service provider that provides the 911 location update service. Values:
  • Intrado
  • Dash911
Service configuration - service provider URL Change The URL (website address) of the Dash911 Web server or of the Intrado server. This should be provided to you as part of the license information. Specify the complete URL starting with either https:// or http://.
Service configuration - account number Change The account number (a string of numeric digits) for your account on the Dash911 Web server or the Intrado server. This should be provided to you as part of the license information.
Service configuration - NENA company identifier Change This field appears only if Service configuration - service provider is Intrado. The company identifier for your account on the Intrado server. This should be provided to you as part of the Intrado license information.
Service configuration - certificate Change This field appears only if Service configuration - service provider is Intrado. The security certificate for your account on the Intrado server. This should be provided to you as part of the Intrado license information. Click on the Load button to open a dialog box in which you can specify the file location.
Service configuration - certificate password Change This field appears only if Service configuration - service provider is Intrado. The password for your account on the Intrado server. This should be provided to you as part of the Intrado license information.
Service configuration - key Change This field appears only if Service configuration - service provider is Dash911. The security key (a string of hexadecimal digits) for your account on the Dash911 Web server. Dash911 will provide this information through their website. The key appears in a format similar to the following:
Key0
0x31763C47467E4C514C215A2659AB3E7B (HEX)
When copying this information, do not include the initial "Key0 0x" or the trailing " (HEX)" (including the space before the first parenthesis). In the example above, the required string is:
31763C47467E4C514C215A2659AB3E7B
Manage subscriber locations - subscriber directory number Change This field appears only if Service configuration - service provider is Dash911. The directory number of a subscriber for whom you want to view or change the location information. The Query record pushbutton provides access to this subscriber's location record on the Dash911 Web server. The EMS does not store this directory number, so the field is cleared after you use the Query record pushbutton. (This means that two or more EMS users can view or change location details for different subscribers at the same time.)