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Action Element using Web Service - how to increase the timeout

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Greetings,

It's been a while since I posted - nice to see a healthy forum though. Some great questions and responses recently.

I have extensive experience using Action elements coded in Java to talk to a variety of back-end systems: socket-based XML server, XML over HTTP, talking to SQL databases and so on. I'm a decent Java programmer so this is my preferred approach. The VoiceXML parameter "fetchtimeout" controls the situation here, allowing a slow query enough time to return before the session is terminated. Setting this parameter overrides the native setting on the voice gateway. "fetchaudio" can be useful - though I remember I had a problem with CVP 3.0 SR1 using that.

I have a new deployment using the built-in feature of the action element to send and receive XML as a post to a Web service. This is working well because the server is under our control and we can structure the XML document that returns to obey the schema required by Audium. The developers don't have Java experience but can write Web services - they are using a unique language called Mapper for Unisys combined with CGI.

If the Web service takes longer than 5 seconds to talk to the back end systems and get back with the response, Call Services throws an error. The VoiceXML parameter "fetchtimeout" does not help here, according to my developer.

Have any forum members played with this and can help me?

Any responses from the Audium team at Cisco most gratefully received (grovel, grovel).

Regards,
Geoff

Hi Geoff,

I believe you're referring to the XML API (from your note that your services "obey the schema required by Audium"). In that case, we have an existing enhancement request from this other post, which asked for a configurable timeout value for XML API connections. Currently this timeout period cannot be configured.

I've added a note to that enhancement request, linking back to this post and mentioning that you're also interested in this.

Regards,
Vance

Vance,

Thank you for yor reply. That's very bad news.

I see that request you linked was posted a year ago. I would hate to be lumped in with karlyboy's enhancement requests - he's asking for a lot more than me. ;-)

I'm just asking for a simple timer change from a fixed value to a configurable value. Stick it in the server.xml file.

Regards,
Geoff

"I would hate to be lumped in with karlyboy's enhancement requests - he's asking for a lot more than me"

If you don't ask, you never get!

Write your own all encompassing web XML component that takes all your configs you need, including timeout and do it that way. We did and have never looked back. Since then we just don't use the XML API.

Neither do I karlyboy. I always work in Java and have complete control.

Unfortunately, in this case the developers are not Java programmers but do have control of the web server. They can modify the web server to return XML in the right format that is automatically imported into session variables in accordance with the Audium XML API. They are skilled engineers who built their web server using CGI and a unique Unisys language called "Mapper", but they don't have Java language skills to write custom Java action elements.

Regards,
Geoff

Geoff, Karl,

I think we might have addressed your questions in the just released version of our software.

CVP 4.1 and Unified Call Services 6.0 have, among other new features and improvements, a Web Services element. This element allows to load a WSDL document and configure a web services call in Call Studio GUI without getting into Java code. Timeout is also configurable!

You can read more about the new element, as well as other features, in our User Guide and Call Studio 6.0 online help.

Feel free to browse through the full CVP 4.1 documentation for the list of changes, new features and improvements in the software.

Regards,
Michael

Geoff, see if you don't ask you won't get emoticon

I don't want it thanks. I have a huge application now and just want the variable to be configured.

Regards,
Geoff