# Network Queues Worksheet

The Network Queues Worksheet is designed to help you plan and record the settings of the network queues. The fields on the worksheet match the information that you must supply when configuring the queues. Study the sample worksheet and the definitions that follow, and then copy the blank worksheet and fill it in.

## Worksheet Definitions: Network Queue Thresholds

Network queue thresholds allow you to control when messages are sent to another node. Cost is an important consideration when setting these parameters; the first minute of a call is tariffed higher, so it is more economical to send a group of messages than to send each message separately

You can set different network queue thresholds and time windows for urgent and batch messages. (All messages not specifically marked urgent by the sender are considered batch.) With this two-tiered system, routine messages are sent at a time when the call is more economical, while more important messages are delivered promptly. (It is recommended that you set realistic batch limits or restrict the assignment of Network Classes of Service that allow the user to send urgent messages over the network to prevent users from marking all remote messages urgent.) The batch queues and remote queues of each remote node are monitored individually by NP Net.

Message Count Threshold: The number of messages, names, greetings, and receipt updates that must be waiting in a queue for a certain node before that queue becomes ready to send. This threshold is appropriate for sites where users tend to make frequent, short messages. The default message count threshold for batch messages is 5; for urgent messages, it is 0.

Message Waiting Threshold: The length of time, in minutes, that the oldest message will be kept waiting in the queue before the queue becomes ready to send. If the queue has a very restrictive time window (for example, if batch messages can be sent only between 12:00 am and 5:00 am), set this threshold to a low value to ensure that all network queues are ready to send when the window opens. The default message waiting threshold for batch messages is 10 minutes; for urgent messages, the default is 0 minutes (no waiting).

Total Message Minutes: The number of minutes of speech that must be waiting in a queue for a certain node before that queue becomes ready to send. This threshold is appropriate for systems where system storage tends to be high, but it is not triggered efficiently by frequent, short messages. If the node tends to process a high volume of short messages, the message count threshold is a better choice. The default Total Message Minutes threshold for batch messages is 5 minutes of speech; for urgent messages, the default is 0 minutes of speech.

## Worksheet Definitions: Network Queue Time Windows (Start/Stop Times)

The start and stop times create a limited time period during which messages can be sent to remote nodes. This time window overrides all message thresholds; queues that are ready to send will not trigger a call unless the window is open. Conversely, when the time window opens, queues that have not yet met any of the thresholds will not be sent. The time window and thresholds must be carefully set, to ensure that messages do not remain queued for an unacceptable period of time.

You set separate time windows for batch and urgent messages. Within these categories, you set time windows for weekdays and weekends. In the default configuration, network queue time windows for batch and urgent messages are always open.

Always Open: Circle Weekdays or Weekends for either urgent or batch queues if you do not want message sending to be restricted by time of day.

Weekday Start Time: Write in the time of day that you want the local node to start sending messages on weekdays, provided that at least one of the network queue thresholds has been met.

Weekday Stop Time: Write in the time of day that you want the local node to stop sending messages on weekdays.

Weekend Start Time: Write in the time of day that you want the local node to start sending messages on weekends, provided that at least one of the network queue thresholds has been met.

Weekend Stop Time: Write in the time of day that you want the local node to stop sending messages on weekends.

## Worksheet Definitions: Network Queue Limits

Network queue limits control network queue storage and determine how often, and at what interval, a node should attempt to send a network queue to another node before the queue is considered "undeliverable."

Message Block Use Threshold: The percentage of total queue storage that must be full to trigger an automatic connection. The Message Block Use Threshold is a "safety valve" that forces the node to empty queues when total network queue storage is almost full.

When the message block use threshold is reached, the system checks the network queues for the node with the greatest number of messages waiting and marks that queue as ready to send. The queue is sent immediately; the message block use threshold overrides all other thresholds, including network queue time windows. The system will continue to send queues until message storage falls below the threshold.

You can set the message block use threshold at any value between 80% and 100%. The default threshold is 80%.

Maximum Call Setup Tries: The maximum number of calls that an originating node will make to try to establish a connection with another node. The default value is 50.

Call Setup Retry Interval: The time, in minutes, between attempts to establish a connection. The default interval is 10 minutes.

An originate link executes the originate actions of the hardware type up to three times in immediate succession when attempting to call another node. These three calls constitute one try; that is, the call setup tries counter is increased only after all three attempts have failed.

When a first attempt at originating a call fails (the node may be busy communicating with another node on the system, for example), the node waits the amount of time specified by the call setup retry interval before repeating the originating actions. This sequence will continue until communications are established or the maximum call setup tries threshold has been reached.

If all attempts to communicate with the destination node fail, all users who sent messages to that node are notified that these messages could not be delivered.