Strata ® CIX ™
Technical Bulletin
TOSHIBA
March 2008
Database Assistant
Database Assistant is a companion package to Voice Assistant. Database Assistant provides an interface between any Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) compliant database and Voice Assistant. This
increases the power and flexibility of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems by giving them real-time access to databases.
Installation
Database Assistant must be installed on a PC running Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows 2003 server. Voice Assistant 4.1 or higher is also required. The Microsoft ODBC Drivers must be installed prior to installing Database Assistant.
Follow these steps in order:
1. Install Voice Assistant.
2. Install the Microsoft ODBC Drivers which are included. Even if you are using a different ODBC Driver for a different database, these drivers need to be installed for Database Assistant to run properly.
3. Reboot the system.
4. Install Database Assistant.
5. Reboot the system.
Getting Started
Once Database Assistant is installed you must login to gain access to the database.
1. Click on Log In from the Access tab in Database Assistant. The Login to Program box displays (shown right).
2. Enter your password to gain access to the database, then click on Okay.
The default password is 3333 for access level 1 and 9999 for access level 15.
3. Set up Database Assistant. To do this, click on the Debug tab.
Access
Access
Make sure the Host Connection light is green and indicates the status is Operational. (If it is not green or it does not say Operational, see the section on Trouble Shooting ). This screen is used to view current user login and access level information. This screen is also used to change user passwords.
Changing Passwords
Log In / Log Out This button is used to log in or log out of Database Assistant.
Access Level This displays the access level for the current user.
Normal This field displays the current password for the Normal user. This field is only displayed for Super User.
Super User This field displays the current password for the Super User. This field is only displayed for Super User.
ODBC Setup
ODBC Setup
Upon using Database Assistant for the first time, the sections in this screen should appear blank. This screen is used to set up an installed ODBC Driver for use with Database Assistant. If the driver you plan to use is not yet installed, it should be prior to running this setup.
Create an ODBC Connection
1. Click on the Create button under the ODBC Connection Controls section under the ODBC Setup tab.
2. The Select Cursor Driver screen will appear. Select the Cursor Driver to use for the ODBC connection.
Then click on Ok to bring up the Select Data Source window.
3. Click on Machine Data Source and then click on New.
4. Enable the System Data Source radio button, then click on Next.
5. Choose the appropriate database driver and click on Next.
6. Verify the driver choice and click on Finish.
7. Type in a Data Source Name, for example IVR_Data.
ODBC Setup
8. The other fields are dependent on the ODBC Driver. Fill these fields as needed.
9. Click on OK when finished
10. Click on OK again to take you back to the main ODBC Setup screen.
11. The Data Source Name you entered should now appear in the ODBC Connections section.
Delete an ODBC Connection
Highlight the ODBC Connection you wish to delete in the ODBC Connection section and click on the Delete button.
SQL Statements
This section is used to add, edit, delete, and test SQL statements. For more detailed information about SQL Statements, see the section labeled SQL Statements .
Debug
Debug
This screen is used to set up the Host Manager for Database Assistant. Upon entering this screen for the first time, enter VA_HOST in the Host Manager box. Click Save Chg. The upper right corner light should switch to green and Host Connection should be Operational.
Trouble Shooting
Trouble Shooting
If the status light is not green, or if the Host Connection does not indicate ‘Operational’, click on the Debug tab. Make sure VA_HOST is entered in the Host Manager box. If this box does not say VA_HOST, then enter this in the field and click on Save Chg.
SQL Statements
This section can be used to add, edit, delete, and test SQL Statements.
Add an SQL Statement
To add an SQL Statement, make sure your database is highlighted in the ODBC Connections box located next to the SQL Statements box in the ODBC Setup screen. Then, click on Add SQL to bring up the Add SQL Statement screen.
This screen allows us to create an SQL Statement that can be used by Voice Assistant.
SQL Statements
An example of a simple SQL Statement using the Pagers table: select * from Pagers
Click on OK when you are done entering your SQL Statement. This will take you back to the main ODBC Setup screen. Your SQL Statement will be in the SQL Statement box. To execute your statement, highlight the statement and click on Test SQL. Next, click on Execute. This will bring up the SQL Test Results screen that displays your results.
Delete an SQL Statement
To delete an SQL Statement, highlight the statement and click on the Delete SQL button.
Edit an SQL Statement
To edit an existing SQL Statement, highlight the statement you wish to edit and click on the Edit SQL button. This will bring up the Add SQL Statement box where you can make the desired changes.
Using SQL Queries
The queries are activated using the REQ_DBACT command in Voice Assistant scripts (see the Operations Manual for more details).
- End of Document - Tables
This box lists all of the tables found in your selected database.
If you highlight a table, the Fields box will populate. (To enter a table name into an SQL Statement you can double click on the table name and it will automatically populate in the SQL Statement box.)
Fields
This box lists all of the fields found in the table you selected in the Tables box. (To enter a field name into an SQL Statement you can double click on the field name and it will automatically populate in the SQL Statement box.)