Administration:SMS

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Contents

  • 5 Configuration
  • 6 FAQ
  • 7 Logs
  • 8 Troubleshooting

    • Overview

    With a near ubiquitous presence of the mobile phones, it forms a very important, indeed essential means by which people connect and communicate with their personal and professional network. Extending the email network to the mobile phone therefore makes imminent sense. However, most approaches to enable email access on the mobile phone have been constrained by the need for special devices and services.

    The SMS integration in MCS however breaks through this constraint enabling users to access their mail message through SMS and send mail messages using their SMS service. This approach therefore offers a lower cost, faster, easier way to extend the enterprise email network to include the mobile phones, with immediate benefit to productivity and responsiveness of an enterprise.

    The SMS integration enables the following features:

    Email to SMS: Users essentially send emails which are converted to SMS and sent using either a GSM modem or an SMS Center as a gateway.

    SMS Alerts: Users can configure alerts to be sent to their mobile phones, based on mail filter rules, e.g. send an alert with a summary of the mail, whenever the user receives a mail from ravi@mycustomer.com.

    SMS to Email: While travelling, if a user does not have access to a PC to access the email client, he could send a small email using the SMS as a carrier.

    Enterprise applications

    This platform enables a whole new set of applications and also increases the efficiency of the work force. Below are a few examples of how the integrated SMS feature can be used by organizations:

    1. The organization has uploaded all the key customer information in the GAB along with the mobile numbers. The marketing team has also defined separate distribution lists or mailing groups based on cities and regularly sends SMS updates to its customers.
    2. The marketing head needs urgent information about one of the suspects he is following and sends a SMS requesting information to the sales team group. A team member on holiday has the required information, but no access to email and he sends a SMS to the predefined number at the organization. The SMS is converted to email and sent to the boss’s id.
    3. A sales team member is on the field and needs to send an urgent email to a client. He sends a SMS to the predefined number which is converted to email and sent.
    4. The ERP system of the corporation is integrated with email such that email messages sent to the ERP system are fed into the system. However there are still delays in updation as the sales staff does not have access to email. Each transaction is sent in a predefined SMS format which the field staff has saved as templates on their phone. Since the sender is authenticated with the directory, the email is used to make entries to the ERP system.
    5. Alert about new offering are sent to the travelling sales force using SMS, asking them to refer to the web site for details.
    6. Account managers have configured SMS alerts from key customers.

    Roll-out the SMS service

    Step Instructions
    Decide on the SMS functionality to be offered
    • MCS can support the Email 2 SMS, SMS alerts and SMS to Email functionality.
    • Whereas the pre-requistes for Email 2 SMS and SMS alerts is same, the pre-requisites for SMS to Email are different and the costs involved are also different.
    • Decide on the functionality required by your users.
    Choose the SMS carrier
    Purchase the SMS carrier
    • Tie up with the SMS centre OR purchase the GSM modem
    GSM modem setup
    SMS center setup
    Updating the address books with mobile numbers
    • Inform all users to update their mobile numbers in the corporate directory from the web mail client OR collect mobile numbers and enter into the corporate directory.
    • Inform all users to update mobile numbers in their personal address books.
    • Collect and update mobile numbers of contacts in the Global address book.
    Enable SMS for selected users
    • If you want to restrict this service for a set of users, then collect the list and enable the service for these users.
    • If you wish to all users to use the SMS service, then enable SMS for all users.
    Train end users

    Pre-requisites

    The features of Email 2 SMS, SMS alerts and SMS 2 Email can work either with a GSM Modem or a SMS center.

    Refer to table below to help you decide on the medium for your organisation

    Parameter Using a modem Using an SMS center (gateway)
    Initial costapprox 12000 (varies depending on model and manufacturer)approx 10000 reserve a long/short code (vary depending on ISP)
    Recurring costNoneapprox 3000 per month to maintain long code (varies depending on ISP)
    Per sms cost of sendingDepending on SIM card package (typically 50 paise per sms)approx 15 - 35 paise per sms for a 10,000 sms packs (varies depending on volume)
    Per sms cost of receivingNone (normally incoming smses are not charged for)approx INR 1 per sms after the first 1000 (varies depending on ISP)
    GSM SIM card requiredYesNo
    Capability to receive an SMSYesDepends on provider. All dont provide an interface to call back the mail system when an SMS is received.
    Capability to send in bulkNo. The SIM card can handle only one sms at a time.No. Most providers allow sending one sms at a time.
    Time taken to send an smsapprox 2 secondsapprox 1 seconds
    MaintenanceMaintain modem, power supply and monitor its uptimeNone required
    Server needs serial port (RS232)YesNo. Connection to gateway happens over HTTP/HTTPS
    SuitabilityLow cost receive option, use if sending volume is less than 250 a dayUse for receive if receive volume is large, use if sending volume is large

    Recommendation Typically in most organisations, the volume of sending smses (email to sms alerts) is more than that of receiving (sms to email). While an SMS center offers a low cost, high performance way to SEND smses, a modem is by far the cheapest to receive smses (an sms center would expect you to rent out a short or long code, and pay monthly for that, thereby escalating the cost of the solution).

    Its suggested that you setup one server in the organisation as a sending server (configure sms properties on that server to send via a gateway and let the email2sms id land on this server), and setup another server as a receiving server (connect the modem to this server and choose modem as a medium in the sms properties)

    GSM Modem

    • Procure a SIM card with the required number of SMS sending and receiving enabled.
    • Procure a compatible GSM modem.
    • Connect the GSM modem to the serial port of the server
    • Test the modem using the following script: 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/checkengine.sh
    • The output should show the modem as connected.
    • The system is configured to run this check periodically and report the status to the administrator on email. Please monitor the administrator account (typically postmaster account of the default domain)

    SMS Center

    • Subscribe to a SMS center.
    • The service provider will provide a username and password and also have a web site from where you can test your account.
    • Test the account.
    • The service provider will give an API to be called from applications.
    • Enter this API in the server properties.
    • Test sending SMS using the center

    Mithi Connect Server has been tested with the following service providers:

    Service Provider Sending sms over HTTP Receiving sms over HTTP Contact Details
    Value FirstYes. Using the following URL: "http://www.myvaluefirst.com/smpp/sendsms?username=<AS PROVIDED BY VFIRST>&password=<AS PROVIDED BY VFIRST>&to=%MOBILE_NO%&from=VFirst&udh=&text=%MESSAGE_TEXT%&dlr-mask=19&dlr-url" NoNitin Sharma, Executive–Customer Relations, ValueFirst - www.vfirst.com, Tel: +91 925076-3148
    Air2webYes. Using the following URL: http://luna.a2wi.co.in:7501/failsafe/HttpLink?aid=<AS PROVIDED BY AIR2WEB>&pin=<AS PROVIDED BY AIR2WEB>&mnumber=<MOBILE_NO>&message=<MESSAGE_TEXT>NoAnkur Singh, Asst. Manager - Sales, Air2web India, +91-9867906067 (m), +91-22-40556105 (o), www.air2web.co.in
    Idea cellularYes. Using the following URL: http://125.18.54.78:9999/csms/PushURL.cgi?USERNAME=<AS PROVIDED BY IDEA>&PASSWORD=<AS PROVIDED BY IDEA>&MOBILENO=MOBILE_NO&MESSAGE=<MESSAGE_TEXT>&TYPE=0&CONTENT_TYPE=textYes. Using the following URL: http://<MCS host name or public IP address>/servlet/MCSIFSMSGwReceive?mailid=<ANY EMAIL ID>&passwd=<PASSWORD OF EMAIL ID>&sendermobile=<MOBILE_NO>&message=<MESSAGE_TEXT> Mr. Parag Modi on 9702003566

    How to choose, buy and configure the SMS center services?

    Choose

    1. Contact the desired or multiple providers, and get quotations for the quantities of SMSes you expect to use up. Ask them about the prices for renting out a long code or short as well (refer FAQ to know more about short codes and long codes)

    Buy

    1. Once you shortlist a provider, subscribe to their services (as per your chosen plan etc)
    2. You will receive the authentication information and other prerequisites from them.

    Configure for sending (email to sms)

    1. Use the MCS interface (setsmsproperties.sh) to configure the Send URL as described in the table above. In the above URLS replace '&' by '&' to make it compatible with the XML file storage.
    2. You might need to open the relevant port on the server to allow the server to connect to the service providers server over HTTP on the specified port.
    3. Inform the service providers about the IP addresses of the MCS server so they can be opened up in their firewalls.

    Configure for Receiving (sms to email)

    1. Inform the service provider about the receive URL so they can configure it at their end.

    One of the Modems tested in-house is Model -- Meastro M100 GPRS (quad band) GPRS modem (Approx cost INR 12,000)


    End user applications

    Sending SMS using email (Email 2 SMS)

    Connect XF allows users to send SMS using the mailing system. SMS can be sent using the web mail client or any desktop email client as described in the following sections.

    Selecting the SMS Contents

    The contents of the SMS will depend on the options selected. To set the default options, go to the Options page in the web mail client and select the “Update your personal information” link. In the Business section, you can set the following properties:

    Property Description
    Include mail subject in SMSes
    • Select this option if you want the subject to be a part of the SMS
    Include mail body in SMSes
    • Select this option if you want the mail body to be a part of the SMS.
    • If the length of the body exceeds the maximum number of characters allowed, then the message will be truncated to the maximum characters.
    • If the number of characters of the message exceeds 160, then the message will be broken down to multiple SMSes of 160 characters each.
    Include your name in SMSes
    • Select this option if you want you name to appear in the SMS.
    • The name will be picked up from the address book and will be constructed using firstname + lastname.
    Include your mail-id in SMSes
    • Select this option if you want your email id to be part of the SMS.
    • The email id will be picked up from the address book.
    Include your mobile number in SMSes
    • Select this option if you want your mobile number to be part of the SMS.
    • The mobile number will be picked up from the address book.

    Using the web mail client

    Using the web mail client, the user can:

    1. Send only SMS
    2. Send email and SMS
    3. Select the SMS content for individual messages.

    The procedure for sending SMS using the web mail is as follows

    1. Login to the web mail client.
    2. Launch the compose window by clicking on the Write New Mail link.
    3. On the Compose page, in addition to the To, CC and BCC boxes, you will see a SMS box. In this box, you can enter either the email addresses or the mobile numbers of the recipients.
    4. In case you enter a mobile number, the message will be sent to the number. If you enter a email address, the system will lookup the address books and pick up the mobile number entered there.
    5. In addition to email ids, the recipient can be a group id. When a SMS is sent to a group id, all the members of the group will receive the SMS, provided their mobile numbers are entered in the address books.
    6. If there is no mobile number corresponding to an email address, or the email address is not available in any of address books, the message will not be delivered.
    7. When sending a SMS using the web client, you can over-write the settings for the SMS content for each message sent. This is done on the compose page itself, by setting the appropriate “SMS Content” property.
    8. To send email as well as SMS, type the email id in the To, CC or BCC box, in addition to entering the ID in the SMS box.

    Using a desktop email client

    Using any desktop email client, the user can send SMS to all the email ids specified. The system will pick up the mobile numbers from the address books.

    The procedure for sending SMSes using a desktop email client is as follows:

    1. Launch the compose page of the desktop email client.
    2. Enter the email ids in the To, CC or BCC fields.
    3. To send SMS to all the recipients, add the following id to the BCC field: email2sms@<domain>
    4. In addition to sending an email to all recipients, the MCS server will also convert the same to an SMS and deliver to the mobile numbers present in the address books.
    5. In addition to email ids, the recipient can be a group id. When a SMS is sent to a group id, all the members of the group will receive the SMS, provided their mobile numbers are entered in the address books.
    6. If there is no mobile number corresponding to an email address, or the email address is not available in any of address books, the message will be not be delivered as an SMS, but will go as an email.
    7. The SMS content of a SMS sent using a desktop email client will depend on the options set using the web mail client as described above.

    Receiving SMS alerts for mail received (SMS Alert)

    To receive SMS alerts for specific mail delivered to your Inbox, you can set mail filters as follows:

    1. Login to the web mail client
    2. Go to the option page and click on the “Mail filters” link.
    3. Add a filter with the Action set as “ForwardAsSMS”.
    4. The SMS content will depend on the SMS content options selected from the Options page.

    Sending email using SMS (SMS 2 Email)

    To send email using SMS,

    • Send a SMS in the requisite format to the modem connected to the corporate mail server. The mobile number for the modem can be obtained from the system administrator.
    • The format for composing the email is as given below:
    Email field SMS syntax
    From
    • F:<email Id on the server>#
    To
    • T:<email Id1>,<emailid2>…#
    CC
    • C:<email Id1>,<emailid2>…#
    BCC
    • BC:<email Id1>,<emailid2>…#
    Subject
    • S:<subject text>#
    Body
    • B:<body text>#
    • For example below are some valid examples: 
    F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com#S:Hi
F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com#S:Hi#B:How are you?
F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com,sunil@mithi.com#S:Hi#B:How are you?
F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com#C:sunil@mithi.com#S:Hi#B:How are you?
F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com#C:sunil@mithi.com#BC:sandeep@mithi.com#S:Hi#B:How are you?
F:deepak@mithi.com#T:amol@mithi.com#C:sunil@mithi.com#T:sandeep@mithi.com#S:Hi#B:How are you?
    • IMPORTANT NOTES: Following precautions have to be taken while composing the message:
    1. The field specifiers (T, F, S, C etc.) have to be in capital and followed by ‘:’.
    2. There should be no spaces between the field specifier and ‘:’ and also after the ‘:’
    3. The From, Recipient and Contents are compulsory. Recipient can be T:, C: or BC:. Contents can have S: or B:
    • The SMS will be converted to email and sent to the intended recipients.
    • This feature is available for you only from the mobile number entered in the address book. SMS to email requests from mobile numbers other than those in the address book will not be processed.
    • Similarly if your mobile number is not stored in the corporate address book, then you will not be able to use this feature.

    Configuring alerts/notifications

    Users can configure the SMS system to receive email alerts or notifications of failures or successes for SMS sent out. The options available are:

    1. Receive notification when there is a temporary error in sending an SMS. By default, the system is configured to attempt three SMS deliveries before there is a permament failure in delivering the SMS.
    2. Receive notification when an SMS cannot be delivered.
    3. Receive notifiction when an SMS is successfully delivered.

    Users can configure these options from the Personal Information section of the Options page on the web mail client.

    Searching for SMS

    Using the web mail client you can search for the SMS sent and received. The search page allows you to specifiy the SMS To and SMS From ids.


    Configuration

    Address Books

    The address books (Global Address Book, Corporate Directory and the Personal Address Book) play a very critical role in the SMS functionality.

    The mobile numbers for senders and recipients are picked up from the address books. It is therefore imperative that the mobile numbers of all the users and contacts are entered in the address books.

    Settings

    The SMS engine can be configured at the server, domain and user level. The settings for all the levels are as given below:

    Server level settings

    The server level properties control the working of the GSM modem and the SMS gateway. The properties controlled are:

    SMS Server properties

    • The server side properties of the SMS engine have to be configured in the file 
    /mithi/mcs/components/mithi-sms-swm/conf/server/swm_config.xml
    • To change the settings, edit the file as per the table given below. Save the file and restart the SMS service.
    General properties
    Property Description
    NOOFATTEMPTS
    • If the engine finds the modem or gateway unavailable, this parameter decides how many times it should retry before it gives up. Every time it retries, it may alert the sender depending on the options set as shown in this table.
    • The allowed value is a number which is greater than or equal to the MINNOOFATTEMPTS and less than or equal to the MAXNOOFATTEMPTS.
    • The default value is 3
    MINNOOFATTEMPTS
    • The lower limit for the NOOFATTEMPTS parameter described above.
    • The allowed value is a non-zero number.
    • The default value is 2
    MAXNOOFATTEMPTS
    • The upper limit for the NOOFATTEMPTS parameter described above.
    • The allowed value is a non-zero value greater than MINNOOFATTEMPTS.
    • The default value is 8
    RETRYINTERVAL
    • When the engine finds the modem or gateway unavailable, it must retry after this many minutes.
    • The allowed value is a number which is greater than or equal to the MINRETRYINTERVAL and less than or equal to the MAXRETRYINTERVAL.
    • The default value is 15 (in minites)
    MINRETRYINTERVAL
    • The lower limit for the RETRYINTERVAL parameter described above.
    • The allowed value is a non-zero number
    • The default value is 1
    MAXRETRYINTERVAL
    • The upper limit for the RETRYINTERVAL parameter described above.
    • The allowed value is a non-zero value greater than MINRETRYINTERVAL
    • The default value is 3
    MEDIUM
    • Since the server can be configured to send/receive either via a modem or via an SMS center, this parameter decides the default medium to use.
    • The allowed values are "gsm" (for choosing modem) or "gateway" for choosing the SMS center
    • The default value is "gsm"
    TEMPDIR
    • The folder where the engine stores its temporary files during its functioning.
    • The allowed value is any valid folder on the server, having write permissions for the root user. It is not recommended to change this.
    • The default value is "/mithi/temp/"
    FAILUREALERTMESSAGE
    • When a user attempts to send an email via an sms (sms to email), and if the sms is not authenticated or is not in the expected format, this is the message sent to the sender on his mobile as an sms.
    • The allowed value is any string of less than 160 characters
    • The default value is "Sorry, your sms could not be processed. Please check the format and your authentication"
    FAILUREALERTBYSMS
    • This parameter decides if the sender of an sms should get a failure notice if the sms couldn't be authenticated or was of a wrong format.
    • The allowed values are "true" or "false"
    • The default value is "true"
    SUCCESSALERTBYSMS
    • This parameter decides if the sender of an sms should get a success notice if the sms could be authenticated and sent as an email as requested.
    • The allowed values are "true" or "false"
    • The default value is "true"
    SUCCESSALERTMESSAGE
    • When a user attempts to send an email via an sms (sms to email), and if the sms was properly authenticated and converted to an email, this is the success alert message sent to the sender on his mobile as an sms.
    • The allowed value is any string less than 160 characters.
    • The default value is "Your sms was processed successfully"
    NOOFRESTART
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is 3
    TRANSACTIONLOG
    • For every sms sent or received by the engine, make a record in the transaction database for audit trails and troubleshooting. This will record all successfully and unsuccessfully sent or received messages.
    • The allowed values are "true" or "false"
    • The default value is "true"
    MESSAGELENGTH
    • The maximum allowed length for smses being sent from the system. If this is larger than 160 characters, it is broken into multiple parts and sent.
    • The allowed value is a non-zero number equal to or greater than 160.
    • The default value is 160
    gsm-httpgateway properties
    Property Description
    gateway.0.baudrate
    • Adjust this if you find your modem working intermittently.
    • The allowed values depend on the modem.
    • The default value is 9600
    gateway.0.comport
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "/dev/ttyS0"
    gateway.0.id
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "/dev/ttyS0"
    gateway.0.inbound
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "true"
    gateway.0.manufacturer
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "WAVECOM MODEM"
    gateway.0.model
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "MULTIBAND 900E 1800"
    gateway.0.outbound
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "true"
    gateway.0.pin
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "0000"
    gateway.0.protocol
    • The allowed values are
    • The default value is "TEXT"
    gateway_success_message
    • Depending on the service provider, this message would have to be changed. You can know this by attempting the URL on a browser and noting the success message.
    • The default value is "SMS Sent Successfully"
    gateway_insufficient_credit_message
    • Depending on the service provider, this message would have to be changed. You can know this by attempting the URL on a browser and noting the error message.
    • The default value is "Insufficient credit"
    httpgateway.url
    • Depending on which service provider you choose for the SMS service, you would need to change the following URL as per instructions given by the service provider. Please ensure that you retain the &amp separators between the parameters.
    • The allowed value is a proper URL which has the one or all 3 of the following place holders.
    • The default value is "http://samarthasms.com/pushsms.php?username=[USER NAME]&password=[PASSWORD]&sender=[SENDER NAME]&mobile=%mobile_no%&message=%message_text%"
    mailalert properties
    Property Description
    mail_from
    • The from id for the alerts sent out by the engine when it detects a malfunction.
    • Allowed value is an email id on the local domain.
    • Default value is "[YOUR FROM MAIL ADDRESS]"
    mail_messagefile
    • The path of a text file which contains the message, which will be sent to the administrators.
    • Allowed value is a proper file path.
    • Default value is"/mithi/mcs/components/mithi-sms-swm/conf/server/start_failed_mail_body.txt"
    mail_subject
    • The subject of the alert message sent when the engine detects a malfunction.
    • Allowed value is a short string
    • Default value is "Errors/Warnings detected in the SWM(SMS) engine"
    mail_to
    • Send alerts to this email id when the engine detects a malfunction.
    • Allowed value is an email id on the local domain.
    • Default value is "[YOUR TO MAIL ADDRESS]"
    mailbox_host
    • Send alerts via SMTP on this host.
    • Allowed values are an IP address or a host name
    • Default value is "127.0.0.1"

    SMS service

    • The SMS service is called the SWM service
    • This service can be started and stopped using the following command: 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/swm.start.sh
/mithi/mcs/bin/swm.stop.sh
    • Make sure that the service is started using the following command 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/swm.status.sh
    • If not start the service 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/swm.status.sh
    • Make sure the service is auto-started when the server reboots 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/manageservices.sh --setautostartservices swm:on

    Configure the SMS gateway

    • Use the following command: 
    /mithi/mcs/bin/setswmproperties.sh
    • This command allows you to choose between a modem and the center, specify the URL for the SMS center etc.
    • For example 
    TODO

    Domain level settings

    • The following properties for the domain can be set from the Applications->SMS->SMS Composition stage
    Domain Property Description
    smsmaxchars
    • Maximum characters in the SMS. Any additional text will be stripped off.
    smstransportid
    • On every domain, there is a system user called email2sms which is created by default when a domain is added.. The mail box location of this user is the server on which the SMS center and/or the SMS modem has been setup. This is the default transport id used to convert email to SMS.
    • The user has to be a system user
    • The user should have a default filter as follows
    • Filtername : dispatchsms
    • Rule : mailsize greater than 0
    • Action : DispatchSMS
    • The account should not be disabled
    • The mail box location of this user should be same as the server on which the modem or the email gateway has been setup.
    • In addition to this default system user, additional transport ids can be added in case there are multiple SMS gateway servers in the enterprise. Each of these users should have the above properties. Additional transport ids can be used in the bcc field when sending SMS using desktop email clients, however the web client is configured to use the default email2sms id.
    smsremovenewlines
    • If enabled, new lines are replaced by spaces before dispatching the SMS to the gateway. This should be configured depending on the SMS gateway.
    smssplitlargedata
    • If enabled, large data will be split into chunks of 160 characters before dispatching the SMS to the gateway. This should be configured depending on the SMS gateway.
    • The following properties for the domain can be set from the Applications->SMS->SMS Authorization stage
    Domain Property Description
    smscansend
    • Enable/Disable the SMS feature for all the users of the domain.
    • If disabled, then it overrides the settings for the individual users.
    • If enabled, then the individual user's settings are used to decide whether to allow / disallow SMS.

    User level settings

    • The user and COS properties can be set using the Command Line Interface and the Application Manager.
    • The following properties can be set from the Application View->SMS->SMS Composition stage.
    User Property COS Property Description
    smsmaxcharssmsmaxchars
    • The maximum length of the SMS.
    smssendsubjectsmssendsubject
    • Whether to include the mail subject in the SMS content.
    smssendbodysmssendbody
    • Whether to include mail body in the SMS content.
    smssendnamesmssendname
    • Whether to include the senders full name (first name + last name) in the SMS content.
    • This value is picked up from the address book.
    smssendmailidsmssendmailid
    • Whether to include the senders email id in the SMS content.
    • This value is picked up from the address book.
    smssendmobilenumbersmssendmobilenumber
    • Whether to include the sender’s mobile number in the SMS content.
    • This value is picked up from the address book.
    • The following properties can be set from the Application View->SMS->SMS Notification stage.
    User Property COS Property Description
    notifyonsmssenderrornotifyonsmssenderror
    • Notify sender by mail when SMS cannot be sent
    notifyonsmssendsuccessnotifyonsmssendsuccess
    • Notify sender by mail when the SMS was successfully sent to the SMS gateway.
    notifyonsmssendwarningnotifyonsmssendwarning
    • Notify sender by mail when there is a temporary error in sending SMS
    • The following properties can be set from the Application View->SMS->SMS Authorization stage.
    User Property COS Property Description
    smscansendsmscansend
    • Enable/disable the SMS feature for user
    • To set the user properties using the web mail client, logon to the web mail client and launch the options page, select Update your Personal Information link.

    FAQ

    Overview

    What is a short code and a long code?

    An SMS center offers the following services

    1. Facility to send smses using HTTP. This is typically charged per sms sent.
    2. Facility to receive smses and push them to the mail server over HTTP. For this they typically take a fixed rental and allow a certain number of smses to be received per month. Beyond that they charge per sms received. In addition the sender has to also pay per sms sent (depending on the provider and plan being used)
    3. Availability of a short code or a long code where users can send their smses. This is typically a monthly rental.

    Short codes, also known as short numbers, are special telephone numbers, significantly shorter than full telephone numbers, which can also be used to address SMS and MMS messages from mobile phones or fixed phones.

    They are designed to be shorter to read out and easier to remember than normal telephone numbers. While similar to telephone numbers, they are, at the technological level, unique to each operator, although providers generally have agreements to avoid overlaps. In some countries, such as the United States, some classes of numbers are inter-operator (U.S. inter-operator numbers are called Common Short Codes).

    Short codes are widely used for value-added services such as television voting, ordering ringtones, charity donations and mobile services. Messages sent to short code can be billed at a higher rate than a standard SMS and may even subscribe a customer to a reoccurring monthly service that will be added to their mobile phone bill until they text the word "STOP" to terminate the service. (More details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_code

    Long number(e.g. +44 7624 80055), also known as a virtual mobile number or long code, is a reception mechanism used by businesses to receive SMS messages and voice calls. As well as being internationally available, long numbers enable businesses to have their own number, rather than short codes which are generally shared across a lot of brands.

    Long Numbers allows a wide range of industries to generate large amounts of mobile-originated SMS from the subscribers, such as Wireless Application Service Providers, MVNOs, MVNEs, SMS aggregators e-sellers, advertising agencies, media channels and mobile infrastructure providers. (More details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_numbers)

    Ideally its advisable to take a long code if

    1. The user mix avails of mobile services across service providers.
    2. If the service would be used across country boundaries
    3. If sms to email is going to be a widely used service.

    Ideally its advisable to stick with a short code

    1. If only email to sms would be used.
    2. If its a small group and they subscribe to the same mobile service provider.

    Modem Setup

    What are the modems supported?

    Please refer to the modem compatibility list on www.smslib.org

    How many modems can I connect to a server?

    One server can have a single modem as it is connected to the serial port (RS232).

    Will the GSM modem support a CDMA SIM card?

    No it will not. It will only support a GSM SIM card.

    How many smses can the modem transmit in a day?

    It sequentially can transport one sms every 2-3 seconds. Experience has shown that considering the need to retry and accounting for other delays in the network, , it can transport about 12000 messages a day. Please note that this may be lower if the service provider has deployed a rate control mechanism to disallow sending too many smses from the SIM card at such a rapid rate. For very large volumes, it might be better to use the services of an SMS center.

    How much does it cost for me to send SMSes using the GSM modem?

    This cost depends on the SIM card package you are subscribing to. It is recommended to choose a package which allows you send unlimited or a large number of SMSes at a fixed cost.

    What is the recommended modem to purchase?

    We have found that the Fargo Maestro modem works well. However you can refer to the compatibility list for all the modems supported.

    How much does a modem cost approximately?

    It is upward of 11,000 INR

    Where can I buy a modem?

    There are dealers in various cities that carry these products. Please ask your local system integrator partner for a reference or you could do an Internet search.

    Can I use my mobile phone as a modem?

    Yes you can, if it is in the compatibility list of the library.

    SMS Center Setup

    Who are the service providers?

    You can take your pick from amongst many bulk SMS service providers including the large mobile phone companies.

    Do I get reports from service providers?

    Yes most of them provide reports via a console, which is accessible using the user name and password provided once you sign up.

    Can I use both, the modem and gateway together in parallel to send SMSes?

    The engine in MCS allows you to choose any one of the modes as the default sending mode. Both cannot be used together to send SMSes.

    Is there a limit on number of SMSes I can send in a day using a SMS center?

    This depends on the policies of the individual SMS centers. You would need to check with them, before you sign up for their services.

    Pricing

    What is the cost to the company for providing the SMS service?

    The cost can be broken down into a one time cost and a recurring cost. The one time cost includes procuring the GSM modem and any setup cost for setting up the SMS gateway service. The recurring charges include SMS charges.

    Does Mithi offer SMS center services either directly or via a partner?

    We can recommend a few partners, with whom we have a tie up. You can evaluate their proposals and decide what suits your needs.

    How much does it cost per SMS?

    Typically 15-35 paisa depending on the plan you subscribe to for the SIM card or the SMS center.

    What are the payment options?

    This will depend on the policies of the SIM card provider or the SMS center.

    What is a cost effective way to setup an sms service for my organisation?

    Typically in most organisations, the volume of sending smses (email to sms alerts) is more than that of receiving (sms to email). While an SMS center offers a low cost, high performance way to SEND smses, a modem is by far the cheapest to receive smses (an sms center would expect you to rent out a short or long code, and pay monthly for that, thereby escalating the cost of the solution).

    Its suggested that you setup one server in the organisation as a sending server (configure sms properties on that server to send via a gateway and let the email2sms id land on this server), and setup another server as a receiving server (connect the modem to this server and choose modem as a medium in the sms properties)

    Sending SMS using email

    I want to send mail to some different users and same sms to some different user, how can I do this?

    1. This can be done only using the web mail client.
    2. The list of ids or numbers to whom you want to send the message as an SMS have to be entered in the SMS field.

    How can I send a SMS to a group of users?

    If you have defined the group of users as a mailing group in MCS, then enter the group id in the SMS field. When using a desktop email client, enter the group id in To field and the id “email2sms@<domain>" in the BCC field.

    Do I need to know the mobile number of the recipient?

    Not if the mobile numbers of the recipients are entered in the address books of MCS. If the number is not entered in the address books, then you have to specify the mobile number.

    When I send a SMS using the email client, the number appearing on the recipients mobile is not mine. Why?

    The MCS servers use the GSM modem or the SMS gateway to send the SMS. The number appearing on the recipients mobile is therefore the number of the GSM modem or SMS gateway. You have an option to add your mobile number as part of the SMS content.

    What will happen if the recipient uses the GSM modem number to reply to the SMS?

    The SMS will not be delivered to you. The recipient has to use your number which is part of the SMS content.

    What happens if I send an email with attachments having sms recipients? What happens if I send an HTML mail?

    The attachment is ignored. Normally, whenever you send an HTML mail, the mail client also sends a plain text part. The SMS engine in MCS, uses the plain text part of the mail to compose the SMS.

    What happens is I send an email to a group?

    If you have chosen to also send this email as an SMS to the group, the SMS engine would find out the mobile numbers of all the group members and send them an sms. If any member is not in the address book or doesn’t have a mobile number stored in the contact details, he will be ignored.

    Can I know what all SMSes I have already sent?

    Yes, you can search through your sent items for this.

    What if I send an SMS to a recipient internationally? Will it be transported and how much will it cost?

    It would be transported and would be billed as per rates of the service provider.

    Whats the approximate monthly bill for my sim card in a modem deployment?

    This would again depend on the plan chose for the SIM card and the usage thereof.

    Do you recommend any particular mobile service provider?

    No. Any GSM service provider should be fine.

    When a recipient receives an sms sent by me using the email clients, what number will he get the sms from? What happens if he replies to that sms?

    He will see the mobile number of the SIM card in the modem as the number from which the sms originated OR he would get a short code if sent from the SMS center. The recipient cannot reply to these numbers since they won’t be processed. That’s the reason the options provided to the end user include the option to send the sender’s mobile number in the message.

    Can I turn off this service for some users? If so how?

    Yes you can turn off the SMS service for selected set of users using the setuserproperties interface.

    Sending email using SMS

    What will happen if I send a SMS which is not in the required format?

    The SMS will not reach the intended recipient. Depending on the Modem and setup, you might get a return message informing that the SMS has not reached.

    Why cant we use the SMS center to send email using SMS?

    The facility to receive an SMS and inform the mail server that an SMS has arrived, is not available with several providers. And amongst the ones who provide this facility, we have observed that they do not follow any set standards to call back the mail server. Mithi is working on enhancing the engine to support these non standard call back mechanisms.

    Can I use any phone to avail of this facility?

    Yes. Any mobile device which supports the SMS functionality can be used.

    How much does it cost me to send an email using this facility?

    This is the cost of sending an SMS from your phone.

    What happens if someone else uses my email id and sends an email from his phone?

    He will be rejected as an unauthorised sender. The mobile number from which the sms arrives, and the From id in the sms should match in the directory on the server.

    What happens if the recipient email id I provide doesn’t exist or is invalid?

    The system would generate a bounce message to your email id. It will not inform you of this error on your mobile phone.

    Can I provide multiple email recipients?

    Yes, comma separated.

    What happens if I send a large SMS (bigger than 160 characters)?

    It will be broken up while sending (depending on the functionality of your phone) and rejoined at the receiving end (modem). The longer text will be used to compose the email.

    Can I search my INBOX for received SMSes?

    Yes you can.

    I cant remember the format for the sms to be sent as an email?

    It’s a good idea to store the format as a template in your phone.

    Also I cant remember the corporate SMS gateway number to which I must send this SMS?

    It’s a good idea to store this number as your “Company_SMS_center” in your mobile address book.

    Can this service be turned off for some users?

    Yes it can.

    Receiving SMS alerts for mail received

    Will I be able to see attachments in mail forwarded as SMS?

    No, you will only be able to view the text content of the mail.

    Distributed setup

    I have a multi-location setup with multiple MCS servers. Do I need to have GSM modems configured at each location?

    Even in a multi-server setup, usually the mail traffic to and from the Internet flows from a single central location. It is advisable to follow the same strategy for SMS traffic and connect the SMS modem / gateway at the central location.

    However the system allows multiple gateways / SMS modems.

    Logs

    Eventlog

    All send/receive SMS commands executed are recorded in eventlog. We can see these entries by using following command: 

    sh geteventlogproperties.sh --alleventids --output [list of report properties]

    Properties : 

    eventlogreport
eventtype
clientip
whoposted
whoexecuted
whofired
role
starttime
endtime
processingtime
id
command
parameters
stage
result
outputmessage
errormessage
eventparameters

    /var/log/mithi/mcs/swm.log

    Contains logs related to sent/received sms

    'swm' database

    SWM database has 'transactionlog' table which contains all sent success/failure SMS.

    /var/log/mithi/mcs/sms.sh.log

    Contains logs related to send/receive commands called.

    /var/log/mithi/mcs/Email2SMS.cpp.log

    Contains logs related to sent sms and email information processing to construct sms.

    Troubleshooting

    Diagnostic tools

    • All the sms configuration for a domain can be viewed by the following diagnostic command : 
    sh /mithi/mcs/bin/generatediagnostics.sh --component swm-domain --domain <domain name>
    • All the sms configuration for a particular user can be viewed along with the sms transactions of the user by the following diagnostic command : 
    sh /mithi/mcs/bin/generatediagnostics.sh --component swm-user --domain <domain name> --user <username>

    SMS is not delivered to recipients

    Symptom

    1. The SMS is correctly sent from the web mail client
    2. SMS cannot be sent from the desktop client such as Outlook
    3. The /var/log/mithi/mcs/swmdaemon.log file shows the following logs: 
    [27-Jul-2009_19:08:04,078] [INFO] [com.sis.swm.modem.SendMessage(sendURLSMS)]  - <Message status from gateway=IN TEXT NULL ERROR: 63 - Mandatory parameter text is missing or empty!, Message not processed
OR
[28-Jul-2009_11:27:21,774] [INFO] [com.sis.swm.modem.SendMessage(sendURLSMS)]  - <Message status from gateway=Empty text not allowed, rejected.

    Cause

    1. When sending the mail from web client, the end user selected the SMS Content options such as Mail Subject, Mail Body etc. This ensured that the SMS content was not empty.
    2. However the default properties for the user for SMS content option were not set. These are used when sending SMS from desktop clients. Hence the SMS was empty and was rejected.

    Solution

    1. From admin console, set the SMS content properties for users
    2. From the Options page in web mail client, select the SMS content properties.
    3. Reference Administration:SMS#User_level_settings

    Tracing SMS

    When an SMS is sent, it flows as shown below:

    The SMS flows as follows. The steps to diagnose issues at each flow stage are explained below along with each stage.

    1. Email originates in the mail client and is sent to the email2sms account.
      • Use standard mail tracking methods to trace the mail upto the mailbox of the email2sms account/id. Its possible that the mailbox of the email2sms account is on a remote server.
      • Check the maillog on the source server to see that the mail was delivered to email2sms account.
      • Check the maillog on the destination server (mailbox location of email2sms account) to see that the email reached this point and was delivered to the account.
    1. Once it reaches the email2sms account, it is converted to an sms and pushed into the sms queue.
      • The conversion of the email to sms happens in the mdc program. There is a filter DespatchSMS which does this conversion.
      • Look for this mail in the maillog and see the delivery line to confirm that the mail was successfully processed by the DespatchSMS filter. This means that it was inserted into the SWM queue.
      • Look in the swm_daemon.log to see that the sms was processed successfully. This would indicate that the sms was despatched either to the modem or to the SMS center.
      • Also the sms can be traced in the /var/log/mithi/mcs/swmdaemon.log logs.

    I have set filters to forward certain mail as smses. I am not getting these

    Check the following in the sequence given to map the entire flow.

    1. Check that you have configured the forwardassms filter correctly. 
    You can check this from the Options page of the Mail client
OR you can check this using /mithi/mcs/bin/listuserfilters.sh
    1. On the server where the user's mailbox is (mailboxlocaiton server), check the /var/log/maillog to see that the filter was executed. 
    Grep that log for the subject of the sms/email
    1. On the server which is the designated SMS gateway (where the mailboxlocation of the email2sms id points) check the /var/log/maillog to see that it inserted into the sms queue
    2. On the same server, check the /var/log/mithi/mcs/sms.sh log to see if there was any error in inserting the sms into the database.
    3. On the same server, check the /var/log/mithi/mcs/swmdaemon log by subject/phone number.

    Checking if the SMS center is working

    To confirm if the SMS center is working fine, you could use the following steps

    • Edit the swm config file 
    vi /mithi/mcs/components/mithi-sms-swm/conf/server/swm_config.xml
    • Search for the 'httpgateway.url' property. It will be in a line like the example shown below. Please note that it may be totally different from what is shown below as an example. The URL parameters will depend on the service provider. 
    <property name="httpgateway.url" value="http://serviceprovider.com/pushsms.php?username=xxxxx&password=yyyyyy&mobile=%mobile_no%&message=%message_text%"/>
    • Copy the url from http onwards, trim the &amp string from this and replace the mobile number and message text with valid values. It will then look like this 
    http://serviceprovider.com/pushsms.php?username=xxxxx;password=yyyyyy;mobile=yourmobilenumber;message=test message
    • Paste this in the browser window and 'go'
    • If the gateway is working, this should execute successfully and you should receive the test sms

    Checking if the modem is working

    If you face a situation, where you feel the gsm modem is not working, you can follow this process to isolate any problem in the modem

    • Confirm that the modem is powered ON.
    • Confirm that the modem is properly connected to the serial port on the server.
    • Confirm that the modem has the SIM card inserted properly.
    • From the command line, perform the following tests to confirm that the modem is working.
      • Get the configuration of the modem using wvdialconf 
    wvdialconf /tmp/modemconf.tmp
vi /tmp/modemconf.tmp
Note: This file will contain all the parameters of that modem, e.g. speed, etc. If the output of the above command is "modem not found", try closing any other program which has opened that serial port.
If the modem is detected, note down the values of Port and Speed. e.g. Port /dev/ttyS0 & Speed 115200
      • Configure hyperterminal for the modem, by following these commands: 
    minicom - <Enter>
CNTR A then Z
Now to configure press O
Serial Portsetup - <Enter>
Select A change port to ttyS0 - <Enter>
Select E and then I so speed is set.
Save setup as --- modem
Come out of minicom by CNTR A Z X
      • Send an sms from the command line 
    minicom modem
This will directly open hyperterminal from where we can send cmds to modem.
To send an SMS, type the following commands
AT+CSQ   gives signal strength
AT+CMGS="<mobile number"
TEST MESSAGE --- to send CNTR Z

    I send an sms from my email client, I get a success notification, but the sms doesn't reach the recipients

    Symptom

    1. The SMS is correctly sent from the mail client
    2. A success notification email is received by the sender
    3. The system is configured to send using an SMS center as a gateway
    4. The sms never reaches the recipients

    Cause

    1. Most probably, the SMS center is accepting the message, but scrubbing this against a DND (Do Not Disturb) registry database (as per regulations by TRAI). Its quite possible that the SMS number of the recipients is listed in the DND registry.

    Solution

    1. You would need to refer this matter to the SMS service provider. In most cases they can take an undertaking from you and disable this scrubbing against the DND database.

    I sent an sms, it gets delivered to my mobile multiple times and I get multiple warning email alerts

    Symptom

    1. The SMS is correctly sent from the mail client
    2. The sender gets multiple warning email alerts that the sms couldn't be sent and that the system is re-trying
    3. The receiver gets the smses on his mobile, multiple times

    Cause

    1. The "gateway_success_message" property is misconfigured. This causes the engine to submit the message to the gateway, misinterpret the return string from the gateway to be a warning, and keep retrying for the configured number of retry attempts.

    Solution

    1. Reconfigure the gateway_success_message property to the correct return string from the gateway.
    Retrieved from "http://xf.wiki.mithi.com/index.php/Administration:SMS"
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