Front office Management with AHL Simulator

1) Objective:

This document explains the configurations that needs to be carried out in

OXE/4400 and also explains the procedure as how to communicate with 4000
and do check-in, check-out etc..on Ethernet with complete protocol details

2) Configuration at OXE/ 4440

To have the External application talk to 4400 for FOM, the following
configurations are required at PCX.

a) mgr > applications > hotel > computer link >

Note: This CPU address is the 4400 CPU’s address and NOT the External PC’s
IP address

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -1-

 b)spadmin

Lock 126 should be 1

c) Shutdown of the PCX with the command shutdown –r now – for the
above changes to take effect

d) Checking for the processes.

The two processes linf and ahltcp should be running in the system it can
be checked as shown below

WARNING:

For the proper functioning of AHL, these 6 linf processes

and one ahltcp process must be running as shown above.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -2-

 If the string contains the wrong information, for example an extn number
that does not exist, etc then PCX will block the linf process with an incident as
shown below

In this case, there will be only 5 Processes running in the system and PCX
will not send any ACK to Computer (External Application), in this cases we have
to restart the process in order to have all 6 linf process running.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -3-

 3) Help on AHL Simulator Application

To load the module, select “Front Office System” and then click on the load
module as shown below

This will load the Front office module. There are two frames, one to display the
data sent to PCX and the other one to display the data received from the PCX

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -4-

 Once the connectivity is established between 4400 on Port 2561, we could send
the FOM messages from the list (Check-In, Check-Out etc).

The Frame sent and protocol description is discussed in detail under the Protocol
section

4) Significance of 5 and 8 digits Numbering Scheme

It is mandatory to specify the numbering scheme used in the PCX before using
the 4400, as shown in the below capture,

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -5-

 This has to be same as the settings at mgr>application>hotel>computer links

Note:
When the above setting is set as 5, we can manage rooms that are 2, 3,4 and 5
digits of length.
When the above setting is set as 8, we can manage rooms, which are 6, 7 and 8
digits of length.

5) Protocol Section

PCX uses TCP port 2561 for the AHL. This application first sends the connection
string to PCX which is 02 40 46 46 46 46 (FFFF- Node number) 03 in Hex

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -6-

 PCX replies to this connection string with 06 in Hex, which is ACK frame.

PCX sends another frame with its node information

Here we can see that PCX has replied with $ 003C, which is Node number 60. If
this application is talking to PCX, which is node 66, then we get the response as
$0042. Which is Node 66 (66= 42H)

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -7-

 AHL Simulator Application displays this Node information automatically, based
on the frame ack sent by the PCX

After receiving each frame, it is very important to send the acknowledgement

back to PCX to continue the conversation with PCX.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -8-

 Check-In Frame

Format

The check- In Options are selected from the another submenu of the application
as shown below

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga -9-

 String sent:

Here the Value 51 indicates the CRC, this is bit complicated operation and only
when the CRC is correct the PCX will respond to the string sent by the front
office, the below capture from the AHL- Protocol document explains how the
CRC is calculated.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 10 -

 And the information is send to PCX

If the CRC is correct, then PCX will reply with the acknowledgement

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 11 -

 If the CRC is not correct, then PBX does not respond with any message. But it
will generate NACK incidents as shown below

Checkout Frame

Format

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 12 -

 Check out option is selected in the AHL Application as shown below

For Checkout, the Data sent to PCX will be as shown below

If the CRC fields are correct then PCX will send the Checkout reply.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 13 -

 Modifications ( Deposit , DND, MWI, Wakeup, Name Change ,Cos Etc..)

Modification Format is used to accomplish this.

Format:

The Options are selected from the List as shown below,

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 14 -

 Modification frame (DND set) sent to PCX:

We get the acknowledgement for different functions as shown below

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 15 -

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 16 -
 Guest Allocation

When the Guest Management is used in the system,

Mgr>application >Hotel>Management Mode= Guest Management, then we

cannot check in a Room Directly. We have to check in a Guest (Patient) and then
allocate this Guest number (GPIN) to the Room.

Format:

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 17 -

 In AHL application, the option “Guest Allocation” is used for this.

String Sent:

If the CRC Values are correct, then we get the reply from PCX as shown below
and also, it is captured in the Acknowledgement window.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 18 -

 VoiceMail Allocation

When you select the voicemail option, from the list, Application pops up this
Message, just to make you aware about the functions that will be performed,

Format:

Selected from the Application as shown below.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 19 -

 String Sent

The result

In case if it is successful,

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 20 -

 In case of failure

Interrogation (Guest Telephone Account Verification)

This String is sent to PBX to fetch the information about the Guest’s Telephone
information.

Note:

This Interrogation works only in the Guest Management Mode and it returns
nothing, when applied in the Room Management Mode. When the Deposit is
managed for a guest, this string is used to check the balance amount available.

Format

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 21 -

 It is selected as shown below

String sent

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 22 -

 Acknowledgement received from PCX

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 23 -

 Ticket Collection

Once the PMS link is active, system sends the tickets on port 2561. This
application captures the tickets and it is stored in a separate file.

Format

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 24 -

 When the application receives a ticket from PCX, the below popup is displayed
with the indication about the number of tickets

And the acknowledgement Windows has the location of the ticket storage.

Tickets are stored in pmstickets.txt file as shown below

Note:

When the Application is re-started, the tickets are deleted and the storage starts
newly.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 25 -

 DATABASE Re-Initialization

PMS sends this frame in order to synchronize the guest information with PCX.
When PCX receives such request, it sends all the information it has about a
particular Guest or Room set.

Format

It is selected as shown below

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 26 -

 String Sent

Packet details

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 27 -

 PCX send the Reply for this Query with all the information for that particular set
It can be seen as

Also in the Acknowledgement window we get the Room number,

The records are stored in the file as shown below

Note:
In the above text file first 3 records are the result for Full re-initialization (F) and
the last 3 records are the result of Partial Re-initialization. (P)

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 28 -

 Night Audit

The Night-Audit (or daily total) is used to automatically print out the following data
on a printer at a time that is preset in management, or manually from the hotel
management console.
The port is closed by the PCX after performing the Night Audit.

Format :

It is selected from the application as shown below

Pop Up gives some more information on Night Audit

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 29 -

 String Sent

Note:

If you do not get the any acknowledgement after sending the string from the
PCX, then it could be

1) The AHL is blocked in PCX .i.e only 5 Linf processes will be running
2) The number of digits 5 or 8 is not managed correctly
3) You are entering invalid or non-existing GPIN/room number.

ALCATEL-/Support Document Author: Raga - 30 -