Multi-Device Access

Last Updated : Feb 26, 2020 |
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The Multi-Device Access (MDA) feature is a capability provided by the Avaya Aura® SIP services.
Multi-Device Access is defined in the Avaya Aura® Communication Manager Feature Description and Implementation guide as follows:
“With the Multi-Device Access (MDA) feature, a SIP user can register more than one SIP device with a single extension. For example, a user has 96X1 at the desk, 96X1 in the lab, and Avaya one-X® Communicator on the laptop. All these devices are registered with the same extension 123456. When a call arrives at extension 123456, all the devices are alerted. The user can answer the call from any one of the devices. If required, the user can bridge on to the call from one of the idle devices by using the Simulated Bridge Appearance (SBA) feature. Therefore, the call can be handed off between devices without parking the call.”
Depending on the configuration, MDA allows up to 10 SIP endpoints to register concurrently. However, Avaya recommends that out of the 10 SIP endpoints only one endpoint should be a Device Adapter UNIStim endpoint. An administrator can use the MDA configuration fields to configure the Sequential Registration feature. Sequential Registration allows one device to be registered at one time. If you configure the MDA feature to allow a new registration when the maximum number of devices registered is reached, Session Manager terminates the oldest registration to allow the new SIP registration. However, in Sequential Registration because registration of only one device is allowed at a time, the devices log in sequentially and not concurrently.
  • CS 1000 endpoint user experience
    CS 1000 does not have a feature that aligns to the MDA feature. There were provisioning models that appeared similar, but they did not support user login and the pairing of the phones was permanent.
    Each CS 1000 station was programmed by using a “device physical port” definition or Terminal Number (TN).
    Administrators could configure two stations with the same definition and with identical DN keys by using MADN. As the primary DN key (which is key 0) was the same, both stations used the same identity for outgoing calls.
    For example, a user has a 3904 desk phone (12 feature keys) and a 2050 soft client (12 feature keys) with the following configuration:
    • Configuration of features and class-of-service options is the same on both the endpoints.
    • Key 0 would normally be SCA, ringing or non-ringing (although, MCA is also possible). Key 0 is configured for the directory number 555-1212 with the associated name Alice Doe.
    • Key 1 can be shared within a department. Key 1 is configured for the directory number 555-2112 with the associated name IETF Docnames. This is normally MCA.
    • Keys 2 through 11 can be any other legitimate keys.
    • The soft keys matched definitions as well.
    The following is the feature experience in CS 1000:
    • If Alice dialed from either phone on the prime DN (555-1212), the outgoing call has the identity Alice Doe with the number 555-1212.
    • If an inbound call arrives at 555-1212, both phones ring and Alice can answer on either of the phones. If the line was SCA, the other phone shows the call status and can be used to join the call. The called-party information shows Alice Doe with number 555-1212.
    • If Alice dialed by using the team number, the configuration option selected determines whether the name and ID of Alice’s prime DN key (that is, key 0) is used or whether the information for key 1 is used.
    • If an inbound call arrives at 555-2112, all user endpoints with this number would ring. If Alice answers this call, then all other endpoints would show idle. If anyone else answers this call, then Alice’s endpoints would show idle.
    This is similar to the MDA user experience on the Avaya Aura® SIP endpoints, except the following:
    • Login is not needed.
    • Logout is not possible.
    • Is not limited to IP endpoints.
    • Consumes additional licenses because a new set is defined for every new paired device.
  • Communication Manager endpoint user experience
    Administrators can configure the number of devices that can SIP register simultaneously to Session Manager. A minimum of 1 up to a maximum of 10 SIP devices can register at one time. Administrators can use the MDA-related configuration fields to configure the number of devices for MDA. Allowing two or more SIP endpoints to register concurrently is called MDA. Allowing one endpoint to register at one time is called Sequential Registration as there was no official name for this feature in Device Adapter Release 8.0.1.
    For example, a user has a 96x1 at the desk, a 96x1 in the lab, and an Avaya Workplace Client on the laptop. All these devices are registered with the same extension 123456. For MDA, the Max. Simultaneous Devices must be set to 2 or higher.
    When a call arrives at extension 123456, all three devices are alerted. The user can answer the call from any one of the devices. This consumes the call appearance on all three devices. If a user answers the call on call appearance 1 on Avaya Workplace Client, the other two 96x1 sets show the call appearance 1 as being in use on another device.
    If required, the user can bridge on to the call from one of the idle devices by using the Simulated Bridge Appearance (SBA) feature. Therefore, the call can be handed off between devices without parking the call. The user can move from Avaya Workplace Client to 96x1 and take over the call from there.
    The preceding MDA user experience is similar to that of SCA ringing a prime DN.
    Depending on how an administrator has configured MDA for an Avaya Aura® user, the Avaya Aura® user can register up to 10 SIP devices with the same extension.
    In addition, administrators can select or clear the Block New Registration When Maximum Registrations Active check box in System Manager to determine how Session Manager handles new registration requests when the maximum number of registrations is reached for the SIP extension.
    For example,
    • The user has Max. Simultaneous Devices set to 2.
    • The user uses three devices, which are, 96X1 in the office, 96X1 in the lab, and Avaya Workplace Client on the laptop.
    • The user typically uses the 96X1 in the office or Avaya Workplace Client, and both are registered.
    • The user is registered at the 96X1 in the office first, and then at Avaya Workplace Client.
    If the user tries to register at the 96X1 in the lab, then depending on the configuration, Session Manager does any one of the following:
    • If the Block New Registration When Maximum Registrations Active check box is selected, Session Manager rejects the registration. The user must manually end the registration of one of the registered devices to allow the new registration.
    • If the Block New Registration When Maximum Registrations Active check box is cleared, the registration is allowed. However, because only two devices can concurrently register, Session Manager un-registers the device that is registered for the longest period of time, that is, the 96x1 in the office.
    The preceding option of terminating a current SIP registration and allowing a new registration is the core of the Sequential Registration feature. Although, the Sequential Registration feature name is not used in the Avaya Aura® documentation, the administrative options allow a user to register the endpoints sequentially.
    For example, a user has a 96x1, a J-series, and an Avaya Workplace Client. The initial state has the user logged in to the 96x1 as the user identity.
    The user can do the following:
    • The user logs in to the J-series. When Session Manager receives the SIP registration request for the J-series, Session Manager terminates the registration of the 96x1.
    • The user then logs in to the Avaya Workplace Client. When Session Manager receives the SIP registration request for the Avaya Workplace Client, Session Manager terminates the registration of the J-series.
    This sequential registration of endpoints can continue indefinitely.
    For more information, see the Administering Avaya Aura® System Manager guide.
  • Device Adapter endpoint user experience
    Multi-Device Access – also called Multiple Device Access in some documents – is a Session Manager capability and configuration that is leveraged by Device Adapter.
    MDA allows a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 10 SIP endpoints to register concurrently as the same user identity. However, Avaya recommends that out of the 10 SIP endpoints only one endpoint should be a Device Adapter UNIStim endpoint. This is because registering two or more UNIStim endpoints with the same TN is non-deterministic in MDA. The remaining devices must be other traditional Avaya Aura® devices. These devices can simultaneously register to Communication Manager and can share the same Avaya Aura® license. With Device Adapter, you can have one Avaya Aura® license for a Communication Manager extension. You can use the same license to configure MDA for up to 10 simultaneous SIP devices for the same user.
    Administrators can also configure whether Session Manager should allow or block new registrations when the maximum number of devices registered is reached.
    However, administrators can set the maximum number of concurrently registered devices to 1. If device 1 is registered and device 2 tries to register, Session Manager terminates the registration of device 1 and registers device 2. This configuration of allowing only one device to register at one time is called Sequential Registration.
    Sequential Registration is a crucial part of the capabilities allowing for fail-over and other useful operations. For more information, see Sequential Registration.
For more information about MDA and the associated limitations, see Multi-Device Access in Appendix H: Call processing features and services.