Specifications

ShoreTel Architecture Distributed Applications Platform
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ShoreTel 14 Maintenance Guide 16
Figure 2: Distributed IP Voice Architecture
Distributed Applications Platform
The ShoreTel system's ability to support applications on distributed servers across the enterprise while
maintaining a single, cohesive system depends on the ShoreTel Telephony Management Service
(TMS) and the ShoreTel Distributed Telephony Application Service (DTAS).
TMS runs on each ShoreTel server and observes all call activity for the softswitch and ShoreTel voice
switches it manages. DTAS, which is bundled into TMS, runs on each ShoreTel Server and DVS and
directs requests to the appropriate TMS.
By installing a DVS at the same site as the users, applications such as voicemail, workgroups and
Communicator can run locally, regardless of the network availability to the Headquarters server. In
addition, by adding ShoreTel servers to host applications, services, and APIs, the system can scale as
necessary.
For added local reliability, a working copy of the Headquarters database can reside on each DVS in the
system in the event contact with the Headquarters server is lost.
The ShoreTel TMS/DTAS software supports Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) for
call control, media playing and recording. TAPI allows value-added applications to be added to the
ShoreTel system.
Even when multiple DVSs are installed, the ShoreTel system is managed and behaves as a single-
image system with complete feature transparency between sites.
Distributed Call Control
Distributed call control is a key concept of the ShoreTel system. Based on the industry-standard
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), ShoreTel’s distributed call control software runs on every ShoreTel
voice switch in the ShoreTel system. Each switch call-control element manages the call setup and
teardown for the endpoints that it supports (both analog and IP).
Open API Layer
Open
Applications
Voice Endpoints
Integrated
Applications
Open Third-Party
Applications
Open Protocol Layer
Distributed Applications Platform
Single System
Management
Distributed Call Control