(7.2+) Troubleshooting external media server issues (Apache Tomcat)
Use these steps to troubleshoot VXML Interaction Server media server, voice prompt, and latency issues.
Media Server Issues Systems Using Tomcat
Confirm that Apache Tomcat is still running by looking for the icon in the system tray, or by checking Windows services (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services).
Confirm that each media server is running properly by checking the Tomcat log. The default log location is Tomcat 6.0\logs\Tomcat6_stdout.YYYY-MM-DD.log (for Tomcat 7, substitute 7 for 6). Refer to the articles "Media Server Logging in Apache Tomcat" and "Changing VXML Interaction Server Log Level" for your version.
Look for any failure messages such as "Unable to connect to external media server..." If you see a failure message, check the path to the server by looking in the toolkit.properties file. Look for external.mediaserver.1=[path to server].
- Apache Tomcat and Apache Web Server: Test the deployed files by browsing to this path in a web browser. The browser should be able to locate the folder. If the browser displays an error, make sure the files have been deployed to the correct location and Tomcat/Apache Web Server is running properly.
- Microsoft IIS: Test the deployed files by right-clicking the virtual directory and selecting Manage Virtual Directory > Browse. The browser should be able to locate the folder. If the browser displays an error, make sure the virtual directory is configured properly.
- Refer to the article Deploying External Media Files for more details.
Also check toolkit.properties to see whether the servers are used in balanced mode or failover mode. You may need to change to the other mode. Refer to the article Configuring toolkit.properties for External Media Files" for your version.
If a media server fails (i.e., the VXML Interaction Server (VIS) cannot connect to it), there is no "timeout" on the failed server. VIS will keep attempting to connect to the failed server. The behavior varies, depending on whether you are using balanced mode or failover mode:
- Failover: If the first media server is down, the browser will keep trying the failed server for each subsequent call. If the second or other media server is down, all calls will be hitting the first media server.
- Balanced: If one of the media servers is down, the browser will still attempt some percentage of the calls on the failed server, but not all the calls. We recommend using balanced mode over failover mode for this reason.
Voice Prompt Issues
Check the browser log for GVP, CVP, or AVP (or other voice platform). You will see messages for the specific prompts being played.
If an incorrect prompt is played, check the structure and contents of the voices folder. Make sure all the required files are present in the correct folders and the names are spelled correctly. Refer to Customizing External Media Files.
Also, be sure the Default folder and each custom folder contains an empty .library file (size 0 KB). If needed, the .library file from the Default folder can be copied and pasted.
Latency Issues
Network latency may cause periods of silence for callers as VIS waits for a response from the media server. This will cause the voice prompts to be delayed or possibly skipped. Refer to Media Server Latency.