Topic Last Modified: 2010-12-14

Follow these steps to create an agent group by using Lync Server Control Panel.

Important:
When you assign users as response group agents, inform them that, if they have Privacy mode enabled, they need to search for "RGS Presence Watcher" contacts and add them to their Contacts list. Agents who have Privacy mode enabled but who do not have "RGS Presence Watcher" in their Contacts list cannot receive calls to the response group. Agents who do not have Privacy mode enabled are not affected.

To create an agent group

  1. Log on as a member of the RTCUniversalServerAdmins group, or as a member of one of the predefined administrative roles that support Response Group. If you are not logged on as a member of one of these roles, you are prompted for alternate credentials.

  2. Open a browser window, and then enter the Admin URL to open the Lync Server Control Panel. For details about the different methods you can use to start Lync Server Control Panel, see Open Lync Server Administrative Tools.

  3. In the left navigation bar, click Response Groups, and then click Group.

  4. On the Group page, click New.

  5. In the Select a Service search field, type all or part of the name of the ApplicationServer service for which you want to add the group, click the service that you want in the list, and then click OK.

  6. On the New Group page, in the Name field, type a descriptive name for the group.

  7. In Description, type a description for the group.

  8. In the Participation policy, select one of the following to set up the sign-in behavior for the group:

    • Select Informal to specify that agents in the group do not need to sign in and out of the group. Agents are automatically signed in to the group when they sign in to Lync Server 2010.

    • Select Formal to specify that agents in the group must sign in and out of the group. When you select this option, agents click a menu item in Lync 2010 to open Internet Explorer and display a webpage console for signing in and out of the group.

  9. In Alert time (seconds), specify the number of seconds to ring an agent before offering the call to the next available agent (the default is 20 seconds).

  10. In Routing method, select the method for routing calls to agents in the group as follows:

    • To offer a new call first to the agent who has been idle the longest (has had a presence of Available or Inactive in Lync Server the longest), click Longest idle.

    • To offer a new call to all available agents at the same time, click Parallel. The call is sent to the first agent who accepts it.

    • To offer a new call to each agent in turn, click Round robin.

    • To always offer a new call to the agents in the order in which they are listed in the Agent list, click Serial.

    • To offer a new call to all agents who are signed into Lync Server 2010 and the Response Group application at the same time, regardless of their current presence, click Attendant. Lync 2010 Attendant users who are configured as agents can see all the calls that are waiting and answer waiting calls in any order. The call is sent to the first agent who accepts it, and the other Lync 2010 Attendant users no longer see the call.

  11. In Agents, specify how you want to create your agents list:

    • To use a Microsoft Exchange Server distribution list, click Use an existing email distribution list, and then in Distribution list address, type the email address of the distribution list (for example, NetworkSupport@contoso.com).

      If you use an email distribution list, you are subject to the following constraints:

      • You cannot select multiple distribution lists for the agent group. Each group supports only a single distribution list.

      • If the distribution list contains one or more distribution lists, members of the nested distribution lists are not added to the agent list.

      • If serial and round robin routing are selected, the server offers an incoming call to the appropriate agent according to the routing method and according to the order in which agents are listed in the distribution list.

      Important:
      If you use an email distribution list, hidden memberships or hidden lists might become visible to the Response Group administrator or users.
      Hidden memberships or hidden lists can become visible as follows:

      • If a distribution list was configured so that the membership is hidden and the Response Group administrator assigns the distribution list to the agent list, users can call the group to find out who the members are.

      • If a distribution list was configured so that it is hidden in the Exchange Global Address List, the Response Group administrator might be able to see the distribution list and assign it to the agent list if the Response Group process has the appropriate user rights and permissions, even if the administrator does not have the appropriate user rights and permissions.

    • To use a custom list of agents, click Define a custom group of agents. Click Select, and then in the Select Agents search field, type all or part of the name of the user you want to assign as an agent to this group, and then click Find. In the list of agents, select the user, and then click OK.

      Note:
      If the group is using either round robin or serial routing, arrange the agents in the order that you want them to be offered calls. To change the order of the agents in the Agent list, click an agent, and then click the up arrow or down arrow.
  12. Click Commit.

See Also