UC Platform Hardware

Each ShoreGear voice appliance, or voice switch, is a solid state hardware device

Used to manage and control the PBX functionality of the ShoreTel system. When a ShoreGear voice switch is connected to a data network, it automatically downloads and installs necessary firmware. It then establishes connectivity to all other ShoreGear switches and ShoreTel servers in your enterprise.

Each ShoreGear switch receives, from its managing ShoreTel server

A subset of the entire enterprise-wide configuration database. This database includes information on all trunk groups, other ShoreTel devices, sites, dial plans, user permissions, call control parameters and call routing options.

Each ShoreGear can be the host, or “owner,” of local endpoints

Such as end user phones, local services (such as Hunt Groups and Bridged Call Appearances) and local trunks. The complete list of all local endpoints is exchanged with all other ShoreGear switches (including the SoftSwitch on all ShoreTel servers) so that every ShoreGear switch becomes aware of the location of all endpoints and resources throughout the entire enterprise.

Combining the knowledge of the configuration database (received from the server and stored in non-volatile RAM, or NVRAM) and the dynamic exchange of all endpoints and all resources in the system (received from all other switches/SoftSwitches and stored in dynamic RAM, or DRAM) allows each ShoreGear switch to make independent and intelligent call routing decisions without the need to query a centralized call processor or centralized servers.

ShoreGear voice switches provide complete call control and call routing services to their locally owned endpoints, and act as gateways to the PSTN network via locally connected trunks.

ShoreGear voice switches support a variety of stations (analog phones, 3rd party SIP phones, ShoreTel IP Phones) and trunk types (analog loop start, analog DID, SIP trunks, digital trunking such as T1, E1, BRI, PRI). ShoreGear switches also provide advanced call routing functions like Hunt Groups and Bridged Call Appearances. The resources built into each ShoreGear can be dynamically assigned and reconfigured by an administrator in real-time, providing configuration
flexibility in response to rapidly changing requirements.

When ShoreGear switches are added to your data network, they connect and communicate directly with each other

Creating a fully meshed network of connectivity with all other ShoreTel voice switches (ShoreGear and SoftSwitches). When ShoreTel IP Phones are connected to the data network, the phones are automatically assigned to the IP Phone resources of individual ShoreGear switches. Trunk resources are created, configured and assigned (physically or logically) to specific ShoreGear switches throughout the organization by an administrator.

Inbound calls are managed and controlled by the ShoreGear switch that is connected to the active trunk (analog, digital or SIP). Outbound calls are managed and controlled by the ShoreGear switch that is managing the phone (or device) that is placing the call. Each ShoreGear switch has locally-stored knowledge of all call routing details (received from the configuration database) and is fully aware of the location of all endpoints and trunk resources (from all other switches) and is therefore able to make all call routing decisions locally.

Call routing decision are made by the local switch and call setup is performed directly between the necessary switches. Each ShoreGear switch maintains direct connectivity to all other resources (ShoreGear voice switches and SoftSwitches).

No intermediate gateway or proxy server is required.