Understanding and implementing a dial plan effectively is essential when preparing for the MS-700 Managing Microsoft Teams exam. Dial plans aim to facilitate internal and external call dialing procedures, thereby directly influencing the operational efficiency of your Teams deployment. In this article, we delve into interpreting a dial plan, providing crucial insights to help you ace this section of the examination.
What is a Dial Plan?
In the context of Microsoft Teams, a dial plan is a named set of normalization rules that translates numbers dialed on the client to a standard E.164 format. These translations are crucial for successful call routing and billing. They are automatically assigned to users based on their location, but can also be individually customized.
Interpreting a Dial Plan
An effective understanding of how to interpret a dial plan is dictated by a series of components including:
- Normalization Rules: These facilitate the translation of dialled numbers into a standard format for call processing. They match number patterns and translate them to a standard form, often using regular expressions.
- Number Patterns: These are basic string patterns that denote dialed numbers. In most cases, the number pattern will be a regular expression (regex), a powerful tool for string matching and parsing.
- Translation Patterns: These direct what the dialed number should be transformed into, based on the number pattern.
For example:
| Dialled Number | Number Pattern | Translation Pattern | Translated Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12345 | ^(\\d{5})$ | +1425$1 | +142512345 |
In the above case, the Number Pattern `^(\\d{5})$` is a regex expression that matches any five-digit number. When a user dials ‘12345’, the Translation Pattern replaces it with ‘+1425’ followed by the dialled number, making the Translated Number ‘+142512345’.
Application of Dial Plan in Managing Microsoft Teams
In the context of Microsoft Teams, dial plans play a pivotal role in facilitating the communication between team members, departments, and external entities. Using the Teams Admin center, you can configure dial plans to help callers connect with intended recipients without hassle.
Let’s consider an example where your organization has offices in Seattle, USA and London, UK. An employee based in Seattle may need to regularly contact a counterpart in the London office. In this case, you may configure dial plans to accommodate this need, allowing the Seattle employee to dial a shorter, local number rather than the full dial-in number, helping to simplify the dialing process.
Configuring a Dial Plan in Teams
The following steps guide you through configuring a Teams Dial Plan:
- Step 1: Navigate to the Teams Admin center and select ‘Voice -> Dial plans’.
- Step 2: Click ‘Add’, specify a name and description for the dial plan.
- Step 3: In ‘Normalization rules’, click ‘Add’ to create a new normalization rule.
- Step 4: Supply a name for your rule, input a number pattern and translation rule.
- Step 5: Click ‘Apply’ to append this rule to the dial plan.
For example, if we wish to simplify calling between the Seattle and London offices, we might define a number pattern that matches four-digit numbers, and a translation pattern that prepends ‘+4420’, the dialing code for London.
Interpreting dial plans is an art built from practice. By configuring dial plans as per organizational needs, you can create an efficient, simple calling process that gives your team members the freedom to connect quickly and effectively, boosting overall productivity and providing a streamlined user experience.
Practice Test
True or False: In Microsoft Teams, a dial plan is a named set of normalization rules that translates dialed phone numbers into an alternate format for call authorization and routing.
- Answer: True
Explanation: A dial plan is a set of normalization rules that translate dialed, originally entered phone numbers into an alternate format typically, E.164 format, that Skype for Business Server can use for call authorization and call routing.
In a Dial Plan, what does a normalization rule do?
- A. It authorizes users to make a call.
- B. It translates the external number to an internal extension.
- C. It provides a list of available numbers.
- D. It translates readable URLs into IP addresses.
Answer: B. It translates the external number to an internal extension.
Explanation: Normalization rules in a dial plan define the requirements and translation for phone numbers from their original format as dialed by the user into a standard format for call authorization and routing.
How many types of Dial Plans are there in Microsoft Teams?
- A. 1
- B. 2
- C. 3
- D. 4
Answer: C. 3
Explanation: There are three types of Dial Plans: User, Tenant, and Service, which serve different roles in controlling how phone numbers are translated.
User Dial Plan in Microsoft Teams is used for what purpose?
- A. To provide a list of available numbers.
- B. To customize the dialing habits of users.
- C. To translate readable URLs into IP addresses.
- D. None of the above.
Answer: B. To customize the dialing habits of users.
Explanation: User Dial Plan in Microsoft Teams is configured at a per-user scope and is used to customize dialing habits of individual users.
True or False: Tenant Dial Plan does not apply to users hosted in Direct Routing.
- Answer: False
Explanation: Tenant Dial Plan applies to users hosted in Teams or Direct Routing, so this statement is false.
What is the purpose of a Service Dial Plan in Microsoft Teams?
- A. It is used to translate URLs into IP addresses.
- B. To default enforces local dialing habits.
- C. To identify the availability of numbers.
- D. None of the above.
Answer: B. To default enforce local dialing habits.
Explanation: The Service Dial Plan is a global dial plan on each location and it is used to enforce local dialing habits by default.
True or False: A user can have a service dial plan and a tenant dial plan at the same time.
- Answer: True
Explanation: A user can have both a service dial plan (based on their location) and a tenant dial plan (if one is defined and assigned to the user).
Which format does Dial Plan typically translate the dialed numbers?
- A. Normalized
- B. E.164
- C. Local
- D. All of the above
Answer: B. E.164
Explanation: Most typically, a Dial Plan translates dialed phone numbers into E.164 format, this is the international standard for phone numbers.
True or False: The order of dial plan assignments matters in Microsoft Teams?
- Answer: True
Explanation: The first dial plan assigned based on the scope that matches is used; once a match is made, Teams stops searching for more dial plans.
What language is used to create normalisation rules for dial plans?
- A. Python
- B. JavaScript
- C. Regular expression
- D. HTML
Answer: C. Regular expression
Explanation: Normalization rules in dial plans are defined using regular expressions, a powerful language for matching text patterns.
Interview Questions
What is a dial plan in Microsoft Teams?
A dial plan in Microsoft Teams is a named set of normalization rules that translate dialed phone numbers into an alternate format typically for call authorization and routing.
How many types of dial plans does Microsoft Teams support?
Microsoft Teams supports two types of dial plans: tenant dial plans and user dial plans.
What is the purpose of normalization rules in a dial plan?
Normalization rules in a dial plan are used to convert, or normalize, numbers from the format users dial into the standard E.164 format required for call routing.
What are the steps involved in creating a new dial plan in Microsoft Teams?
Steps include: accessing the Microsoft Teams admin center, going to “Voice” then “Dial plans”, clicking “Add”, completing the new dial plan form and then adding normalization rules.
Can you edit or delete the global (Org-level) default dial plan?
No, the global (Org-level) default dial plan cannot be edited or deleted.
Is PowerShell required to manage dial plans in Microsoft Teams?
No, dial plans can be managed using the Teams admin center, although there are some advanced tasks that require PowerShell.
What factors should be considered when creating a dial plan?
Factors to consider when creating a dial plan include the users’ locations, the dialing habits of the users, and the requirements of the telephony system.
What is the maximum number of dial plans that can be created in a Microsoft Teams tenant?
A maximum of 25 tenant and user dial plans in combination can be created in a Microsoft Teams tenant.
What is the significance of the E.164 format in dial plans?
The E.164 format is the international standard for phone number structures. It’s necessary for call routing and normalization rules in dial plans convert users’ input into this format.
How is a dial plan assigned to users in Microsoft Teams?
Dial plans can be assigned to users in the Microsoft Teams admin center, under Voice > Direct Routing settings, or via PowerShell.
Can administrators view or download existing normalization rules in a dial plan?
Yes, administrators can view or download existing normalization rules from the Teams admin center.
What happens if there’s a conflict between the user and tenant dial plan?
If there’s a conflict, user dial plans take precedent over tenant dial plans.
What is the role of pattern matching in normalization rules?
Pattern matching is used in normalization rules to identify the strings of digits dialed by users, which can then be converted into the E.164 format.
How can you test the effectiveness of a dial plan in Microsoft Teams?
You can test the effectiveness of a dial plan by using the Test Voice Routing tool in the Teams admin center.
How can existing dial plans be viewed in the Microsoft Teams admin center?
Existing dial plans can be viewed in the Microsoft Teams admin center by navigating to Voice > Dial plans.
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