Telephony Server Application Programming Interface: Difference between revisions

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'''Telephony Server Application Programming Interface''' was a [[computer telephony integration]] standard developed and promoted by [[Novell]] and [[AT&T]]. It consisted of a number of call control commands for switching calls, [[voice mail]] and call logging using [[NetWare]] servers. Unlike the competing [[Telephony Application Programming Interface]] from [[Microsoft]] and [[Intel]], it was a [[Server (computing)|server]]-based system that did not expect client-side equipment to handle call switching. This was important to AT&T, whicho sold large telephone switches that Telephony Server Application Programming Interface was intended to work with.

==Description==

Telephony Server Application Programming Interface consisted of two primary parts, the [[application programming interface]] itself, and a "telephony service provider" that ran on a server and talked to clients. Novell produced one such provider, "TServer" that ran, unsurprisingly, on NetWare servers. TServer, in turn, talked to a driver specific to the brand of telephony switch being used. NetWare acted primarily as the [[operating system]] for TServer to run within, although TServer did make use of [[NetWare Directory Services]] for security and provisioning. The whole system from client-side drivers to server to PBX[[Business_telephone_system#Private_branch_exchange|private branch exchange]] driver was known as "NetWare Telephony Services", at least when using Novell software.

Message formats were based on a standard promoted by the [[European Computer Manufacturers Association]], which was directly supported by a number of European-built switches. When used with one of these switches, the driver between the server and the switch was "thin". "Thicker" drivers were needed for switches that did not directly support these standards. The client-side application programming interface was available for [[Windows 3.1]], [[Windows 95]], [[Windows NT]], [[OS/2]], [[Mac OS]] and [[UnixWare]].