The Switches menu manages and monitors switch information and connectivity.  You must first create a switch record before doing any switch provisioning through cairs.net.  This switch record allows you to manage switch connectivity, properties, port numbers, and general switch features including feature key maps, speed dial and office hunt groups.

After creating a switch record, add a connection record.  The connection record connects you to your switch via Secure Maintenance Access (SMA), a MML interface allowing secure emulator-type access. 

Within Switches, you create port groups to which you add port numbers.  Port numbers are equivalent to EQNs for the EWSD switch, and LENs for the Nortel switch/PBX platform.  The port number status is viewed and changed here (ex. Bad, Active, Spare).  It should be noted that port numbers from your switch can only be imported into the cairs.net system through the Data Sync Center, a system administration function found in the System Admin menu.  Additionally, you can define Class of Service (or DSN Access for EWSD switch types) and Class of Restriction (or PTT Access for EWSD switch types). 

For EWSD switches, you create and manage Switch Data reports, Speed Dial Groups, and Line Class Codes in the switch record.  You can also view the switch’s Feature Key Maps.