Composer Versus IRD
Contents
Integrated Development Environment
- Composer is a single Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for creating applications to orchestrate the entire customer experience. Composer-created voice and routing applications can command and control the customer experience through all channels (IVR, voice, e-services, and so on).
- Composer's open framework enables widely-available, existing competencies to be used to create reusable components that manage the customer experience. The IDE allows both customers and integrators to utilize existing code sets (HTML, VXML, java, perl, REST and others) to control the customer experience.
- The open framework also allows simplified integration into all Enterprise applications to harness the information within the Enterprise to drive and personalize the customer experience.
Differences from IRD
In the past, Interaction Routing Designer was the only Genesys tool to create routing applications. Genesys Composer is now the tool of choice for creating both routing and voice self-service applications.
A few of the differences between Composer and Interaction Routing Designer are listed below.
- Composer is integrated with Orchestration Server allowing you to manage customer conversations spread out over time using the ORS session-based functionality and persistent storage as well as Orchestration Extensions.
- Composer encompasses IRD's functionality and much more routing functionality in general.
- Composer lets you create routing applications using an open language (SCXML) and ECMAScript for decision-making. In contrast, IRD uses a closed Genesys proprietary language (IRL) and you are limited to IRD's objects and functions.
- Composer gives the option of writing your own SCXML code and/or using predefined blocks.
- Unlike IRD, you can also use Composer to create voice self-service applications for Genesys Voice Platform, including VoiceXML and CCXML-based applications. You can also create integrated voice and routing applications.
Composer Routing Application Types
You can use Composer's predefined blocks and/or write your own code to create routing applications that route based on various criteria such as:
The above list is by no means complete. It represents only a few types of routing applications that can be created in Composer. Since Composer uses open languages (SCXML and ECMAScript), you are not limited to its pre-defined blocks, but are free to create many types of routing applications.
Migrating IRD Strategies into Composer
Note: You can migrate routing strategies created in IRD into Composer. For more information, see the IRD to Composer Migration Guide.
Composer Blocks Mapped to IRD Objects
Composer refers to the fundamental element of a workflow as a "block" whereas in IRD documentation, this element is referred to as an "object." The tables below group IRD objects based on their IRD toolbar category name and point to the corresponding functionality in this release of Composer. Summary information is presented below.
Data & Services
| IRD Object Name | Composer Block Name | Description |
| Database Wizard | DB Data | DB Data retrieves information from the database. Uses a the Query Builder Query Builder. |
| Web Service | Web Service | Invokes Web Services. GET, POST and SOAP over HTTPS are supported. |
| Web Request | Invoke any supported HTTP web request or REST-style web Service. See sample: Routing Based on Web Request. |
Miscellaneous
| IRD Object Name | Composer Block Name | Description |
| Assign
Multi-Assign |
Assign | Assigns a computed value/expression or a literal value to a variable. Variables are defined in the Entry block. Capable of multiple assignments. |
| Call Subroutine | Subroutine | Creates reusable sub-modules. |
| Entry | Entry | Sets global error (exception) handlers. Defines global variables (see Variables section below).. All routing strategy diagrams must start with an Entry block. |
| Exit | Exit | Terminates the strategy and returns control back to calling workflow in case of a subroutine. |
| Error Segmentation | Multiple error output ports can be created in Composer blocks based on each block's Exception property. | |
| Function
Multi-Function |
ECMAScript | Builds an ECMAScript expression using the Expression Builder. Many URS functions are available as Genesys Functional Modules described the Orchestration Server Documentation Wiki Can invoke multiple functions. |
| If | Assign, Branching, ECMAScriptBlock blocks all open Expression Builder | Expression Builder can be used to create IF expressions. |
| Multi-Attach | ECMAScript | Can be used for attaching data to an interaction. |
Routing
| IRD Object Name | Composer Block Name | Description |
| Selection | Target | Routes an interaction to a target, which can be Agent, AgentGroup, ACDQueue, Place, PlaceGroup, RoutePoint, Skill, or Variable. Skill target uses Skill Expression Builder. |
| Percentage | Target | Order Property Statistics Order property in Target block, lets you perform percentage allocation. Also see sample: Routing Based on Percent Allocation. |
| Default | Default Route | Routes the interaction to the default destination. |
| Routing Rule | Orchestration Server 8.1 does not support service level routing rules. | |
| Switch to Strategy | Orchestration Server 8.1 does not support switch to strategy routing rules. | |
| Force Route | Force Route | Not exposed as a routing rule in Composer. |
| Statistics | Target | Although statistical routing rules are not yet supported as in IRD's Statistics routing object, users can use the Target object Property Statistic property to route based on the value of a statistic. A Statistics Manager and Builder let you create your own statistics from URS predefined statistics. |
Segmentation
| IRD Object Name | Composer Block Name | Description |
| ANI | Branching | See Your First Application: DNIS Routing for an example. |
| DNIS | Branching | See Your First Application: DNIS Routing for an example. |
| Date | Branching | See the sample: Routing Based on Date and Time. |
| Day of Week | Branching | See the sample: Routing Based on Date and Time. |
| Time | Branching | See the sample: Routing Based on Date and Time. |
| Classification Segmentation | Branching | For classification segmentation, an ECMAScript function determines if a particular category name or ID exists in the array of category objects represented by an application variable. |
| Generic | Branching | Use as a decision point in a workflow. It enables you to specify multiple application routes based on a branching condition. |
Also see Context Services Blocks.
Voice Treatment
See Composer Equivalent to IRD Treatment.
eServices Multimedia
See Composer Equivalent to IRD Multimedia.
Outbound
Context Services
Business Process
See Interaction Processing Diagrams Overview and Interaction Process Diagram Blocks.
Reusable Objects
- IRD List Object: See Composer's List Object Manager.
- IRD Variable List Dialog Box: See Entry block Variables property.
In contrast to IRD, which defines variables in a special dialog box outside of the strategy, Composer defines both workflow and Project variables.