System-Wide Message Notification Settings
Message notifications for the whole system use the following settings:
- Enabling the feature—Message notification is disabled by default for all subscribers and groups. Enable the feature on a system-wide basis or for specific subscribers or groups. The feature is available for all subscribers and groups who have a mailbox.
The first time the administrator enables the feature system-wide, the feature remains disabled for all subscribers and groups. If specific subscribers or groups are to have access to message notification, the administrator can enable the feature for those subscribers or groups on an individual basis.
If the feature is disabled on a system-wide basis, the feature becomes disabled for all subscribers and groups. However, the system does not delete the device settings for the subscribers and groups. When the feature is enabled again, the system restores the settings for the subscribers and groups as they were before the system-wide disabling.
If the feature is enabled system-wide and the administrator adds a new subscriber or group, the feature is disabled for that subscriber or group.
If no SMTP server is configured when the feature is enabled system-wide, the system generates a warning message indicating that e-mail and text pager notifications will not work.
- Notification preference—The administrator can set the type of messages for which notifications will be sent: all messages or urgent messages. Urgent is the default. The administrator can change the preference for specific subscribers or groups to a value other than the system-wide setting.
If the system-wide preference is set to “all,” the administrator can set the preference for a specific subscriber or group to either “all” or “urgent.” If the system-wide preference is set to “urgent,” the preference for a specific subscriber or group is only “urgent.”
If the administrator changes the system-wide preference from “all” to “urgent,” the system changes the preference to “urgent” for all subscribers and groups.
If the administrator changes the system-wide preference from “urgent” to “all,” the system does not change the preference for those subscribers or groups who were configured on an individual basis.
- Voice message attachments—This setting permits a voice message to be attached to a notification sent to an e-mail inbox. Notification attachments are disabled by default so that voice messages are not attached to the notification e-mail. The administrator can change this setting for specific subscribers or groups to a value other than the system-wide setting.
If attachments are enabled system-wide, you can change the setting for a specific subscriber or group to enabled or disabled. If attachments are disabled system-wide, the attachments setting for a specific subscriber or group also is disabled.
The system never attaches a private message to notification e-mails, regardless of this setting.
If the administrator changes this system-wide setting from enabled to disabled, the system changes the setting to disabled for all subscribers and groups.
If the administrator changes this system-wide setting from disabled to enabled, the system does not change the preference for those subscribers or groups who were configured on an individual basis.
- Connection timeout—This variable specifies the number of seconds a notification call will attempt to connect before the system disconnects the call and treats the call as failed. This option is available only to phone devices and numeric pagers. The range of values is 12 seconds to 96 seconds. The default value is 48 seconds.
- Logging into voice mail during an outcall—This variable permits the subscriber to log in to voice mail when answering a notification call. This option is available only for phone devices.
If the option is enabled, the system provides the subscriber with an option to log in to voice mail to retrieve the message. If the option is disabled, the system plays a notification prompt three times before disconnecting the notification call. The system default is disabled.
- Notification message prefix text—This setting enables the administrator to append a system-wide message before a notification. This option is available in Cisco Unity Express 8.0 and later versions.
- Notification message suffix text—This setting enables the administrator to append a signature message after a notification. This option is available in Cisco Unity Express 8.0 and later versions.
- Restriction table—The restriction table controls the phone numbers that subscribers can use to send message notifications. These restrictions are available only for phone devices and numeric pagers.
The system provides a predefined table that can be modified by the administrator. The table applies to all subscribers and groups on the system. A typical use of this table is to prevent the use of long-distance or international numbers for message notifications.
The system checks the restriction table when the subscriber is assigning phone numbers to phone devices (such as a cell phone, home phone, or work phone), to a numeric pager, and before making an outcall. If a phone number is listed in the table as restricted, the system sends a message to the subscriber.
If a subscriber has a number configured for a device and the administrator later restricts that number system-wide, notification calls will not be made to that number. The administrator must remove the number for the individual subscriber.
Cisco Unity Express provides a default restriction table that defines two requirements:
– Minimum and maximum number of digits, including access codes, allowed in a phone number. The minimum is 1 digit and the maximum is 30 digits. The default is 1 digit.
– A maximum of 10 dial strings that represent the restricted numbers. Each string consists of a call pattern and a setting that specifies if a phone number matching the pattern is restricted or not.
Valid patterns can include digits 0 to 9, asterisk (*), and dot (.). The * indicates a match of zero or more digits. Each dot serves as a placeholder for 1 digit.
Valid setting values are allowed or disallowed.
When a subscriber tries to set up or change a phone number assigned to a device, the system verifies that the number has the allowed number of digits. If it does not, the subscriber receives a system message.
If the number of digits is acceptable, the system checks the number against the dial patterns in the restriction table, starting with the first pattern (preference 1). If the number does not match the first pattern, the system checks the next pattern in the table (preference 2), and so forth until a match is found. The system either permits or restricts the call as specified in the dial string.
The default restriction table permits all phone numbers to be used, as shown in Table 12-1 .
Table 12-1 Default Restriction Table
|
|
|
1 |
* |
Yes |
You can change only the preference and permission of this pattern.
The restriction table can contain identical dial strings, which have the same call pattern and permission setting. This includes the default pattern. You can delete any of these dial strings if the table contains at least one default pattern.
Table 12-2 illustrates a restriction table with international numbers and restricted numbers.
Table 12-2 Restriction Table with International Numbers
|
|
|
1 |
9011* |
No |
2 |
91.......... |
No |
3 |
* |
Yes |
Table 12-3 illustrates a restriction table that permits one number in an area code but restricts all other numbers in that area code.
Table 12-3 Restriction Table with Restricted Area Code
|
|
|
1 |
9011* |
No |
2 |
912225550150 |
Yes |
3 |
91222....... |
No |
4 |
* |
Yes |
- SMTP server setup—Sending notifications to a subscriber’s e-mail or text messages to text pagers requires an SMTP server. The administrator must configure an external SMTP server address for Cisco Unity Express to use to send the text notifications. The SMTP server address can be the hostname or IP address. To use the hostname, verify that the DNS server is configured.
If the SMTP server requires a user ID and password for authentication, the administrator must configure the user ID and password on Cisco Unity Express software.
- From address for outgoing e-mails—E-mail messages and notifications sent out by Cisco Unity Express display the address hostname@domain in the From field, where hostname is the hostname configured for Cisco Unity Express and domain is the domain name configured for Cisco Unity Express. The administrator can configure a more descriptive e-mail address to use in this field. Maximum length is 128 characters.
Subscriber and Device-Specific Settings
Subscribers are able to use the telephone user interface (TUI), graphical user interface (GUI), or VoiceView Express to specify the phone devices and numeric pagers to which message notifications will be sent. Subscribers can use only the GUI or VoiceView Express to configure e-mail inboxes or text pagers to receive notifications.
The administrator can use the GUI, VoiceView Express, or the CLI procedures in this section to configure any supported device to receive notifications.
The following settings are available for configuring message notification:
- Phone number—The system dials this number when a mailbox receives a new message. The number consists only of digits 0 to 9; no other characters or pauses are permitted. Include any access codes as part of the phone number.
This setting is not available for e-mail inboxes and text pagers.
If the phone number is removed, the system disables the device.
The administrator configures a restriction table that controls what phone numbers are allowed for message notification. See System-Wide Message Notification Settings for information on restriction tables.
- Extra digits—The system dials these digits after the phone number when the outgoing call is answered. The system treats these digits as DTMF digits from Cisco Unity Express to the called device.
The result of these digits depends on the called device. For example, the digits appear on the display of a numeric pager.
Extra digits can consist of digits 0 to 9, pound or hash (#), asterisk (*), and plus (+). The plus sign is used to insert a 1-second pause. The maximum number of extra digits is 64.
This setting is not available for e-mail inboxes or text pagers.
- To—This setting is the e-mail address that receives the message notification. The maximum number of characters in the e-mail address is 129.
This setting is available only to e-mail inboxes and text pagers.
If the e-mail address is removed, the system disables the device.
- Text—This is the content of the text message, which appears in the body of the e-mail or as a text page on the text pager. The maximum number of characters in the message is 128.
- Attach to e-mail—If this setting is enabled, the system attaches a new voice message as a.wav file to the message notification e-mail. The.wav file format is G711 mu-law 8KHz 8-bit mono.
This setting is available only to e-mail inboxes.
The setting is disabled by default so that no voice messages are attached to message notifications.
The system never attaches a private message to notification e-mails, regardless of this setting.
The system-wide attachment setting takes precedence over the individual subscriber or group setting. If the administrator disables the e-mail attachment setting system-wide, then subscribers cannot enable the setting on their devices.
If the administrator changes this system-wide setting from disabled to enabled, the system does not change the preference for those subscribers or groups who were configured on an individual basis.
- Enabling the device—The subscriber or administrator must enable the devices to receive message notifications. Phone devices and numeric pagers require a valid phone number to be enabled. E-mail inboxes and text pagers require a valid e-mail address to be enabled.
If the administrator changes the system-wide setting to disabled, the subscriber cannot enable any device. The subscriber can enable a device only if the system-wide setting is enabled.
- Notification preference—The subscriber or administrator can set the type of messages for which notifications will be sent: all messages or urgent messages. Urgent is the default.
The system-wide attachment setting takes precedence over the individual subscriber or group setting. If the administrator changes the system-wide preference from “all” to “urgent,” subscribers cannot enable the setting on their devices.
- Notification schedule—The subscriber or administrator can set a schedule that activates the notification feature for a specific device. Time slots are available 24 hours a day for any day of the week in half-hour increments.
The default schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 p.m.
If new messages arrive when the device is inactive, the system does not send a notification for them even if the messages are in a “new” state when the next active time slot occurs.