Table Of Contents
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Overview
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Features
Cisco Unity Voice Mail System Requirements
Cisco ICS 7750 Requirements
SPE Configurations
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Requirements
Administrator Workstation
Components of Cisco Unity Voice Mail
Network Environment
Telephony Integration
Voice-Mail Message Storage
Global Directory
System Configuration Options
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Standalone Configuration
Configuration
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked with Other Cisco Unity Systems
Configuration
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked to an AMIS-Compliant Voice-Messaging System
Configuration
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Product Offerings
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the Cisco Unity Voice Mail integration with the Cisco Integrated Communications System (ICS) 7750 system. It describes the features and system components for Cisco Unity Voice Mail.
This chapter contains these sections:
•
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Features
•Cisco Unity Voice Mail System Requirements
•Components of Cisco Unity Voice Mail
•System Configuration Options
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Features
With Release 2.0.0, Cisco ICS 7750 provides all the IP telephony features available with Cisco CallManager 3.1. With an additional system processing engine (SPE) card, the Cisco ICS 7750 can also provide Cisco Unity Voice Mail, Release 3.0, and automated attendant features. This section describes the Cisco Unity Voice Mail features supported by the Cisco ICS 7750 with an additional SPE:
•Voice Messaging—The Cisco Unity Voice Mail capabilities allow subscribers to listen to their messages, send voice messages to other subscribers, and customize settings such as personal greetings.
•Automated Attendant—With Cisco Unity Voice Mail, users can set up an automated attendant. This features serves as an electronic receptionist that answers incoming calls. It provides prompts to allow the incoming caller to dial a subscriber's name or to access the voice-mail system.
•Active Assistant—This Web interface makes it possible for subscribers to use their computers to customize personal settings, including recorded greetings or message delivery options.
•Cisco Unity Administrator—The Web administrator provides access to the Cisco Unity server from a LAN connection or a remote connection. Administrators use the Cisco Unity Administrator to create or modify subscriber accounts, configure messaging options, assign classes of service, record greetings, and run reports.
•Digital Networking—This feature enables subscribers to send and receive voice messages between Cisco Unity servers at different locations. Cisco Unity servers can use the Internet to exchange messages.
•Audio Messaging Interchange Specification (AMIS)—With the AMIS feature, a Cisco Unity Voice Mail system can exchange voice messages with other AMIS-compliant voice-messaging systems, such as Octel 250, Octel 350, Siemens PhoneMail System, and Repartee systems. Messages are exchanged by means of either a private network or the public switched network (PSTN).
Cisco Unity Voice Mail System Requirements
This section describes the hardware components and the software applications that are required to support Cisco Unity Voice Mail on the Cisco ICS 7750 system.
Cisco ICS 7750 Requirements
The following are the Cisco ICS 7750 hardware and software requirements for supporting Cisco Unity Voice Mail:
•Cisco ICS 7750—The system must have the Cisco ICS 7750 System Software Release 2.0.0 and system processing engine (SPE 310) cards.
•SPE running System Manager—This card has Cisco ICS 7750 system software which includes Cisco ICS 7700 System Manager, Fault Management Module, and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0.
Note Cisco CallManager 3.1 can be installed on the SPE running System Manager or on a separate SPE.
•SPE running Cisco CallManager—This card has Cisco CallManager 3.1, which provides the call processing features for the Cisco IP Phones and manages the voice-over-IP (VoIP) gateways. It can be designated as the publisher or subscriber server. This card is shipped with ICS Core Software and Windows 2000 Server software.
•SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail—All the applications that support the voice-mail system are installed on this card. These applications provide the communications routing and message management for voice mail and the automated attendant. This card is shipped with ICS Core Software and Windows 2000 Server software.
SPE Configurations
A Cisco ICS 7750, which supports Cisco Unity Voice Mail, can have two SPE configurations:
•Two SPEs—One SPE running both Cisco ICS 7750 System Software, Release 2.0.0 and Cisco CallManager 3.1, and the other SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail and all supporting applications.
•Three SPEs—One SPE running Cisco ICS 7750 System Software, Release 2.0.0, and Cisco CallManager 3.1; a second SPE running Cisco CallManager 3.1; and a third SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail and all supporting applications.
Note Only one SPE can run Cisco Unity Voice Mail in each Cisco ICS 7750.
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Requirements
The following software is required to support Cisco Unity Voice Mail and is included in the installation CD package. This software must be installed on the SPE used to run Cisco Unity Voice Mail:
•Domain controller--The SPE is promoted to a domain controller, and Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory is installed.
•Domain Name System (DNS)--A DNS server is configured on the SPE for translating network names into addresses.
•Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE)--TheM database is used to manage the global directory for all subscribers in an organization.
•Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server (Standard Edition)--Microsoft Exchange provides storage for the voice-mail messages.
Administrator Workstation
This computer must have network connectivity with the Cisco ICS 7750. It must have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 installed. The administrator must use Internet Explorer to access Cisco CallManager Administration, Cisco Unity Administrator, and other Cisco Unity system monitoring tools.
Components of Cisco Unity Voice Mail
This section describes the following components, which are requirements for installing and using Cisco Unity Voice Mail:
•Network Environment
•Telephony Integration
•Voice-Mail Message Storage
•Global Directory
Network Environment
The software components that are used in the Cisco Unity Voice Mail system must reside on SPEs using Windows 2000. The network environment must include a domain controller and a DNS server.
In a Windows 2000 network, you must promote the SPE to the domain controller and install Active Directory on the SPE used for Cisco Unity Voice Mail. All Cisco Unity Voice Mail components must be members of the same domain. Domain membership must be set up before Cisco Unity Voice Mail is installed.
The domain controller is used to authenticate end-users when they log in to Cisco Unity Voice Mail.
A DNS server is configured on the SPE used to run Cisco Unity Voice Mail. The DNS server is used to translate network names to IP addresses when sending messages across the network. You can use an existing DNS server instead of configuring one on the SPE runningCisco Unity Voice Mail.
Telephony Integration
A telephone system communicates with a voice-mail system through the integration of three essential features:
•Call routing to a personal greeting
•Message access
•Message waiting indicators
Cisco Unity Voice Mail and Cisco CallManager 3.1 provide all three integration requirements using the Telephony Applications Protocol Interface (TAPI) in an IP environment. All call information--including session, signaling, and audio--is transferred as packets across the network.
Cisco has developed the AV-Cisco Telephony Service Provider (TSP) applet, for integrating Cisco Unity with Cisco CallManager 3.1. The TSP provides the TAPI session and call control service. The Cisco IP Phones are connected to Cisco CallManager 3.1 by using Skinny Station Protocol (SSP). The SSP layer is similar to the computer telephony integration (CTI) layer and provides an alternate communication channel to Cisco CallManager 3.1. All integration functionality is retained using this alternate protocol (SSP), and all TAPI session and call control is serviced through the AV-Cisco TSP.
Voice-Mail Message Storage
Cisco Unity Voice Mail works with Microsoft Exchange 2000 to store and access voice-mail messages on the Microsoft Exchange 2000 server. All voice-mail subscribers must have a mailbox set up on the Microsoft Exchange server.
Because Cisco Unity Voice Mail only stores voice-mail messages, and it is not used for e-mail storage, you are licensed to use Microsoft Exchange 2000 as "Voicemail Runtime-Restricted Use" software. Voice-mail messages are stored as audio (*.wav) files in individual subscribers' Microsoft Exchange 2000 mailboxes.
Microsoft Exchange 2000 server and the message store are installed on the SPE for Cisco Unity Voice Mail. Microsoft Exchange 2000 is required for voice-mail message management and must be installed and configured before Cisco Unity Voice Mail is installed.
Global Directory
A global directory is a database resource for information about voice-mail subscribers. You use the directory to find subscribers by name, to address messages to them, and to transfer to their phone. MSDE provides the database engine for the global directory.
Subscribers each have database records that include their extension number, voice name, spelled name, and location. For multiple Cisco Unity Voice Mail systems in the same organization, the subscribers on the separate systems are added into the global directory. This makes it easy to locate and address messages to everyone in an organization.
System Configuration Options
Three general system configurations are supported in the initial integration of Cisco Unity Voice Mail on the ICS 7750. This section describes these system configurations:
•Cisco Unity Voice Mail Standalone Configuration
•Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked with Other Cisco Unity Systems
•Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked to an AMIS-Compliant Voice-Messaging System
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Standalone Configuration
The standard Cisco ICS 7750 configuration for Cisco Unity Voice Mail is a standalone system. Figure 1-1 shows the locations of the hardware and software components used in this system configuration.
Figure 1-1 Locations of Hardware and Software Components in the Cisco ICS 7750
1
|
Multiservice route processor (MRP)
|
5
|
System processing engine (SPE) running System Manager and Cisco CallManager 3.1
|
2
|
(Optional slot for MRP or SPE)
|
6
|
System switch processor (SSP)
|
3
|
System processing engine (SPE) running Cisco Unity Voice Mail*
|
7
|
System alarm processor (SAP)
|
4
|
SPE running Cisco CallManager 3.1 (optional)
|
|
|
*The SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail (callout 3) has the following software components:
•Domain controller with Active Directory
•DNS server
•Microsoft Exchange 2000
•Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE)
•Microsoft SQL Enterprise Manage (r
Configuration
Table 1-1 describes the components for the standalone Cisco Unity Voice Mail configuration.
Table 1-1 Standalone Cisco Unity Voice Mail Configuration
Component
|
Description
|
Domain controller
|
The platform for the domain controller must be Microsoft Windows 2000 and Active Directory. The Windows 2000 server on the SPE for Cisco Unity Voice Mail is promoted to a domain controller.
|
DNS server
|
A DNS server is installed on the SPE for Cisco Unity Voice Mail.
|
Global directory database
|
MSDE is installed on the SPE for Cisco Unity Voice Mail, with up to 16 ports, to manage the global directory.
|
Message store
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail uses Microsoft Exchange 2000 for message storage. It stores only voice-mail messages. Microsoft Exchange 2000 is installed on the SPE on which Cisco Unity Voice Mail is installed.
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked with Other Cisco Unity Systems
Two or more Cisco ICS 7750 systems running Cisco Unity Voice Mail can share a LAN or WAN connection and provide voice messaging between the different sites. The Cisco Unity Networking feature is required for communication between Cisco Unity servers.
Configuration
Table 1-2 describes the components for a Cisco Unity Voice Mail installation in a network with two or more Cisco Unity systems.
Table 1-2 Cisco Unity Voice Mail Using Digital Networking
Component
|
Description
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networking feature
|
The Cisco Unity digital networking feature is required for communicating with other Cisco Unity servers.
|
Domain controller
|
The platform for the domain controller must be Window 2000. When two or more Cisco ICS 7750 systems are using Cisco Unity Voice Mail, one of the SPEs running Cisco Unity Voice Mail must be the domain controller. The other SPEs can be either member servers or domain controllers, as long as the SPEs are members of the same domain.
|
DNS server
|
A DNS server is required. Use an existing DNS server, or configure the DNS server on the SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail.
|
Global directory database
|
Install Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) to manage the global directory.
|
Message store
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail 3.0 must use Microsoft Exchange 2000 for message storage. Microsoft Exchange 2000 is installed on the SPE on which Cisco Unity Voice Mail is installed.
|
Connection to other Cisco Unity Voice Mail systems
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail, with digital networking, uses the existing LAN/WAN infrastructure for routing messages between Active Directory sites and Microsoft Exchange 2000 Routing Groups.
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networked to an AMIS-Compliant Voice-Messaging System
A Cisco ICS 7750 system with Cisco Unity Voice Mail installed can connect to an AMIS-compliant voice-mail system, such as an Octel voice-mail system or a Siemens PhoneMail system. The Cisco Unity Networking feature includes AMIS capability. AMIS provides the protocol for communication between the two voice-mail servers.
Configuration
Table 1-3 describes the components required for installing Cisco Unity Voice Mail in a Cisco ICS 7750 system and connecting to another vendor's AMIS-compliant voice-mail system.
Table 1-3 Cisco Unity Voice Mail Connected to an AMIS-Compliant System
Component
|
Description
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Networking feature
|
The Cisco Unity digital networking feature, which includes AMIS communications protocol features, is required for communication with AMIS-compliant voice mail servers.
|
Domain controller
|
The platform for the domain controller must be Window 2000. When two or more Cisco ICS 7750 systems are using Cisco Unity Voice Mail, one of the SPEs running Cisco Unity Voice Mail must be the domain controller and the other SPEs can be either member servers or domain controllers in the same domain.
|
DNS server
|
A DNS server is required. Use an existing DNS server, or configure the DNS server on the SPE running Cisco Unity Voice Mail.
|
Global directory database
|
Install Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) to manage the global directory.
|
Message store
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail 3.0 must use Microsoft Exchange 2000 for message storage. Microsoft Exchange 2000 is installed on the SPE on which Cisco Unity Voice Mail is installed.
|
Connection to another AMIS-compliant voice-mail system
|
An AMIS-compliant voice-mail system requires connections through the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the Cisco ICS 7750 on MRPs that support
•T-1 ports
•Foreign exchange office (FXO) ports
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail Product Offerings
Cisco Unity Voice Mail is available for the ICS 7750 in configurations that support from 25 users to 500 users. You can add the networking feature to support connections to other Cisco Unity systems or to use AMIS to connect to other vendors' AMIS-compliant systems. Table 1-4 lists the orderable configuration options.
Table 1-4 Cisco Unity Voice Mail Product Offerings
Product Name
|
Number of Ports
|
Number of Users
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the Cisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V4/25)
|
4
|
25
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the Cisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V4/50)
|
4
|
50
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the Cisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V8/100)
|
8
|
100
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the Cisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V12/200)
|
12
|
200
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the ICCisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V16/300)
|
16
|
300
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail for the Cisco ICS 7750 (ICSUNITY-V16/500)
|
16
|
500
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V4/25N)
|
4
|
25 (networked)
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V4/50N)
|
4
|
50 (networked)
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V8/100N)
|
8
|
100 (networked)
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V12/200N)
|
12
|
200 (networked)
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V16/350N)
|
16
|
350 (networked)
|
Cisco Unity Voice Mail with Networking (ICSUNITY-V16/500N)
|
16
|
500 (networked)
|
