Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal (CVP) Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) Release 9.0(1)
Gateway options

Gateway options

 

Cisco offers a large range of voice gateway models to cover a large range of requirements. Many, but not all, of these gateways have been qualified for use with Unified CVP. For the list of currently supported gateway models, always check the latest version of the Hardware and System Software Specification for Cisco Unified CVP (formerly called the Bill of Materials), available at:

http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​sw/​custcosw/​ps1006/​prod_​technical_​reference_​list.html

Gateways are used in Unified CVP for conversion of TDM to IP and for executing VoiceXML instructions. The following sections help you determine which gateways to incorporate into your design:

New or changed chapter information

The following table lists the topics that are new in this chapter or that have changed significantly from previous releases of this document.

 
Table 1 New or Changed Information Since the Previous Release of This Document

New or Revised Topic

Description

There are no new topics in this chapter for July 6, 2012 version of the SRND.

PSTN gateway

In this type of deployment, the voice gateway is used as the PSTN voice gateway. The voice gateway is responsible for converting TDM speech to IP and for recognizing DTMF digits and converting them to RFC2833 events.


Note


Unified CVP does not support passing SIP-Notify DTMF events.


In a centralized Unified CVP deployment, you can separate the VoiceXML functionality from the ingress gateway to provide a separate PSTN ingress layer. The separate PSTN layer and VoiceXML farm enables the deployment to support a large number of VoiceXML sessions and PSTN interfaces. For example, the Cisco AS5400XM can accept a DS3 connection, providing support for up to 648 DSOs. However, a gateway that is handling that many ingress calls cannot also support as many VoiceXML sessions. In such cases, the VoiceXML sessions should be off-loaded to a separate farm of VoiceXML-only gateways.


Note


Any TDM interface can be used as long as it is supported by the Cisco IOS gateway and by the Cisco IOS version compatible with CVP.


VoiceXML gateway with DTMF or ASR/TTS

A standalone VoiceXML gateway is a voice gateway with no PSTN interfaces or DSPs. The VoiceXML gateway enables customers to interact with the Cisco IOS VoiceXML Browser via DTMF tones or ASR/TTS. Because the gateway does not have PSTN interfaces, voice traffic is sent via Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) to the gateway, and DTMF tones are sent via out-of-band RFC2833 events.

A voice gateway deployment using VoiceXML with DTMF or ASR/TTS, but no PSTN, enables you to increase the scale of the deployment and support hundreds of VoiceXML sessions per voice gateway.

In a centralized Unified CVP deployment, you could use a VoiceXML farm. For example, if you want to support 300 to 10,000 or more VoiceXML sessions, possible voice gateways include the Cisco AS5350XM gateway. The standalone AS5350XM can support many DTMF or ASR/TTS VoiceXML sessions per voice gateway. In addition, Cisco recommends that you stack the AS5350XM gateways to support large VoiceXML IVR farms. However, for better performance and higher capacity, and to avoid the need for stacking, you can use the 3945 or 3945-E series gateways. See Table 1.

In a distributed Unified CVP deployment, consider providing an extra layer of redundancy at the branch office. You can deploy a separate PSTN gateway and a VoiceXML gateway to provide an extra layer of redundancy. In addition, for a centralized Cisco Unified Communications Manager deployment, you must provide support for Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST). The Cisco 2800 Series and 3800 Series and the newer 2900 Series and 3900 Series routers are the best choices for the voice gateway because they support SRST.

For a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of each codec, See Voice traffic.

VoiceXML and PSTN Gateway with DTMF or ASR/TTS

The most popular voice gateway is the combination VoiceXML and PSTN Interface Gateway. In addition, for a centralized Cisco Unified CM deployment, you must provide support for Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST). The Cisco 2800 Series and 3800 Series and the newer 2900 Series and 3900 Series routers are the best choices for the voice gateway because they support SRST.

Cisco Integrated 3G-H324M gateway

The Cisco Integrated 3G-324M Gateway - or Video Gateway - allows multimedia communications (H.324M) between 3G (third generation) mobile handsets and Cisco AS5xxx Universal Gateways. For more information on Cisco Integrated 3G-324M Gateway see http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​docs/​video/​milticomm/​3g324m.html.

Gateway topology and call flow

The following figure displays the topology and call flow for the Cisco Integrated 3G-H324M Gateway call flow model.

Figure 1. Cisco Integrated 3G-H324M Video Gateway Topology and Call Flow



The call flow shown in the previous figure is as follows:

  1. A new call arrives from the PSTN network to Unified CVP.
  2. The new call is sent from Unified CVP to Unified CCE.
  3. Call is sent from Unified CCE to Unified CVP/VRU.
  4. Unified CVP sends the call to the VXML Gateway. The caller hears audio IVR.
  5. The Agent becomes available. Unified CVP connects the video caller to the video agent.
  6. Caller-Agent video conversation begins.

CVP configuration

For information on configuring Unified CVP for this feature, see the Unified CVP Configuration and Administration (CAG) Guide which you can locate from this link: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​sw/​custcosw/​ps1006/​products_​installation_​and_​configuration_​guides_​list.html.

TDM interfaces

The Cisco AS5400XM Universal Gateway offers unparalleled capacity in only two rack units (2 RUs) and provides best-of-class voice, fax, and remote-access services. High density (up to one Channelized T3 (CT3) of voice over IP (VoIP) and two CT3s of time-division multiplexing (TDM) switching), low power consumption (as low as 2.4 A at 48 VDC per G.711 CT3), high-density packet voice digital signal processor (DSP) modules, universal port DSPs, and session border control (SBC) features make the Cisco AS5400XM Universal Gateway ideal for many network deployment architectures, especially co-location environments and mega points of presence (POPs).

The Cisco AS5350XM Universal Gateway is the one-rack-unit (1 RU) gateway that supports 2-, 4-,8-, or 16-port T1/12-port E1 configurations and provides universal port data, voice, and fax services on any port at any time. The Cisco AS5350XM Universal Gateway offers high performance and high reliability in a compact, modular design. This cost-effective platform is ideally suited for internet service providers (ISPs) and enterprise companies that require innovative universal services.

The Cisco 2800 Series and 3800 Series and the newer 2900 Series and 3900 Series Routers support the widest range of packet telephony-based voice interfaces and signaling protocols within the industry, providing connectivity support for more than 90 percent of the world's private branch exchanges (PBXs) and public switched telephone network (PSTN) connection points. Signaling support includes T1/E1 Primary Rate Interface (PRI), T1 channel associated signaling (CAS), E1-R2, T1/E1 QSIG Protocol, T1 Feature Group D (FGD), Basic Rate Interface (BRI), foreign exchange office (FXO), E&M, and foreign exchange station (FXS). The Cisco 2800 Series and 3800 Series Routers can be configured to support from two to 540 voice channels. The Cisco 2900 Series and 3900 Series Routers can be configured to support from two to 720 voice channels.

For the most current information about the various digital (T1/E1) and analog interfaces supported by the various voice gateways, see the latest product documentation available at the following sites:

Cisco Unified Border Element

The Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) (formerly known as the Cisco Multiservice IP-to-IP Gateway) is a session border controller (SBC) that provides connectivity between IP voice networks using SIP. CUBE is supported in flow-through mode only, so that all calls are routed through the CUBE.


Note


Unlike flow-through mode, with flow-around mode, you lose the ability to do DTMF interworking, transcoding, and other key functions such as telephone and media capabilities that flow-through will otherwise allow.


A Unified Border Element is typically needed when replacing a TDM voice circuit with an IP voice trunk, such as a SIP trunk, from a telephone company. The CUBE serves as a feature-rich demarcation point for connecting enterprises to service providers over IP voice trunks.

The CUBE has been tested with, and can be used in, any of the following scenarios:

  • SIP-to-SIP connectivity between a third-party SIP device and Cisco Unified CVP over the SIP trunks certified by Cisco.
  • SIP-to-SIP connectivity between Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified CVP.
  • Co-residency of VoiceXML Gateway and CUBE for any of the above scenarios but with the limitation that the call flow does not work when the configurations listed below occur at the same time on the CUBE:
    • Survivability TCL script and incoming translation rules are configured under the same incoming dial-peer.
    • Header-passing is enabled globally.
  • For CUBE session numbers, refer to: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​prod/​collateral/​voicesw/​ps6790/​gatecont/​ps5640/​order_​guide_​c07_​462222.html
  • Transcoding between G.711 and G.729

For more information about using the CUBE with Unified CVP, including topologies and configurations, see ,mn,.nm,,mml'

Cisco Unified Border Element for Contact Center Solutions, available at:

http:/​/​cisco.com/​en/​US/​docs/​voice_ip_comm/​unified_communications/​cubecc.html


Note


Due to a limitation in Cisco IOS, the CUBE does not support mid-call escalation or de-escalation from audio to video, and vice versa.


Using a SIP Trunk Without a CUBE

When connecting to a third-party SIP device, including a SIP PSTN service provider, if a CUBE is not placed between Unified CVP and the SIP device, the customer is responsible for doing integration testing to ensure that both sides are compatible.

When connecting to a PSTN SIP Trunking service without a CUBE, carefully consider how the connection between the customer and service provider will be secured, and how NAT and/or address hiding is accomplished. Otherwise, it is possible for the service-provider network to have full access to the customer network. The CUBE addresses both of these concerns, and it is the service-provider interconnect interface recommended by Cisco.

Using Cisco ASR 1000 Series as a Unified Border Element

Unified CVP supports IOS XE Software - 3.3.0S Enterprise with the following limitations:
  • ASR 1000 Series do not support VXML. As a result, the VRU leg of the call must be routed to a separate VXML Gateway. You must not use the “Send To Originator” setting on the CVP Call Server to route the IVR leg of the call back to the originating ASR CUBE gateway, and standalone CVP calls must be routed to a separate VXML Gateway.
  • The global “Pass Thru SDP” setting on the ASR 1000 Series gateways is not supported with CVP deployments.
  • ASR 1000 Series gateways do not support the TCP transport with SIP signaling when using the box to box hardware redundancy feature. The UDP transport is supported when failing the active ASR chassis to the standby chassis. Since the CVP solution has documented the recommendation of using the TCP transport, it is important to note that the default TCP setting will not work with failover in this version of the ASR release. Therefore, UDP must be used on both the incoming and outgoing legs of the ASR CUBE for uninterrupted call control with CVP. UCS VM deployments cannot support ASR box to box failover due to the above limitation because CVP only supports TCP on the UCS Call Server.
  • Regarding the feature of proxy servers to perform UDP to TCP Up-Conversion when receiving large size packet SIP messages, in a scenario where the proxy is in front of the ASR session border controller, this feature should be turned off to ensure that UDP transport is used for the connection on the inbound call. Typically, however, a proxy server is positioned behind the session border controller in the deployment.
  • Calls requiring mid-call codec renegotiation, such as a g711 caller transfer to a g729 agent, are not supported by ASR 1000.
  • A“sip-profile” configuration is needed on ASR 1000 Series for the courtesy callback feature. To configure the “sip-profile”, the following must be added: voice class sip-profiles 103 request INVITE sip-header Call-Info add "X-Cisco-CCBProbe: <ccb param>"where “<ccb param>” is the “ccb” parameter defined in the survivability service. Add this “sip-profile” to the outgoing dial-peer to the CVP. The following is a configuration example: voice class sip-profiles 103 hoigogpoupcoioivc9iu i 8s66d8 8hxiciuvyd78zicvc8ayge request INVITE sip-header Call-Info add "X-Cisco-CCBProbe: id:192.168.1.50;loc:testbed04;trunks:10" application service survivability flash:survivability.tcl param ccb id:192.168.1.52;loc:testbed04;trunks:10 dial-peer voice 700051 voip description Comprehensive outbound route to CVP destination-pattern 7000200T session protocol sipv2 session target ipv4:192.168.1.20:5060 dtmf-relay rtp-nte voice-class sip profiles 103 codec g711ulaw no vad
  • The following Survivability.tcl options are not applicable for use on the ASR because they are traditionally for POTS dial-peers:
    • ani-dnis-split.
    • takeback-method.
    • -- *8.
    • -- hf.
    • icm-tbct.
    • digital-fxo.
  • The following Survivability.tcl options are not supported: aa-name, standalone, and standalone-isntime.
    • The aa-name option is not supported because CME auto-attendant service is not supported on ASR.
    • The standalone and standalone-isntime options are not supported because there is no support for VXML on ASR.
  • Due to ASR limitations, the following features are not supported:
    • Refer with Re-query.
    • Legacy Transfer Connect using DTMF *8 label.
  • ASR 1000 does not terminate the TDM trunks. Therefore, the following TDM Gateway features do not apply to ASR 1000:
    • PSTN Gateway trunk and DS0 information for SIP calls to ICM.
    • Resource Availability Indication (RAI) of DS0 trunk resources via SIP OPTIONS message to ICM.

Note


Because ASR 1000 represents the introduction of new equipment, to ensure success of ASR 1000 deployments, any UCCE/CVP contact center integration that utilizes the ASR 1000 requires an Assessment to Quality (A2Q) review. This review will be required for new UCCE customers, as well as existing UCCE customers who desire to move to the ASR 1000.


Using Cisco ISR as a Unified Border Element

Unified CVP supports ISR 15.0(1)M1.2, 15.1(4)M3, 15.2(2)T, 15.2(3)T1 and 15.2.4 M with the following limitations:
  • A“sip-profile” configuration is needed on ISR for the courtesy callback feature. To configure the “sip-profile”, the following must be added: voice class sip-profiles 103 request INVITE sip-header Call-Info add "X-Cisco-CCBProbe: <ccb param>" where “<ccb param>” is the “ccb” parameter defined in the survivability service. Add this “sip-profile” to the outgoing dial-peer to the CVP. The following is a configuration example: voice class sip-profiles 103 request INVITE sip-header Call-Info add "X-Cisco-CCBProbe: id:192.168.1.50;loc:testbed04;trunks:10" application service survivability flash:survivability.tcl param ccb id:192.168.1.52;loc:testbed04;trunks:10 dial-peer voice 700051 voip description Comprehensive outbound route to CVP destination-pattern 7000200T session protocol sipv2 session target ipv4:192.168.1.20:5060 dtmf-relay rtp-nte voice-class sip profiles 103 codec g711ulaw no vad

Note


Using a CUBE between Cisco Unified CM and CVP is not supported. This applies to using either Cisco ASR 1000 Series or Cisco ISR as a Unified Border Element.


Mixed G.729 and G.711 codec support

Transcoders (DSPs) are required when two endpoints participating in a call cannot negotiate a common codec. Midcall codec negotiation greatly reduces the need for transcoders.

CUBE introduced support for midcall codec negotiation in IOS 15.1(2)T and IOS-XE 3.7 versions. These versions or higher are required for solution mixed codec support. You can use any combination of codecs on the legs of a call. For example, a caller can place a call using the G.729 codec, hear an IVR prompt played using the G.711 codec, be transferred to the first agent using the G.729 codec, and then transferred to the second agent using the G.711 codec

Transcoders may be required when phones in a WAN- connected location support only the G.729 codec, and CVP is configured for G.711 support. In this case, when these the phones call into Unified CVP, then Unified CM will engage transcoders. Note that for inbound calls that arrive from a gateway or CUBE can start with G.711 at Unified CVP then later renegotiate to G.729 with the agents without the need for transcoders.

Transcoding codecs requires IOS 15.1(2)T or later T release.

For information on the benefits of using the G.711 versus G.729 codec, see G.729 versus G.711 codec support.

Gateway choices

Unified CVP uses gateways for two purposes: TDM ingress and VoiceXML rendering. Any Cisco gateway that is supported by Unified CVP can usually be used for either purpose or both. However, depending on your deployment model, you might need only one of the functions:

  • Model #1: Standalone Self-Service All calls use both ingress and VoiceXML.
  • Model #2: Call Director All calls use ingress only.
  • Model #3a: Comprehensive Using Unified ICM Micro-Apps All calls use ingress, and some calls use VoiceXML.
  • Model #3b: Comprehensive Using Unified CVP VXML Server All calls use ingress, and some calls use VoiceXML.
  • Model #4: VRU Only with NIC Controlled Routing All calls use both ingress and VoiceXML.

In cases where both ingress and VoiceXML are required, you can choose to run both functions on the same gateways or you can choose to designate some gateways for ingress and others for VoiceXML. Use the following guidelines to determine whether the functions should be combined or split:

  • In classical branch office deployments, where the call needs to be queued at the branch where it arrived, ingress and VoiceXML functions must always be combined.
  • In cases where a large number of non-CVP PSTN connections share the gateways, it is recommended to dedicated Ingress for that purpose, and use separate VXML gateways.
  • VoiceXML-only gateways are less costly because they do not require DSP farms or TDM cards. Use a spreadsheet to determine which way you obtain the best price.
  • With relatively low call volume, it is usually better to combine the functions for redundancy purposes. Two combined gateways are better than one of each because the loss of one gateway still allows calls to be processed, though at a lower capacity.

The next decision is whether to use Cisco Integrated Service Router (ISR) gateways (Cisco 2800, 2900 series routers), ISGR-G2 (3800, or 3900 Series routers), or the Cisco AS5x00 Series Gateways. Guidelines state that you use ISR gateways only in branch office sites, whereas AS5x00 Series gateways should be used in centralized data center sites.

Sometimes it is difficult to determine what constitutes a branch office, and therefore which gateway is used. The following guidelines can help with that determination:
  • The classical definition of branch offices, for which you should use ISR gateways, includes:
    • Multiple sites where TDM calls will be arriving from the PSTN.
    • Those sites are separated from the data centers where most of the Unified CVP equipment resides.
    • One gateway is used at each site.
  • If you have sites where you will be stacking multiple gateways for any reason, then those sites are data center sites and should use Cisco AS5x00 Series gateways.

For more information on the Cisco AS5x00 Series Gateways, refer to the technical specifications available at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​hw/​univgate/​ps501/​index.html.

For more information on the Cisco Integrated Service Routers (ISRs), refer to the documentation available at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​hw/​routers/​index.html.

Gateway sizing

Individual Cisco gateways can handle various call capacities depending on whether they are doing ingress only, VoiceXML only, or a combination of the two. Gateways doing VoiceXML activities also have different call capacities depending on whether or not they are supporting ASR or TTS activities and on the type of VoiceXML application being executed. For instance, an intensive JavaScript application reduces call capacity. Gateways doing HTTPS experience lower call capacity as compared to HTTP.

In general, gateways performing ingress-only can be sized according to the number of TDM cables that can be connected to them. For gateways that are combined or VoiceXML-only, it is important to ensure that the overall CPU usage is less than 75% on average. The numbers in the following table are based on Unified CVP VoiceXML documents; other applications that generate more complex VoiceXML documents have a higher impact on performance. The following factors affect CPU usage:

  • Calls per second (cps)
  • Maximum concurrent calls
  • Maximum concurrent VoiceXML sessions

Before sizing the voice gateways, use the Unified CCE Resource Calculator to determine the maximum number of trunks (DS0s) and VoiceXML IVR ports needed to support the entire solution.

For almost all Unified CVP deployment models, sizing is based on the maximum number of concurrent VoiceXML sessions and VoIP calls. The following tables list this information for different IOS release versions as follows:

Table 2 For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions supported by Cisco Voice Gateways

VXML Gateway CPU Capacity for IOS 15.1.1T or Later T

Platform

VXML Only

VXML + PSTN

Memory

 

DTMF

ASR

DTMF

ASR

Recommended

1861

5

3

4

2

256 MB

2801

7

4

5

3

256 MB

2811

30

20

23

15

256 MB

2821

48

32

36

25

256 MB

2851

60

40

45

30

512 MB

3825

130

85

102

68

512 MB

3845

160

105

125

83

512 MB

5000XM

200

135

155

104

512 MB

2901

12

8

9

6

2 GB

2911

60

40

47

31

2 GB

2921

90

60

71

48

2 GB

2951

120

80

95

64

2 GB

3925

240

160

190

127

2 GB

3945

340

228

270

180

2 GB

3925E

700

470

570

375

2 GB

3945E

850

570

680

450

2 GB

Based on ISO 15.1.1T, G.711, basic calls, Ethernet egress, CPU NTE 75% (5000XM 80%)

 
Table 3 For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways

Cisco Voice Gateway Platform

Dedicated VoiceXML Gateway

Voice Gateway and VoiceXML

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

Memory Recommended

1861

5

4

4

2

256 MB

2801

7

6

6

4

256 MB

2811

30

24

25

20

256 MB

2821

45

36

36

30

256 MB

2851

60

56

56

48

512 MB

3825

180

140

210

130

512 MB

3845

200

155

230

145

512 MB

AS5350XM

240

192

240

160

512 MB (default)

AS5400XM

240

192

240

160

512 MB (default)

Table 4 For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways Executing Intensive JavaScript Applications

Cisco Voice Gateway Platform

Dedicated VoiceXML Gateway

Voice Gateway and VoiceXML

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

Memory Recommended

1861

2

2

2

2

256 MB

2801

3

2

2

2

256 MB

2811

10

5

10

5

256 MB

2821

20

15

15

15

256 MB

2851

30

25

25

20

512 MB

3825

70

55

85

50

512 MB

3845

80

60

95

60

512 MB

AS5350XM

105

85

110

70

512 MB (default)

AS5400XM

105

85

110

70

512 MB (default)

Table 5 For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways Using HTTPS

Cisco Voice Gateway Platform

Dedicated VoiceXML Gateway

Voice Gateway and VoiceXML

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

VoiceXML and DTMF

VoiceXML and ASR/TTS

Memory Recommended

1861

3

2

2

2

256 MB

2801

4

4

4

2

256 MB

2811

15

10

15

10

256 MB

2821

30

20

20

15

256 MB

2851

40

35

30

25

512 MB

3825

115

90

125

75

512 MB

3845

125

100

135

85

512 MB

3945E

510

342

408

270

512 MB

AS5350XM1

155

120

138

95

512 MB (default)

AS5400XM

155

120

138

95

512 MB (default)

1

Note


The following note does not apply to Cisco IOS Release 15.0.1M and IOS 15.1.1T.



Note


Performance numbers for the Cisco 3825 Series and 3845 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISRs) are higher when the voice gateway and the VoiceXML gateway functions reside on the same router (co-resident deployment). When the call is connected to the VoiceXML gateway from the ingress voice gateway, the media flows directly between the two. In a co-resident deployment, the gateway does not have to spend CPU cycles to packetize and de-packetize the RTP packets. Hence, by saving these CPU cycles, the gateway can support increased VoiceXML sessions.


The numbers in For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways, For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways Executing Intensive JavaScript Applications, and For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways Using HTTPS assume the only activities running on the gateway are VXML with basic routing and IP connectivity. If you intend to run additional applications such as fax, security, normal business calls, and so forth, then the capacity numbers presented here should be prorated accordingly. The numbers mentioned in the "Voice Gateway and VoiceXML" column mean that the indicated number of VoiceXML sessions and voice calls can be supported simultaneous on the same gateway. For example, in For Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater Maximum Number of VoiceXML Sessions Supported by Cisco Voice Gateways the AS5350XM can terminate a maximum of 240 PSTN calls, and those 240 PSTN calls could have 240 corresponding VoiceXML sessions at the same time.

The numbers represent performance with scripts generated by Unified CVP Studio running on the Unified CVP VXML Server. Other VoiceXML applications might perform differently. These figures apply if the CPU utilization does not exceed more than 75%, Voice Activity Detection (VAD) is turned off, and your system is running VoiceXML v2.0 and MRCP v2 with Cisco IOS Release 15.1.1T and greater. The Cisco 1861 Integrated Services Router requires Cisco IOS 15.1.1T and greater.


Note


These performance numbers are accurate when used with either the Cisco Call Server or Cisco Unified CVP VXML Server. Performance can, and often does, vary with different applications. Performance from external VoiceXML applications (such as Nuance OSDMs) might not be representative of the performance when interoperating with non-Cisco applications. You must ensure that the CPU usage is less than 75% on average and that adequate memory is available on Cisco gateways at full load when running external VoiceXML applications. Users should contact the application provider of the desired VoiceXML application for performance and availability information. Be aware that external VoiceXML applications are not provided by Cisco, and Cisco makes no claims or warranties regarding the performance, stability, or feature capabilities of the application when interoperating in a Cisco environment.



Note


Cisco does not specifically test or qualify mixes of traffic because there are infinite combinations. All numbers should be seen as guidelines only and will vary from one implementation to the next based on configurations and traffic patterns. It is recommended that the systems be engineered for worst-case traffic (all ASR) if it is not known or cannot be predicted what kinds of calls will be offered to the VXML gateway.

If you run VoiceXML on one of the Cisco 1800, 2800, 3800 or 2900 and 3900 Series gateways, additional licenses (FL-VXML-1 or FL-VXML-12) are required.


Also consult the following links to ensure that the concurrent call load and call arrival rates do not exceed the listed capacities:

  • Model Comparison: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10536/prod_series_comparison.html
  • Gateway Sizing for Contact Center Traffic: http://cisco.biz/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/srnd/8x/gateways.html#wp1043594

In addition to these capacities, also consider how much DRAM and flash memory to order. The capacity that comes with the machine by default is usually sufficient for most purposes. However, if your application requires large numbers of distinct .wav files (as with complex self-service applications) or if your application has unusually large .wav files (as with extended voice messages or music files), you might want to increase the amount of DRAM in order to accommodate more want to expand your flash memory order. The use of DRAM for prompt caching is discussed in detail in the chapter on Media file options.


Note


HTTP cache can only be extended to100 MB in the current IOS versions.


Using MGCP gateways

Cisco Unified CVP requires the deployment of a SIP gateway. However, customers might require the use of MGCP 0.1 voice gateways with Unified CM deployments for purposes of overlap sending, NSF, and Q.SIG support. The following design considerations apply to deploying Cisco Unified CVP in this environment:

  • Design and plan a phased migration of each MGCP voice gateway to SIP.
  • Implement both MGCP 0.1 and SIP. Because of the way MGCP works, a PSTN interface using MGCP can be used for MGCP only. Therefore, if you want to use MGCP for regular Unified CM calls and SIP for Unified CVP calls, you will need two PSTN circuits.
  • Deploy a second SIP voice gateway at each Unified CVP location.
  • Send calls through the Unified CM to Unified CVP.

When sending calls through Unified CM to Unified CVP, the following guidelines apply:

  • The Unified CVP survivability.tcl script cannot be used in this solution. If the remote site is disconnected from the central site, the call will be dropped.
  • There will be an additional hit on the performance of Unified CM. This is because, in a "normal" Unified CVP deployment, Unified CM resources are not used until the call is sent to the agent. In this model, Unified CM resources are used for all calls to Unified CVP, even if they terminate in self-service. This is in addition to the calls that are extended to agents. If all calls are eventually extended to an agent, the performance impact on Unified CM is approximately double that of a "normal" Unified CVP deployment. This factor alone typically limits this scenario to small call centers only.
  • In order to queue calls at the edge, you must use the sigdigits feature in Unified CVP to ensure that the calls are queued at the appropriate site or VXML gateway. For more information on how the sigdigits feature works, see the chapters on Distributed deployments, and Unified CVP design for high availability.