Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise 7.0, 7.1, and 7.2 Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) - Sizing Unified CCE Components and Servers [Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise]

Table Of Contents

Sizing Unified CCE Components and Servers

What's New in This Chapter

Sizing Tools

Sizing Considerations for Unified CCE

Core Unified CCE Components

Operating Conditions

AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting

Additional Sizing Factors

Peripheral Gateway and Server Options

Cisco Agent Desktop Component Sizing

Cisco Agent Desktop Base Services

Cisco Agent Desktop VoIP Monitor Service

Cisco Agent Desktop Recording and Playback Service

System Performance Monitoring

Unified CCE Sizing Tool

Summary

Sizing Unified CCE Components and Servers

Last revised on: August 18, 2009

Proper sizing of your Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise (Unified CCE) solution is important for optimum system performance and scalability. Sizing considerations include the number of agents the solution can support, the maximum busy hour call attempts (BHCA), and other variables that affect the number, type, and configuration of servers required to support the deployment. Regardless of the deployment model chosen, Unified CCE is based on a highly distributed architecture, and questions about capacity, performance, and scalability apply to each element within the solution as well as to the overall solution.

This chapter presents best design practices focusing on scalability and capacity for Unified CCE deployments. The design considerations, best practices, and capacities presented in this chapter are derived primarily from testing and, in other cases, extrapolated test data. This information is intended to enable you to size and provision Unified CCE solutions appropriately.

What's New in This Chapter

Table 10-1 lists the topics that are new in this chapter or that have changed significantly from previous releases of this document.

Table 10-1 New or Changed Information Since the Previous Release of This Document

New or Revised Topic

Described in:

Only one pair of Agent PGs needed for 2000 agents with CTI OS Desktop.

Figure 10-3

Sizing information for Unified CCE components.

Table 10-2

Sizing Tools

Sizing tools are available at:

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/sell/technology/ipc/integrated-solutions/customer_contact_center.html

Proper login authentication is require. Sizing tools are available to Cisco internal employees and Cisco partners.

Sizing Considerations for Unified CCE

This section discusses the following Unified CCE sizing considerations:

•Core Unified CCE Components

•Operating Conditions

•AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting

•Additional Sizing Factors

Core Unified CCE Components

When sizing Unified CCE deployments, Cisco Unified Communications components are a critical factor in capacity planning. Good design, including multiple Cisco Unified Communications Managers and clusters, must be utilized to support significant call loads. For additional information on Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Unified CM) capacity and sizing of Cisco Unified Communications components, refer to Sizing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Servers, page 11-1, and to the latest version of the Cisco Unified Communications Solution Reference Network Design (SRND) guide available at

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps556/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html

Additionally, because of varying agent and skill group capacities, proper sizing of the CTI OS and Cisco Agent Desktop servers should be considered together with the Cisco Unified Communications components.

Finally, the remaining Unified ICM components, while able to scale extremely well, are affected by specific configuration element sizing variables that also have an impact on the system resources. These factors, discussed in this section, must be considered and included in the planning of any deployment.

Note Unless otherwise explicitly noted, the capacity information presented in Figure 10-1, Figure 10-2, Figure 10-3, Figure 10-4, Figure 10-5, and Table 10-2 specifies capacity for inbound calls only.

The information presented in Figure 10-1, Figure 10-2, Figure 10-3, Figure 10-4, Figure 10-5, and Table 10-2 does not apply equally to all implementations of Unified CCE. The data is based on testing in particular scenarios, and it represents the maximum allowed configuration. This data, along with the sizing variables information in this chapter, serves only as a guide. As always, you should be conservative when sizing and should plan for growth.

Note Sizing considerations are based upon capacity and scalability test data. Major Unified ICM software processes were run on individual servers to measure their specific CPU and memory usage and other internal system resources. Reasonable extrapolations were used to derive capacities for co-resident software processes and multiple CPU servers. This information is meant as a guide for determining when Unified ICM software processes can be co-resident within a single server and when certain processes need their own dedicated server. Table 10-2 assumes that the deployment scenario includes two fully redundant servers that are deployed as a duplexed pair.

Note The Cisco Unified Contact Center solution does not provide a quad-processor Cisco MCS Unified CM appliance at this time. For the most current server specifications, refer to the latest version of the Hardware & System Software Specification (Bill of Materials) for Cisco ICM/ICC Enterprise & Hosted Editions, available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1844/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html

Operating Conditions

The sizing information presented in this chapter is based on the following operating conditions:

•Maximum of 30 busy hour call attempts (BHCA) per agent

•Maximum of 90 calls per IVR port per hour

•Five skill groups per agent

•The total number of agents indicated in the tables and figures in this chapter consists of 90% agents and 10% supervisor. For example, if a table or figure indicates 100 agents, the assumption is that there are 90 agents and 10 supervisors.

•Supervisors do not handle calls

•Total number of teams is equal to 10% of total number of agents

•Team members consist of 90% agents and 10% supervisors

•Call types consist of 85% straight, 10% consultative transfer, and 5% consultative conference

•The default refresh rate for skill group updates is 10 seconds

•The default number of skill group statistics columns configured at the CTI OS server is 17 columns

•Agent Statistics is turned ON

•The default number of agent statistics columns configured at the CTI OS server is 6 columns

•Average of 5 Run Voice Response Unit (VRU) scripts, running consecutively in the Unified ICM script, per IVR call

•5 Extended Call Context (ECC) scalars

•Transport Layer Security (TLS) for CTI OS is turned OFF

•0% mobile agents

•One all-events CTI server client

The following notes apply to all figures and tables in this chapter:

•The number of agents indicates the number of logged-in agents.

•Server types:

–APG = Agent Peripheral Gateway

–CAD = Cisco Agent Desktop

–HDS = Historical Data Server

–PRG = Progger

–RGR = Rogger

Figure 10-1 Minimum Servers Required for Release 7.0 Unified CCE Deployments with CTI OS Desktop

Figure 10-2 Minimum Servers Required for Release 7.1(2) Unified CCE Deployments with CTI OS Desktop

Figure 10-3 Minimum Servers Required for Release 7.2(x) and Later Unified CCE Deployments with CTI OS Desktop

The following notes apply to Figure 10-1, Figure 10-2, and Figure 10-3:

•Sizing is based upon the information listed under Operating Conditions.

•Voice Response Unit (VRU), Historical Data Server (HDS), and Unified CM components are not shown.

•For more information, see Peripheral Gateway and Server Options.

Note The terms Rogger and Central Controller are used interchangeably throughout this chapter.

Figure 10-4 Minimum Servers Required for Release 7.0 Unified CCE Deployments with Cisco Agent Desktop

Figure 10-5 Minimum Servers Required for Release 7.1(x) and Later Unified CCE Deployments with Cisco Agent Desktop

The following notes apply to Figure 10-4 and Figure 10-5:

•Sizing is based upon MCS-40-003-Class servers and the information listed under Operating Conditions.

•Voice Response Unit (VRU), Historical Data Server (HDS), and Unified CM components are not shown.

•For more information, see Peripheral Gateway and Server Options.

Note Cisco Agent Desktop (CAD) capacity numbers are based on desktop agents only. CAD Unified IP Phone Agent and CAD Browser Edition Agent capacities are listed in Table 10-5.

Table 10-2 Sizing Information for Unified CCE Components and Servers

Component

Server Class

Maximum Agents

Notes

Progger:

Peripheral Gateway, Router, and Logger

CTI OS:

CAD:

Cannot be co-resident with Administrative Workstation (AW) or Historical Data Server (HDS). In addition, the Progger cannot have additional Agent Peripheral Gateways.

Logger database is limited to 14 days.

Unified CCE Releases 7.x

MCS-30-004-Class

100

No

With MCS-30-004-Class servers:

•Maximum number of simultaneous queued calls equals half the number of agents.

•Outbound:

(Maximum Progger agent capacity) - 4*(Number of dialer ports)

Note This is an indicator of platform capacity. This is not an indicator of outbound resources in terms of how many agents can be kept busy by the number of dialer ports in the deployment. A quick but inexact estimate is that 2 ports are required for each outbound agent, but your outbound resources may vary depending on hit rate, abandon limit, and talk time for the campaigns in the deployment. Use the Unified CCE sizing tool to determine outbound resources required for you campaigns.

•To determine the maximum Progger agent capacity, refer to the Progger inbound Agent entry in this table. The capacity depends on your ICM software release.

Unified CCE Release 7.0

MCS-40-005-Class

300

210

With MCS-40-005-Class servers:

•Maximum number of simultaneous queued calls equals half the number of agents.

•Outbound:

(Maximum Progger agent capacity) - 4*(Number of dialer ports)

Note This is an indicator of platform capacity. This is not an indicator of outbound resources in terms of how many agents can be kept busy by the number of dialer ports in the deployment. A quick but inexact estimate is that 2 ports are required for each outbound agent, but your outbound resources may vary depending on hit rate, abandon limit, and talk time for the campaigns in the deployment. Use the Unified CCE sizing tool to determine outbound resources required for you campaigns.

•To determine the maximum Progger agent capacity, refer to the Progger inbound Agent entry in this table. The capacity depends on your ICM software release.

Unified CCE Release 7.1(1)

MCS-40-005-Class

375

248

Unified CCE Releases 7.1(2) and 7.2(x)

MCS-40-005-Class

450

297

Rogger:

Router and Logger

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

500

2,000

Logger

MCS-40-006-Class

6,000

MCS-30-00x-Class servers are not supported.

Router

MCS-40-005-Class

8,000

MCS-30-00x-Class servers are not supported.

Logger

GEN-50-005-Class

8,000

MCS-30-00x-Class servers are not supported.

Administrative Workstation (AW) and Historical Data Server (HDS)

See the section on AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting.

WebView Reporting Server

See the section on AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting.

Agent PG
(Inbound only)

Unified CCE Release 7.0

Unified CCE Release 7.1(1)

Unified CCE Releases 7.1(2) and 7.2(x)

Unified CCE Release 7.0

Unified CCE Release 7.1(1)

Unified CCE Releases 7.1(2) and 7.2(x)

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

CTI OS:

300

375

450

1,000

1,500

2,000

CAD:

210

248

297

700

1000

1000

For more information on the various Agent PG deployment options, see Peripheral Gateway and Server Options.

VRU Ports:

VRU ports should not exceed half of the maximum supported agents listed in the Maximum Agents column. Additional VRU PGs can be deployed to accommodate a greater number of VRU ports.

Mobile Agents:

Use the following calculations to determine mobile agent capacity:

•Each mobile agent for a nailed-up configuration:

–Equals 1.3 local agents for Release 7.1(1)

–Equals 1.73 local agents for Release 7.1(2)

•Each mobile agent for a call-by-call basis:

–Equals 1.8 local agents for Release 7.1(1)

–Equals 2.4 local agents for Release 7.1(2)

Voice Response Unit (VRU) PG

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

1,200 ports

4,800 ports

Use the number of ports instead of agent count.

Average of 5 Run VRU Script Nodes per call.

Maximum of 4 PIMs; maximum of 5 calls per second.

Maximum of 10 PIMs; maximum of 20 calls per second.

Agent PG with Outbound Voice (includes Dialer and Media Routing PG)

[Maximum inbound agent capacity] - 4 * [Number of dialer ports]

To determine the maximum inbound agent capacity, refer to the Inbound Agent PG entry in this table. The capacity depends on your ICM software release, hardware server class, and agent desktop type.

Note The formula [Maximum inbound agent capacity] - 4*[Number of Dialer ports] is an indicator of platform capacity. This is not an indicator of outbound resources in terms of how many agents can be kept busy by the number of dialer ports in the deployment. A quick but inexact estimate is that 2 ports are required for each outbound agent, but your outbound resources may vary depending on hit rate, abandon limit, and talk time for the campaigns in the deployment. Use the Unified CCE sizing tool to determine outbound resources required for you campaigns.

Silent Monitor Server

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

20 (Simultaneous recording sessions)

40 (Simultaneous recording sessions)

Unified CCE Releases 7.1(x) and later

Agent PG with Media Blender (Collaboration includes Media Routing PG)

MCS-40-005-Class

250 (all media)

Media Routing (MR) PG co-residency requires the MCS-40-005-Class server. See subsequent rows of this table for capacity numbers.

Media Blender (optional with MR PG)

MCS-40-005-Class

MCS-30-00x-Class is not supported.

With MCS-40-005-Class servers, see the row for Web Collaboration Server in this table.

Unified Expert Advisor PG

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

3,000 Expert Advisors or 6,000 BHCA

6,000 Expert Advisor or 12,000 BHCA

Operating conditions:

•2 calls per hour per Unified Expert Advisor.

•Average of up to 10 assignment queues per Unified Expert Advisor.

•Average parallel broadcast size of 10 experts.

•For co-residency of Expert Advisor PG and Unified Agent PG, each Expert Advisor equals 0.5 local Unified CCE agents. (See Figure 10-1 and Figure 10-2.) Supported releases are 7.2(3) and higher.

Unified Expert Advisor Runtime Server Release 7.6.x

MCS-30-004-Class

MCS-40-005-Class

Cisco Unified Presence or Microsoft Office Communications:

650 Expert Advisors or 1,300 BHCA

Cisco Unified Presence:

3,000 Expert Advisors or 6,000 BHCA

Microsoft Office Communications:

2,000 Expert Advisors or 6,000 BHCA

Operating conditions:

•2 calls per hour per Expert Advisor.

•Average of up to 10 assignment queues per Unified Expert Advisor.

•Average parallel broadcast size of 10 experts.

Unified Expert Advisor Reporting Server Release 7.6.x

MCS-40-005-Class

Nominal 8 days worth of data.

Note: Varying call rate, duty cycle, or broadcast size will significantly affect the data retention period.

Operating conditions:

•2 calls per hour per Expert Advisor (6,000 BHCA per Reporting Server).

•Full call load for 24 hours a day (100% duty cycle).

•Average of up to 10 assignment queues per Unified Expert Advisor.

Only MCS-40-005-Class is supported.

Email Manager Server

Cisco ICM and Unified Contact Center Enterprise Releases 7.0(0) and 7.1(x) are compatible with Cisco Email Manager 5.0(0) and its latest Service Release.

For Cisco Email Manager Server requirements, refer to the Hardware & System Software Specification (Bill of Materials) for Cisco ICM/ICC Enterprise & Hosted Editions, available at
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1844/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html

Cisco Unified Customer Voice Portal (Unified CVP) Application Server and Voice Browser

For the most current server specifications for the Unified CVP, refer to the latest version of the Hardware and System Software Specification for Cisco Unified CVP, available at
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1006/prod_technical_reference_list.html

Unified IP IVR Server

For the most current Unified IP IVR server specifications, refer to the Cisco Unified CCX and Unified IP IVR Configuration and Ordering Tool, available at
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/products/sw/custcosw/ps1846/prod_how_to_order.html

AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting

You must observe the following limits when sizing an AW Distributor with an HDS and WebView Reporting:

•Each Router/Logger pair can support up to four AW Distributors with an HDS.

•WebView can be deployed on separate servers or co-resident with an AW Distributor with an HDS.

•If WebView is deployed on separate servers, some configurations support up to four WebView Servers per AW Distributor with an HDS.

•With appropriate hardware and configuration, each WebView server can support up to 50 reporting users.

•A reporting user is defined as running:

–Two Real-Time Reports refreshing every 20 seconds

Each report returns 50 or fewer rows.

Equivalent to running a monitoring script.

–One Historical Report per hour

Half-hour historical reports are run for an 8-hour period.

Daily historical reports run for a 40-hour period.

Calculating the Number of WebView and HDS Servers Required

The following tables shows the minimum number of AW Distributors with an HDS required to support reporting users. Some reporting deployments might benefit from allocating resources differently.

WebView (WV) Users

1 to 5

1 to 20

1 to 50

50 to 100

100 to 150

150 to 200

200 to 250

250 to 300

300 to 350

350 to 400

Servers Required

1 HDS/WV

1 HDS/WV

1 HDS/WV

1 HDS

2 WV

1 HDS

3 WV

1 HDS

4 WV

2 HDS

5 WV

2 HDS

6 WV

2 HDS

7 WV

2 HDS

8 WV

Server Type

MCS-30-
004-Class

MCS-40-
007-Class

GEN-50-
005-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

Server Type (WV)

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

Note System Unified CCE supports only the Historical Data Server (HDS) with co-resident WebView server, and it can support up to two HDS/WebView servers.

WebView (WV) Users

400 to 450

450 to 500

500 to 550

550 to 600

600 to 650

650 to 700

700 to 750

750 to 800

Servers Required

3 HDS

9 WV

3 HDS

10 WV

3 HDS

11 WV

3 HDS

12 WV

4 HDS

13 WV

4 HDS

14 WV

4 HDS

15 WV

4 HDS

16 WV

Server Type

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

GEN-
50-005
-Class

Server Type (WV)

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

MCS-
40-005

For the most current hardware specifications for WebView and HDS servers, refer to the latest version of the Hardware & System Software Specification (Bill of Materials) for Cisco ICM/ICC Enterprise & Hosted Editions, available at

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/custcosw/ps1844/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html

Additional Sizing Factors

Many variables in the Unified CCE configuration and deployment options can affect the hardware requirements and capacities. This section describes the major sizing variables and how they affect the capacity of the various Unified CCE components. In addition, Table 10-4 summarizes the sizing variables and their effects.

Busy Hour Call Attempts (BHCA)

The number of calls attempted during a busy hour is an important metric. As BHCA increases, there is an increase in the load on all Unified CCE components, most notably on Unified CM, Unified IP IVR, and the Unified CM PG. The capacity numbers for agents assume up to 30 calls per hour per agent. If a deployment requires more than 30 calls per hour per agent, it will decrease the maximum number of supported agents for the agent PG and should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Agents

The number of agents is another important metric that will impact the performance of most Unified CCE server components, including Unified CM clusters. For the impact of agents on the performance of Unified CM components, see Sizing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Servers, page 11-1.

Average Skill Groups per Agent

The number of skill groups per agent (which is independent of the total number of skills per system) has significant effects on the CTI OS Server, the Agent PG, and the Unified ICM Router and Logger. Cisco recommends that you limit the number of skill groups per agent to 5 or fewer, when possible, and that you periodically remove unused skill groups so that they do not affect system performance. You can also manage the effects on the CTI OS server by increasing the value for the frequency of statistical updates. Table 10-3 shows examples of how the number of skill groups per agent can affect the capacity of the Unified CCE system. The numbers in Table 10-3 are based on the information listed in the section on Operating Conditions.

Table 10-3 Sizing Effects Due to Number of Skill Groups per Agent

Skill Groups per Agent¹

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.0
(TLS off)

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.0
(TLS on)

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.1(1)
(TLS off)

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.1(1)
(TLS on)

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.1(2)
(TLS off)

Agent PG Capacity;
Unified CCE Release 7.1(2)
(TLS on)

5

1,000

750

1,500

1,125

2,000

1,500

10

910

690

1,375

1,030

1,765

1,320

15

810

615

1,255

945

1,600

1,200

20

700

525

1,130

850

1,490

1,115

¹Maximum of 20 skill groups per agent. (including the default skill) for all releases prior to Unified CCE 7.2(x). Starting with Unified CCE release 7.2(x), the maximum number of skill groups per agent has increased to 50. This limit is applicable to all Unified CCE deployment models, including child-parent architecture.

Supervisors and Teams

The number of supervisors and team members can also be a factor impacting the CTI OS Server performance. Cisco recommends that you distribute your agents and supervisors across multiple teams and have each supervisor monitor only a small number of agents.

Note Supervisors can monitor only agents within their own team, all of whom must be configured on the same peripheral.

Note The maximum number of supervisors per team is 10.

A Unified CCE 7.x system can support a maximum of 50 agents per supervisor. If a particular environment requires more than 50 agents per supervisor, then you should use the following formula to ensure that there will be no impact to the CTI OS Server and Supervisor desktop. The most important factor in this calculation is the number of updates per second.

X = (Y * (N + 1) / R) + ((Z * N * A) / 3600), rounded up to the next integer

Where:

X = Number of updates per second received by the CTI OS Supervisor desktop.

Y = Number of skill groups per agent. (Note: The number of configured statistics in CTI OS server is 17.)

Z = Calls per hour per agent.

A = Number of agent states. (Varies based on call flow; average = 10.)

N = Number of agents per supervisor.

R = The skill group refresh rate configured on the CTI OS Server. (Default = 10 seconds.)

(Y * (N + 1) / R) = Number of updates per second, based on skill groups.

(Z * N * A) / 3600 = Number of updates per second, based on calls.

The CTI OS Supervisor desktop is not impacted as long as there are fewer than 31 updates per second. This threshold value is derived by using the above formula to calculate the update rate for 50 agents per supervisor (N = 50), as follows:

X = (5 * (50 + 1) / 10) + ((30 * 50 * 10) / 3600) = 25.5 + 5 = 31 updates per second

Note The maximum number of agents per supervisor must not exceed 200 for any given configuration.

CTI OS Monitor Mode Applications

A CTI OS Monitor Mode application can impact the performance of the CTI OS Server. CTI OS supports only two such applications per server pair. Depending on the filter specified, the impact on the CPU utilization might degrade the performance of the Agent PG.

Unified CM Silent Monitor

Each silently monitored call adds more processing for the PG as well as Unified CM. Each silently monitored call is equivalent to two unmonitored calls to an agent. Make sure that the percentage of the monitored calls is within the capabilities of PG scalability.

CTI OS Skill Group Statistics Refresh Rate

The skill group statistics refresh rate can also have an effect on the performance of CTI OS Server. Cisco requires that you do not lower the refresh rate below the default value of 10 seconds.

Call Types

The call type is also an important metric that will impact performance of most Unified CCE server components. An increase in the number of transfers and conferences will increase the load on the system and, thus, decrease the total capacity.

Queuing

The Unified IP IVR places calls in a queue and plays announcements until an agent answers the call. For sizing purposes, it is important to know whether the IVR will handle all calls initially (call treatment) and direct the callers to agents after a short queuing period, or whether the agents will handle calls immediately and the IVR will queue only unanswered calls when all agents are busy. The answer to this question determines very different IVR sizing requirements and affects the performance of the Unified ICM Router/Logger and Voice Response Unit (VRU) PG. Required VRU ports can be determined using the Cisco Unified CCE Resource Calculator. (See Cisco Unified CCE Resource Calculators, page 9-7, for more information.)

Translation Route Pool

Sizing the translation route pool depends on the expected call arrival rate. Use the following formula to size the translation route pool:

Translation route pool = 1.5 * BHCA/60

Unified ICM Script Complexity

As the complexity and/or number of Unified ICM scripts increase, the processor and memory overhead on the Unified ICM Router and VRU PG will increase significantly. The delay time between replaying Run VRU scripts also has an impact.

Reporting

Real-time reporting can have a significant effect on Logger, Progger, and Rogger processing due to database access. A separate server is required for an Administrative Workstation (AW) and/or Historical Data Server (HDS) to off-load reporting overhead from the Logger, Progger, and Rogger.

IVR Script Complexity

As IVR script complexity increases with features such as database queries, the load placed upon the IVR server and the Router also increases. There is no good rule of thumb or benchmark to characterize the Unified IP IVR performance when used for complex scripting, complex database queries, or transaction-based usage. Cisco recommends that you test complex IVR configurations in a lab or pilot deployment to determine the response time of database queries under various BHCA and how they affect the processor and memory for the IVR server, PG, and Router.

Unified IP IVR Self-Service Applications

In deployments where the Unified IP IVR is also used for self-service applications, the self-service applications are in addition to the Unified CCE load and must be factored into the sizing requirements as stated in Table 10-2.

Third-Party Database and Cisco Resource Manager Connectivity

Carefully examine connectivity of any Unified CCE solution component to an external device and/or software to determine the overall effect on the solution. Cisco Unified CCE solutions are very flexible and customizable, but they can also be complex. Contact centers are often mission-critical, revenue-generating, and customer-facing operations. Therefore, Cisco recommends that you engage a Cisco Partner (or Cisco Advanced Services) with the appropriate experience and certifications to help you design your Unified CCE solution.

Extended Call Context (ECC)

The ECC usage impacts PG, Router, Logger, and network bandwidth. There are many ways that ECC can be configured and used. The capacity impact will vary based on ECC configuration and should be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Peripheral Gateway and Server Options

A Unified ICM Peripheral Gateway (PG) translates messages coming from the Unified CM servers, the Unified IP IVR, or other third-party automatic call distributors (ACDs) or voice response units (VRUs) into common internally formatted messages that are then sent to and understood by the Unified ICM. In the reverse, it also translates Unified ICM messages so that they can be sent to and understood by the peripheral devices.

Figure 10-6 and Figure 10-7 illustrate various configuration options for the Agent PG with CTI OS and Cisco Agent Desktop. Table 10-4 lists PG and PIM sizing recommendations.

Figure 10-6 Agent PG Configuration Options with CTI OS

Figure 10-7 Agent PG Configuration Options with Cisco Agent Desktop

Table 10-4 PG and PIM Sizing Recommendations

Sizing Variable

Recommendation Based on Unified ICM Software Releases 7.0 and 7.1

Maximum number of PGs per Unified ICM

80

Maximum number of PG types per server platform

Up to 2 PG types are permitted per server, provided that any given server is limited to the maximum agent and VRU port limitations outlined in Table 10-2.

Maximum number of Unified CM PGs per server

Only one Unified CM PG, Generic PG, or System PG is allowed per physical server

Maximum number of Unified CM PIMs per PG

Only one Unified CM PIM with associated Agents can be configured per PG. A second PIM with only CTI Route Points associated is possible but not required. See Peripheral Gateway Design Considerations, page 3-22, for more information.

Can PGs be remote from Unified ICM?

Yes

Can PGs be remote from Unified CM?

No

Maximum number of IVRs controlled by one Unified CM

Refer to the Cisco Unified Communications Solution Reference Network Design (SRND), available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps556/products_implementation_design_guides_list.html.

Maximum number of CTI servers per PG

1

Can PG be co-resident with Cisco MCS Unified CM appliance?

No

Cisco Agent Desktop Component Sizing

For details on the components and architecture of the Cisco Agent Desktop, see Unified Contact Center Enterprise Desktop, page 4-1.

Server capacities for the Cisco Agent Desktop CTI Option vary based on the total number of agents, whether or not Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) monitoring and recording is used, and the number of simultaneous recordings.

This section presents sizing guidelines for the following installable Cisco Agent Desktop Server components:

•Cisco Agent Desktop Base Services

•Cisco Agent Desktop VoIP Monitor Service

•Cisco Agent Desktop Recording and Playback Service

Cisco Agent Desktop Base Services

The Cisco Agent Desktop Base Services consist of a set of application servers that run as Microsoft Windows services. They include Chat Service, Directory Services, Enterprise Service, Unified IP Phone Agent Service, LDAP Monitor Service, Licensing and Resource Manager Service, Recording and Statistics Service, and Sync Service. In addition, there are application servers that may be placed on the same or separate computers as the Base Servers. These additional applications include the VoIP Monitor Service and the Recording and Playback Service.

A set of Cisco Agent Desktop Base Services plus the additional application servers, single or redundant installation, correspond to a logical call center (LCC) and are associated with a PG pair. Table 10-5 lists the maximum number of agents that a single LCC can support for various sizes of enterprises. To support more agents than shown, you can add additional CAD service (LCC) installations and PG pairs.

Table 10-5 Maximum Number of Agents Supported by a Logical Call Center (LCC)

Enterprise Size

Desktop Agents

Unified IP Phone Agents

CAD Browser Edition Agents

Mixed

Small

150

150

150

150 of each

Medium

500

500

500

500 of each

Large

1000

1000¹

10001

1000 of each

¹Requires CAD version 7.1(2) SR1 or later.

Cisco Agent Desktop VoIP Monitor Service

The VoIP Monitor Service enables the silent monitoring and recording features. For Desktop Monitoring, the VoIP Monitor Service has no impact on design guidance for Agent PG scalability. When using Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) monitoring, the VoIP Monitor Service may be co-located on the Agent PG for up to 100 agent phones. When SPAN monitoring and recording are required for more than 100 phones, the VoIP Monitor Service must be deployed on a dedicated server (an MCS-30-003-Class server or equivalent). Each dedicated VoIP Monitor Service can support up to 400 phones if a 100 Megabit NIC is used to connect to the switch, or 1,000 phones if a Gigabit NIC is used.

Cisco Agent Desktop Recording and Playback Service

The Recording and Playback Service stores the recorded conversations and makes them available to the Supervisor Log Viewer application.

A co-resident Recording and Playback Service can support up to 32 simultaneous recordings. A dedicated Recording and Playback Service (which is available in the Premium offering) can support up to 80 simultaneous recordings. The capacity of the Recording and Playback Service is not dependent on the codec that is used.

Table 10-6 summarizes the raw Recording and Playback Service capacity.

Table 10-6 Capacity of Recording and Playback Service

Recording and Playback Service Type

Maximum Simultaneous Recordings

Co-resident

32

Dedicated

80

System Performance Monitoring

Supporting and maintaining an enterprise solution requires many steps and procedures. Depending on the customer environment, the support procedures vary. System performance monitoring is one procedure that helps maintain the system. This section provides a guide for monitoring Unified CCE to ensure that the system is performing within system tolerances. System monitoring is especially critical for customers as they expand or upgrade their system. The system should be monitored during times of heavy activity.

The following system components are critical to monitor:

•CPU

•Memory

•Disk

•Network

The following list highlights some of the important counters for the critical system components, along with their threshold values:

•Monitoring the CPU

–%ProcessorTime; the threshold of this counter is 60%.

–ProcessorQueueLength; this value should not go above (2 * (the total number of CPUs on the system)).

•Monitoring Memory

–% Committed Bytes; this value should remain less than (0.8 * (the total amount of physical memory)).

–Memory\Available MByte; this value should not be less than 16 MB.

–Page File %usage; the threshold for this counter is 80%.

•Monitoring the Disk Resources

–AverageDiskQueueLength; this value should remain less than (1.5 * (the total number of disks in the array)).

–%Disktime; this value should remain less than 60%.

•Monitoring Network Resources

–NIC\bytes total/sec; this value should remain less than (0.3 * (the physical size of the NIC)).

–NIC\Output Queue Length; the threshold for this counter is 1.

•Monitoring Unified CCE application

–Cisco Unified ICM Router(_Total)\Agents Logged On

–Cisco Unified ICM Router(_Total)\Calls in Progress

–Cisco Unified ICM Router(_Total)\calls /sec

Note The above performance counters for CPU, memory, disk, and network are applicable to all servers within the deployment. The recommended sample rate is 15 seconds.

Unified CCE Sizing Tool

The Cisco Unified Contact Center Enterprise Sizing Tool is a solution sizing tool that helps to size the Unified CCE resources. It also provides input for the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Sizing Tool. This tool requires proper login authentication and is accessible to Cisco internal employees and Cisco partners at

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/sell/technology/ipc/integrated-solutions/customer_contact_center.html

Summary

Proper sizing of Unified CCE components requires analysis beyond the number of agents and busy hour call attempts. Configurations with multiple skill groups per agent, significant call queuing, and other factors contribute to the total capacity of any individual component. Careful planning and discovery in the pre-sales process should uncover critical sizing variables, and these considerations should be applied to the final design and hardware selection.

Correct sizing and design can ensure stable deployments for large systems up to 8,000 agents and 216,000 BHCA. For smaller deployments, cost savings can be achieved with careful planning and co-resident Unified ICM components (for example, Progger, Rogger, and Agent PG).

Additionally, designers should pay careful attention to the sizing variables that will impact sizing capacities such as skill groups per agent. While it is often difficult to determine these variables in the pre-sales phase, it is critical to consider them during the initial design, especially when deploying co-resident PGs and Proggers. While new versions will scale far higher, the Cisco Agent Desktop Monitor Server is still limited in the number of simultaneous sessions that can be monitored by a single server when monitoring and recording are required.