Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, Release 3.1(3)
Glossary

Table Of Contents


glossary


A
 
account policy
The collection of settings that govern passwords and lockouts for all Cisco Unity accounts.
ActiveAssistant
The Web interface that gives subscribers the ability to customize personal settings—including recorded greetings and message delivery options—on their computers.
alternate extension
The addition number(s) assigned to a subscriber. Used when setting up Digital Networking, when handling multiple line appearances on subscriber phones, or as a convenience for subscribers and callers who want to communicate by using a cell phone, home phone, or phone at an alternate work site in addition to a subscriber phone. See also extension and primary extension.
alternate greeting
A substitute recording that can be turned on and off; it is used for a variety of special situations, such as vacations or a holiday. When active, the alternate greeting overrides all other greetings.
AMIS
Audio Messaging Interchange Specification. A protocol supported by Cisco Unity that provides an analog mechanism for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging systems.
ANI
Automatic number identification. The detection of the digits in a calling phone number.
audiotext
Prerecorded information that an organization makes available to callers.
automated attendant
A call handler that is used in place of a human operator to answer and direct calls by playing greetings and responding to touchtones.
automatic number identification
See ANI.
 
 

B
 
busy greeting
The recording that plays when a subscriber extension is busy.
 
 

C
 
call handler
A tool for managing calls in Cisco Unity; it answers calls and handles them according to the call handler settings. See also Good-Bye call handler, Opening Greeting call handler, and Operator call handler.
call routing table
A tool for managing calls in Cisco Unity. A call routing table consists of a collection of rules that define how calls are routed; Cisco Unity compares call information with the rules in a table, then routes the call according to the first matching rule. Rules can be based on the call type (internal, external), forwarding station, phone numbers of callers, trunks or ports on which calls come in, dialed phone numbers, and schedules.
call screening
The Cisco Unity function of recording the name of a caller and playing it for the subscriber, who can choose whether to take the call.
call transfer
The Cisco Unity function of routing unidentified callers to a phone or to the greetings of a subscriber or handler. Call transfer settings also specify how Cisco Unity handles a transfer: Cisco Unity can either release the call to the phone system, or it can supervise the transfer. See also release to switch, supervised transfer, and unidentified caller.
caller input
Information a caller enters by pressing phone keys to dial an extension, spell a name, or select an option during the Cisco Unity conversation.
calling extension
The extension from which a call originates.
calling number
The phone number from which a call originates.
Cisco Unity Administrator
A Web administrator that allows you to access Cisco Unity via an intranet and remotely. Use the Cisco Unity Administrator to create or modify subscriber accounts, configure messaging options, assign classes of service, record greetings, and run reports.
Cisco Unity conversation
The set of prerecorded instructions and options that Cisco Unity plays over the phone to subscribers and external callers; it consists of the subscriber conversation and the unidentified caller conversation.
Cisco Unity server
The computer that runs the Cisco Unity software.
class of service
See COS.
closed greeting
The recording that plays during the closed hours for the active schedule.
closed hours
The hours and days in a schedule that have not been identified as standard hours; these are typically nonbusiness hours.
codec
An analog-to-digital coder/decoder; also referred to as a converter.
conversation
COS
Class of service. A collection of permissions and restrictions assigned to each subscriber that control access to and use of the system.
 
 

D
 
dialed extension
The extension that a caller dials.
dialed number
The phone number that a caller dials.
dialed number identification service
See DNIS.
DID
Direct inward dialing. A phone system function in which calls are routed directly to specific extensions without first being routed by an attendant.
Digital Networking
The Cisco Unity feature that enables subscribers to send and receive voice messages between Cisco Unity servers.
direct call
Internal calls from subscribers and external calls from unidentified callers that are routed to Cisco Unity by the phone system.
directory assistance
The audio listing provided by a directory handler that callers can use to reach subscribers and to leave messages.
directory handler
A tool for managing calls in Cisco Unity; it provides directory assistance and contains settings that define how callers can search for subscriber names and/or extensions and what Cisco Unity does when a match is made.
distribution list
DNIS
Dialed number identification service. In North America, the detection of the dialed number on an 800 or 900 line.
DTMF
Dual-tone multifrequency. Phone system signaling in which standard pairs of specific voice band frequencies are used; it is also referred to as touchtone dialing.
DTMF extension
The touchtones that correspond to an extension.
dual-tone multifrequency
See DTMF.
 
 

E
 
easy message access
A feature that allows a subscriber to retrieve messages from the Cisco Unity conversation without entering an ID. Depending on the phone system integration, Cisco Unity can identify a subscriber based on the extension from which the call originated. A password may be required.
enrollment
error greeting
The recording that plays when Cisco Unity receives an invalid entry from a caller.
extension
The DTMF ID that is assigned to each subscriber when their Cisco Unity accounts are created; typically, this ID is the internal phone number that rings a subscriber phone. Also called the primary extension. See also alternate extension and primary extension.
 
 

F
 
forwarded call
Internal calls from subscribers and external calls from unidentified callers that are forwarded to Cisco Unity from an extension.
 
 

G
 
Good-Bye call handler
A predefined call handler that plays a brief good-bye message and then hangs up.
greeting
A recording that welcomes callers and offers menu options or the opportunity to leave a message. Greetings can be recorded by subscribers, system administrators, or voice talent.
 
 

H
 
handlers
The group of tools that Cisco Unity uses to manage calls. See also call handler, call routing table, directory handler, interview handler, and restriction table.
 
 

I-J
 
ID
A numeric identifier that Cisco Unity uses to recognize a subscriber. A subscriber ID usually is the extension assigned to a subscriber.
Inbox
The receptacle in which an e-mail application stores incoming messages.
internal greeting
The recording that a subscriber can set up to play only to other subscribers in place of the standard or alternate greeting.
Internet subscriber
A type of Cisco Unity subscriber who does not have a local message store but instead sends and receives messages by using an Internet Mail Service (SMTP gateway).
interview handler
A tool for managing calls in Cisco Unity; it is used to collect information from callers by playing a series of recorded questions, and then recording their answers.
 
 

K
 
keypad
The portion of a phone that contains touchtone keys.
keypad map
The numeric keys to which Q and Z are assigned on a phone keypad.
 
 

L
 
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A format used to provide access to information directories; supports TCP/IP.
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
See LDAP.
listing status
The status of a subscriber in directory assistance; a subscriber can be Listed or Not Listed.
location
A Cisco Unity object that contains the addressing information that Cisco Unity needs to exchange messages with other voice messaging systems (which may or may not be Cisco Unity systems). Each Cisco Unity server is associated with one location, called the primary location, which is created during installation and which cannot be deleted. Delivery locations are locations created on the local Cisco Unity server that correspond to remote voice messaging systems.
 
 

M
 
Media Master control bar
The recording device that appears on several pages of the Cisco Unity Administrator. It can be used to make recordings, either with a phone or with a microphone.
member
A subscriber assigned to a class of service, or a subscriber or public distribution list that is included in another public distribution list or in a private list.
message notification
The Cisco Unity function of notifying a subscriber when new messages arrive.
message summary
Information about a message, including sender, special delivery status, time and date sent, and copy recipients. Subscribers can choose to hear a message summary before or after the message plays, or not at all.
MWI
Message waiting indicator. A phone system device (lamp, distinctive dial tone, or LCD display) that alerts a subscriber to the arrival of new messages.
 
 

N
 
navigation bar
The area of the Cisco Unity Administrator and of the ActiveAssistant that contains links to categories of data pages.
new message
A message that has not been heard by a subscriber.
 
 

O
 
old message
A message that has been heard by a subscriber. Old messages include saved messages and deleted messages.
Opening Greeting call handler
A predefined call handler that acts as an automated attendant, playing the greeting that callers first hear when they call the organization, and performing specified actions.
Operator call handler
A predefined call handler that calls are routed to when callers press "0" or do not press any key as requested in the Cisco Unity conversation.
 
 

P-Q
 
primary extension
The DTMF ID that is assigned to each subscriber when their Cisco Unity accounts are created; typically, this ID is the internal phone number that rings a subscriber phone. See also alternate extension and extension.
private distribution list

A list of message recipients (subscribers and/or public distribution lists) used to send voice messages to more than one subscriber at a time. The individual subscriber who owns the list is the only person who can add and remove members from the list, and the only one who can use the list.

prompt
A recorded instruction, statement, or question in the Cisco Unity conversation.
public distribution list
A list of message recipients (subscribers and/or public distribution lists) used to send voice messages to more than one subscriber at a time. Anyone can send messages to public distribution lists, which are created and maintained by an administrator.
 
 

R
 
record
The group of settings or collection of data for an individual subscriber, class of service, or other Cisco Unity entity.
recorded name
A recording of the name of a subscriber; also called voice name.
release to switch
A call transfer type in which Cisco Unity puts the caller on hold, dials the extension, and releases the call to the phone system. When the line is busy or is not answered, the phone system—not Cisco Unity—forwards the call as specified.
restriction table
A tool for managing calls in Cisco Unity. A restriction table consists of a collection of dial strings that permit or restrict the phone numbers that subscribers and administrators can use for transferring calls, for sending message notification, and for delivering faxes.
routing table
 
 

S
 
saved message
A message that has been heard and stored by a subscriber.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. A format used to send e-mail messages between servers.
standard greeting
A recording that plays during the standard hours specified for the active schedule.
standard hours
The hours and days in a schedule that are designated as business hours.
Status Monitor
A Web-based application on the Cisco Unity server that contains five pages providing information about system status, ports, reports, licenses, and disk drives; also used to start and to shut down Cisco Unity.
subscriber
Anyone enrolled on Cisco Unity.
subscriber conversation
The set of prerecorded instructions and options that Cisco Unity plays over the phone to subscribers, enabling them to send messages, hear messages, and change settings.
subscriber enrollment
The process of preparing a subscriber account for use: recording a name and greeting, setting a password, and choosing whether the subscriber is listed in the directory.
subscriber template
A collection of settings that are common to a group of subscribers and that are applied when a subscriber account based on the template is created. Settings include schedules, passwords, account permissions, call processing and transfer options, and distribution lists.
summary
supervised transfer
A call transfer type in which Cisco Unity acts as a receptionist, handling the transfer. If the line is busy or the call is not answered, Cisco Unity—not the phone system—forwards the call as specified.
system key
The device programmed with the number of ports and optional packages purchased for the system; Cisco Unity checks the system key to activate the correct options.
 
 

T
 
touchtone keys
The 12 buttons with letters, numbers, and/or characters on a phone keypad; callers press keys to dial extensions, spell names, and select options in the Cisco Unity conversation.
 
 

U
 
unidentified caller
An external caller or a subscriber who has not entered a Cisco Unity ID when calling from outside an organization, or a subscriber who has not entered an ID when calling from inside the organization on a phone system that does not support identified subscriber messaging.
unidentified caller conversation
The set of prerecorded instructions and options that Cisco Unity plays over the phone to unidentified callers, enabling them to reach subscribers, select options, get information about an organization, and leave messages.
unified messaging
A messaging system in which all types of messages can be managed from the same Inbox.
 
 

V-Z
 
virtual private network
A private network that uses public phone lines (or in some cases a cable modem). Privacy is maintained through encryption and the use of secure protocols. Also referred to as a VPN.
Cisco Unity Visual Messaging Interface
A website through which subscribers listen to, compose, reply to, forward, and delete voice messages from a "virtual" Inbox. Also referred to as Cisco Unity VMI.