Design Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x - Cisco Unity Concepts [Cisco Unity]

Table Of Contents

Cisco Unity Concepts

How Cisco Unity Works

Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems

Unified Messaging

Voice Messaging

Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System

Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System

One or More Cisco Unity Servers

Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations)

One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only)

Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems)

Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations)

Software Components of a Cisco Unity System

Where Cisco Unity Stores Data

Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange

All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database

Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory

Enabling Cisco Unity Servers to Communicate with One Another

Enabling Communication (Interoperability) Between Cisco Unity and Other Voice Messaging Systems

Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized

Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry

Cisco Unity Concepts

•How Cisco Unity Works

•Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems

•Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System

•Software Components of a Cisco Unity System

•Where Cisco Unity Stores Data

How Cisco Unity Works

Cisco Unity is a unified messaging system that can also be a voice messaging system, and it requires a dedicated messaging infrastructure. When Cisco Unity subscribers are busy or away from their phones, Cisco Unity answers the phone and takes voice messages for them. The subscribers can retrieve their messages over the phone, or by using IBM Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, the Cisco Unity Inbox, Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, or an IMAP client.

When a call comes in for a subscriber, the following occurs:

1. A caller dials the subscriber extension. If the subscriber phone is busy or the subscriber does not answer, the phone system routes the call and information about the call, including the subscriber extension, to Cisco Unity.

2. Cisco Unity answers the call, looks up the subscriber extension in the Cisco Unity database, retrieves and plays the subscriber greeting ("Hi, this is Pat, and I am not at my desk right now..."), and lets the caller leave a message.

3. When the caller ends the call, the message is temporarily saved on the hard disk on the Cisco Unity server.

4. Cisco Unity gives the message to Domino or Exchange, which routes the message to the subscriber home server and stores it in the subscriber mailbox. If the call is from:

–Another subscriber, the message is identified as coming from that person.

–An outside caller who has not logged on to Cisco Unity as a subscriber, the message is identified as coming from the Unity Messaging System mailbox.

5. Cisco Unity informs the subscriber in one or more of the following ways that a message has arrived, regardless of the source of the call. (This is unlike some voice messaging systems, which activate message waiting indicators only when a message is left over the phone.)

–If the subscriber has a phone connected to the phone system, Cisco Unity activates the subscriber message waiting indicator (MWI).

Note This is true unless the MWI had already been activated because of a prior message arrival, in which case it simply remains activated.

–If the subscriber has configured personal notification options in the Cisco Unity Assistant, Cisco Unity can also call one or more phones or pagers, send an e-mail to a text pager, or send an SMS message to a mobile phone to notify the subscriber that a new voice message has arrived.

Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems

Cisco Unity can be configured either for Cisco Unity Unified Messaging or for Cisco Unity Voice Messaging. This section enumerates the characteristics of each configuration.

Unified Messaging

•Cisco Unity voice messages are stored in the same IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange message store in which e-mails and faxes (if applicable) are stored, so subscribers see all e-mails, voice messages, and faxes in the same Inbox.

•A supported version of IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange must be installed on a separate server. (For information on supported versions, see System Requirements for Cisco Unity Release 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

•The Cisco Unity server is connected to the network, so it has access to the message store, the directory (a Domino address book or Active Directory), and network utilities such as virus checking and backup.

•Subscribers check messages:

–With Domino, by using the phone or an e-mail client.

–With Exchange, by using the phone, the Cisco Unity Inbox, or an e-mail client. (The Cisco Unity Inbox is accessed through the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant, or Cisco PCA.)

•Cisco Unity administration can be performed over the network.

•Subscribers have access to the Cisco Unity Assistant through the Cisco PCA.

•Voice mail and e-mail attributes on subscriber accounts can be administered from a single location by using the Cisco Unity Administrator.

•Cisco Unity can play back electronic messages over the phone by using Text to Speech, and can support identifying, redirecting, and printing third-party faxes.

Voice Messaging

Revised May 6, 2008

•Voice messages are stored in a supported version of Microsoft Exchange or IBM Lotus Domino.

The message store contains only Cisco Unity voice messages, not e-mails or faxes.

Exchange can be installed either on the Cisco Unity server or on a separate server, depending on the number of subscribers that need to be supported by Cisco Unity. Domino must be installed on a separate server.

•Subscribers check messages:

–With Domino or Exchange, by using the phone or Cisco Personal Communicator.

–With Exchange, by using the Cisco Unity Inbox (accessed through the Cisco PCA) or an IMAP e-mail client.

•E-mail attributes, if any, and voice mail attributes on subscriber accounts must be administered separately.

•Cisco Unity can play back electronic messages over the phone by using Text to Speech, and can support identifying, redirecting, and printing third-party faxes.

Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System

See the following sections:

•Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System

•One or More Cisco Unity Servers

•Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

•Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

•One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations)

•One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only)

•Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems)

•Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations)

Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System

Cisco Unity can be integrated with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) or another supported phone system. For a list of supported phone systems, see the applicable version of Supported Hardware and Software, and Support Policies for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

For integrations with circuit-switched phone systems, the customer may require special cables, line splitters, and so on. For more information, see the integration guide for the phone system that the customer uses. Cisco Unity integration guides are available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html.

Cisco Unity can also be integrated with multiple telephone systems. For more information, see the Multiple Telephone System Integrations Guide for Cisco Unity 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html.

One or More Cisco Unity Servers

For a detailed list of servers that are qualified for use with Cisco Unity, see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html.

Each qualified Cisco Unity server can service a specified number of Cisco Unity subscribers depending on the type of server and, for Voice Messaging configurations, depending on whether Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server. The Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List indicates how many subscribers can be serviced by each type of server.

For Unified Messaging configurations, at least one Cisco Unity server is required for each:

•Domino domain

•Exchange organization

If the customer purchases Cisco Unity failover, two Cisco Unity servers are required:

•The primary server, which takes calls the majority of the time; and

•The secondary server, which takes calls when the customer wants to perform maintenance on the primary server or when the primary server stops functioning for any reason.

If the customer purchases Voice Recognition licenses, one voice-recognition server is required for each Cisco Unity server. For a list of servers that are qualified as voice-recognition servers, see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html.

Note Voice recognition is not supported with phone system integrations that use voice cards.

Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

If the customer integrates Cisco Unity with a circuit-switched phone system, either voice cards or PIMG units are required. For a list of supported voice cards, see the Supported Hardware and Software, and Support Policies for Cisco Unity Release 5.x at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems)

If the customer is integrating Cisco Unity with a circuit-switched phone system and needs more voice cards than will fit in the Cisco Unity server, an expansion chassis is required for the voice cards (see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html for more information). All voice cards must be installed in the expansion chassis; they cannot be split between the server and the expansion chassis, because all of the cards must be connected to one another by using a single H.100 cable.

One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations)

For Cisco Unity systems configured for Unified Messaging, the message store software (IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange) must be installed on a server other than the Cisco Unity server.

For Cisco Unity systems configured for Voice Messaging, Exchange can be installed on the Cisco Unity server or on a separate server. Domino must be installed on a separate server.

The number of subscribers homed on the Cisco Unity server cannot exceed the maximum listed for that type of server on the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html.

One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only)

For large Voice Messaging configurations, one or more dedicated domain controllers/global catalog (DC/GC) servers may be required. For more information, see Chapter 3, "Network Infrastructure Requirements."

Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems)

If the customer wants Cisco Unity to interoperate with an Avaya voice messaging system, a dedicated Cisco Unity Bridge server is required. For more information, see the following documents:

•For information on how Cisco Unity can send voice messages to Avaya and receive voice messages from Avaya, see the applicable version of the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity Bridge at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html.

•For requirements for connecting Cisco Unity and Avaya, see the System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software for Cisco Unity Bridge at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations)

For Cisco Unity systems that are configured for Unified Messaging, a network connection is required.

For Cisco Unity systems that are configured for Voice Messaging, a network connection is required only if the customer wants to do one or more of the following:

•Use Domino for the message store.

•Integrate Cisco Unity with an IP phone system (for example, Cisco Unified Communications Manager).

•Administer Cisco Unity over the network.

•Give subscribers access to Cisco Unity by using the Cisco Unity Assistant, the Cisco Unity Inbox, an IMAP e-mail client, or Cisco Personal Communicator.

•Install Exchange on a separate server.

Note For a system with a large number of Cisco Unity subscribers, installing Exchange on a separate server is required.

•Give the Cisco Unity server access to network utilities such as virus checking and backup.

Software Components of a Cisco Unity System

For information on the software installed on the Cisco Unity server, the supported versions of Domino and Exchange, and the supported versions of client software, see the System Requirements for Cisco Unity Release 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

Where Cisco Unity Stores Data

Cisco Unity stores data in a variety of locations, as described in the following sections:

•Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange

•All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database

•Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory

•Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized

•Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

•Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

•Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry

Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange

Cisco Unity stores voice messages either in Domino mailfile databases or in Exchange message stores.

Domino

Cisco Unity stores voice messages in a user mail file database on the Domino server. Domino is installed on one or more servers (never on the Cisco Unity server); therefore, all subscribers have their Domino mailboxes on other servers. A Cisco Unity subscriber is someone who has a Domino mailbox and whose Domino person document includes Cisco Unity-specific information.

Every Domino server that homes Cisco Unity subscribers must have IBM Lotus Domino Unified Communications (DUC) for Cisco installed. At the time this document was written, DUC was available only for Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and AIX. For information on operating systems currently supported by DUC for Cisco, see the "Domino Requirements—Message Store" section of System Requirements for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

Cisco Unity can service subscribers on multiple Domino servers. You specify one Domino server (the partner Domino server) through which Cisco Unity communicates with the other Domino servers.

Cisco Unity can also service subscribers on Domino clusters. If subscribers are homed on one or more Domino servers in a cluster, every Domino server in the cluster on which there will be Cisco Unity subscribers must have DUC installed.

Exchange

Cisco Unity can store voice messages in supported versions of Exchange. For information on versions of Exchange currently supported for use with Cisco Unity, see the "Exchange Requirements—Message Store" section of System Requirements for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html.

For small Cisco Unity Voice Messaging configurations, Exchange can be installed on the Cisco Unity server, and all Cisco Unity subscribers can have their Exchange mailboxes on the Cisco Unity server. (Exchange can also optionally be installed on a separate server instead of, or in addition to, being installed on the Cisco Unity server.) A Cisco Unity subscriber is someone who has an Exchange mailbox and whose Active Directory account includes Cisco Unity-specific information.

For medium and large Cisco Unity Voice Messaging configurations and for all Unified Messaging configurations, Exchange is installed on one or more separate servers instead of on the Cisco Unity server. For these configurations, subscribers can have their Exchange mailboxes on other Exchange servers.

Cisco Unity can service subscribers on multiple Exchange servers. You specify one Exchange server (the partner Exchange server) through which Cisco Unity communicates with the other Exchange servers. The partner Exchange server can either be the Cisco Unity server (when Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server) or a separate server.

For Exchange 2003, Cisco Unity can also service subscribers on both active/active and active/passive clusters. Do not install Cisco Unity on a server in an Exchange cluster.

All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database

Cisco Unity stores all information about Cisco Unity subscribers, as well as selected Cisco Unity configuration data, in a SQL Server 2000 or Microsoft Data Engine 2000 (MSDE 2000) database on the Cisco Unity server. (The number of voice ports on the Cisco Unity server and, therefore, the maximum number of subscribers the server can support, determines whether data is stored in SQL Server 2000 or in MSDE, which is fully compatible with SQL Server 2000.)

When two or more Cisco Unity servers are in the same Domino domain and monitoring the same address book, or are in the same Active Directory forest, the SQL Server 2000 database on each Cisco Unity server also includes a small amount of information about all of the subscribers on the other Cisco Unity servers.

Storing subscriber data in a SQL Server 2000 database has the following benefits:

•Performance: Because the SQL Server 2000 database is on the Cisco Unity server itself and because the data is heavily indexed, accessing data—including looking up subscriber extensions—is fast. The current maximum number of Cisco Unity subscribers in a Domino address book or Active Directory Global Address List is 250,000.

•Reliability: Because subscriber data is stored on the Cisco Unity server, Cisco Unity can answer calls, let outside callers look up subscriber extensions, and take messages even when the Domino or Exchange network is down. (When the Domino or Exchange network is unavailable, new messages are stored on the Cisco Unity server, and subscribers have access to those messages.)

•Scalability: SQL Server 2000 was designed to support the largest enterprise data processing systems, so there is more than enough room for storing the Cisco Unity data. Although MSDE has storage limitations that SQL Server does not, it is also more than adequate for the Cisco Unity configurations for which it is sold.

•Network Impact: Only a small subset of subscriber information needs to be stored in the directory, and that information does not change frequently. Therefore, directory replication caused by changes to Cisco Unity data is minimal after subscriber accounts have been created.

Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory

A small amount of data that appears in the SQL Server 2000 database also appears in the Domino address book or in Active Directory. This information, mostly subscriber data (including the recorded voice name), is added to the directory to enable Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another and to enable communication between Cisco Unity and other voice messaging systems. Cisco Unity uses a directory monitor to keep the data in the directory synchronized with the data in the SQL Server 2000 database.

Replicating data to the Domino address book or to Active Directory requires some changes to the directory. If the customer is using:

•Domino, IBM Lotus Domino Unified Communications (DUC) for Cisco must be installed on the Domino servers that will home Cisco Unity subscribers. This adds elements to the address book. In addition, DUC for Cisco must be installed on the client workstation for each Cisco Unity subscriber, which adds elements to the mail file for the client.

•Exchange, the Active Directory schema must be extended with a few Cisco Unity-specific attributes. For information about the Active Directory schema extensions, see the applicable Cisco Unity Data and the Directory white paper at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_white_papers_list.html.

Enabling Cisco Unity Servers to Communicate with One Another

When two or more Cisco Unity servers are added to the same Domino address book or Active Directory forest, each Cisco Unity server serves a distinct group of subscribers. You can optionally configure the Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another, which lets you administer subscriber accounts on all Cisco Unity servers from a single location and lets callers leave messages for any subscriber, regardless of the Cisco Unity server with which the subscriber is associated.

If you configure multiple Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another, two types of Cisco Unity data are stored in the directory:

•A primary location object for each Cisco Unity server. This unique identifier contains the addressing information that Cisco Unity needs to route messages to other Cisco Unity servers. The directory contains one primary location object for each Cisco Unity server in the Domino domain or Active Directory forest.

•Selected subscriber data. The stored properties include the Cisco Unity server with which each subscriber is associated, the subscriber extension, and a recording of the subscriber name.

The directory replicates the information to all Domino servers in the domain (for Domino) or domain controllers and global catalog servers in the forest (for Exchange), which ensures that Cisco Unity has the required access to information.

For detailed information on adding two or more Cisco Unity servers to the same Domino domain or Active Directory forest, see the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html.

Enabling Communication (Interoperability) Between Cisco Unity and Other Voice Messaging Systems

Cisco Unity supports several methods for allowing communication between Cisco Unity and other voice messaging systems:

•VPIM (Voice Profile for Internet Mail) is a digital protocol for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging system. To send and receive voice messages by using VPIM, the customer creates a delivery location object for each remote voice messaging system. The third-party voice messaging server must adhere to the VPIM v2 protocol.

As with the primary location objects, which allow one Cisco Unity server to send messages to subscribers who are associated with another Cisco Unity server, delivery location objects contain the information necessary for Cisco Unity subscribers to exchange voice messages with people who are using another voice messaging system.

•The Audio Messaging Interchange Specification analog (AMIS-a) protocol provides an analog mechanism for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging systems. To send and receive voice messages by using AMIS, the customer creates a delivery location object for each remote voice messaging system.

•The Cisco Unity Bridge acts as a networking gateway between Cisco Unity servers and Octel servers. The Bridge communicates with Octel servers by using the OctelNet analog protocol; it communicates with Cisco Unity servers by using the Digital Networking protocol, which is based on the VPIM protocol, with proprietary extensions.

Because the servers use different protocols, the Bridge uses nodes to translate messages as appropriate for each server. For the Octel node, the Cisco Unity Bridge maintains a table that contains the Octel server name, unique serial number, and phone number. For the Cisco Unity node, the Bridge maintains another table that contains the Cisco Unity server name, assigned serial number, and domain name. By using these two tables, the Cisco Unity Bridge server can, for example, receive a message from an Octel node, look up the routing information from the Cisco Unity node table, reformat the information for the destination Cisco Unity node, and then send the message to the Cisco Unity node.

For more information on how Cisco Unity works with other voice messaging systems, see the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html.

Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized

Some Cisco Unity information is stored in both the SQL Server 2000 database and in the address book/directory. This data can be changed both from within Cisco Unity (for example, subscriber information can be changed by using the Cisco Unity Administrator), and from outside Cisco Unity (for example, subscriber information can be changed by using Active Directory Users and Computers). Because this information can be stored and changed in multiple locations, it must be regularly synchronized. Cisco Unity includes separate directory monitors for Domino and for Active Directory that keep the directory synchronized with the SQL Server 2000 database. Every few minutes, the directory monitor checks for new, changed, and deleted objects, and replicates the information.

When two or more Cisco Unity servers are added to the same Active Directory forest, a global catalog monitor keeps the SQL Server 2000 database synchronized with the global catalog. This is how each Cisco Unity server gathers information on subscribers who are associated with other Cisco Unity servers.

Because the amount of data stored in the directory is so small, the impact of replication between the SQL Server 2000 database and the directory is minimal (except when the first Cisco Unity subscribers are created by importing them in bulk from Exchange or from a text file).

Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

All messages from outside callers are temporarily stored on the Cisco Unity server before they are forwarded to Domino or Exchange for storage in the subscriber mailbox. This allows Cisco Unity to continue functioning when the network connection between the Cisco Unity server and the Domino or Exchange servers is down, or when one or more Domino or Exchange servers are down.

While Domino, Exchange, and/or the network is offline, Cisco Unity can still answer calls, allow outside callers to look up subscriber extensions, and record voice messages. During this time, subscribers who check their voice messages hear the Unity Messaging Repository (UMR) conversation, which explains that their Domino or Exchange server is not available, but lets them access voice messages left after the problem started. When the Domino server, Exchange server, and/or the network is back on line, the voice messages that were stored in the UMR are routed to the subscriber mailboxes. (In some cases when a network connection or a Domino or Exchange server is down, subscriber-to-subscriber messages are also treated as outside caller messages and stored on the Cisco Unity server until they can be delivered to the appropriate mailbox.)

Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server

Selected recordings and configuration settings are stored in files on the Cisco Unity server, including subscriber greetings ("Hi, this is Pat and I am out of the office today..."), recorded voice names, and some phone system integration settings.

Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry

Selected server-specific configuration settings are stored in the Windows registry, including some phone system integration and logging settings.

	Design Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x
	Cisco Unity Concepts
Design Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x Index Preface Design Guide Overview Cisco Unity Concepts Network Infrastructure Requirements Designing a Cisco Unity System with Exchange as the Message Store Designing a Cisco Unity System with Domino as the Message Store Integrating Cisco Unity with the Phone System Cisco Unity Failover and Standby Redundancy Voice-Recognition Access to Cisco Unity Migrating to Cisco Unity from Another Voice-Messaging System Design Differences Among Versions of Cisco Unity	Download this chapter Cisco Unity Concepts Download the complete book PDF Version of the Entire Guide (PDF - 970 KB) Feedback Table Of Contents Cisco Unity Concepts How Cisco Unity Works Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems Unified Messaging Voice Messaging Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System One or More Cisco Unity Servers Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations) One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only) Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems) Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations) Software Components of a Cisco Unity System Where Cisco Unity Stores Data Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory Enabling Cisco Unity Servers to Communicate with One Another Enabling Communication (Interoperability) Between Cisco Unity and Other Voice Messaging Systems Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry Cisco Unity Concepts •How Cisco Unity Works •Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems •Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System •Software Components of a Cisco Unity System •Where Cisco Unity Stores Data How Cisco Unity Works Cisco Unity is a unified messaging system that can also be a voice messaging system, and it requires a dedicated messaging infrastructure. When Cisco Unity subscribers are busy or away from their phones, Cisco Unity answers the phone and takes voice messages for them. The subscribers can retrieve their messages over the phone, or by using IBM Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, the Cisco Unity Inbox, Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, or an IMAP client. When a call comes in for a subscriber, the following occurs: 1. A caller dials the subscriber extension. If the subscriber phone is busy or the subscriber does not answer, the phone system routes the call and information about the call, including the subscriber extension, to Cisco Unity. 2. Cisco Unity answers the call, looks up the subscriber extension in the Cisco Unity database, retrieves and plays the subscriber greeting ("Hi, this is Pat, and I am not at my desk right now..."), and lets the caller leave a message. 3. When the caller ends the call, the message is temporarily saved on the hard disk on the Cisco Unity server. 4. Cisco Unity gives the message to Domino or Exchange, which routes the message to the subscriber home server and stores it in the subscriber mailbox. If the call is from: –Another subscriber, the message is identified as coming from that person. –An outside caller who has not logged on to Cisco Unity as a subscriber, the message is identified as coming from the Unity Messaging System mailbox. 5. Cisco Unity informs the subscriber in one or more of the following ways that a message has arrived, regardless of the source of the call. (This is unlike some voice messaging systems, which activate message waiting indicators only when a message is left over the phone.) –If the subscriber has a phone connected to the phone system, Cisco Unity activates the subscriber message waiting indicator (MWI). Note This is true unless the MWI had already been activated because of a prior message arrival, in which case it simply remains activated. –If the subscriber has configured personal notification options in the Cisco Unity Assistant, Cisco Unity can also call one or more phones or pagers, send an e-mail to a text pager, or send an SMS message to a mobile phone to notify the subscriber that a new voice message has arrived. Characteristics of Unified Messaging and Voice Messaging Systems Cisco Unity can be configured either for Cisco Unity Unified Messaging or for Cisco Unity Voice Messaging. This section enumerates the characteristics of each configuration. Unified Messaging •Cisco Unity voice messages are stored in the same IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange message store in which e-mails and faxes (if applicable) are stored, so subscribers see all e-mails, voice messages, and faxes in the same Inbox. •A supported version of IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange must be installed on a separate server. (For information on supported versions, see System Requirements for Cisco Unity Release 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. •The Cisco Unity server is connected to the network, so it has access to the message store, the directory (a Domino address book or Active Directory), and network utilities such as virus checking and backup. •Subscribers check messages: –With Domino, by using the phone or an e-mail client. –With Exchange, by using the phone, the Cisco Unity Inbox, or an e-mail client. (The Cisco Unity Inbox is accessed through the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant, or Cisco PCA.) •Cisco Unity administration can be performed over the network. •Subscribers have access to the Cisco Unity Assistant through the Cisco PCA. •Voice mail and e-mail attributes on subscriber accounts can be administered from a single location by using the Cisco Unity Administrator. •Cisco Unity can play back electronic messages over the phone by using Text to Speech, and can support identifying, redirecting, and printing third-party faxes. Voice Messaging Revised May 6, 2008 •Voice messages are stored in a supported version of Microsoft Exchange or IBM Lotus Domino. The message store contains only Cisco Unity voice messages, not e-mails or faxes. Exchange can be installed either on the Cisco Unity server or on a separate server, depending on the number of subscribers that need to be supported by Cisco Unity. Domino must be installed on a separate server. •Subscribers check messages: –With Domino or Exchange, by using the phone or Cisco Personal Communicator. –With Exchange, by using the Cisco Unity Inbox (accessed through the Cisco PCA) or an IMAP e-mail client. •E-mail attributes, if any, and voice mail attributes on subscriber accounts must be administered separately. •Cisco Unity can play back electronic messages over the phone by using Text to Speech, and can support identifying, redirecting, and printing third-party faxes. Hardware Components of a Cisco Unity System See the following sections: •Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System •One or More Cisco Unity Servers •Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) •Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) •One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations) •One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only) •Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems) •Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations) Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Another Supported Phone System Cisco Unity can be integrated with Cisco Unified Communications Manager (Cisco Unified CM) or another supported phone system. For a list of supported phone systems, see the applicable version of Supported Hardware and Software, and Support Policies for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. For integrations with circuit-switched phone systems, the customer may require special cables, line splitters, and so on. For more information, see the integration guide for the phone system that the customer uses. Cisco Unity integration guides are available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html. Cisco Unity can also be integrated with multiple telephone systems. For more information, see the Multiple Telephone System Integrations Guide for Cisco Unity 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html. One or More Cisco Unity Servers For a detailed list of servers that are qualified for use with Cisco Unity, see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html. Each qualified Cisco Unity server can service a specified number of Cisco Unity subscribers depending on the type of server and, for Voice Messaging configurations, depending on whether Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server. The Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List indicates how many subscribers can be serviced by each type of server. For Unified Messaging configurations, at least one Cisco Unity server is required for each: •Domino domain •Exchange organization If the customer purchases Cisco Unity failover, two Cisco Unity servers are required: •The primary server, which takes calls the majority of the time; and •The secondary server, which takes calls when the customer wants to perform maintenance on the primary server or when the primary server stops functioning for any reason. If the customer purchases Voice Recognition licenses, one voice-recognition server is required for each Cisco Unity server. For a list of servers that are qualified as voice-recognition servers, see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html. Note Voice recognition is not supported with phone system integrations that use voice cards. Voice Cards or PIMG Units (Required for Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) If the customer integrates Cisco Unity with a circuit-switched phone system, either voice cards or PIMG units are required. For a list of supported voice cards, see the Supported Hardware and Software, and Support Policies for Cisco Unity Release 5.x at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. Expansion Chassis (Required Only for Some Integrations with Circuit-Switched Phone Systems) If the customer is integrating Cisco Unity with a circuit-switched phone system and needs more voice cards than will fit in the Cisco Unity server, an expansion chassis is required for the voice cards (see the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html for more information). All voice cards must be installed in the expansion chassis; they cannot be split between the server and the expansion chassis, because all of the cards must be connected to one another by using a single H.100 cable. One or More Message-Store Servers (Optional for Some Configurations) For Cisco Unity systems configured for Unified Messaging, the message store software (IBM Lotus Domino or Microsoft Exchange) must be installed on a server other than the Cisco Unity server. For Cisco Unity systems configured for Voice Messaging, Exchange can be installed on the Cisco Unity server or on a separate server. Domino must be installed on a separate server. The number of subscribers homed on the Cisco Unity server cannot exceed the maximum listed for that type of server on the Cisco Unity Supported Platforms List at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_data_sheets_list.html. One or More Dedicated Domain Controllers/Global Catalog Servers (Exchange Only, Large Voice Messaging Configurations Only) For large Voice Messaging configurations, one or more dedicated domain controllers/global catalog (DC/GC) servers may be required. For more information, see Chapter 3, "Network Infrastructure Requirements." Cisco Unity Bridge Server (Required Only for Interoperating with Avaya Voice Messaging Systems) If the customer wants Cisco Unity to interoperate with an Avaya voice messaging system, a dedicated Cisco Unity Bridge server is required. For more information, see the following documents: •For information on how Cisco Unity can send voice messages to Avaya and receive voice messages from Avaya, see the applicable version of the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity Bridge at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html. •For requirements for connecting Cisco Unity and Avaya, see the System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software for Cisco Unity Bridge at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. Network Connection (Optional for Some Configurations) For Cisco Unity systems that are configured for Unified Messaging, a network connection is required. For Cisco Unity systems that are configured for Voice Messaging, a network connection is required only if the customer wants to do one or more of the following: •Use Domino for the message store. •Integrate Cisco Unity with an IP phone system (for example, Cisco Unified Communications Manager). •Administer Cisco Unity over the network. •Give subscribers access to Cisco Unity by using the Cisco Unity Assistant, the Cisco Unity Inbox, an IMAP e-mail client, or Cisco Personal Communicator. •Install Exchange on a separate server. Note For a system with a large number of Cisco Unity subscribers, installing Exchange on a separate server is required. •Give the Cisco Unity server access to network utilities such as virus checking and backup. Software Components of a Cisco Unity System For information on the software installed on the Cisco Unity server, the supported versions of Domino and Exchange, and the supported versions of client software, see the System Requirements for Cisco Unity Release 5.0 at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. Where Cisco Unity Stores Data Cisco Unity stores data in a variety of locations, as described in the following sections: •Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange •All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database •Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory •Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized •Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server •Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server •Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry Voice Messages Are Stored in Domino or Exchange Cisco Unity stores voice messages either in Domino mailfile databases or in Exchange message stores. Domino Cisco Unity stores voice messages in a user mail file database on the Domino server. Domino is installed on one or more servers (never on the Cisco Unity server); therefore, all subscribers have their Domino mailboxes on other servers. A Cisco Unity subscriber is someone who has a Domino mailbox and whose Domino person document includes Cisco Unity-specific information. Every Domino server that homes Cisco Unity subscribers must have IBM Lotus Domino Unified Communications (DUC) for Cisco installed. At the time this document was written, DUC was available only for Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and AIX. For information on operating systems currently supported by DUC for Cisco, see the "Domino Requirements—Message Store" section of System Requirements for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. Cisco Unity can service subscribers on multiple Domino servers. You specify one Domino server (the partner Domino server) through which Cisco Unity communicates with the other Domino servers. Cisco Unity can also service subscribers on Domino clusters. If subscribers are homed on one or more Domino servers in a cluster, every Domino server in the cluster on which there will be Cisco Unity subscribers must have DUC installed. Exchange Cisco Unity can store voice messages in supported versions of Exchange. For information on versions of Exchange currently supported for use with Cisco Unity, see the "Exchange Requirements—Message Store" section of System Requirements for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_installation_guides_list.html. For small Cisco Unity Voice Messaging configurations, Exchange can be installed on the Cisco Unity server, and all Cisco Unity subscribers can have their Exchange mailboxes on the Cisco Unity server. (Exchange can also optionally be installed on a separate server instead of, or in addition to, being installed on the Cisco Unity server.) A Cisco Unity subscriber is someone who has an Exchange mailbox and whose Active Directory account includes Cisco Unity-specific information. For medium and large Cisco Unity Voice Messaging configurations and for all Unified Messaging configurations, Exchange is installed on one or more separate servers instead of on the Cisco Unity server. For these configurations, subscribers can have their Exchange mailboxes on other Exchange servers. Cisco Unity can service subscribers on multiple Exchange servers. You specify one Exchange server (the partner Exchange server) through which Cisco Unity communicates with the other Exchange servers. The partner Exchange server can either be the Cisco Unity server (when Exchange is installed on the Cisco Unity server) or a separate server. For Exchange 2003, Cisco Unity can also service subscribers on both active/active and active/passive clusters. Do not install Cisco Unity on a server in an Exchange cluster. All Subscriber Information Is Stored in a SQL Server 2000 Database Cisco Unity stores all information about Cisco Unity subscribers, as well as selected Cisco Unity configuration data, in a SQL Server 2000 or Microsoft Data Engine 2000 (MSDE 2000) database on the Cisco Unity server. (The number of voice ports on the Cisco Unity server and, therefore, the maximum number of subscribers the server can support, determines whether data is stored in SQL Server 2000 or in MSDE, which is fully compatible with SQL Server 2000.) When two or more Cisco Unity servers are in the same Domino domain and monitoring the same address book, or are in the same Active Directory forest, the SQL Server 2000 database on each Cisco Unity server also includes a small amount of information about all of the subscribers on the other Cisco Unity servers. Storing subscriber data in a SQL Server 2000 database has the following benefits: •Performance: Because the SQL Server 2000 database is on the Cisco Unity server itself and because the data is heavily indexed, accessing data—including looking up subscriber extensions—is fast. The current maximum number of Cisco Unity subscribers in a Domino address book or Active Directory Global Address List is 250,000. •Reliability: Because subscriber data is stored on the Cisco Unity server, Cisco Unity can answer calls, let outside callers look up subscriber extensions, and take messages even when the Domino or Exchange network is down. (When the Domino or Exchange network is unavailable, new messages are stored on the Cisco Unity server, and subscribers have access to those messages.) •Scalability: SQL Server 2000 was designed to support the largest enterprise data processing systems, so there is more than enough room for storing the Cisco Unity data. Although MSDE has storage limitations that SQL Server does not, it is also more than adequate for the Cisco Unity configurations for which it is sold. •Network Impact: Only a small subset of subscriber information needs to be stored in the directory, and that information does not change frequently. Therefore, directory replication caused by changes to Cisco Unity data is minimal after subscriber accounts have been created. Some Subscriber Information Also Appears in the Domino Address Book or in Active Directory A small amount of data that appears in the SQL Server 2000 database also appears in the Domino address book or in Active Directory. This information, mostly subscriber data (including the recorded voice name), is added to the directory to enable Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another and to enable communication between Cisco Unity and other voice messaging systems. Cisco Unity uses a directory monitor to keep the data in the directory synchronized with the data in the SQL Server 2000 database. Replicating data to the Domino address book or to Active Directory requires some changes to the directory. If the customer is using: •Domino, IBM Lotus Domino Unified Communications (DUC) for Cisco must be installed on the Domino servers that will home Cisco Unity subscribers. This adds elements to the address book. In addition, DUC for Cisco must be installed on the client workstation for each Cisco Unity subscriber, which adds elements to the mail file for the client. •Exchange, the Active Directory schema must be extended with a few Cisco Unity-specific attributes. For information about the Active Directory schema extensions, see the applicable Cisco Unity Data and the Directory white paper at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_white_papers_list.html. Enabling Cisco Unity Servers to Communicate with One Another When two or more Cisco Unity servers are added to the same Domino address book or Active Directory forest, each Cisco Unity server serves a distinct group of subscribers. You can optionally configure the Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another, which lets you administer subscriber accounts on all Cisco Unity servers from a single location and lets callers leave messages for any subscriber, regardless of the Cisco Unity server with which the subscriber is associated. If you configure multiple Cisco Unity servers to communicate with one another, two types of Cisco Unity data are stored in the directory: •A primary location object for each Cisco Unity server. This unique identifier contains the addressing information that Cisco Unity needs to route messages to other Cisco Unity servers. The directory contains one primary location object for each Cisco Unity server in the Domino domain or Active Directory forest. •Selected subscriber data. The stored properties include the Cisco Unity server with which each subscriber is associated, the subscriber extension, and a recording of the subscriber name. The directory replicates the information to all Domino servers in the domain (for Domino) or domain controllers and global catalog servers in the forest (for Exchange), which ensures that Cisco Unity has the required access to information. For detailed information on adding two or more Cisco Unity servers to the same Domino domain or Active Directory forest, see the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html. Enabling Communication (Interoperability) Between Cisco Unity and Other Voice Messaging Systems Cisco Unity supports several methods for allowing communication between Cisco Unity and other voice messaging systems: •VPIM (Voice Profile for Internet Mail) is a digital protocol for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging system. To send and receive voice messages by using VPIM, the customer creates a delivery location object for each remote voice messaging system. The third-party voice messaging server must adhere to the VPIM v2 protocol. As with the primary location objects, which allow one Cisco Unity server to send messages to subscribers who are associated with another Cisco Unity server, delivery location objects contain the information necessary for Cisco Unity subscribers to exchange voice messages with people who are using another voice messaging system. •The Audio Messaging Interchange Specification analog (AMIS-a) protocol provides an analog mechanism for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging systems. To send and receive voice messages by using AMIS, the customer creates a delivery location object for each remote voice messaging system. •The Cisco Unity Bridge acts as a networking gateway between Cisco Unity servers and Octel servers. The Bridge communicates with Octel servers by using the OctelNet analog protocol; it communicates with Cisco Unity servers by using the Digital Networking protocol, which is based on the VPIM protocol, with proprietary extensions. Because the servers use different protocols, the Bridge uses nodes to translate messages as appropriate for each server. For the Octel node, the Cisco Unity Bridge maintains a table that contains the Octel server name, unique serial number, and phone number. For the Cisco Unity node, the Bridge maintains another table that contains the Cisco Unity server name, assigned serial number, and domain name. By using these two tables, the Cisco Unity Bridge server can, for example, receive a message from an Octel node, look up the routing information from the Cisco Unity node table, reformat the information for the destination Cisco Unity node, and then send the message to the Cisco Unity node. For more information on how Cisco Unity works with other voice messaging systems, see the Networking Guide for Cisco Unity at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_feature_guides_list.html. Data That Appears in Both the SQL Server 2000 Database and in the Address Book/Directory Is Automatically Synchronized Some Cisco Unity information is stored in both the SQL Server 2000 database and in the address book/directory. This data can be changed both from within Cisco Unity (for example, subscriber information can be changed by using the Cisco Unity Administrator), and from outside Cisco Unity (for example, subscriber information can be changed by using Active Directory Users and Computers). Because this information can be stored and changed in multiple locations, it must be regularly synchronized. Cisco Unity includes separate directory monitors for Domino and for Active Directory that keep the directory synchronized with the SQL Server 2000 database. Every few minutes, the directory monitor checks for new, changed, and deleted objects, and replicates the information. When two or more Cisco Unity servers are added to the same Active Directory forest, a global catalog monitor keeps the SQL Server 2000 database synchronized with the global catalog. This is how each Cisco Unity server gathers information on subscribers who are associated with other Cisco Unity servers. Because the amount of data stored in the directory is so small, the impact of replication between the SQL Server 2000 database and the directory is minimal (except when the first Cisco Unity subscribers are created by importing them in bulk from Exchange or from a text file). Messages from Outside Callers Are Temporarily Stored on the Cisco Unity Server All messages from outside callers are temporarily stored on the Cisco Unity server before they are forwarded to Domino or Exchange for storage in the subscriber mailbox. This allows Cisco Unity to continue functioning when the network connection between the Cisco Unity server and the Domino or Exchange servers is down, or when one or more Domino or Exchange servers are down. While Domino, Exchange, and/or the network is offline, Cisco Unity can still answer calls, allow outside callers to look up subscriber extensions, and record voice messages. During this time, subscribers who check their voice messages hear the Unity Messaging Repository (UMR) conversation, which explains that their Domino or Exchange server is not available, but lets them access voice messages left after the problem started. When the Domino server, Exchange server, and/or the network is back on line, the voice messages that were stored in the UMR are routed to the subscriber mailboxes. (In some cases when a network connection or a Domino or Exchange server is down, subscriber-to-subscriber messages are also treated as outside caller messages and stored on the Cisco Unity server until they can be delivered to the appropriate mailbox.) Some Subscriber Information and Configuration Settings Are Stored on the Cisco Unity Server Selected recordings and configuration settings are stored in files on the Cisco Unity server, including subscriber greetings ("Hi, this is Pat and I am out of the office today..."), recorded voice names, and some phone system integration settings. Some Configuration Settings Are Stored in the Registry Selected server-specific configuration settings are stored in the Windows registry, including some phone system integration and logging settings.
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