This data sheet provides an overview of features and ordering information for the Cisco® Unified Application Designer, a visual integrated development environment (IDE) that enables developers to easily and rapidly develop rich applications that converge voice and video with enterprise applications and data.
The Cisco® Unified Communications family of voice, video, and IP communications products and applications helps enable organizations to communicate more effectively-helping them streamline business processes, reach the right resource the first time, and reduce costs and maximize revenue. The Cisco Unified Communications system is an integral part of a complete, integrated business communications solution for organizations of all sizes that also includes network infrastructure, security, and network management products; wireless connectivity; a lifecycle services approach; and flexible deployment and outsourced management options, end-user and partner financing packages, and third-party communications applications.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Part of the Cisco Unified Application Environment, the Cisco Unified Application Designer is a visual integrated development environment (IDE) that enables the development of applications that converge voice and video with enterprise applications and data to transform business processes, improve communications and create competitive advantage.
As widespread adoption of IP communications moves responsibility for telephony into the corporate data center, developers in the information technology department are increasingly assuming responsibility for the development of applications that must incorporate voice and video capabilities. Most IT developers have little to no experience with arcane telephony protocols, media processing, and the other technologies that accompany voice and video development. As a result, converged telephony and data application development projects require too much time and money, yield functionally limited applications, and are prone to failure.
The Cisco Unified Application Designer enables developers with no telephony development experience to rapidly, easily, and successfully build feature-rich converged voice, video, and data applications. Developers use drag-and-drop techniques to visually construct applications using simple communications business logic. Developers can focus on what they want to do rather than spending all their time trying to figure out how to do it. Using this approach, development time for new applications is dramatically reduced to days or weeks versus months.
KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS
Graphical Application Definition
The Cisco Unified Application Designer enables developers to visually construct applications by dragging and dropping prebuilt functions onto a graphical communications business logic canvas and visually updating parameters associated with the graphical functions. Developers can focus on what they want to do and rapidly assemble feature-rich applications without needing to learn and struggle with all the low-level details associated with the technologies used by the application.
Application Integrity Checks
The Cisco Unified Application Designer automatically checks the application being designed for common syntax and logic errors. If the designer finds any problems with the application, it notifies the developer and enables the developer to proactively fix the problem.
Extensible Toolbox
The Cisco Unified Application Designer offers an extensible toolbox with built-in visual application functions for popular telephony call-control protocols such as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), H.323, Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP), and Java Telephony Application Programming Interface (JTAPI), as well as functions for other IP communications protocols such as Cisco IP Phone Services, DeviceListX, AVVID XML Layer Simple Object Access Protocol (AXL-SOAP), Extension Mobility, and other Cisco Unified CallManager application programming interfaces (APIs). In addition to common telephony protocols, the toolbox includes built-in functions for integrating with common enterprise applications and data, such as Web Services, HTTP, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Structured Query Language (SQL), and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). The toolbox is completely extensible, so Cisco customers and partners can add support for any standards-based or proprietary protocol or other interface.
Instant Web Services Integration
Developers can easily make any Web service available for visual application construction. If a developer simply points to the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) for a Web service, the Cisco Unified Application Designer makes the Web service functions available in the toolbox for easy drag-and-drop access and integration.
Embedded Code
Developers can achieve a great deal simply by using the functions available from the toolbox to visually construct applications. If a developer needs something unique, the Cisco Unified Application Designer offers a .NET-compliant code editor, with which developers can write custom code for unique functions required by an application.
Runtime Debugging
When an application is developed, the Cisco Unified Application Designer provides a built-in runtime debugger to help the developer rapidly find and fix errors. The debugger supports breakpoints set by the developer at any point within the communications business logic. The developer can also use a real-time break function to stop execution of the application at arbitrary points in time, or a single step and continue function to walk through the application one step at a time. While the application is executing the developer can easily monitor the state of application variables and can also examine the call stack.
One-Click Deployment
When satisfied with the quality of the application, the developer can deploy the application to the Cisco Unified Application Server(s) with a single click, deploying the application for use across the organization's worldwide IP communications infrastructure in moments.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
Table 1 gives specifications of the Cisco Unified Application Designer.
Table 1. Product Specifications
Product compatibility
Works with Cisco Unified CallManager 3.3, 4.0, and 5.0, Cisco IP phones and Cisco IP Communicator, and with Cisco Unified Application Server 2.3 and Cisco Unified Media Engine 2.3
Protocols
SIP, H.323, SCCP, JTAPI, Cisco IP Phone Services, DeviceListX, AXL-SOAP, Extension Mobility, Cisco CallManager APIs, Web Services, HTTP, LDAP, SQL, and SMTP; easily extensible to any standards-based or proprietary protocol or interface
FEATURES
Graphical Application Definition
• Canvas
• Overview
• Explorer
• Toolbox
• Properties
• Variables
• Output
Application Integrity Checks
• Dangling node detection
• Duplicate link identification
• Unused variable detection
• Embedded code syntax error detection
Extensible Toolbox
• Call control
– SIP
– H.323
– SCCP
– JTAPI First and Third Party
• Cisco IP Communications
– Cisco IP Phone Services
– DeviceListX
– AXL-SOAP
– Extension Mobility
– Cisco CallManager APIs
• Other common technology interfaces
– Web Services (client)
– HTTP (client and server)
– LDAP (client)
– SQL (client)
– SMTP (client)
• Completely extensible
– Ability for Cisco customers and partners to add support for any standards-based or proprietary protocol or other interface
Embedded Code
• .NET-compliant code editor
One-Click Deployment
• To Cisco Unified Application Server
• Automated packaging
• New deployments
• Upgrade deployments
Runtime Debugging
• Breakpoints
• Real-time break
• Single step and continue
• Variable watch
• Call stack
Instant Web Services Integration
• Web Services Client
• WSDL browser
• Instant toolbox population
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Table 2 gives system requirements for the Cisco Unified Application Designer.
Table 2. System Requirements
Disk space
50 MB
Hardware
Pentium 4 or faster processor
Memory
512 MB
Software
• Windows 2000, 2003, or XP
• .NET Framework v1.1
• Microsoft Web Services Extensions
• Cisco Unified Application Server (for application deployment)
ORDERING INFORMATION
To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Home Page and refer to Table 3.
Using the Cisco Lifecycle Services approach, Cisco Systems® and its partners offer a broad portfolio of end-to-end services to support the Cisco Unified Communications system. These services are based on proven methodologies for deploying, operating, and optimizing IP communications solutions. Initial planning and design services, for example, can help you meet aggressive deployment schedules and minimize network disruption during implementation. Operate services reduce the risk of communications downtime with expert technical support, and optimize services enhance solution performance for operational excellence. Cisco and its partners offer a system-level service and support approach that can help you create and maintain a resilient, converged network that meets your business needs.
