Cisco Unity

Document ID: 44330

Contents

Introduction
Prerequisites
      Requirements
      Components Used
      Conventions
Cisco Unity System Types and Installation Types Explained
Rules of the Road
Selecting Your Cisco Unity Installation Option (Configuration)
      POV Options
      UM with One Exchange Server Option (On Box)
      UM with One Exchange Server Option (Off Box)
      UM in an Existing Exchange Site Options
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Related Information

Introduction

Note: This document is part of a set of documents that explain how to determine which Cisco Unity installation option is correct for your network. These documents also explain how to install the correct Cisco Unity option in your network. These documents are intended to be used for new Cisco Unity installations only. If you are upgrading or otherwise changing an existing Cisco Unity configuration please refer to the correct online product documentation for Cisco Unity.

Note: These documents do not explain how to integrate your Cisco Unity server with your phone system or how to configure your Cisco Unity server. Once you have completed the initial Cisco Unity installation, you will be referred to the online product documentation for further instructions. Refer to the Next Steps section on the Index page .

Note: This document set is written for networks running a Windows 2000 server.

Note: Return to the Index page for this documentation set.

As you read this document you will become aware that there are several different options for installing Cisco Unity. In most cases customers only require one, or perhaps two of the possible options. This document will help you understand the different options and how to select the most appropriate option for your network.

Cisco Unity is available as Voice Messaging (VM) or as Unified Messaging (UM).

Cisco Unity stores messages on Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000, or Exchange 2000 Enterprise. Cisco Unity ships with a special Voicemail Runtime Edition of Exchange 5.5, Exchange 2000, and Exchange 2000 Enterprise called Cisco Unity Message Store on the CDs. This is technically equivalent to the Standard Editions of Exchange, but exempts Voice Messaging users from the Exchange Client Access License (CAL) requirements. UM users must still purchase a CAL from (or Cisco using the EXCH-CALS product ID), but typically have already purchased a CAL as part of their Exchange email deployment. Cisco Unity also uses a database to store directory information: SQL Server 2000 (SQL2000) or Data Engine (MSDE). Fail Over requires SQL2000. Without Fail Over, Cisco ships MSDE for systems with up to 32 sessions or SQL2000 for systems with 40 sessions or greater.

Prerequisites

Requirements

There are no specific requirements for this document.

Components Used

The information in this document is based on this software version:

• Cisco Unity 3.1(6)

The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

Conventions

For more information on document conventions, refer to the Cisco Technical Tips Conventions.

Cisco Unity System Types and Installation Types Explained

There are two types of systems that Cisco Unity can be installed on:

• Base Line System (BL): A base line system is a server that is purchased from Cisco or a Cisco reseller and is shipped with a Platform Configuration CD. The package includes all required software including Windows 2000 Server.

• Component System (CS): Purchased as separate pieces (software and hardware), and all software and hardware components must be installed by the installer of the Cisco Unity system. The Cisco Unity software package is purchased from Cisco or from a Cisco reseller. The package includes all required software except Windows 2000 Server.

There are three types of Cisco Unity installations:

• Voice messaging only: (Plain Old Voice (POV)) The Cisco Unity server handles only voice messages. All of the required software is installed on the same server.

  Note: There is no support for email in this configuration.

• UM with one Exchange Server: All of the required software can be installed on the same server. Another option is to have the Exchange and Active Directory components installed on a separate server.

• UM in an Existing Exchange Site: The Exchange and Active Directory components are installed on a separate server.

Note: Each type of Cisco Unity installation is supported on either a Base Line System or a Component System.

The two Data Store options available are:

• Desktop Engine:

  Note: Used by systems that have 32 ports or fewer when the systems are not configured for Fail Over.

  Note: Used when installing Cisco Unity on an ICS 7750 SPE.

• SQL:

  Note: Used by all systems that have more than 32 ports. Used by systems with 32 or fewer ports when they have Fail Over configured.

The following two Message Store options are available:

• Exchange 2000

• Exchange 5.5

  Note: In general, each type of installation can be performed with either application. It is also possible to build a network that supports both Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000.

Rules of the Road

There are a few basic rules that will help you determine the correct installation options for your network.

1. Installing Cisco Unity on a Cisco ICS 7750:

   • Only supports MSDE

   • Doesn't support Cisco Unity Fail Over

   • Only supports 32 ports

2. If you have 32 ports or fewer:

   • You must use MSDE unless you are configuring Fail Over which requires SQL regardless of the number of ports in use.

3. If you are configuring Fail Over:

   • You must not install Active Directory or Exchange on the servers running Cisco Unity. You will configure two Off-Box systems.

   • You must have two Cisco Unity keys. One that supports Fail Over and one that does not,

4. You must install either MSDE or SQL on the same server that you will be installing Cisco Unity.

Selecting Your Cisco Unity Installation Option (Configuration)

This section uses images to explain the various options (configurations) for installing Cisco Unity. The differences in the options below are related to the Data Store (SQL or MSDE) and Mail Store (Exchange 2000 or Exchange 5.5) that each option uses for the Cisco Unity server.

Note: In some cases, the Cisco Unity server doesn't have a local mail store.

Note: The S1 and S2 notations in the figures below are short hand for Server 1 and Server 2.

Note: The text in Red in the figures below is to help you see where the differences between each configuration are.

Note: In the figures below, Option (a) uses SQL while Option (b) uses MSDE.

POV Options

There is no support for email for the options above.

UM with One Exchange Server Option (On Box)

The only difference between the options above and the POV options at the start of this section is that these support UM because the customer has installed his or her own copy of Exchange instead of using the copy of Exchange that was supplied with Cisco Unity. Therefore, they are also Configurations 1-4 as far as this document is concerned.

Note: In these options the Exchange application supports both email and voice mail.

UM with One Exchange Server Option (Off Box)

Note: Configurations 5 and 6 also require either the Exchange 2000 or 5.5 Administration Software to manage the Exchange installation on the remote server.

In the options above, the configurations are different because the customer has installed his or her own copy of Exchange on a second server. The server running Cisco Unity does not have a local Message Store. Cisco Unity is configured to utilize the copy of Exchange on the second server for both email and voice mail.

Note: Configurations 5 and 6 are the only ones that support Cisco Unity Fail Over.

UM in an Existing Exchange Site Options

Although it looks like there are twenty different options for installing Cisco Unity on a server, there are in fact only six. See the figure below. The fifth and sixth configurations are similar to configurations 1 and 2. The exception is that configurations 5 and 6 do not have a local Message Store.

Note: Configurations 5 and 6 also require either the Exchange 2000 or 5.5 Administration Software to manage the Exchange installation on the remote server.

Select one of the six possible configurations from the choices above and then return to the Index page.

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