Cisco CallManager: Call Back Feature FAQ
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Introduction
Since Cisco CallManager 3.3, there is a new feature called Cisco Call Back. The Cisco Call Back feature allows you to receive call back notification on your Cisco IP phone when a called party line becomes available. IP phone user A calls IP phone user B in the same cluster. If IP phone B is busy or there is no answer, IP phone user A activates the Cisco Call Back features through the CallBack softkey. When IP phone B becomes available, IP phone A receives an audible alert and visual notification that the DN is available. Since Cisco CallManager remembers the dialed number, IP phone user A can then press the Dial softkey to reach IP phone user B. This document discusses some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to the Cisco Call Back feature. Refer to Cisco Call Back for details on the architecture of this feature.
The scenario for this FAQ is that IP phone A calls IP phone B. IP phone A then activates the Cisco Call Back feature for IP phone B.
Q. When does Cisco CallManager decide that IP phone B is available again?
A. Cisco CallManager decides that the IP phone is available again in one of these two ways:
When IP phone B goes on-hook (in a scenario where it is busy).
When IP phone B goes on-hook/off-hook (in a scenario where there is no answer).
Q. What happens when IP phone A restarts or resets?
A. If the IP phone is restarted, then the Call Back feature is still activated. If the IP phone is reset, the Call Back feature is still activated.
Q. What happens if IP phone A fails over?
A. The Call Back feature is still activated. However, it can take some time (20 seconds) before Call Back Handlers are in sync. In this case, the assumption is that the IP phone fails over because, for instance, the Cisco CallManager service goes down. If, for instance, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) or the Cisco Extended Functions (CEF) service also goes down, the Call Back feature is lost.
Q. What happens if IP phone B restarts or resets?
A. If the IP phone is restarted, the Call Back feature is still activated. If the IP phone is reset, the Call Back feature is still activated.
Q. What happens if IP phone B fails over?
A. The Call Back feature is still activated. However, it can take some time (20 seconds) before Call Back Handlers are in sync. In this case, the assumption is that the IP phone fails over because, for instance, the Cisco CallManager service goes down. If, for instance, Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) or the Cisco Extended Functions (CEF) service goes down as well, the Call Back feature is lost.
Q. Can I activate the Call Back feature for shared lines?
A. Yes.
Q. Is the Call Back feature on a per phone or per line basis?
A. The Call Back feature is per phone.
Q. Can I activate the Call Back feature for more than one called number?
A. No. When you already have one active Call Back and you want to activate it for another extension, you receive the message "Callback is active on <number 1>; Press OK to activate on <number 2>". When you hit OK, the Call Back for number one is lost.
Q. What happens when the primary Call Back Service equals 'Extended Services' stops/starts or stops and the backup service takes over?
A. The Call Back feature on the IP phone is lost. The reason for this is that Cisco does not broadcast the successful activation to backup the Cisco Extended Functions service (CEF).
Q. How do I use the Call Back feature when the speakerphone option is disabled?
A. The Call Back feature does not function if the speakerphone is disabled. Nothing happens when the Dial button is pressed. As a workround you can enable the speakerphone or press the Headset button to make use of the Call Back feature.
Q. What if the 'CTI Manager Service' to which the primary CEF service is registered stops?
A. The Cisco Extended Function (CEF) service fails over to the next available Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) manager but all Call Back activation is lost.
Q. How can I receive call-back notification?
A. A user presses the Callback softkey when a busy or ringback tone is received in order to receive call-back notification. You can activate call-back notification on a line on a Cisco IP phone within the same Cisco CallManager cluster as your telephone.
Q. What are the system requirements for the Cisco Call Back feature?
A. Cisco Call Back requires Cisco CallManager Release 3.3 or later and a Cisco IP phone that supports softkeys (Cisco IP Phone 7970, 7960 or 7940).
Q. Is the Call Back feature available when a call goes to voicemail?
A. No. If a call is forwarded to voicemail then the Call Back feature does not work. The Call Back feature is designed to work when you hear a busy signal.
Q. How do I configure the Call Back feature?
A. Refer to the How to Use Cisco Call Back section of the Cisco CallManager Features and Services Guide 3.3 Cisco CallManager Features and Services Guide 4.1 and Cisco CallManager Features and Services Guide 5.
Q. Can I configure the Call Back Feature over PSTN?
A. You can confugure the Call Back Feature over a public switched telephone network (PSTN) if you set the tunneled protocol to QSIG in the Trunk Configuration Settings as given in Trunk Configuration Settings.
Q. The Call Back feature failed to work after I upgraded the CUCM from 6.0 to 6.1. How do I troubleshoot?
A. In order to resolve this issue, reset the CCMSysUser password with the CCMPWDChanger utility.
- In order to reset the CCMSysUser password, refer to Enabling Cisco IP Services.
- Restart CTIManager, Tomcat, IIS Admin.
- Verify that the Directory Integration has completed.
This fixes the Call Back feature after the CUCM upgrade from 6.0 to 6.1.
Q. How do I troubleshoot the inability to activate the Call Back feature on Cisco IP phones?
A. In order to resolve this issue, perform these steps:
Restart the Cisco Extended Functions (CEF) service on all servers. On the CCMAdministrator page, choose Application > Cisco CallManager Serviceability > Tools > Control Center. Check if the CEF is live. If it is not, choose this service and start it. If it indicates that it is live, choose the service and restart it.
For more information, refer to Cisco Extended Functions Service Dependency.
Restart these services:
- Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) manager service
- Cisco Tomcat service
- IIS Admin service
If the problem persists, reset the CCMSysUser password with the CCMPWDChanger utility as indicated in Enabling Cisco IP Services.
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