Use of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is optional with Unity Connection and can be used to automatically configure network settings on the Unity Connection server. If DHCP is not used, network settings such as hostname, IP address, IP mask, and gateway address must be manually entered during install or configured after install using the command line interface.

Use of DNS name resolution is optional with Unity Connection, but if available, should be used with Unity Connection. If DNS name resolution is not enabled, IP addresses (not hostnames) should be used for all network devices.

For all versions of Unity Connection, when you are using Exchange 2016, Exchange 2013 or Exchange 2010 as a calendar application, you can configure Unity Connection to allow users to do several meeting-specific tasks using the phone, for example, to hear a list of the participants for a meeting, send a message to the meeting organizer, or send a message to the meeting participants. Meeting organizers can also cancel a meeting. In addition, if users are using Microsoft Outlook, they can hear a list of upcoming meetings, and accept or decline meeting invitations.

Unity Connection also enables users to import Exchange contacts using the Messaging Assistant web tool. The contact information can then be used in rules that users create in the Cisco Unity Connection Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool and when users place outgoing calls using voice commands.

Unity Connection can play Exchange email over the phone using Text to Speech.

You can also synchronize Unity Connection and Exchange mailboxes so that Unity Connection voice messages appear in the Outlook inbox. This feature is commonly known as single inbox.

For more information on supported versions of Microsoft Exchange for accessing calendar information, importing personal contacts, accessing email, and configuring mailbox synchronization, see the “Requirements for using Unified Messaging Features” section of the System Requirements Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 12.x, available at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/12x/requirements/b_12xcucsysreqs.html.

Also see the “Configuring Unified Messaging” chapter of the Unified Messaging Guide for Cisco Unity Connection, Release 12.x, at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/12x/unified_messaging/b_12xcucumgx.html.

Unity Connection can optionally use an LDAP directory (for example, Microsoft Active Directory) for LDAP directory synchronization and authentication. For more information on supported LDAP directories, see the “Requirement for an LDAP Directory Integration” section of the System Requirements for Cisco Unity Connection Release 12.x, available at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/12x/requirements/b_12xcucsysreqs.html

See the LDAP Directory Integration with Cisco Unity Connection chapter for design considerations when integrating Unity Connection with an LDAP directory.

For LDAP directory to work smoothly with Unity Connection in WAN environment you need to take care of following:

• Latency should not exceed 80 ms round-trip

• Access Control lists for corresponding ports and IPs shall be provisioned on the network devices.