Preparation

Process for Installing and Configuring Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution

You can determine the installation sequence by the prerequisites and postinstallation tasks of each component. For example, ESXi hosts and vCenter are identified as the prerequisites of the vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS). Therefore, you must install the ESXi hosts and vCenter before the vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS).

This section describes the process that outlines the general sequence for installing Cisco HCS components.

Procedure

Step 1

Install and configure the data center components according to the needs of the deployment model: Large PoD, Small PoD, or Micro Node.

Step 2

Install and configure the Cisco HCS management components such as the Service fulfillment components:

  • Cisco HCM-F

  • Cisco Unified Communications Domain Manager

  • Cisco Unified Contact Center Domain Manager (if supporting HCS for Contact Center)

  • Install and configure Cisco Prime License Manager or Cisco Smart Licensing as per your requirement.

    Note 

    Prime License Manager (PLM) doesn't support UC apps version 12.x and above from the HCS 12.5 release. If you plan to use 12.x and above UC apps version, configure Smart Licensing. For more details on smart licensing configuration, refer Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution Customer Onboarding Guide.

Step 3

Install and configure the TelePresence components (only required if TelePresence as a Service is offered in the deployment).

TelePresence is not supported for Micro Node deployments.
Step 4

Configure the IVR Service.

Step 5

Install and configure one of the following:

  • IP Telephony end-customer components
  • HCS for Contact Center end-customer components
Step 6

(Optional) Install and configure third-party applications.

Step 7

Install Collaboration Edge Expressway (required for non-VPN connectivity).

System Installation Dependencies

The components within each release set are compatible with each other and interoperate correctly. The overall system may not be operational until you install all components or until you complete the initial configuration or setup.

For information on component hardware and software versions and compatibility, see the Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution Compatibility Matrix: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/unified-communications/hosted-collaboration-solution-hcs/products-device-support-tables-list.html.

Collaboration Virtualized Hardware Oversubscription

Cisco HCS Management and Cisco UC applications do not support CPU or RAM oversubscription. Cisco does publish Caveated Support for VMware CPU Reservations and Distributed Resource Scheduler; however, this too is does not allow oversubscription of the CPU but provides guidance to modify the default OVA CPU Reservation value, for your specific environment and workloads, to enable Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) functionality and maintain 1:1 virtual CPU core (vcore) to one physical CPU (pcore) requirements without having to manually intervein.

Cisco Unity Connection virtual machines also require VMware CPU Affinity. If there is at least one live Unity Connection virtual machine on the physical server, then one CPU core per physical server must be left unused (it is being used by ESXi scheduler).

For additional information refer to Cisco HCS Virtual Machine Requirements.