Table Of Contents

Planning How the Voice Messaging Ports Will Be Used by Cisco Unity Connection

Introduction: Issues to Consider When Planning Port Setup

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports to Install

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Answer Calls

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Only Dial Out, and Not Answer Calls

Planning How the Voice Messaging Ports Will Be Used by Cisco Unity Connection

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See the following sections in this chapter:

•Introduction: Issues to Consider When Planning Port Setup

•Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports to Install

•Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Answer Calls

•Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Only Dial Out, and Not Answer Calls

Introduction: Issues to Consider When Planning Port Setup

Before programming the phone system, you need to plan how the voice messaging ports will be used by Cisco Unity Connection. The following considerations will affect the programming for the phone system (for example, setting up the hunt group or call forwarding for the voice messaging ports):

•The number of voice messaging ports installed.

•The number of voice messaging ports that will answer calls.

•The number of voice messaging ports that will only dial out, for example, to send message notification, to set message waiting indicators (MWIs), and to make telephone record and playback (TRAP) connections.

The following table describes the voice messaging port settings in Cisco Unity Connection that can be set on Telephony Integrations > Port of Cisco Unity Connection Administration.

Table 2-1 Settings for the Voice Messaging Ports 

Field	Considerations
Enabled	Check this check box to enable the port. The port is enabled during normal operation. Uncheck this check box to disable the port. When the port is disabled, calls to the port get a ringing tone but are not answered. Typically, the port is disabled only by the installer during testing.
Extension	Enter the extension for the port as assigned on the phone system.
Answer Calls	Check this check box to designate the port for answering calls. These calls can be incoming calls from unidentified callers or from users.
Perform Message Notification	Check this check box to designate the port for notifying users of messages. Assign Perform Message Notification to the least busy ports.
Send MWI Requests (not used by serial integrations)	Check this check box to designate the port for turning MWIs on and off. Assign Send MWI Requests to the least busy ports. For serial integrations, uncheck this check box. Otherwise, the integration may not function correctly.
Allow TRAP Connections	Check this check box so that users can use the phone as a recording and playback device in Cisco Unity Connection web applications. Assign Allow TRAP Connections to the least busy ports.
Outgoing Hunt Order	Enter the priority order in which Cisco Unity Connection will use the ports when dialing out (for example, if the Perform Message Notification, Send MWI Requests, or Allow TRAP Connections check box is checked). The highest numbers are used first. However, when multiple ports have the same Outgoing Hunt Order number, Cisco Unity Connection will use the port that has been idle the longest.

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports to Install

The number of voice messaging ports to install depends on numerous factors, including:

•The number of calls Cisco Unity Connection will answer when call traffic is at its peak.

•The expected length of each message that callers will record and that users will listen to.

•The number of users.

•The number of ports that will be set to dial out only.

•The number of calls made for message notification.

•The number of MWIs that will be activated when call traffic is at its peak.

•The number of TRAP connections needed when call traffic is at its peak. (TRAP connections are used by Cisco Unity Connection web applications to play back and record over the phone.)

•The number of calls that will use the automated attendant and call handlers when call traffic is at its peak.

It is best to install only the number of voice messaging ports that are needed so that system resources are not allocated to unused ports.

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Answer Calls

The calls that the voice messaging ports answer can be incoming calls from unidentified callers or from users. Typically, the voice messaging ports that answer calls are the busiest.

You can set voice messaging ports to both answer calls and to dial out (for example, to send message notifications). However, when the voice messaging ports perform more than one function and are very active (for example, answering many calls), the other functions may be delayed until the voice messaging port is free (for example, message notifications cannot be sent until there are fewer calls to answer). For best performance, dedicate certain voice messaging ports for only answering incoming calls, and dedicate other ports for only dialing out. Separating these port functions eliminates the possibility of a collision, in which an incoming call arrives on a port at the same time that Cisco Unity Connection takes the port off-hook to dial out.

Determining How Many Voice Messaging Ports Will Only Dial Out, and Not Answer Calls

Ports that will only dial out and will not answer calls can do one or more of the following:

•Notify users by phone, pager, or e-mail of messages that have arrived.

•Turn MWIs on and off for user extensions.

•Make a TRAP connection so that users can use the phone as a recording and playback device in Cisco Unity Connection web applications.

Typically, these voice messaging ports are the least busy ports.

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Caution In programming the phone system, do not send calls to voice messaging ports in Cisco Unity Connection that cannot answer calls (voice messaging ports that are not set to Answer Calls). For example, if a voice messaging port is set only to Send MWI Requests, do not send calls to it.

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