TOI Cisco Unity 8.0(3)

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TOICisco Unity 8.0(3)


TOI for Unity Connection Networking (Unity Perspective)

TOICisco Unity 8.0(3)

Erich Von NormannCisco Unity [email protected]


Intro to Unity Connection Networking

Cisco Unity 8.x and Cisco Unity Connection 8.x can be networked for exchange of directory information, voice messaging, call processing, and migration.

This is a complicated feature and involves many Unity, Connection, and Microsoft components, and it is critical that Cisco TAC understands how it works and knows how to support it.

This module will include an overview of Unity Connection Networking from the Unity perspective, and how to configure the directory exchange portion of the feature.

There are many other TOIs for other parts of the feature.


Module Objectives

After completing this module you will be able to: Describe the purpose of Unity Connection Networking

Configure Unity for directory exchange with Unity Connection

Troubleshoot some configuration problems on Unity related to this feature.

You will also have a solid foundation for understanding other TOIs related to this feature, such as:

Troubleshooting Unity Reader and Feeder components

Configuring and Troubleshooting Unity messaging components

Troubleshooting the entire Unity Connection Networking Solution.


Agenda

Purpose of Unity Connection Networking

Details of the Design

Unity Configuration for Directory Exchange

Troubleshooting


Intent of Unity Connection Networking

Customers need interoperability between Cisco Unity and Cisco Unity Connection in the following areas:

Directory Information

Voice Messaging

Call Processing

Migration from Unity to Connection

There are several goal for this feature:

Improve the user experience across a joined Cisco Voicemail Organization (the combined Unity Connection network)

Ease migration from Unity to Unity Connection

What is the purpose of this feature?


Design of Unity Connection Networking

This diagram shows the components involved in the Unity Connection Networking Solution.


Explanation of Unity Components

There are several Unity components on the previous slide:

Cisco Unity Site Gateway: The Unity Server acting as the bridgehead to a Connection Network (which also has a gateway)

Microsoft Exchange (2003 or 2007) and IGE

– As always, Exchange is the Message Store for Unity

– Interoperability Gateway for Exchange is the new Unity 8.x component that runs on the Exchange server to route Unity, Connection, VPIM, and Bridge messages (replaces IVC)

Active Directory: As always, Unity uses AD to exchange directory information among Unity servers in a digital network

Roughly speaking, the Site Gateways will send and receive directory information between Unity and Unity Connection, and the SMTP network will send and receive the voice messages.


Interoperability with earlier versions

The Unity Site Gateway must be running Cisco Unity 8.x+.

Engineering Specials for Cisco Unity 5.x and 7.x will be created to allow support of Cisco Unity 5.x and 7.x within the same Unity digital network as the Unity Site Gateway.

– Note that these ES’s will be created after Unity 8.0 is complete, and that the Unity Site Gateway must still be 8.x+.

If a customer with Unity 5.x or 7.x wishes to use Unity Connection Networking, they must either upgrade one server to Unity 8.x or install a new Unity 8.x server to act as the Unity Site Gateway.

Cisco Unity 8.x does not support Domino, so a Cisco Unity Domino site cannot be part of a Unity Connection Network.

All Unity Connection servers in the Unity Connection site must be running Unity Connection 8.x+.


Limitations of Unity Connection Networking

Directory Exchange is only supported on the Primary Unity Server in a Unity Failover Pair.

– No Directory Exchange will happen when the Secondary Unity Server is active (ie, the system is “failed over”)

– When the Primary Unity Server becomes active (ie, the system has “failed back”), Directory Exchange will resume.

Server Hardware in the Platform Overlay One category (ie, 7825s running MSDE) do not scale well to large combined Unity and Unity Connection directories.

We highly recommend that larger sites use Platform Overlay Two or Three (ie, 7835s or 7854s running full MS SQL Server) for their Unity Site Gateway and other servers in their Unity digital network.


Unity Components for Networking New Components:

– Reader – New service to periodically pull down Unity Connection users, public distribution lists, and voice names.

– Feeder – New website that Unity Connection accesses to pull down Unity users, public distribution lists, and voice names.

– IGE – New component running on the Exchange server to handle Unity Connection messages (replaces IVC).

Modified Components:

– Unity SA – Has a new page for creating and administering a Unity Site Gateway. Also, imported Unity Connection users and DLs can be searched for in the Unity SA, with a link that will open the Connection SA to administer them.

– Conversation – Supports messages sent to and received from Connection objects, and doing cross-box operations to and from a Connection location.


Overview of Feeder Architecture Unity and Connection each implemented a Feeder

The Feeder is a website that publishes several URLs:– <server>/feeder/info

• Provides the XML templates for the published objects

• Lists all locations in the local digital network

• Provides count of each object type

• Lists the replication sets (used with backup / restore scenarios)

– <server>/feeder/objects

• Provides the XML for each exported object, including ObjectID, Alias, Names, Extensions, SMTP Addresses, and others

• By default, it requires authentication to view (TAC can disable authentication requirement for troubleshooting)

• Can take various parameters (start/end USN, object type, rep set, etc.)

– <server>/feeder/object/<objectid>/voicename

• Provides the wave data for an object’s recorded name (if any)

• Admin can specify the codec in which the wave data is presented


Overview of Reader Architecture Unity and Connection each implemented a Reader

The Reader is a Unity service that pulls down Connection’s feeds and writes the objects to SQL and AD

– Periodically (default is every 15 minutes), it will request all new objects, meaning all objects whose USN is above the previous high-water mark.

– Then, it parses the object feed, and writes each new, changed, or deleted object into its local SQL database.

– Next, it writes the object to Active Directory, which will in turn replicate each object to other Unity servers in the digital network (who synk the objects into their local SQL databases).

– If an object’s voicename has changed, it will request the voicename from the Cxn Feeder, and write that it to SQL and AD as well.

– The Reader supports several Admin actions from the Unity SA, such as:

• Resynk now (rather than waiting until the next interval)

• Resynk all (starting at USN 0 rather than the high-water mark)

• Unjoining (to delete all imported objects and tear down the joined network)


Configuring Unity Connection Networking The configuration procedure is documented in Chapter 3 of the

Unity Connection Networking guide, titled “Setting up Networking Between Cisco Unity and Cisco Unity Connection 8.x Servers”.

– That chapter goes into a lot more detail than this TOI will cover, so please read it if you have further questions.

This TOI only covers the Unity-specific steps for configuring the directory exchange portions of Cisco Unity Connection Networking.

Other TOIs will cover the Unity-specific steps for configuring messaging (Exchange and IGE) and cross-box functionality.

Another set of TOIs will cover the Connection-specific configuration steps.


Configuration Prerequisites Unity 8.x and Unity Connection 8.x must be installed and IP

addressable (DNS addressable is preferred but not required).

The AD Schema must include the schema extensions for Unity Connection Networking (via the AdSchemaSetup tool).

Permissions must be set as required for Unity Connection Networking (via the PermissionsWizard tool).

Exchange and Interop Gateway for Exchange (IGE) must be properly installed and configured (another TOI covers this).

– Alternatively, IGE can be configured after Unity Connection Networking, but both must be configured before messaging will work between the Unity and Connection networks.

Ensure that all Unity and Unity Connection servers meet the minimum hardware and software requirements listed in Cisco documentation.’

Optionally, create a Subscriber Template for Connection users.


Primary Location ConfigIn Unity SA, go to “Network > Primary Location > Profile”

Enter the DialID

Enter the Dialing Domain

Enter the SMTP Domain Name


Downloading Remote Config FileIn Unity SA, go to “Network > Connection Networking”

Download & Save Config File

Go to Cxn SA:Download & Save Config File

Browse to Cxn Config File

Add the Network


Joining to Connection Network

Select Subscriber Template

Choose other settings if any

Save your changes

Join to Connection


Unity is now joined to Connection!New Actions in Joined State

No objects, an error occurred


Let’s enable SSL…

Enable SSL withself-signed certificates

Still getting errors


Need to join Connection to Unity…

Goto Cxn SA:Create Intersite Link to Unity

Cxn Objects replicated to Unity


Troubleshooting

After you Browse to the Connection Config File, Unity will parse it and connect to Cxn’s info feed (along with other local checks).

– Failures will be reported in the Unity SA Connection Networking page.

– Examples failures are: AD Schema not extended, Failure to parse the file, Failure to connect to Cxn, and so forth.

After you Join to the Connection network, the Unity Reader will begin pulling down Connection objects.

– Failures will be reported in the Application EventLog and CuDirReader diagnostic log (if enabled).

Much more detailed troubleshooting will be presented in the TOIs for the Reader, Feeder, and Messaging components.


Troubleshooting ExampleDuring the earlier Join failures…

A Reader error occurred

The URL Unity tried to fetch

HTTP 500 is Server Error


Reference Documents

Cisco Unity documentation:http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/tsd_products_support_series_home.html

Cisco Unity Connection documentation:http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6509/tsd_products_support_series_home.html

And lots of other TOIs related to Unity Connection Networking.
