Can one use SRST with CUCME, or is CUCM required?

dtbullock · ‎02-18-2008

I can't tell from the data-sheets if Cisco Unified CME (Express) can support SRST sites, or if that is a Cisco Unified CM talent only?

I guess there are both licensing and technical dimensions to this question.

paolo bevilacqua · ‎02-18-2008

The technical dimensions is like, if you want redundancy with CME, colocating another router, that's possible and there's a short chapter about it in the administrator guide

But, for remote sites, the CM-model SRST isn't supported. I think the idea is that for remote sites, you will be using CME mode all the time, thing that has got some advantages as well.

Hope this helps, please rate post if it does!

dtbullock · ‎02-18-2008

Thanks for your swift reply. I'm clear that SRST won't work with CUCME.

What then is the 'right' approach for multi-site deployments where each site has FXO ports but the sites are part of one logical organisation? Does each site get CUCME in an ISR at that site? If so, how is one CUCME designated as the 'master' call-manager? Or am I thinking about it wrong?

paolo bevilacqua · ‎02-18-2008

Hi, CME is basically a "peer" model so there's is no master to speak of. If you have many many sites, the only think you can do to simplify the dialplan configuration, is using h.323 with a gatekeeper, or SIP with the registration functionality.

I strongly suggest agaist FXO because it's the best way to get into trouble, try to get ISDN BRI at least. That way you can desply the 1861 or UC500 units that are compact and very functional.