CUCM users dialling inter-site using full PSTN numbers rather than extensions

[jonathan.dixon]

Hi All,

We have an issue where users on one site are calling other sites using full PSTN DID numbers rather than internal extensions (and therefore incurring a call charge).  Once all reasonable attempts at educating users and encouraging them to use directories have been exhausted is there any other way to minimize this apart from creating translation patterns like 91231xxx --> 1xxx?  We have done this in the past and lived with the caveats (like it making dialling around IP difficult if there were WAN issues / site in SRST unless you configure call forward unregistered). 

I could swear there was a new feature in 10.x which could look at user's other numbers in the directory (eg. mobile, home number etc.) and replace the called number with the internal extensions.  Maybe I was dreaming though :-)

Anyone know if this is a feature?  I've tried searching for it but not come up with much.

Thanks,

Jonathan

[Manish Gogna]

Hi Jonathan,

You can perhaps try using Forced Authorization code ( FAC ) feature which will prompt the user to dial a password when making calls to PSTN using a FAC enabled Route pattern. It's configuration is pretty simple, please check the following link

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/voice-unified-communications/unified-communications-manager-callmanager/81541-fac-config-ex.html

I do not see any feature on cucm that fulfils the exact requirement you are looking for.

HTH

Manish

[Jaime Valencia · Accepted solution]

No, no such feature, sorry to tell you it was a dream, however, you can configure enterprise alternate numbers just for that, it's under all DNs in CUCM 10.X, use help -> for this page to see how it works.

[jonathan.dixon]

Thanks Jamie, that might just do the trick!

Found the new feature I was thinking of - 'Directory Number Alias Lookup and Sync Setup':

The Directory Number Alias Lookup and Sync setup enables you to route the commercial calls to an alternate number. Routing the commercial calls to an alternate number reduces the commercial cost of calling an external number. You must configure the LDAP server for Directory Number Alias Sync (sync server) if you need to synchronize users from Cisco Unified Communications Manager database to the sync server. You must configure the LDAP server for Directory Number Alias Lookup (lookup server) if you need to route the commercial calls to an alternate number.

I don't think it's quite as easy as I was hoping though.

Sad to say I have dreamt about CUCM / number manipulation in the middle of some more complex projects...

Thanks,

Jonathan

[George Thomas]

In addition to the wonderful suggestions by Java and  Manish, you could redo your dial plan to use the new +E.164 formatting of extensions. This will alleviate the issue of no matter what the user dials, we can use it to route calls to internal extensions. I would read through the CUCM SRND to understand it if you havent done already.