Call Manager Servers - Workgroup or Domain? Why?

[tdilley2]

I have little MS knowledge. Can someone tell me why Cisco 'requires' that Call Manager Servers be in their own Workgroup and not be part of a Domain? Our MS guy starts freaking out if a server can't be part of the Domain.

[pbarman]

Here is a link that had a small discussion on the same topic. Basically since these servers are so critical to your company, you do not want to tie & load them with what is not necessary, and keep them lonely and secure.

http://forum.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/NetProf?page=netprof&CommCmd=MB%3Fcmd%3Dpass_through%26location%3Doutline%40%5E1%40%40.eead16d

[adignan]

Just to clarify, CallManager CAN be part of a domain. Just not during an install or an upgrade (if you upgrade CallManager you have to remove it from the domain first). CallManager can just be a member server in a domain, not a domain controller. I would rather keep CM's in their own workgroup but in the past few months I have had a few customers insist on have CM in their domain. I was hesitant at first but I have had zero issues pertaining to this.

[dgahm]

We started out with our CCM servers set up in the domain, but after a couple months of fighting flaky problems, and the very strong recommendation of the TAC engineers, we converted to a workgroup. Take my word for it, start out with a workgroup, you will avoid a lot of trouble.

[jawise]

be very weary if you do not control the domain, I had a customer once insist on the CallManager's in the domain, then he push polices down to them that keep interfering with the services, finally had to remove them, to spite the customers insistence he had no policies,

[chetato]

How about having all of the CM's servers in a seperate domain?

[JeffG1]

My biggest complaint about this whole domain/workgroup issue is with BAT and the CCM Serviceability applications.

With MLA, CCM can have it own user database to authenticate against... but BAT and the CCM Serviceability app do not use MLA... they instead prompt for a windows user and if the CCM machine is not a part of the domain, you then have to create local users on the box... Cisco should fix this... Now that MLA is required and included everything should use it...

[robrhodes]

So long as the CallManager servers are not domain controllers.