Re: Unity 3.0x backup or failover issue

kimberly · ‎01-07-2002

Our company's sales Dept just made a deal with a big customer to install 2 Call Managers & 2 Unity servers. Now there are 2 issues. 1. The Sales guy who placed the order never read my email on "Unity 2.4.6 simple failover, Unity 3.0x no failover, Unity 3.1 hot failover". He ordered 2 CPQ DL380 servers thinking there was hot failover with Unity 3.0x. I do not want to tell the customer our company (actually just the sales guy) made a mistake. Is there anything I can do. I figure, if nothing else, can I at least build the second DL380 server up to Exchange 2000 & connect it with their existing (original) Exchange 2000 network (will look likejust another exchange server till Unity 3.1 hot failover available)? 2. The sales guy only ordered 1 Unified Messaging 24 session license - good for only one server. What should be done about the licenscing on the 2nd Unity server since it was intended to be used for failover? Will the second box need a new dongle when failover licensing becomes available? Thank you for your help in advance.

kechambe · ‎01-07-2002

From a technical standpoint you need to wait for Unity 3.1(2) which should be out very soon. I wouldn't install Exchange on the box because failover requires Exchange to be off box.

The customer will also need to buy a special license for the failover server and the machine will have a dongle. You will need to work with your normal distribution channels to take care of that.

Keith

Keith Chambers
Unity Technical Lead
Unified Voice Team, San Jose
Cisco Systems
kechambe@cisco.com

kimberly · ‎01-09-2002

I know I have to wait for Unity 3.1 for failover.

OK so there will be a special failover license (with dongle)that we will have to purchase for the second server.

But can I at least build the second Unity server up till the Exchange 2000 install (install everything but Unity) and then connect it to their existing Exchange network (Exchange 2000 cluster)?

Thank you for your help.

kechambe · ‎01-09-2002

With 3.1(2) failover we do you allow you to install Exchange on the Unity server. So if you add this to the customers' Exchange network and still plan to implement failover you will need to uninstall Exchange. To me that sounds messy.

What you can do is download 3.1(2) off of CCO when it is posted and install that on both of the servers. One will sit in demo mode doing nothing until you get a key with a failover license and run the failover configuration wizard.

Keith

Keith Chambers
Unity Technical Lead
Unified Voice Team, San Jose
Cisco Systems
kechambe@cisco.com

kimberly · ‎01-09-2002

Ok so the second server, which we want to configure as failover when Unity 3.12 comes out (& we purchase failover license), can sit with all programs installed Except Exchange 2000 (& Unity of course).

Exchange 2000 can NOT be installed on a failover Unity (even though Exchange 2000 can be installed on the first Unity server), correct?

Thanks for the fast response.

Report Inappropriate Content · ‎01-09-2002

it's not a matter of "can't" install Exchange on the primary and/or secondary failover server, it's do you want to do that? If a failover box gets hit by an asteroid and you have Exchange loaded on it with user's homed on it, those folks are hosed regardless of if the backup server is taking calls or not. As a rule you want all your users homed off both Unity boxes, of course, of the fail over does you no good at all. As such we document that you want to configure it so all users are homed on "off box" Exchange servers since the idea is we want a system that's resilient to total system failures.

I don't think it matters if you install your "bridgehead" Exchange server on or off box so long as users aren't homed on it.

Jeff Lindborg
Unity Product Architect/Answer Monkey
Cisco Systems
lindborg@cisco.com
http://www.AnswerMonkey.net (new page for Unity support tools and scripts)

kimberly · ‎01-09-2002

I never meant to HOME any users on either of the Unity servers.

After installing the Microsoft Exchange PROGRAM (no user accounts created) & the Unity programs, I always simply connect the Unity server to the company's existing Exchange site (original Exchange server(s) where all the users are homes).

OK so I can load the Microsoft Exchange 2000 program on both Unity servers if I want, correct?

Are there any differences or benefits to loading the entire Exchange 2000 program vs. just loading the Exchange Administration software only?

Thanks in advance.

kechambe · ‎01-09-2002

This brings me back to the point of not installing Exchange on the box. If users are not homed on the Unity box than why install Exchange? Unity will not talk to it. All it does it chews of CPU cycles, disk space, etc. I would shy away from this.

Keith

Keith Chambers
Unity Technical Lead
Unified Voice Team, San Jose
Cisco Systems
kechambe@cisco.com

kimberly · ‎01-10-2002

Ok. I just thought their might be some benefit to installing Exchange on the Unity boxes (even though users homed elsewhere). What about if you are going to network 2 Unity 3.0x boxes between remote sites - still no benefit of a full Exchange install?

However, don't I have to install the full Exchange program if I am connecting the Unity servers to an Exchange 2000 cluster?

kechambe · ‎01-11-2002

This should help clear thinks up for you:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity31/inst/inst31/inst_020.htm#31083

Keith

Keith Chambers
Unity Technical Lead
Unified Voice Team, San Jose
Cisco Systems
kechambe@cisco.com

kimberly · ‎01-11-2002

Reading that section again, which I have read a few times before (that is how I know you need to install the Exchange software on Unity if you have an Exchange 2000 cluster you will be connecting Unity to), I now see that it mentions when you need to install the Exchange software & mentions Exchange 200 clustering & Unity failover.

I am now confused after reading this section because it mentions that if you are setting up a failover (which I will be as soon as Unity 3.12 comes out) do NOT install Exchange on either Unity server. Then it says that if you are installing Unity Unified message in an existing Exchage site configuration, installing Exchange on the Unity server is required.

We happen to be setting up Unity unified messaging in an existing Exchange 2000 cluster AND we will be setting up failover when 3.12 comes out.

So what do we do? Install Exchange on the two servers like the Exchange 2000 cluster requires or not install Exchange on the 2 Unity servers so we can setup failover?

kechambe · ‎01-12-2002

I am bringing this issue up with the team that did all of the Exchange Cluster testing. I will let you know the outcome.

Keith

Keith Chambers
Unity Technical Lead
Unified Voice Team, San Jose
Cisco Systems
kechambe@cisco.com

kimberly · ‎01-14-2002

Thanks Keith. I have read over the Unity instructions lots of times but never realized that it tells you not to install Exchange if you want to set up failover but it tells you that Exchange is reqired in an Exchange 2000 cluster.

So what do you do if you want both failover & Unity to connect to an Exchange 2000 cluster?

Thanks again. Please let me know the outcome of the tests.