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Unity Subscriber as public folder

j.gavin
Level 1
Level 1

I've seen this question asked before, how to import a unity subscriber that is a public folder. The answers were rather cryptic, but it appears that this is possible. I have a Call Manager 3.2.2c, Unity 3.1.5, Exchange 2000 cluster environment. When I try to add a public folder as an Internet subscriber, Unity creates a contact that causes mail routing loops. The folder already exists and is mail enabled by default. I also saw some reference to using distribution lists, but I dont think I see Exchange distribution lists when I try to import subscribers. Can anybody provide complete detailed instructions on how to have a public folder be associated with a phone extension so it will be the message store area for voicemail messages left at that phone number.

Thanks.

13 Replies 13

lindborg
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

You can't make a subscriber point directly to a folder as it's message repository.

The way to go about this is to create a call handler (not a subscriber) that has as it's message recipient a distribution list - you can make a member of that distribution list in AD your folder - all messages left for that call handler will be delivered by Exchange to that distribution lists which will, in turn, send it to the folder you've setup for it.

We are running Exchange 2000 in mixed mode environment. When we create a distribution list using AD, and try to add members, public folders do not show up in the search list. We cannot add public folders to DL in AD.

Also, when creating a distribution list in Unity, only subscribers show up as possible memebers. So I don't understand where this distribution list is created.

Also the call handlers can only send to Unity distribution lists, options to see all AD distribution lists dont show up.

One more thing just to be clear about my intention here...We have phone numbers not associated with individual users, and want callers to be able to leave messages where several people can get to them (ie public folder) we don't want to have to create a special windows account for these people because of security concerns of having an account that doesn't really get logged into. Anyway we want customers to call this number and have unity take a message and deposit that message into a public folder without having to have a special user account associated with that voicemailbox. I'm beginning to think that this cannot be done, that a unity account must be associated with a Windows account.

Yes, this can be done (and has been done).

Public folders by default are not visible in the GAL to add to DLs - you have to force them to be visible long enough to add them to the DL and then you can hide them again - this is just how Microsoft has implemented public folders. You make them visible by checking the "Visible in Address Book" property - at least long enough to get them in the public DL.

Searching around on Google I also found this description of someone who was trying to do the exact same thing:

"rather than try and force the public folder in using the

properties of the distribution list - go to the properties view of the

public folder (this to me is tricky because you can only modify public

folder properties while they are displayed in the right hand pane of MMC

(public folders must not be expanded.) from there double click the public

folder and add it to your distribution list. Go back to the properties of

you distribution list and you will see an entry for a public folder."

Either way, you can absolutely get a public folder as a member of a public distribution list. Once you've done that you're home free - just set that public distribution list up as the message recipient for whatever call handler(s) you need to and you're off to the races.

1. There is some basic confusion here...please help clarify. We use active directory users and computers to create public distribution lists not Exchange. These DLs are currently visible in the address book. We can create personal distribution lists for a specific account using Outlook and specify a public folder in that list but that distribution list is only available to that local account. I do not want the Unity account to be associated with any specific mail account.

2. Even if I were able to create a DL with a public folder in Active Directory, If I go to Unity and create a call handler, I have to specify an owner. If I choose owner as public distribution list and search all available, all I see are the DLs I created within Unity. Same when I go to message recipient and select public distribution lists and search all available, all I see are those created by Unity not the ones created by Active Directory. I do not want to have this unity account associated with a specific user.

Yeah, I got the fact that you really, really don't want to bind these to dirctory accounts. This is certainly doable, honest. We just need to work through the details with you.

You need to import the distirbution lists you created in the directory such that Unity knows about them. You can do this from the public distribution list page. Unit adds known DLs to it's local database which will then let you add them as recipients and owners.

OK, Great, thanks for the help on the import of DLs. Now I just have to figure out how to get a public folder into the DL, our Active Directory implementation doesn't appear to allow this but our Exchange Administrator says she'll look into it again...She is not giving me much hope though.

don't take no for an answer - it's absolutely possible... there's no way I know of for your "Active Directory implementation" to exclude this option.

OK...Now we're getting somewhere! As it turns out they were trying to add the public distribution list to the DL in the same way they add members via the properties dialog box. Well there is a special way, right click on the DL and use the "ADD PUBLIC FOLDER" option (too easy).

So I added an Internet subscriber with a fake Internet address. I set the greeting to "blank" and I set the "after greeting" send to greeting for call handler. On the call handler, I set the owner to public distribution list and named the public distribution list I imported from AD. The public distribution list has the public folder in it. I also set message recipient to that same DL.

I think I'm real close here but I still don't see the voicemail messages in the public folder, I'm suspecting some sort of permissions issue on the public folder but they say everyone is allowed to be a contributer so anyone should be able to add to it. Anything you see that I've missed?

Thanks

Stick a regular mail user in that distribution list along with the public folder and see if messages are going to that guy when you leave them messages through your call handler there. If they are then you definitely have an issue with your public folder. If not, there's something misonfigured and the messages you're leaving are being rocketed somewhere else.

Make sure you're using the alternate greeting on your internet subscriber to be sure you're not getting bit by a schedule thing...

yup, i put in a regular user (me) and the voicemail gets delivered via that distribution list. I'll look at the public folder again. Thanks for your help.

Folks,

After reading these posts i have a simple question. We are talking about faxes received through unified messeaging. But, Unity does not support Fax services to myunderstanding. Cisco tells me that i have to by a third party fax server which will integrate with exchange or dominos. Where does unity play a role?

At the same time i see docomention on 5300 which detects voice or fax call and treats it accordingly, lets say it it detects it as a fax call, cisco says it will forward it to a fax server? are they talking about third part fax server?

Thanks

Not real sure why you tucked a post asking about faxes way down at the end of a long thread on public distribution lists, this probably should have been on a new thread… regardless, we’ll see if we can answer this.

First, 3rd party fax integration does not have a direct link to Unity – the 3rd party fax server (of which a number are supported) stuffs the inbound fax into the mailbox of the user. Unity recognizes these faxes in the inbox and offers them to the user over the phone for delivery – Unity knows how to forward the fax to the 3rd party fax server’s Exchange gateway to send the fax out for delivery.

You can check out the help file and training video for the 3rd party fax configuration tool for some more details on how this works:

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/App_ThirdPartyFaxConfig.htm

Second, Unity does have a T.37 fax capability for inbound fax routing at the moment. You can download the IP fax configuration wizard and watch the training video and review the help file for this tool on its home page here:

http://www.ciscounitytools.com/App_IPFaxConfigurationWizard.htm

Outbound fax capabilities will be there with the upcoming 4.0(4) release of Unity – this will require an updated build of IOS (which will be available in March) to work properly and the functionality will be nowhere near what you get with a 3rd party fax server, of course, but there will be no charge for this functionality in Unity. This will be added to the IP Fax configuration wizard tool referenced above.

Hope that helps clear things up a bit.

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