Ask the Expert: Cisco Unity Connection, Installing, Integrating, and Troubleshooting

[Lisa Latour]

Welcome to this Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions about integrating Cisco Unity Connection into your environment and troubleshooting the many features that are available with the Cisco Unity Connection voicemail solution with expert Brad Magnani.

Cisco Unity Connection is a voicemail and unified messaging platform with a comprehensive feature set and is based on the Linux unified communications operating system. With Cisco Unity Connection, you can access and manage voice messages in variety of ways, using your email inbox, web browser, the Cisco Jabber messaging integration platform, Cisco Unified IP Phone, smartphone, tablet, and more. Cisco expert Brad Magnani will cover and answer all of your questions about Cisco Unity Connection.

Brad Magnani is currently a member of the Applications TAC team in Richardson, TX. He has attended Cisco Live and has provided mentorship and technical training in the Bangalore and Krakow TAC centers. Since 2007, His areas of expertise have been Cisco Unity and Cisco Unity Connection.Brad also has experience troubleshooting and working with various voice products, including Cisco Unity, Cisco Unity Connection, Presence, Communications Manager, and Jabber. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in applied networking and system administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has achieved certifications for Unity Support Specialist and CCNP-Voice.

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Because of the volume expected during this event, Brad might not be able to answer every question. Remember that you can continue the conversation in the Collaboration, Voice and Video community, under subcommunity Unified Communications Applications, shortly after the event. This event lasts through May 8, 2015. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other Cisco Support Community members.

[Bradford Magnani]

Hi Suresh,

1. Documentation officially mentions to place all answering ports in the same line group on CUCM: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/7x/integration/cucm_sccp/guide/cucintcucmskinny/cucintcucmskinny050.html#wp1054050

"For a Cisco Unity Connection cluster, the line group will contain directory numbers for voice mail ports that will answer calls on all servers in the Cisco Unity Connection cluster. Directory numbers for voice mail ports that will only dial out (for example, to set MWIs) on all servers in the Cisco Unity Connection cluster must not be included in this line group."

I've seen it done both ways, which will also work. 

2. This issue is indicative of issues I've seen with customers who have end users with notification devices configured (pager, mobile, etc.) and the device that they're configured to call out to rolls them back to voicemail (Unity) which it then either proceeds to record itself, or possibly dead air.  This issue is very difficult to troubleshoot without a breadcrumb trail, and it sounds like you at least know it's sourced at the voicemail port.  The scenario I mention is the most common one I've seen over the years, but it's possible there may be some other combination of configuration happening.

Hope that helps,

Brad

[Terry Cheema]

Hi Brad,

First of all thanks for taking out time to help the community. +5 on the way for your responses to my fellow members!

I have two queries:

1) CUCM and Unity Connection integration. The same old question - SIP vs SCCP in the context of CSR 10 and 11.

Which integration is preferred SIP or SCCP and for what reasons. Last time I did that analysis even though things are going more towards SIP, SCCP integration trumped due to some limitations with SIP integration. What direction is this going with the future CSR 11 set to be released soon?

2) CUC Security: Is there any documentation or guide lines to harden the Unity Connection server, as this is still the favorite method for the hackers to hack the voicemail system for toll fraud. I have generally fallen to restricting the CSS/restriction tables/PIN hardening etc. to avoid dialing out any Int'l calls etc. But was looking if there are any guidelines if we can generally follow during a deployment.

Also on the restriction tables, they are generally configured with default US patterns, if we modify those and block it appropriately will it secure the system. At what stage is the restriction table logic applied in the call flow?

Thanks again.

-Terry

[Bradford Magnani]

Hi Terry,

1. I wish there was a single answer.  Many customers deploy each for different reasons.  SIP seems to have more flexibility when it comes to customizations upstream, however that can also be a draw back if certain aspects aren't tested at the server side.  In my experience, customers choose SCCP over SIP because it's Cisco proprietary, 100% tested tried and true.  Granted, there is more configuration on the CUCM required with SCCP.  SIP is quick, a couple trunks if you've got a cluster and you're pretty much done (from a CUCM perspective).  The simplicity of the configuration is largely what I see in TAC coming from customers - they want something easy that works.  Now, this also depends on the complexity of your environment as well - some very large customers still choose to use SCCP from UC to CUCM but do SIP upstream - there's no 1 recommended way (that I've found at least).

2. The "hardening" offerings are all contained in the Security Guide: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/10x/security/guide/10xcucsecx.html

The different call flow scenarios in which the restriction tables are applied are explained here: http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/10x/administration/guide/10xcucsagx/10xcucsag080.html#pgfId-1139322

Hope that helps,

Brad

[Terry Cheema]

Brad thanks for your response - I will review the referenced information.

Much appreciated!

-Terry