A hunt group? Help!

[NormMuelleman]

Having just had my CCNA for a year, I'm finally getting some really good hands-on experience at my current workplace with switch environments. But I also get to dwelve into Cisco VOIP, configuring phones for use on CUCM 4.3. But I know just enough to be dangerous, and now it's biting me

At my current location, I've had a group approach me with a request. I know a LITTLE about CUCM, enough to put new phones on the network, basic troubleshooting, etc. So, I'll just act totally stupid and hopefully someone here will be kind and help me out

Let's say there's group A, with about 4 phone numbers. The first main number is 333-5500. Then there's group B, and their main number is 333-5600, and they have a couple phones. We have all phones in the same voice vlan. Physically, the groups are near each other, maybe on opposite sides of the building.

Group A wants it so that when one of their phone's ring, all the phones in Group A ring. Same with Group B; all the phones ring. But, Group A wants all of Group B's phones to ring as well, and vice versa.

Now, I'm thinking that a "hunt group" is just that; a round robin list of phones where if the first phone doesnt answer, it will go to the next phone, and the next phone...and if someone is on a phone, it will skip to the next... so I don't know if what they are wanting is terminology wise a "hunt group".

I know that there are 3 options in CUCM under Routes and Hunting I think...one is Line groups, one is hunt groups, and there's a third. Can someone tell me the basic premises to get this set up? Also, does it matter if the phone numbers all ready exist? Or do they need a separate main number to start? I would think not, but my co-worker is trying to say we might just give them a new number. Please help...co-worker leave for vacation, and this is now some freaking priority when none of these existed before

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Norm,

You are certainly on the right track here

There are a few steps detailed below that are needed to configure a CUCM Hunt Group. Here is the related info;

Line Groups

Line groups contain one or more directory numbers. A distribution algorithm, such as Top Down, Circular, Longest Idle Time, or Broadcast, associates with a line group. Line groups also have an associated Ring No Answer reversion timeout value.

The following descriptions apply to the members of a line group:

An idle member designates one that is not serving any call.

An available member designates one that is serving an active call but can accept a new call(s).

A busy member cannot accept any calls.

For information on configuring line groups,

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/admin/4_2_3/ccmcfg/b03lngrp.html

Hunt Lists

Hunt lists comprise ordered groupings of line groups. A line group may belong to more than one hunt list. Hunt pilots associate with hunt lists. A hunt list may associate with more than one hunt pilot.

For information on configuring hunt lists,

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/admin/4_2_3/ccmcfg/b03htlst.html

Hunt Pilots ..this is what 5500 & 5600 would become.

Hunt pilots are sets of digits. They comprise lists of route patterns that are used for hunting. A hunt pilot can specify a partition, numbering plan, route filter, and hunt forward settings. A hunt pilot must specify a hunt list.

For information on configuring hunt pilots,

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/admin/4_2_3/ccmcfg/b03htpil.html

The other thing that might work for these users as well would be a Pickup Group with Audible and

Visual notifications set;

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/admin/4_2_3/ccmcfg/b05cpkup.html

Cheers!

Rob

[NormMuelleman]

So in my scenario, let's say that Group A was 5500. All phones 5500,5501,5502,5503 were to ring at the same time. I would set them to broadcast in a line group, correct? I would call it group a line group. Same with 5600, 5601, 5602, etc. Group B line group, broadcast, correct?

Let's break it down into the two options please...

So, we create two separate line groups, one for a, one for b.

Then, we create the hunt list for group a to ring group b if group a doesnt answer, correct? And we create group b to ring group a if no answer. Is that right?

I thought I had that set up, but then when I tried to Hunt Pilot, I kept getting an error that said that some group already existed.

I'm having to do this first thing in the AM