Training: Unity Connection 7.x day 2

Directory Integration Options

  • Stand-alone (no integration)
  • Communications Manager’s directory (uses AXL)
  • MS Active Directory
  • Unofficially… looks like it could be connected to other LDAP directories
  • LDAP can be used for authentication

Monitoring:  SNMP; nothing new there really.

Backup/Restore:  no more awful Exchange backups, of course.  Selective restore available if we wanted to restore individual users.
COBRAS migrates from Unity to Unity Connection:  users, settings, mailbox contents, handlers.  Cisco is continually improving this migration tool.  Export from Unity is simple; importing that data to Connection may involve a lot of resolution conflict.  Start with a clean Unity system for less importing pain.  
End-user Web Features
  • Unity assistant – per-user settings manager, like Communications Manager User Options site
  • Unity inbox – view, listen to, forward, reply, etc. to voice messages.  Play messages through the web browser or download to PC.  
  • Call transfer rules – set up your own auto-attendant.  Looks like a support nightmare.

For the ITS VoIP and voicemail offering, we could potentially proxy these web features like we currently do Communications Manager User Options.  The first two features in the list above could be really useful.  

Training: Implementing Cisco Unity Connection 7.x

Day 1 of 4. What’s Cisco Unity Connection all about?

  • Unity for those who don’t want MS Exchange integration
  • Cisco’s current (Linux-based) platform.  No Windows components for Connection 7.x
  • Hot redundancy/load balancing rather than failover
  • Modern features:  e-mail delivery of VM, visual voicemail, more
  • Calling search space/partitioning allows functional segmenting of the voice mail system

Licensing

  • Workspace licensing.  Per-phone cost is “slightly more” (instructor’s words) than just phone licensing (a la carte) for use on Comms. Manager.  Avoiding WSL will probably cost more in the long run.

PBX Integration

  • CUCM (Skinny), SIP trunk to any SIP system, PIMG for Avaya/Nortel systems
  • Multiple integrations to same Unity system.  Several phone systems could participate in same Unity–CUCM, OpenSER, Avaya, CUCM over SIP trunk…

Installation


  • Identical to current Communications Manager installation
  • Connection is pre-configured to start most services by default, unlike CUCM which has most turned off by default
  • Use Realtime Monitoring Tool for server/cluster analysis, diagnostics, troubleshooting, stats

Administration looks like a familiar mix of Communications Manager 6.x screens and Unity 4.x screens.  Finishing off the day by setting up the lab.