Networking in Cisco Unity Guide (With Microsoft Exchange), Release 4.0(4)
AMIS Networking

Table Of Contents

AMIS Networking

Overview: AMIS

Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

Prerequisites

Task List: Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

Procedures for Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

Setting Up the Voice Connector for AMIS Networking

Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5

Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000

Creating the UAmis Mailbox

Designating Voice Ports for Outbound AMIS Calls

Setting AMIS Delivery Options

Customizing the AMIS Restriction Table

Setting Up the AMIS Schedule

Customizing the Primary Location

Creating AMIS Delivery Locations

Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

Modifying Existing Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard

Creating AMIS Subscribers

Before Creating Subscriber Accounts

Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create Multiple Subscriber Accounts

Correcting CSV Import Errors

Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Subscriber Accounts

After Creating Subscriber Accounts

Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging to Include AMIS Subscribers

Installations with Multiple Cisco Unity Servers Networked via Digital Networking

Single-Server Installations

Setting Permissions on Active Directory Containers Used for Importing Subscribers

Enabling Identified Subscriber Messaging

Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging

AMIS Concepts and Definitions

Introduction to AMIS

Port Usage and Schedules

UAmis Mailbox

Voice Connector and AMIS Networking

Locations and AMIS Networking

Message Addressing Options

Message Addressing Limitations

Blind Addressing and AMIS Networking

AMIS Subscribers

Subscriber Experience with AMIS Subscribers

Identified Subscriber Messaging

Live Reply to AMIS Subscribers

Deleting AMIS Subscribers

Extension Addresses

Determining How AMIS Subscribers Appear in the Outlook Address Book

Preventing Contacts From Appearing in the Outlook Address Book

Modifying How Contacts Appear in the Outlook Address Book

Migrating Subscribers from Another Voice Messaging System to Cisco Unity

Migrating Subscribers in Bulk

Migrating Subscribers One at a Time

Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers

Design Considerations

Maintenance

AMIS Reference

AMIS Delivery Location Profile Settings

AMIS Delivery Options Settings

AMIS Schedule Settings

Troubleshooting

Notable Behavior

Call Transfer Settings for AMIS Subscribers

Inbound Messages Are Delivered Only to Primary Extensions

Inbound Search Scope

Running the Voice Connector Setup Program in Another Language


AMIS Networking


Overview: AMIS

Cisco Unity supports the Audio Messaging Interchange Specification analog (AMIS-a) protocol, which provides a mechanism for transferring voice messages between different voice messaging systems.

AMIS Networking is a licensed feature. If your organization has multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, only one server needs to be licensed and configured for AMIS Networking. The Cisco Unity server configured for AMIS Networking is referred to as the bridgehead server. For more information about obtaining licenses for Cisco Unity features, refer to White Paper: Licensing for Cisco Unity, which is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/whitpapr/licenses.htm.

No special permissions are required for AMIS Networking beyond those required for Cisco Unity itself. For detailed information about the permissions required by Cisco Unity, refer to the Permissions Wizard Help, which is available in Tools Depot on the Cisco Unity server.

In this chapter, you will find procedures for setting up AMIS Networking, followed by detailed discussions of the concepts and terminology you need to understand. See the following sections:

Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS—This section describes the prerequisites for setting up AMIS Networking and provides a task list containing a high-level view of all of the tasks you need to complete for the setup, and the order in which they should be completed.

Procedures for Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS—This section contains all of the procedures necessary to set up Cisco Unity to use AMIS.

AMIS Concepts and Definitions—This section explains AMIS concepts in detail. You may want to read this section prior to completing the setup procedures.

AMIS Reference—This section contains tables that define the fields on the Cisco Unity Administrator web pages related to AMIS setup, and briefly explain the options for correctly entering information in the fields.

Maintenance—This section provides information about monitoring system activity.

Troubleshooting—This section provides links to troubleshooting information.

Notable Behavior—This section provides information about notable behavior related to AMIS Networking.

Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

Prerequisites

Before starting the setup, verify that the following prerequisites have been met.

Cisco Unity is already installed on the server(s), and they are connected to the network as applicable to your installation.

A license file with an AMIS license has been obtained and installed on the Cisco Unity bridgehead server.

Cisco Unity meets the requirements as described in the "AMIS Networking Requirements" section of the Cisco Unity Networking Options Requirements (With Microsoft Exchange), available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/netrq.htm.

The voice messaging system that Cisco Unity will be networked with is listed in the "Supported AMIS-Compliant Voice Messaging Systems" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/sysreq/40_sysrq.htm.

If Cisco Unity is integrated with Cisco CallManager, verify that the Cisco gateway version that you plan to use is supported for use with AMIS as described in the "Supported Cisco Gateways for Use with AMIS" section of the Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software document.

For installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers that access the same directory, you should first set up the servers for Digital Networking as described in the "Digital Networking" chapter before setting up AMIS Networking. After the Cisco Unity servers have been set up for Digital Networking, verify the following settings:

Verify that the addressing search scope is set to either the dialing domain or the global directory on all of the networked servers so that Cisco Unity subscribers, no matter what server they are associated with, can address messages to AMIS delivery locations and/or AMIS subscribers. See the "Setting the Addressing Search Scope" section for details.

If you want outside callers to be able to reach AMIS subscribers from the automated attendant (for example, from the opening greeting) or directory assistance:

Verify that the Cisco Unity server(s) on which the AMIS subscribers will be created are in the same dialing domain as the Cisco Unity server that outside callers call into. See the "Customizing the Primary Location" section for details on creating the dialing domain, and the "Dialing Domains" section for background information.

Verify that the automated attendant and directory handler(s) search scopes are set to the dialing domain scope. See the "Setting the Directory Handler Search Scope" section and the "Setting the Automated Attendant Search Scope" section.

Task List: Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

Use this task list to set up Cisco Unity to use AMIS. The cross-references take you to detailed procedures for the setup.

1. Install the Voice Connector on an Exchange server. See the "Setting Up the Voice Connector for AMIS Networking" section.

Do the Following Tasks on the Cisco Unity Server That Is Licensed for AMIS:

2. Verify that the Cisco Unity call routing rules route calls to a call handler, such as the Opening Greeting. (This is the default when Cisco Unity is initially installed.)

3. Create the UAmis mailbox. See the "Creating the UAmis Mailbox" section.

4. Designate voice ports for outbound AMIS calls. See the "Designating Voice Ports for Outbound AMIS Calls" section.

5. Set the AMIS delivery options. See the "Setting AMIS Delivery Options" section.

6. Customize the AMIS Restriction Table as needed. See the "Customizing the AMIS Restriction Table" section.

7. Set up the AMIS schedule. See the "Setting Up the AMIS Schedule" section.

8. Customize the primary location profile settings. See the "Customizing the Primary Location" section.

9. Create a delivery location for each remote voice messaging system. See the "Creating AMIS Delivery Locations" section.

10. Optionally, create AMIS subscribers. See the "Creating AMIS Subscribers" section.

11. Optionally, extend identified subscriber messaging to include AMIS subscribers. See the "Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging to Include AMIS Subscribers" section.

Finish the Setup:

12. Set up the other voice messaging system for AMIS. The other voice messaging system will require the number to dial into Cisco Unity, and the Node ID that was entered for the primary location.

13. Test the setup to verify that Cisco Unity can exchange messages with the other voice messaging system. Optionally, you can configure the macro trace "Basic Incoming and Outgoing AMIS Message" in the Unity Diagnostic Tool (on the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Cisco Unity > Unity Diagnostic Tool) to verify that Cisco Unity can send and receive AMIS messages.

If you discover a problem with the setup, see the "Troubleshooting" section for links to information that can help you find and fix the problem.

Procedures for Setting Up Cisco Unity to Use AMIS

This section contains all of the procedures necessary to set up Cisco Unity to use AMIS.

Setting Up the Voice Connector for AMIS Networking

There are two Voice Connector installation programs included on Cisco Unity DVD 1 and CD 1, and separate setup procedures:

When the Cisco Unity partner server is Exchange 5.5 (when your network consists only of Exchange 5.5 servers), set up the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5.

When the Cisco Unity partner server is Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 (when your network consists only of Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 servers or a mixture of Exchange 5.5 servers and Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 servers), set up the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000. Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 version 11.0(1) or later can be installed on either an Exchange 2000 or an Exchange 2003 server.

As applicable, see the "Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5" section or the "Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000" section.

The Voice Connector installation program does not prompt with a choice of languages for the installation; it always installs in English. To run the Voice Connector installation program by using one of the localized versions (FRA, DEU, or JPN) instead of English, see the "Running the Voice Connector Setup Program in Another Language" section.

Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5

Install the Voice Connector on an Exchange 5.5 server that is in the same Exchange site as the Exchange partner server. Although the Voice Connector can be installed on the Cisco Unity server (if Exchange 5.5 is also on the server), this is not recommended for performance reasons. Following are additional requirements:

Install only one instance of the Voice Connector in the Exchange site.

If the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector will be installed is running Windows NT 4.0, the Microsoft Active Directory Services Client Extension (DSClient) for Windows NT 4.0 must be installed on the server prior to installing the Voice Connector. The DSClient requires Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a. For information on downloading and installing the DSClient from the Microsoft website, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

288358—HOW TO: Install the Active Directory Client Extension

295166—INFO: Advanced Installation of Directory Services Client for Windows NT 4.0

295168—INFO: Files Installed by Directory Services Client Extension for Windows NT 4.0

289105—INFO: Support for ADSI on Windows NT 4.0

216290—INFO: Determining Which Version of ADSI Is Installed

The Internet Mail Service is not required by the Voice Connector when it is used for AMIS Networking.

To Install the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5

As a best practice, back up the Exchange server before installing the Voice Connector.


Step 1 Log on to the Exchange server on which you are installing the Voice Connector.

Step 2 Disable any virus-scanning services on the Exchange server.

Step 3 Uninstall any previous versions of the Voice Connector. See the "Uninstalling the Cisco Unity Voice Connector" section.

Step 4 If you are installing the Voice Connector from Cisco Unity DVD 1 or CD 1, insert the disc in the computer, and browse to the VoiceConnector-Ex55 directory.

Step 5 If you downloaded the Voice Connector files from the Software Center website, browse to the directory in which the files were extracted.

Step 6 Double-click Install.exe and then click Next.

Step 7 In the Address Types dialog box, check AMIS (and also select any other features that are being used in your network).

Step 8 Click Next twice.

Step 9 When setup is complete, click Finish to exit Setup and restart the server.

Step 10 Enable virus-scanning services on the server.


To Verify the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5 Installation

To verify that the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5 installed properly, verify that the Internet Voice Connector and Internet Mail Connector services are running, and the Voice Connector mailbox has been created.


Step 1 Open the Services applet on the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector is installed. (On the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.)

Step 2 Verify that the Status for the Internet Voice Connector service is Started.

Step 3 Verify that the Status for Internet Mail Connector service is Started.

Step 4 Exit the Services applet.

Step 5 Open Exchange Administrator on the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector is installed. (On the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Microsoft Exchange > Microsoft Exchange Administrator.)

Step 6 In the tree in the left pane, expand the Servers container in the site in which the Voice Connector is installed.

Step 7 Within the Servers container, expand the <Server Name> \First Storage Group\Mailbox Store (<Server Name>) container for the server on which the Voice Connector is installed.

Step 8 In the expanded tree, click Mailboxes.

In the right pane, you should see the mailbox for Internet Voice Connector (<Server name>).

Step 9 Exit Exchange Administrator.


Setting Up the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000

Install Voice Connector version 11.0(1) or later on any Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 server that is not part of an Exchange cluster (Microsoft does not support third-party connectors on an Exchange cluster server). Although the Voice Connector can be installed on the Cisco Unity server (if Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 is also on the server), this is not recommended for performance reasons.

If the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector will be installed is in a different routing group than the Exchange servers on which Cisco Unity subscribers are homed, routing group connectors must be configured between the routing groups.

To Install the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000

Uninstall any previous versions of the Voice Connector. See the "Uninstalling the Cisco Unity Voice Connector" section.

As a best practice, back up the Exchange server before installing the Voice Connector.


Step 1 Log on to the Exchange server on which you are installing the Voice Connector.

Step 2 Disable any virus-scanning services on the Exchange server.

Step 3 If you are installing the Voice Connector from Cisco Unity DVD 1 or CD 1, insert the disc in the computer, and browse to the VoiceConnector-Ex2000 directory.

If you downloaded the Voice Connector files from the Software Center website, browse to the directory in which the files were extracted.

Step 4 Double-click Install.exe and then click Next.

Step 5 In the Address Types dialog box, check AMIS (and also select any other features that are being used in your network).

Step 6 Click Next twice.

Step 7 When setup is complete, click Finish to exit Setup and restart the server.

Step 8 Enable virus-scanning services on the server.



Note In order to view Voice Connector properties in Exchange System Manager, Microsoft Windows Script Host version 5.6 or later must be installed on the Exchange server. Continue with the following "To Determine if the Microsoft Windows 2000 Script Host Should Be Updated" procedure. (Also note that if the Exchange server uses an earlier version of Windows Script Host, the Voice Connector will function properly, but you will not be able to view Voice Connector properties in the Exchange System Manager.)


To Determine if the Microsoft Windows 2000 Script Host Should Be Updated


Step 1 On the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector has been installed, browse to Winnt\System32.

Step 2 Right-click the file Wshom.ocx, and select Properties.

Step 3 Click the Version tab.

Step 4 In the Item Name list, click Product Version to view the version in the Value box.

Step 5 If the version is earlier than 5.6, the Windows Script Host needs to be updated in order for the Voice Connector properties to be displayed in Exchange System Manager.

To update the Windows Script Host, go to the downloads page on the Microsoft website, and do a keyword search for Windows Script Host. Follow the installation instructions.


To Verify the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 Installation

To verify that the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 installed properly, verify that the Voice Connector service is running, and that the Voice Connector mailbox has been created.


Step 1 Open the Services applet on the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector is installed. (On the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.)

Step 2 Verify that the Status for the Exchange 2000 Voice Connector (<Server name>) service is Started.

Step 3 Exit the Services applet.

Step 4 Open Exchange System Manager on the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector is installed. (On the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Microsoft Exchange > Exchange System Manager.)

Step 5 In the tree in the left pane, expand the Servers container. If the organization properties at the top of the tree have been set such that administrative groups are displayed in the tree, the Servers container is nested within the administrative group container.

Step 6 Within the Servers container, expand the <Server Name>\First Storage Group\Mailbox Store (<Server Name>) container for the server on which the Voice Connector is installed.

Step 7 In the expanded tree, click Mailboxes.

In the right pane, you should see the mailbox for "Exchange 2000 Voice Connector (<Server name>)" or "AvExchangeIVC_<Server name>." (The name changes from "AvExchangeIVC_<Server name>" to "Exchange 2000 Voice Connector (<Server name>)" after you run Cleanup Agent.)

Step 8 Exit Exchange System Manager.


Creating the UAmis Mailbox

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, the UAmis mailbox needs to be created only on the Cisco Unity server(s) that will place and receive AMIS calls. Note that the mailbox is actually homed on the Exchange server that Cisco Unity is connected to (the Exchange server that was selected in the Cisco Unity Server Configuration Wizard during setup).

The UAmis mailbox can be removed just like any other Exchange mailbox, by using standard Microsoft tools.


Note For installations upgrading from AMIS on a Cisco Unity version 3.0(x) through 3.1(1) system, if the UAmis mailbox already exists, skip this procedure.


To Create the UAmis Mailbox


Step 1 On the Cisco Unity server, browse to the directory in which Cisco Unity is installed (the default location is C:\CommServer).

Step 2 Double-click ConfigMgr.exe. The ConfigMgr dialog box appears.

Step 3 Click Create SQL AMIS Account.

Step 4 Uncheck Enable Diagnostics.

Step 5 Click Run.

Step 6 Click OK on the dialog box that displays when the UAmis mailbox is successfully configured.

Step 7 Close the ConfigMgr dialog box.

Step 8 On the Cisco Unity server, start the Services tool. (Click Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Services.)

Step 9 Right-click AvNotifierMgr, and select Restart. The CPU usage on the Cisco Unity server will spike for a few minutes while the AvNotifierMgr reinitializes connections with subscriber mailboxes.

Step 10 Close the Services tool.


Designating Voice Ports for Outbound AMIS Calls

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, designate voice ports for AMIS calls only on those Cisco Unity server(s) that will place and receive AMIS calls.

To Designate Voice Ports for Outbound AMIS Calls


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Systems > Ports page.

Step 2 Designate which ports to use for outgoing AMIS calls.

Step 3 Click the Save icon.


Setting AMIS Delivery Options

The AMIS delivery option settings control attributes of outgoing AMIS calls on the Cisco Unity server.

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, set the AMIS delivery options only on those Cisco Unity server(s) that will place and receive AMIS calls.

To Set AMIS Delivery Options


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Network > AMIS Options > Delivery Options page.

Step 2 Select either the Default AMIS restriction table or another restriction table to use as the Local Dial Restriction Table.

The Local Dial Restriction Table and the AMIS schedule together determine when outgoing AMIS calls are made.

Step 3 Set the other AMIS delivery options as needed.

Step 4 Click the Save icon.


Customizing the AMIS Restriction Table

By default, the AMIS restriction table allows all delivery numbers; you can customize the restriction table as needed. The AMIS restriction table and the AMIS schedule together determine when outgoing AMIS calls are made. If a delivery number for an outgoing AMIS message is allowed by the AMIS restriction table, the message is sent immediately—the schedule settings do not apply. If the delivery number is not allowed by the AMIS restriction table, the schedule determines when the message is sent.

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, customize the AMIS restriction table only on those Cisco Unity server(s) that will place and receive AMIS calls.

To Customize the AMIS Restriction Table


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to any Call Management > Restriction Tables page.

Step 2 Click the Find icon.

Step 3 Double-click the AMIS restriction, which by default is named {Default AMIS}.

The AMIS restriction table is specified in the Local Dial Restriction Table field on the Network > AMIS Options > Delivery Options page.

Step 4 As applicable for your installation, do one or more of the following:

To add a dial string, click Add Dial String and enter settings for the new dial string as applicable.

To delete a dial string, click the dial string number in the table at the bottom portion of the Restriction Tables page, and then click Remove Dial String.

To modify a dial string, click the dial string number in the table at the bottom portion of the Restriction Tables page, and change settings as applicable.

Step 5 Click the Save icon.


Setting Up the AMIS Schedule

Set up the AMIS schedule for messages that are not allowed by the AMIS restriction table.

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, set up the AMIS schedule only on those Cisco Unity server(s) that will place and receive AMIS calls.

To Set Up the AMIS Schedule


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Network > AMIS Options > Schedule page.

Step 2 Click boxes on the schedule grid to set the active and inactive half hours. To avoid clicking the same blocks for more than one day, use the Copy Day's Schedule box to copy the settings from one day to other days.

Step 3 Click the Save icon.


Customizing the Primary Location

If your installation consists of multiple Cisco Unity servers networked via Digital Networking, you may have already customized the primary location. In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked via Digital Networking, you enter the AMIS node ID for the primary location only on the Cisco Unity bridgehead server (the field is displayed only on the Cisco Unity servers licensed for AMIS.)

For detailed information about the settings, see the "Primary Location Profile Settings" section on page 7-1.

To Customize the Primary Location


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Network > Primary Location > Profile page.

Step 2 Enter a meaningful name for the location.

Step 3 Enter a Dial ID. The Dial ID identifies this location to Cisco Unity.

Step 4 Record a voice name for the location.

Step 5 For the Dialing Domain name:

If your installation consists of only one Cisco Unity server, and if you plan to enable identified subscriber messaging to include AMIS subscribers, enter a dialing domain name.

If your installation consists of multiple Cisco Unity servers networked via Digital Networking, and if this server is integrated with the same phone system as other networked Cisco Unity servers, you may have already added this server to a dialing domain. If not, enter the dialing domain name, or select it from the available list. The list contains names of dialing domain names already configured on at least one other Cisco Unity server in the network.

Note that the dialing domain name is case sensitive and must be entered exactly the same on all of the servers. To ensure that all servers are correctly added to the same dialing domain, enter the dialing domain name on one Cisco Unity server and wait for the name to replicate to the other Cisco Unity servers. By doing so, you also confirm that replication is working correctly among the servers. The time that it takes for the primary location data from other Cisco Unity servers to be reflected on the local server depends on your network configuration and replication schedule.

Step 6 Enter the numbers for the Node ID, which is transmitted by Cisco Unity to identify itself to other voice messaging systems during outgoing AMIS calls. If desired, the Country Code and Area Code fields may be left blank; however, the Phone Number field is mandatory. (Note that the Node ID fields are displayed only on the bridgehead server.)

Step 7 Click the Save icon.


Creating AMIS Delivery Locations

Create an AMIS delivery location on your local Cisco Unity server for each remote voice messaging system to which subscribers will send messages. If Cisco Unity will be messaging with a large number of voice messaging systems, you may prefer to configure only a few delivery locations at this time and proceed with the rest of the setup. After verifying that messaging works correctly between Cisco Unity and the voice messaging systems for which delivery locations have been configured, you can create the rest of the delivery locations.

For detailed information about the AMIS delivery location settings, see the "AMIS Delivery Location Profile Settings" section. Carefully consider the Dial ID that you will assign to the delivery location. See the "Guidelines for Assigning Dial IDs and Extensions" section on page 7-2 for detailed information about choosing a Dial ID.

You can create AMIS delivery locations by using the Cisco Unity Administrator or the Cisco Unity Bulk Location Import wizard. See the following sections:

Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

Modifying Existing Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard

Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

You can create AMIS delivery locations one at a time by using the Cisco Unity Administrator.

To Create AMIS Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Administrator


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Network > Delivery Locations > Profile page.

Step 2 Click the Add icon.

Step 3 Enter a meaningful name for the location.

Step 4 Enter the Dial ID. See the "Guidelines for Assigning Dial IDs and Extensions" section on page 7-2 for detailed information about choosing a Dial ID.

Step 5 Select AMIS as the Destination Type for the location.

Step 6 Click Add.

Step 7 Record a voice name for the location.

Step 8 Enter the Delivery Phone Number. This is the number that Cisco Unity dials to connect to the remote voice messaging system for outgoing AMIS messages.

Step 9 Enter the numbers for the Node ID, which is used to identify the remote voice messaging system that corresponds to this delivery location. This Node ID must match the Node ID that the corresponding remote voice messaging system transmits during incoming calls. If desired, the Country Code and Area Code fields may be left blank; however, the Phone Number field is mandatory.

Step 10 Click the Save icon.


Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create AMIS Delivery Locations

The Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard allows you to create or modify multiple delivery locations at once by importing data in a CSV file. If you have already created delivery locations, you can run Bulk Import to export the data about the delivery locations to a CSV file.

Use the following procedure to prepare your CSV file. To learn more about preparing a CSV file for use with the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard—including information on the required and optional column headers for your CSV file—refer to the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard Help.

To Prepare a CSV File for Creating AMIS Delivery Locations


Step 1 Create a CSV file in a spreadsheet application (or another applicable application) on the Cisco Unity server, or in a directory that you can browse to from the server.

Step 2 Enter the required column headers in the first row. Column headers must be in uppercase, separated by commas, and spelled as indicated below:

DTMF_ACCESS_ID, DISPLAY_NAME, DELIVERY_PHONE_NUMBER

Step 3 If desired, add optional column headers to the first row. Be sure to separate the column headers with commas.

Step 4 Add the data for the delivery locations in the subsequent rows. When finished:

Confirm that each row contains the applicable data corresponding to each column header.

Confirm that the data is separated by commas, and that no tabs, spaces, or semicolons separate the data in the file.

If any data includes a space, quotes, or commas, contain it within quotes.

Note that each row does not have to contain data in the optional columns.

Step 5 Save the file as a CSV file.

Step 6 Continue with the following "To Create AMIS Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard" procedure.


To Create AMIS Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard


Step 1 Before you run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard, disable virus-scanning services and intrusion-detection software on the Cisco Unity server, if applicable. Otherwise, the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard may run slowly.

Step 2 On the Cisco Unity server, on the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Unity > Cisco Unity Bulk Import.

Step 3 On the Welcome page, click Next.

Step 4 On the Select Import Operation, in the Locations section, click CSV File, and then click Next.

Step 5 On the Select Location Operation page, click Create New Locations, and then click Next.

Step 6 On the Type of Locations page, click AMIS, and then click Next.

Step 7 On the Files page, specify the name and location of the input file.

Step 8 Specify the name and location of the output file, or use the default location and file name, which is based on the input file. For example, if the input file is C:\Temp\AMIS_Locations.csv, the default output file will be C:\Temp\AMIS_Locations.out.csv.

Step 9 Click Next to proceed to the Valid Location Data page, which displays a table with validated rows of data from the input CSV file. If you do not want to import a row of data, uncheck the check box in the first column of the row.

If errors were found in any of the rows, you can click the Errors link at the bottom of the page to open the output CSV file to correct the errors, or you can ignore the errors for now and proceed with the import.

Step 10 Click Next to start the import process and display the Creating Locations page, which provides status information about the import.

Step 11 When the delivery locations are created, click Next to display the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard Finished page, which displays summary information.

Step 12 If you had import errors, continue with the following "To Correct Errors That Occurred When Importing Delivery Location Data from a CSV File" procedure.


To Correct Errors That Occurred When Importing Delivery Location Data from a CSV File


Step 1 Browse to the directory location of the output file that you specified during the import. (The default location and file name is based on the input file. For example, if the input file is C:\Temp\AMIS_Locations.csv, the default output file will be C:\Temp\AMIS_Locations.out.csv.)

This file contains all of the records that were not imported.

Step 2 Use a text editor to open the output file.

Step 3 Correct any records in the output file by using the error information listed in the Results column of the file.

Step 4 When you have finished editing the output file, save it as a CSV file with a new name.

Step 5 Run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard again with the new CSV file.

Step 6 Repeat this procedure until all delivery locations are created without error.


Modifying Existing Delivery Locations by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard

If you want to use the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard to make modifications to existing delivery locations, you will need to create a CSV file for the modifications. We recommend that you run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard to export your existing delivery location data to a CSV file, and then edit the CSV file to use for the modification.

Note that the DTMF_ACCESS_ID column is used as the primary key to find the existing delivery location, and therefore it cannot be modified by the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard.

Creating AMIS Subscribers

You may prefer to begin by creating only a few AMIS subscribers for testing purposes, until you verify that Cisco Unity and the remote system can successfully exchange messages. After you have confirmed that messaging between Cisco Unity and the remote system is working correctly, you can finish creating the AMIS subscribers. Note that the AMIS subscribers must be created on the same Cisco Unity server as the AMIS delivery locations.

You can create AMIS subscriber accounts by using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard or the Cisco Unity Administrator. See the following sections:

Before Creating Subscriber Accounts

Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create Multiple Subscriber Accounts

Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Subscriber Accounts

After Creating Subscriber Accounts

Before Creating Subscriber Accounts

This section lists—in order—the issues that you must consider before creating subscriber accounts. AMIS subscribers can be created only on a Cisco Unity bridgehead server. Do the following tasks on the Cisco Unity bridgehead server where you will be adding the AMIS subscribers.

1. Cisco Unity Configuration and Permissions

If you are unsure whether the account that you are using has sufficient rights and permissions to create subscribers, or whether Cisco Unity is properly configured to work with your message store, use the following "To Check Cisco Unity Setup and Permissions by Using the Cisco Unity SysCheck Tool" procedure.

To Check Cisco Unity Setup and Permissions by Using the Cisco Unity SysCheck Tool


Step 1 On the Cisco Unity server desktop, double-click the Cisco Unity Tools Depot icon.

Step 2 In the left pane of the Tools Depot window, in the Diagnostic Tools directory, double-click SysCheck.

Step 3 On the Welcome to the Cisco Unity Configuration Wizard page, click Select Configuration Tests, and click Next.

Step 4 Uncheck the boxes for the message stores that are not connected to Cisco Unity.

Step 5 Click Test.

Step 6 In the Test Results box, click the link provided to view the test results.

Step 7 If no errors are reported, proceed to Step 8. Otherwise, do the following sub-steps:

a. Follow the advice offered in the Resolution column to correct each configuration or permissions error.

b. Return to the Completing the Check Unity Configuration Wizard page, and click Finish.

c. Repeat Step 2 through Step 7 until no errors are reported.

Step 8 Click Finish.


2. Classes of Service

A class of service (COS) defines limits and permissions for subscribers who use Cisco Unity. For example, a COS dictates the maximum length of subscriber messages and greetings. Although most COS settings are not applicable to AMIS subscribers, they still must be members of a COS. In the Cisco Unity Administrator, a COS is specified in each subscriber template; thus, a subscriber is assigned to the COS that is specified in the template upon which the subscriber account is based. Cisco Unity includes predefined classes of service, which you can modify. You can also create new classes of service. For details, refer to the "Class of Service Settings" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide.

3. Restriction Tables

Each COS specifies a restriction table for call transfers, one for message notification, and one for fax deliveries. Cisco Unity applies the restriction table associated with the COS of a subscriber, and displays an error message if the phone number is not allowed. Cisco Unity comes with predefined restriction tables, which you can modify.

Although most restriction table settings do not apply to AMIS subscribers because they cannot log on to Cisco Unity or use the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant (PCA), administrators can enter call transfer numbers for AMIS subscribers. For security purposes, you should modify the restriction table used for transfers in the COS to which AMIS subscribers belong, as necessary. For details, refer to the "Restriction Tables" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide.

4. Public Distribution Lists

Public distribution lists are used to send voice messages to multiple subscribers at the same time. Cisco Unity assigns new subscribers to the public distribution lists that are specified in the template on which the subscriber account is based. For details, refer to the "Public Distribution List Settings" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide.

Public distribution lists correspond to distribution groups in Active Directory and to distribution lists in Exchange 5.5. The distribution lists are listed in the address book for Microsoft Outlook (or other e-mail client), unless they are explicitly hidden. To help prevent others from sending e-mail to AMIS subscribers, you may want to create lists that contain only AMIS subscribers, and then hide these distribution lists from the Outlook address book. The option to hide distribution lists is available on the Subscribers > Public Distribution Lists > Profile page in the Cisco Unity Administrator. Additionally, you may also want to exclude AMIS subscribers from the All Subscribers distribution list or any other distribution list that contains regular subscribers.

5. Subscriber Templates

In the Cisco Unity Administrator, you can specify settings for a group of subscribers by using a subscriber template. Subscriber templates contain settings that are applicable for subscribers of a particular type, such as a department. The settings from the template you choose are applied to subscriber accounts as the accounts are created. Cisco Unity comes with a default subscriber template, which you can modify, and you can create an unlimited number of additional templates. For more details, refer to the "Subscriber Template Settings" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide.

AMIS subscribers correspond to contacts in Active Directory and to custom recipients in Exchange 5.5. The contacts/custom recipients are listed in the address book for Microsoft Outlook (or other e-mail client), unless they are explicitly hidden. You may prefer that the associated contacts/custom recipients do not appear in the Outlook address book at all, or you may want to alter how contacts appear in the Outlook address book. See the "Determining How AMIS Subscribers Appear in the Outlook Address Book" section for details.


Note The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.


Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard to Create Multiple Subscriber Accounts

The Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard allows you to create multiple subscriber accounts at once by importing user data from a comma-separated value (CSV) file. CSV is a common text file format for moving data from one data store to another.

As long as the user data contained in the CSV file is formatted correctly, you can use it to create new contacts or custom recipients at the same time that you create subscriber accounts. (If Cisco Unity uses an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 server as its partner server, a contact is created in Active Directory. If Cisco Unity uses an Exchange 5.5 server as its partner server, a custom recipient is created in the Exchange 5.5 directory.) Alternatively, the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard allows you to use a CSV file to create subscriber accounts with existing contact or custom recipient data.

If you choose to create subscriber accounts with existing contact or custom recipient data, note that the e-mail addresses for the imported contacts or custom recipients are overwritten with extension addresses used for addressing voice messages to the remote voice messaging systems. Thus, the imported objects can no longer be used for outbound message addressing to remote e-mail addresses.

Use the following procedure to prepare your CSV file.

To learn more about preparing a CSV file for use with the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard—including information on the required and optional column headers for your CSV file—refer to the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard Help.

To Prepare a CSV File for Creating AMIS Subscriber Accounts


Step 1 Save the data which you will use to create Cisco Unity accounts as a CSV file.

As a best practice, do not include more than 7,500 records in a single CSV file, as you may encounter unexpected results when the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard imports the data.

Step 2 Copy the CSV file to the Cisco Unity bridgehead server or to a directory that you can browse to from the server.

Step 3 Open the CSV file in a spreadsheet application or another application with which you can edit and reorganize the data. Do the following:

Confirm that the data is separated by commas, and no tabs, spaces, or semicolons separate the data in the file.

If any data includes a space, quotes, or commas, contain the characters within quotes.

Step 4 Rearrange the data so that the columns are in the same order as the column headers that you will add in Step 5. The order of the column headers does not matter, though it is good practice to set up your CSV file as indicated here. For example, the columns of data in this sample are sorted so that the last name of the user is followed by the first name, the extension (DTMF_ACCESS_ID), and then by the remote mailbox number (REMOTE_USER_ID):

Abade,Alex,2001,3000
Bader,Kelly,2002,3100
Campbell,Terry,2003,3200
Cho,Li,2004,3300

Step 5 Enter the required column headers above the first row of data. Column headers must be in uppercase, separated by commas, and spelled as indicated below:

LAST_NAME,FIRST_NAME,DTMF_ACCESS_ID,REMOTE_USER_ID


Note The examples in this procedure illustrate how to set up a CSV file so that the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard creates subscriber accounts and new contacts at the same time. If you choose to create new subscriber accounts with existing contact data, you must also include the ALIAS column header and data in your CSV file.


Step 6 If desired, add optional column headers to the first row, and the corresponding data that you want to import in the subsequent rows below. As you do so, confirm that:

Column headers and data are separated by commas. Note that every row does not have to contain data for any optional column header(s).

Any data that includes a space, quotes, or commas is contained within quotes.

Step 7 To associate the AMIS subscribers in the CSV file with a delivery location, you can either choose from the list of defined delivery locations presented by the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard during the import, or you can add the DELIVERY_LOCATION_ID column to the CSV file.

The DELIVERY_LOCATION_ID column contains the dial ID of a delivery location with which the external subscriber will be associated. This value corresponds to the Dial ID field on the Network > Delivery Locations > Profile Page in the Cisco Unity Administrator. If this column header is omitted, or if a row does not contain a value, the delivery location that the Cisco Unity Import wizard prompts for is used as a default. You can import external subscribers for multiple delivery locations by using one CSV file.

Step 8 To help prevent others from sending e-mail to AMIS subscribers, you may want to include the HIDE_IN_ADDRESS_BOOK column header, and enter a 1 (one) in each row of subscriber data.

A value of 1 indicates that subscribers will be hidden from the e-mail address book; a value of 0 indicates that subscribers will be displayed.

Step 9 If your CSV file contains columns of data that you do not want to import, delete the columns. Alternatively, you can title one column NOTES. The Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard ignores data beneath any NOTES column header, but the wizard does not support more than one NOTES column in a CSV file.

Step 10 Confirm that each row contains the appropriate data corresponding to each column header.

Step 11 Save the file as a CSV file.

Step 12 Continue with the following "To Create AMIS Subscriber Accounts by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard" procedure.


To Create AMIS Subscriber Accounts by Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard


Step 1 Disable virus-scanning services and intrusion-detection software on the bridgehead Cisco Unity server, if applicable. Otherwise, the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard may run slowly. See the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard Help for procedures.

Step 2 On the bridgehead Cisco Unity server, on the Windows Start menu, click Programs > Cisco Unity > Cisco Unity Bulk Import.

Step 3 Follow the on-screen instructions.

To learn more about the options presented in the dialog boxes that appear as the wizard proceeds, click Help.

Step 4 When prompted to choose the type of subscriber that you want to create, click AMIS.

Step 5 Click Next, and proceed through the wizard. If the wizard reports any errors, you can:

Click OK to continue with the import, and fix the errors later.

Fix the errors. See the "Correcting CSV Import Errors" section for details.

Step 6 When the subscriber accounts are created, click Finish.

Step 7 If you had import errors, but in Step 5 you chose to correct them later, see the "Correcting CSV Import Errors" section.

If you had no import errors, or if all errors have now been corrected, see the "After Creating Subscriber Accounts" section.


Correcting CSV Import Errors

The error log file contains data that the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard could not import. The wizard reports the first error it detects in a row in a CSV file. When you have corrected that error, the wizard may detect additional errors in the same row when the data is imported again. Thus, you may need to repeat the correction process—running the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard and correcting an error—several times to find and correct all errors.

The output log file contains all the records that were not imported. You can save it as a CSV file, and use it when you run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard again. Note that each time you run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard, the error and output log files are overwritten (unless you specify new names for the files).

To correct import errors, use the following procedure.

To Correct Errors That Occurred When Importing Data from a CSV File


Step 1 Browse to the directory that contains the error log file you specified during the import. (The default location and file name is C:\Error.log.)

Step 2 Use a text editor to open the error log file. You will use the error codes in the file to make corrections.

Step 3 Browse to the directory location of the output log file you specified during the import. (The default location and file name is C:\Output.log.)

Step 4 Use a text editor to open the output log file.

Step 5 Correct any records in the output file that are listed as errors in the error log file.

Step 6 When you have finished editing the output log file, save it as a CSV file with a new name.

Step 7 Run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard again with the CSV file that you saved in Step 6.

Step 8 Repeat this procedure until all subscriber accounts are created without error, and then proceed to the "After Creating Subscriber Accounts" section.


Using the Cisco Unity Administrator to Create AMIS Subscriber Accounts

By using the Cisco Unity Administrator, you can create AMIS subscriber accounts one at a time. When you add a new AMIS subscriber account, Cisco Unity creates a contact or a custom recipient. (If Cisco Unity uses an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 server as its partner server, a contact is created in Active Directory. If Cisco Unity uses an Exchange 5.5 server as its partner server, a custom recipient is created in the Exchange 5.5 directory.)

To create an AMIS subscriber account, do the following procedure.

To Add a New AMIS Subscriber by Using the Cisco Unity Administrator


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the Subscribers > Subscribers > Profile page.

Step 2 Click the Add icon.

Step 3 Click New and select AMIS from the list.

Step 4 Enter the First Name and Last Name.

Step 5 Enter the Extension of the AMIS subscriber on Cisco Unity. This is the number that Cisco Unity subscribers use when addressing a message to this AMIS subscriber.

Step 6 Select the Subscriber Template to use.

Step 7 Enter the Remote Mailbox Number, which is the number that the remote voice messaging system uses to route messages to this AMIS subscriber.

Step 8 Select the Delivery Location with which the subscriber is associated.

Step 9 Click Add.

Step 10 On the subscriber record, customize settings as applicable, and then click the Save icon.


After Creating Subscriber Accounts

After creating AMIS subscriber accounts, consider the following:

It takes a few minutes for the newly-created subscriber account to be available to receive messages.

You can make changes to subscriber settings for individual accounts in the Cisco Unity Administrator. For details, refer to the "Subscriber Settings" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.

When you want to modify unique subscriber settings—such as primary or alternate extensions—for multiple subscribers at once, you can (re)run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard. To learn more, refer to the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard Help.

When a subscriber leaves the organization or otherwise no longer needs a Cisco Unity account, you can delete the subscriber account.

See the "Deleting AMIS Subscribers" section for details.

Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging to Include AMIS Subscribers

When a person on a remote voice messaging system who has a corresponding AMIS subscriber account calls a Cisco Unity subscriber and leaves a message, by default Cisco Unity will not identify the message as being from the AMIS subscriber. For Cisco Unity to identify callers whose calling number matches the extension or alternate extension of an AMIS subscriber, identified subscriber messaging (ISM) must be extended to include AMIS subscribers. See the following sections as applicable to your installation.

Installations with Multiple Cisco Unity Servers Networked via Digital Networking

Single-Server Installations

Installations with Multiple Cisco Unity Servers Networked via Digital Networking

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked via Digital Networking, enabling ISM to include AMIS subscribers requires the following:

1. The Cisco Unity servers must be connected to the same phone system or phone system network as described in the "Dialing Domains" section.

2. The servers must be configured to be in the same dialing domain, as described in the "Customizing the Primary Location" section.

3. The automated attendant search scope on each server must be set to the dialing domain as described in the "Setting the Automated Attendant Search Scope" section.

4. The applicable permissions on each server must be set, as described in the "Setting Permissions on Active Directory Containers Used for Importing Subscribers" section.

5. Identified subscriber messaging on each server must be enabled as described in the "Enabling Identified Subscriber Messaging" section.

6. Identified subscriber messaging on each server must be extended for AMIS subscribers as described in the "Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging" section.

Single-Server Installations

In installations with only one Cisco Unity server, enabling ISM to include AMIS subscribers requires the following:

1. The server must be configured with a dialing domain name, as described in the "Customizing the Primary Location" section.

2. The applicable permissions must be set, as described in the "Setting Permissions on Active Directory Containers Used for Importing Subscribers" section.

3. Identified subscriber messaging must be enabled as described in the "Enabling Identified Subscriber Messaging" section.

4. Identified subscriber messaging must be extended for AMIS subscribers as described in the "Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging" section.

Setting Permissions on Active Directory Containers Used for Importing Subscribers

If you will be importing contacts from two or more containers (for all of the Cisco Unity servers combined), the Cisco Unity message store services account on each Cisco Unity server must be granted SendAs permission on every container from which contacts will be imported on every Cisco Unity server in the forest. Otherwise, identified subscriber messaging may not work between Cisco Unity servers. For example, if CiscoUnityServer1 will import contacts from Container1 and Container2, and if CiscoUnityServer2 will import contacts from Container3 and Container4, Cisco Unity message store services account on each Cisco Unity server must have SendAs permission for all four containers.

To Set the Applicable Permissions


Step 1 On the Cisco Unity server desktop, double-click the Cisco Unity Tools Depot icon.

Step 2 In the left pane of the Tools Depot window, expand Administration Tools.

Step 3 Double-click Permissions Wizard.

Step 4 Do one of the following:

Choose a common parent container.

Click Next without changing any options until you reach the Set Active Directory Container for Import page.

Choose all of the containers from which contacts will be imported by choosing a common parent container.

Choose all of the containers from which contacts will be imported by running Permissions Wizard more than once on each server. Every time you run Permissions Wizard:

Click Next without changing any options until you reach the Set Active Directory Container for Import page.

Choose a different container each time.

Choose the same Active Directory account for the Cisco Unity message store services account.

Click Next without changing any options until you reach the Choose the Account to Own Cisco Unity Message Store Services page.

Choose the same Active Directory account for the Cisco Unity message store services account on every Cisco Unity server.

Step 5 Repeat Step 1 through Step 4 on each Cisco Unity in the forest.


Enabling Identified Subscriber Messaging


Note If the system is using failover, you must make this change on both the primary and secondary servers, because the setting is stored in the registry.


To Enable Identified Subscriber Messaging


Step 1 In the Cisco Unity Administrator, go to the System > Configuration Settings page.

Step 2 In the Identified Subscriber Messaging section, uncheck the Subscribers Are Identified as Message Senders Only if They Log On check box.

Identified subscriber messaging for subscribers on the same Cisco Unity server is enabled when the check box is unchecked. By default, the box is unchecked.

Step 3 Click the Save icon.


Extending Identified Subscriber Messaging

After identified subscriber messaging has been enabled, you must extend it to include AMIS subscribers.

To Extend Identified Messaging


Step 1 On the Cisco Unity server desktop, double-click the Cisco Unity Tools Depot icon.

Step 2 In the left pane, under Administrative Tools, double-click Advanced Settings Tool.

Step 3 In the Unity Settings pane, click Networking - Enable Identified Subscriber Messaging (ISM) for AMIS, Bridge, and VPIM Subscribers.

Step 4 In the New Value list, click 1, then click Set.

Step 5 When prompted, click OK.

Step 6 Click Exit.

Step 7 Restart Cisco Unity for the registry setting to take effect.


AMIS Concepts and Definitions

The following sections explain AMIS concepts in detail:

Introduction to AMIS

Port Usage and Schedules

UAmis Mailbox

Voice Connector and AMIS Networking

Locations and AMIS Networking

Message Addressing Options

Blind Addressing and AMIS Networking

AMIS Subscribers

Identified Subscriber Messaging

Live Reply to AMIS Subscribers

Deleting AMIS Subscribers

Extension Addresses

Determining How AMIS Subscribers Appear in the Outlook Address Book

Migrating Subscribers from Another Voice Messaging System to Cisco Unity

Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers

Introduction to AMIS

In AMIS terminology, Cisco Unity and the other voice messaging systems that it communicates with are called nodes. Each node is assigned a unique ID, referred to as a Node ID. The node that places an AMIS call and delivers messages is called the originating node. The node that answers the AMIS call and receives messages is called the destination node. If a particular system acts as both an originating node and a destination node, its Node ID is the same for both functions. AMIS nodes correspond to locations in Cisco Unity.

The Cisco Unity subscribers and the users on the other voice messaging systems are identified by mailbox numbers. On Cisco Unity, the mailbox number for a subscriber is the same as the subscriber extension.

Voice messages are transmitted between nodes by using ordinary phone connections. When one node calls another by dialing a specified delivery phone number, the originating node transmits its Node ID by using a sequence of touchtones. If the destination node accepts the call, the originating node transmits each voice message by using analog playback, and the destination node records each message and delivers it to the applicable mailbox. For detailed information about the touchtones that are transmitted during an AMIS call, refer to the White Paper: AMIS Analog Networking Definitions, which is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/whitpapr/amis.htm.

In compliance with the AMIS protocol, Cisco Unity batches outgoing messages by node, with a maximum of 9 messages per batch. If there are more than 9 messages for a particular node, Cisco Unity ends the AMIS session after sending the ninth message, hangs up for a brief period of time, and then redials the node to send the next batch of messages.

The AMIS protocol specifies that a message be a maximum of eight minutes long. During an AMIS transmission, before playing a message, the originating node sends the destination node the length of the message. If the message is too long, the destination node may refuse the message and skip to the next message. However, some voice messaging systems will accept longer messages. If the voice messaging system refuses the message, a non-delivery receipt (NDR) is returned to the sender. If a subscriber sends a message that is longer than eight minutes, Cisco Unity will attempt to transmit it. In addition, Cisco Unity may accept messages longer than eight minutes. For each incoming message, Cisco Unity checks the space available in the subscriber mailbox and the Maximum Message Length setting on the Subscriber > Messages page to determine whether to accept the message.

Incoming AMIS messages are delivered to subscriber mailboxes only, and cannot be delivered to public distribution lists.

Note that for incoming AMIS calls, the initial "handshake" between the originating system and Cisco Unity must take place in a call handler, such as the Opening Greeting call handler. For AMIS Networking to be properly configured, you need to ensure that all incoming AMIS calls are routed to a call handler. When Cisco Unity is initially installed, the default setting is for the call routing table to route calls to the Opening Greeting call handler; thus it is properly configured for AMIS Networking. If the call routing table has been modified after installation, you need to make sure that a rule is in place in your call routing table to route any incoming AMIS calls to a call handler.

Port Usage and Schedules

In the Cisco Unity Telephony Integration Manager (UTIM) and in the Cisco Unity Administrator on the System > Ports page, you can designate which ports on your system are used for outgoing AMIS calls. All ports are used for incoming AMIS calls.

AMIS transmissions can be lengthy and thus tie up ports on your Cisco Unity server. For example, 10 hours of AMIS messages take at least 10 hours of port time to transmit. A 2-minute message sent to a public distribution list that contains 200 AMIS recipients results in 200 messages in the outbound queue, and would require at least 6.5 hours of port time to transmit.

When multiple ports have been designated for outgoing AMIS messages, Cisco Unity uses all designated ports as message traffic warrants. The total number of ports used is limited by the availability of ports that have been designated for outgoing AMIS calls. For example, if there are 10 ports available for outgoing AMIS messages, and 10 hours of messages to deliver, then all 10 ports are used for message delivery, and the time to transmit all of the messages will be about one hour plus the time it takes to place the calls and establish the AMIS sessions.

Outbound messages are sorted according to their destination, and then batched into groups of 9. If there are multiple destinations, multiple ports are used to transmit the messages. If there are numerous messages to one destination, each batch of messages (with a maximum of 9 per batch) is transmitted on a different port, if one is available. In other words, if you have multiple ports designated for AMIS message delivery, then multiple ports will be used to handle the messages to a single node, as needed. As the number of messages for a particular node increases, an additional port is added when the number of outgoing messages reaches a multiple of 9. For example, one port will be used for message delivery if there are 9 or fewer messages to a node. For 10-18 messages, two ports will be used. For 19-27 messages, three ports will be used, and so on.

After a port starts an AMIS session, it continues sending messages as long as there are messages to be sent. The only time a port disconnects is when there are no more outgoing messages, or after it sends the ninth message to the same node. In this case, the port disconnects briefly, and then continues sending messages if there are more messages that need to be sent.

Because the transmission of outgoing AMIS messages can tie up voice ports for long periods of time, you may want to adjust the schedule so that outgoing AMIS calls are placed during closed hours or at times when Cisco Unity is not processing many calls. Additionally, if most or all of your AMIS delivery numbers are long distance, you may want to schedule the outgoing AMIS calls when the long distance phone rates are lower. Keep in mind, however, that outgoing messages are queued up in the UAmis mailbox, so there must be sufficient storage available if you restrict the delivery window.

You can override the AMIS schedule so that messages marked urgent are sent immediately. Additionally, by setting up a restriction table, you can specify which delivery numbers are sent immediately and which numbers must wait for the AMIS schedule to become active.

If you adjust the AMIS schedule so that outgoing AMIS calls are made only after normal business hours, be sure to inform subscribers. They may choose to contact users on the other voice messaging system directly, or send e-mail, rather than send a voice message that will not be delivered immediately.

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, you can set up a "bridgehead" Cisco Unity server to handle all AMIS calls—both inbound and outbound—for all of the Cisco Unity servers in the network. This way, the ports on just one Cisco Unity server are used for AMIS messages.

For additional information, see the following:

UAmis Mailbox

Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers

AMIS Delivery Options Settings

AMIS Schedule Settings

Also refer to the "Voice Messaging Port Settings" section in the "System Settings" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. (The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.)

UAmis Mailbox

Outgoing AMIS messages are placed in a special Exchange mailbox, which has the display name UAmis_<Server name>. Before AMIS messages can be transmitted, you must create the UAmis mailbox (see the "Creating the UAmis Mailbox" section).

When Cisco Unity and its partner Exchange server are on the same computer, the UAmis Exchange mailbox is created on the Cisco Unity server. When the partner Exchange server is not on the same computer as Cisco Unity, the UAmis mailbox is created on the partner Exchange server.

The storage limits for the UAmis mailbox are set to the limits defined for the mailbox store in which the UAmis mailbox is created. You can change the storage limit for the UAmis mailbox by using the Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 System Manager or Exchange 5.5 Administrator, as applicable. If the UAmis mailbox is full, subsequent outgoing messages cannot be delivered, and the sender receives a NDR.

Consider the following when determining whether limits should be set on the UAmis mailbox:

If the AMIS dialing restrictions and schedule are configured such that AMIS messages are delivered only during specified periods of the day, messages are queued up in the UAmis mailbox. The storage limit must be high enough to store all AMIS messages during the non-delivery periods.

There could be times during the day when the number of AMIS messages spikes, particularly if the UAmis mailbox handles AMIS traffic for multiple Cisco Unity servers. The storage limit must be high enough to handle this.

If hard disk space on the Exchange server is limited, you may want to set a limit to ensure that available space is not exceeded.

You may want to monitor the outgoing AMIS message traffic by running the AMIS Out Traffic Report before setting limits on the UAmis mailbox. For more information, refer to the "AMIS Out Traffic Report" section in the "Reports" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. (The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.)

The UAmis mailbox can be moved and deleted just like any other Exchange mailbox, by using standard Microsoft tools. To avoid inadvertently moving or deleting the UAmis mailbox, consider changing the Exchange display name so that the mailbox is more clearly identified to you or the Exchange administrator as requiring "special" treatment.


Caution After installing the UAmis mailbox, if you later move it to another Exchange server, you will have to stop and restart Cisco Unity after the move. Otherwise, messages get stuck in the mailbox.

Messages are sent from the UAmis mailbox at one or more of the following times:

When a message is marked urgent, and the AMIS delivery option settings allow urgent messages to be sent immediately.

When the AMIS restriction table allows the delivery number of a message.

When the AMIS schedule becomes active.

When AMIS messages are sent, Cisco Unity follows the AMIS protocol. It batches the outgoing messages by destination, with a maximum of nine messages per batch. If there are more than nine messages for a particular destination, Cisco Unity ends the AMIS session after sending the ninth message, hangs up for a brief period of time, and then redials the delivery number to send the next batch of messages. Messages that have not been sent when the schedule becomes inactive remain in the UAmis mailbox until the schedule becomes active again. An error is logged in the Windows Application Event log when messages remain in the UAmis mailbox for more than 24 hours. See the "Maintenance" section for information about monitoring the UAmis mailbox.

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, the UAmis mailbox needs to be created only on those Cisco Unity servers that will place and receive AMIS calls. See the "Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers" section for more information.

Voice Connector and AMIS Networking

The Voice Connector allows Cisco Unity to send and receive AMIS messages. When subscribers use the phone to address a message to an AMIS recipient, Cisco Unity constructs an address with the form AMIS:<Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox> for the message. The Voice Connector is registered with Exchange to handle messages with the AMIS address type. For an outbound message to an AMIS recipient, the Voice Connector transforms the message properties and delivers the message to the UAmis mailbox. For installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers, the Voice Connector delivers the message to the UAmis mailbox associated with the Cisco Unity server on which the AMIS location or AMIS subscriber was created.

There are two versions of the Voice Connector. The version that you use depends on your Exchange network:

When your network consists only of Exchange 5.5 servers, you install the Voice Connector for Exchange 5.5.

When your network consists only of Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 servers, or a mixture of Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 and Exchange 5.5 servers, you install the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000.


Note The Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 version 11.0(1) or later can be installed on either an Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 server.



Caution If your network consists of both Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 servers, do not use the Exchange 5.5 Administrator to manage the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000. Use the Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 System Administrator to manage the Voice Connector. To avoid system errors, use the Exchange 5.5 Administrator to configure Exchange 5.5 objects, and use the applicable MMC snap-in to configure Exchange 2000 or Exchange 2003 objects.

See the "Setting Up the Voice Connector for AMIS Networking" section for information about setting up the Voice Connector.

Locations and AMIS Networking

Central to how you set up AMIS is a Cisco Unity object called a location. Each Cisco Unity server is associated with one location referred to as the default or primary location, which is created during installation and which cannot be deleted. When setting up AMIS, you give the primary location a new name and a Dial ID (which is an identifier for the location within Cisco Unity), enter the AMIS Node ID, and customize other properties as applicable. The AMIS Node ID on the primary location is transmitted on all outgoing AMIS calls and identifies your Cisco Unity system to the destination nodes. See the "Primary Location Profile Settings" section on page 7-1 for more information.

You create a delivery location in Cisco Unity to correspond to each remote voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates. Delivery locations contain the information that Cisco Unity needs to exchange messages with other nodes—the Delivery Phone Number and the AMIS Node ID. See the "AMIS Delivery Location Profile Settings" section for more information.

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, the delivery locations should be created only on those Cisco Unity servers that will place and receive AMIS calls. See the "Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers" section for more information.

Message Addressing Options

Cisco Unity provides the following message addressing options:

Blind addressing—Allows Cisco Unity subscribers to send messages to subscribers on the remote voice messaging system even though the recipient mailbox number, name, and recorded name are not in the directory. Even though Cisco Unity cannot provide voice name confirmation (hence the term "blind addressing"), the message is addressed and sent. See the "Blind Addressing and AMIS Networking" section for more information.

AMIS subscribers—Allows Cisco Unity subscribers to get voice name confirmation when addressing messages to subscribers on the remote voice messaging system. AMIS subscribers are a representation in Cisco Unity of the subscribers on the remote messaging system. AMIS subscribers are created in Cisco Unity to enable Cisco Unity subscribers to find them in the directory and send them messages as they would with any other subscriber. See the "AMIS Subscribers" section for more information.

Message Addressing Limitations

Subscribers can use the Cisco Unity phone conversation (also known as the telephone user interface, or TUI), ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook, or the Cisco Unity Inbox to reply to and forward AMIS messages just as they do with regular voice messages. However, when sending or retrieving AMIS messages, subscribers will encounter the following limitations:

AMIS messages marked urgent when they are sent are not marked urgent when they are retrieved by the recipient.

AMIS messages marked private when they are sent are not marked private when they are retrieved by the recipient.

Requests for return receipts on AMIS messages are not honored.

E-mail messages cannot be sent to AMIS recipients even though ViewMail allows subscribers to address them. Instead of being delivered, e-mail messages sent to AMIS recipients are returned to the sender as NDRs.

(Note that in version 3.1 and earlier, the Cisco Unity Inbox was known as the Visual Messaging Interface or VMI.)

Blind Addressing and AMIS Networking

AMIS blind addressing is one of the methods that Cisco Unity provides for addressing AMIS messages to users of another voice messaging system. Blind addressing allows Cisco Unity subscribers to send messages to subscribers on the remote voice messaging system even though the recipient mailbox number, name, and recorded name are not in the directory. Even though Cisco Unity cannot provide voice name confirmation (hence the term "blind addressing"), the message is addressed and sent.

One of the steps to setting up blind addressing is adjusting the Blind Addressing setting on the Primary Location > Addressing Options page. You also create a delivery location that corresponds to each voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates.

You provide the following information for each delivery location:

Delivery Phone Number—The number that Cisco Unity dials to reach the other voice messaging system.

AMIS Node ID—The number used by Cisco Unity to identify the remote voice messaging system during an AMIS transmission. For incoming calls, Cisco Unity searches the AMIS delivery locations for an AMIS Node ID that matches the value transmitted by the originating node. If a corresponding location is not found, Cisco Unity follows the AMIS protocol and rejects the call without recording messages.

Dial ID—A unique number that identifies the location to Cisco Unity. This is the number that subscribers dial when blind addressing messages to individuals who use the remote voice messaging system.

When blind addressing a message, subscribers dial a number that is made up of the delivery location Dial ID and the mailbox number of the recipient. Before addressing the message, Cisco Unity parses the number that the subscriber entered and searches for a matching delivery location. If Cisco Unity does not find a matching location, it reports the error to the sender and does not address the message. If a matching delivery location is found, Cisco Unity addresses the message without verifying that the remote mailbox number exists. Cisco Unity does provide voice name confirmation that the delivery location exists before addressing the message (assuming a voice name was recorded for the delivery location).

Because your Cisco Unity server does not have access to the names and extensions of the users on the other voice messaging system, subscribers cannot use spelling mode when blind addressing a message to someone on the other system.

Subscribers can also address voice messages in ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook and in the Cisco Unity Inbox to someone on the remote voice messaging system by using the following format: [AMIS:<Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox>]. For example, to send a message to Dial ID 206, mailbox 555, the address is: [AMIS:206_555]; the brackets must be included in the address. (Note that in version 3.1 and earlier, the Cisco Unity Inbox was known as the Visual Messaging Interface or VMI.)

For administrators of Cisco Unity, blind addressing is the option that requires the least amount of work to set up. However, subscribers will encounter some limitations when blind addressing messages to users on the other voice messaging system. Subscribers can address the message only by using number mode, so they must know the delivery location Dial ID and the mailbox number for the recipient. Additionally, Cisco Unity cannot verify that the number entered is correct, so subscribers may inadvertently address a message to the wrong person or to a non-existent mailbox.

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, when subscribers use blind addressing to address messages to someone at an AMIS location, the AMIS transmission originates from the Cisco Unity server on which the AMIS delivery location was created. See the "Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers" section for more information.

AMIS Subscribers

AMIS subscribers are a representation in Cisco Unity of the subscribers on the remote messaging system. AMIS subscribers are created in Cisco Unity to enable Cisco Unity subscribers to find them in the directory and send them messages as they would with any other subscriber. Voice messages addressed to AMIS subscribers are sent to the voice messaging system that they use. To set up AMIS subscribers, you first create an AMIS delivery location that corresponds to each remote voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates.

After creating the delivery location(s), you create an AMIS subscriber account for each remote user. When creating each AMIS subscriber account, you specify the user mailbox number on the other voice messaging system and select the AMIS delivery location with which the AMIS subscriber is associated. Cisco Unity uses the Delivery Phone Number and AMIS Node ID from the associated delivery location when delivering messages to the AMIS subscriber.

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, AMIS subscribers can be associated only with AMIS delivery locations created on your Cisco Unity server. When subscribers address messages to an AMIS subscriber, the AMIS transmission originates from the Cisco Unity server on which the AMIS subscriber was created. See the "Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers" section for more information.

AMIS subscribers in Cisco Unity are represented as custom recipients in Exchange 5.5 and as contacts in Active Directory. When you delete AMIS subscribers in the Cisco Unity Administrator either by deleting individual accounts or by deleting a delivery location that the AMIS subscribers are associated with, the underlying contacts/custom recipients are removed automatically.

You create and manage AMIS subscriber accounts in much the same way that you do regular subscriber accounts. You can use the Cisco Unity Administrator to create, modify, and delete AMIS subscriber accounts one at a time, and you can use the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard to create and modify multiple AMIS subscriber accounts.

Extensions are mandatory for AMIS subscriber accounts. The extension, which must be unique across the dialing domain, is the number that subscribers dial when addressing a message to an AMIS subscriber. This number may or may not be the same as the mailbox number of the AMIS subscriber on the remote voice messaging system. Callers who reach the opening greeting of your organization can dial the extension of an AMIS subscriber or look up an AMIS subscriber in directory assistance and leave a message.

Other than receiving messages, AMIS subscribers do not have access to other Cisco Unity features, and some sections of the Cisco Unity Administrator are disabled for AMIS subscribers. AMIS subscribers:

Cannot log on to Cisco Unity by phone to check or send messages.

Cannot log on to Cisco Unity by phone—or use the Cisco Unity Assistant—to adjust personal settings, so their recorded names and greetings can only be recorded or changed in the Cisco Unity Administrator. (Note that in version 3.1 and earlier, the Cisco Unity Assistant was known as the ActiveAssistant, or AA.)

Cannot use the Cisco Unity Inbox to check messages. (Note that in version 3.1 and earlier, the Cisco Unity Inbox was known as the Visual Messaging Interface or VMI.)

Cannot own private lists.

Cannot set up or receive message notifications.

Cannot receive message waiting indications.

Setting up AMIS subscribers requires more overhead for administrators of Cisco Unity than AMIS blind addressing does. However, the AMIS subscriber option allows other subscribers to address messages to AMIS subscribers the same way that they address messages to regular subscribers.

Subscriber Experience with AMIS Subscribers

Provided that AMIS subscribers are listed in the phone directory and have had voice names and greetings recorded for them:

Subscribers can address messages to AMIS subscribers by using the phone, ViewMail for Microsoft Outlook, or the Cisco Unity Inbox.

Contacts (or custom recipients) that correspond to AMIS subscribers are included in Exchange address lists, which means that they are listed in the Outlook address book (unless the contact has been explicitly prevented from appearing there) and the Cisco Unity Inbox address book. Therefore, message addressing to AMIS subscribers—either by using Outlook or the Cisco Unity Inbox—is the same as for regular subscribers.

When using the phone, subscribers can address messages to AMIS subscribers in spelled-name mode (if enabled on the system) or by extension.

Subscribers get voice name confirmation when addressing a message to a AMIS subscriber.

When subscribers use the phone to listen to messages, the conversation announces who the message is from.

AMIS subscribers can be added to distribution lists.

Note that when Cisco Unity records a message from an unidentified caller for an AMIS subscriber, the Dial ID of the primary location is used as the sending mailbox. Although AMIS subscribers can reply to these messages, the messages are returned to the Unity Messaging System mailbox as NDRs.

Identified Subscriber Messaging

Identified subscriber messaging (ISM) affects what subscribers hear when they call other subscribers from their primary or alternate extensions and are forwarded to the greetings of the subscribers they call. If they then leave a message, ISM affects what the called subscriber hears and can do when listening to the message. When ISM is enabled, Cisco Unity recognizes that the calling extension is associated with a subscriber and accordingly plays the internal greeting of the called subscriber. Additionally, when the called subscriber later listens to the message, Cisco Unity plays the recorded voice name of the subscriber who left the message and allows the called subscriber to record a reply.

When a call to a Cisco Unity subscriber is forwarded to the subscriber greeting and ISM is enabled, Cisco Unity compares the calling number (ANI or caller ID) to the primary and alternate extensions of subscribers. If a match is found, Cisco Unity identifies the caller as a subscriber. When Cisco Unity compares the calling number to extensions, by default, only "regular" Cisco Unity subscribers on the local system are included in the comparison. Beginning with Cisco Unity 3.1(6) and 4.0(3), ISM can be expanded to include all Cisco Unity subscribers throughout a dialing domain.

In Cisco Unity 4.0(4), you can enable ISM for AMIS, Bridge, and VPIM subscribers (collectively referred to as external subscribers), so that Cisco Unity will include them when comparing calling numbers to extensions. Note the following:

After enabling ISM for external subscribers, Cisco Unity must be restarted.

If multiple Cisco Unity servers are networked via Digital Networking, ISM functionality can be made available only on the Cisco Unity servers that are in the same dialing domain as the bridgehead server.

You must enable ISM for external subscribers for each Cisco Unity server on which the functionality is desired.

If a single Cisco Unity server is in use, the Cisco Unity server must be a member of a dialing domain for this functionality to be used.

Note the difference between leaving a messaging and sending a message. When a person on the remote voice messaging system with a corresponding external subscriber account records and sends a message to a Cisco Unity subscriber (as opposed to calling and leaving a message), all versions of Cisco Unity identify the message as being from the corresponding external subscriber.

The phone system provides the calling number to Cisco Unity. The number of digits included in the calling number is configurable in most phone systems. For Cisco Unity to find a matching subscriber extension, the phone system must be configured to provide the applicable number of digits in the calling number. You may also need to add alternate extensions to the subscriber accounts to match the calling number. Additionally, there may be other phone system-specific issues that prevent Cisco Unity from matching the calling number to a subscriber extension. Refer to your phone system documentation and the applicable Cisco Unity integration guide for details about the call information provided by the phone system.

Live Reply to AMIS Subscribers

Live reply allows subscribers who listen to their messages by phone to respond to messages from other subscribers by calling them. When live reply is enabled, subscribers listening to messages by phone can reply to a subscriber message by pressing 4-4 to have Cisco Unity call the subscriber directly. (Subscribers using Optional Conversation 1 press 8-8 for live reply.) Note that whether subscribers have access to the live reply feature depends on their class of service settings. (Live reply is enabled on the Subscribers > Class of Service > Messages page in the Cisco Unity Administrator.)

As of Cisco Unity 4.0(4), subscribers can live reply to messages from subscribers on other voice messaging systems who have corresponding AMIS subscriber accounts in Cisco Unity. In order for the live reply call to be successfully transferred, a call transfer number must be configured for the AMIS subscribers.

Note that a live reply to an AMIS subscriber is always done via a release to phone system transfer, even when both the Cisco Unity subscriber who is replying to a message and the AMIS subscriber have accounts on the same Cisco Unity server. On a release to switch transfer, Cisco Unity dials the call transfer number configured for the AMIS subscriber and hangs up, leaving the phone system to handle the call. Note the following limitations with release to switch transfers:

The AMIS subscriber call screening, call holding, and announce features are ignored.

The call transfer setting "No (Send Directly to Subscriber's Greeting)" is ignored. Cisco Unity dials the AMIS subscriber extension and hangs up. If the subscriber extension is a valid extension on the phone system that Cisco Unity is integrated with, then the subscriber phone rings. If the subscriber extension is not a valid phone extension, what happens to the call after that depends on the phone system and how it is configured. If you do not configure the phone system to handle calls to the subscriber extensions, the caller may be disconnected.

Note the following:

Live reply to AMIS subscribers is enabled automatically, and cannot be disabled.

Live replies to AMIS subscribers with accounts on other Cisco Unity servers do not use the cross-server live reply functionality that is used to live reply to Cisco Unity subscribers with accounts on other Cisco Unity servers. However, for live reply to be offered when a Cisco Unity subscriber replies to a message from an AMIS subscriber with a subscriber account on another Cisco Unity server, the servers must be in the same dialing domain.

Deleting AMIS Subscribers

Each AMIS Subscriber is associated with a directory object, which is either an Active Directory contact or an Exchange 5.5 custom recipient. When you delete AMIS subscribers in the Cisco Unity Administrator by deleting the subscriber accounts individually, the underlying directory objects are automatically deleted. To delete all of the AMIS subscribers associated with a delivery location, the underlying contacts for those subscribers, and the delivery location itself, use the Global Subscriber Manager, available in Tools Depot.

Extension Addresses

When you create an AMIS subscriber, Cisco Unity automatically generates an e-mail address in the following format:
AMIS:<Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox>

This special e-mail address is called an extension address. The extension address is a combination of the delivery location Dial ID with which the AMIS subscriber is associated, and the Remote Mailbox Number of the AMIS subscriber. Each contact in Active Directory that corresponds to an AMIS subscriber contains an extension address. Similarly, each custom recipient in Exchange 5.5 that corresponds to an AMIS subscriber contains an extension address.

When subscribers use the phone to address messages to an AMIS subscriber, they dial an extension. Cisco Unity recognizes the recipient as an AMIS subscriber and retrieves the extension address from the SQL database on the Cisco Unity server.

Extension addresses are generated automatically when you create AMIS subscribers, and as of Cisco Unity 4.0(3), extension addresses are automatically updated if you change the Dial ID of a delivery location. (Because the extension addresses are now updated automatically, the Extension Address utility is no longer included with the tools that ship with Cisco Unity.)

Determining How AMIS Subscribers Appear in the Outlook Address Book

Depending on your installation, the users of the remote voice messaging system may already have Windows accounts and Exchange mailboxes on your local network. Therefore, when AMIS subscriber accounts are created for them, the Exchange address lists will contain duplicate listings—the existing user account and a new contact (or custom recipeint). Both listings are included in the Outlook address book. This means that people may inadvertently send e-mail messages to the contact, which should be used only for addressing voice messages.

To discourage people from inadvertently sending e-mail messages to AMIS subscribers, you can prevent the associated contact (or custom recipeint) from appearing in the Outlook address book. Alternatively, you can change how the display name for the contact appears in the Outlook address book so that subscribers can distinguish the contact from a user account. In this way, you can reduce the number of e-mail messages inadvertently sent to contacts and simplify addressing for those who send voice messages to AMIS subscribers at the same time.

If you prefer that the associated contacts for subscribers do not appear in the Outlook address book at all, see the "Preventing Contacts From Appearing in the Outlook Address Book" section.

Alternatively, if you want to alter how contacts appear in the Outlook address book, see the "Modifying How Contacts Appear in the Outlook Address Book" section.

Preventing Contacts From Appearing in the Outlook Address Book

Either before or after you create AMIS subscriber accounts, you can prevent the associated contact (or custom recipeint) from appearing in the Outlook address book by hiding the contacts from Exchange address lists. When you do so, Exchange will still deliver e-mail messages addressed to an existing user account (if one exists) and to the contact. However, the number of e-mail messages sent to the contact may be reduced because subscribers cannot inadvertently pick the contact from the Outlook address book when addressing messages to them.

The method by which you prevent subscribers from appearing in Outlook address books varies depending on your version of Exchange:

Cisco Unity with Exchange 5.5

To prevent subscribers from appearing in Outlook address books, you can use either the Cisco Unity Administrator, Bulk Edit, or Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Administrator:

To do so in the Cisco Unity Administrator, uncheck the Show Subscriber In E-Mail Server Address Book check box on the Profile page for the subscriber template that you plan to use when creating AMIS subscribers, or on individual subscriber Profile pages after you have created the subscriber accounts.

To do so by using the Bulk Edit utility, refer to the Bulk Edit utility Help.

To do so in the Microsoft Exchange 5.5 Administrator, double-click a recipient, and then check the Hide From Address Book check box on the Advanced tab.

Cisco Unity with Exchange 2000 and Exchange 2003

To prevent subscribers from appearing in Outlook address books, you can use the Cisco Unity Administrator, the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard, Bulk Edit, or Windows Active Directory for Users and Computers:

To do so in the Cisco Unity Administrator, uncheck the Show Subscriber In E-Mail Server Address Book check box on the Profile page for the subscriber template that you plan to use when creating AMIS subscribers, or on individual subscriber Profile pages after you have created the subscriber accounts.

To do so by using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard or the Bulk Edit utility, refer to the Help for each tool.

To do so in Windows Active Directory for Users and Computers, select View > Advanced Features to see the Exchange Advanced property page for a user, and then check the Hide From Exchange Address Lists check box on the Exchange Advanced tab.

Modifying How Contacts Appear in the Outlook Address Book

As an alternative to preventing a contact (or custom recipeint) from appearing in the Outlook address book altogether, you may want to alter the display name for the contact so that subscribers can distinguish the contact from the user account. For example, you could append " -  Voice mail" to the display name of each AMIS subscriber, and the names would appear in the Outlook address book as follows:

Abade, Alex
Abade, Alex - Voice mail
Bader, Kelly
Bader, Kelly - Voice mail
Campbell, Terry
Campbell, Terry - Voice mail
Cho, Li
Cho, Li - Voice mail

In this way, subscribers can easily determine which address is appropriate to use when they send voice messages to AMIS subscribers. Additionally, when subscribers use the Outlook address book to address a message to a contact, they can be confident that the address is formatted correctly.

Migrating Subscribers from Another Voice Messaging System to Cisco Unity

If you are using AMIS to migrate from another voice messaging system to Cisco Unity, there are several tools that you can use to create Cisco Unity subscribers from AMIS subscriber information. See the following sections for more information:

Migrating Subscribers in Bulk

Migrating Subscribers One at a Time

Migrating Subscribers in Bulk

Following are the general steps for migrating AMIS subscribers to Cisco Unity subscribers in bulk. Refer to the Help files of each of the tools for more information. (Click the Tools Depot icon on the Cisco Unity server, and click the applicable tool in the left pane to view the Help file.)

1. As a best practice, back up the Cisco Unity server (just as a precaution because you will be deleting data).

2. Run Subscriber Information Dump from Tools Depot, and output the AMIS subscriber information to a CSV file.

3. Modify the output CSV file as needed so that you can use it as the input file when you create Cisco Unity subscribers by using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard.

4. Run Global Subscriber Manager from Tools Depot to delete the AMIS delivery locations and associated AMIS subscribers and underlying contacts.

5. Optionally, create Windows domain accounts if they have not already been created. Alternatively, you can let the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard create the accounts.

6. Optionally, create Exchange mailboxes if they have not already been created. Alternatively, you can let the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard create the mailboxes.

7. Run the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard using the input file that you prepared in Step 3.

Migrating Subscribers One at a Time

If you have set up AMIS subscriber accounts for the subscribers on another voice messaging system, and if they have existing Exchange mailboxes, you may want to use the Migrate Subscriber Data utility when the time comes to migrate them to Cisco Unity. The Migrate Subscriber Data utility creates a Cisco Unity subscriber account by combining the Cisco Unity-specific data from an existing AMIS subscriber account (such as the voice name) with an existing mail user. The utility then deletes the AMIS subscriber account and the associated Active Directory contact (or Exchange 5.5 custom recipient).

The Migrate Subscriber Data utility is available in Tools Depot on the Cisco Unity server. Refer to the Help file that comes with the utility for more information.

Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers

In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, when subscribers address messages to an AMIS delivery location (by using blind addressing) or to an AMIS subscriber, the AMIS transmission originates from the Cisco Unity server on which the AMIS delivery location was created. (Note that AMIS subscribers are always created on the same Cisco Unity server as their associated AMIS delivery locations.)

When subscribers address a message to someone on the remote voice messaging system, the Voice Connector delivers the message to the UAmis mailbox associated with the Cisco Unity server on which the addressed AMIS delivery location was created. The AMIS schedule and the AMIS delivery options on the pertinent Cisco Unity server are applied.

Only one Cisco Unity server in the network needs to be set up for AMIS. If allowed by the primary location addressing options, all subscribers, no matter which Cisco Unity server they are associated with, can send messages to an AMIS delivery location or to an AMIS subscriber. The Cisco Unity server configured for AMIS acts as the AMIS "bridgehead" server for the other Cisco Unity servers in the network. For example, in Figure 4-1, there are three Cisco Unity servers in the network, but Unity 2 is the only server configured for AMIS. Unity 2 places and receives all of the AMIS calls. Thus, no matter which Cisco Unity server a subscriber is associated with, when the subscriber sends a message to someone on another voice messaging system, the message is routed to the UAmis mailbox associated with Unity 2. This mailbox is homed on the Exchange server that was selected during the setup of Unity 2.

Figure 4-1 AMIS Bridgehead Configuration

Design Considerations

Because AMIS calls are placed and answered on the Cisco Unity server on which the AMIS delivery locations were created, you can configure your Cisco Unity servers as needed to handle AMIS traffic.

You can set up a bridgehead topology by designating one Cisco Unity server in the network to handle sending and receiving AMIS calls. See Figure 4-1.

Recall that the dialout for an outbound AMIS message originates from the Cisco Unity server on which an AMIS delivery location was created. If the AMIS traffic is too heavy for one Cisco Unity server to handle, you can balance the load by setting up multiple AMIS bridgehead servers. In this case, you need to determine which AMIS delivery locations and AMIS subscribers to create on each of the Cisco Unity servers, and keep a record of the mapping.

For example, assume that there are two AMIS bridgehead servers, Bridgehead A and Bridgehead B, and there are four AMIS delivery locations called London, Paris, Goose Creek, and Monks Corner. You anticipate that message delivery to the London and Paris delivery locations will be heavy, and that message delivery to the Goose Creek and Monks Corner delivery locations will not be as heavy. You can balance the load by creating the London and Goose Creek delivery locations on Bridgehead A, and create the Paris and Monks Corner delivery locations on Bridgehead B. This ensures that the AMIS traffic for the two heavy AMIS locations is split up between the two bridgehead servers, rather than one trying to deliver all of the messages by itself.

For organizations with Cisco Unity servers deployed in different areas around the country or the world, it may be possible to set up a least-cost-routing topology to minimize or eliminate long distance phone charges related to AMIS transmissions.

For example, assume there are Cisco Unity servers in Chicago and in New York, and that there is also another voice messaging system in New York to which subscribers in Chicago want to send messages. To avoid long distance phone charges when subscribers in Chicago send messages to individuals who use the remote voice messaging system in New York, you create an AMIS delivery location, and optionally, AMIS subscribers, on the New York Cisco Unity server. When subscribers associated with the Chicago Cisco Unity server address messages to the AMIS subscribers in New York, the messages are first delivered by Exchange and the Voice Connector to the UAmis mailbox associated with the New York Cisco Unity server. Then the New York Cisco Unity server dials a local number to deliver the message to the remote voice messaging system, thus avoiding long distance phone charges.

Maintenance

Cisco Unity monitors AMIS transmissions and the UAmis mailbox, and logs error events to the Windows Application Event log. Outgoing messages that cannot be delivered are returned to the sender, or to the Unaddressed Messages public distribution list if Cisco Unity cannot determine who the sender is.

For detailed information about the touchtones that are transmitted during an AMIS call, refer to the White Paper: AMIS Analog Networking Definitions, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/whitpapr/amis.htm. You can use the StatusMonitor.exe utility in the \CommServer\TechTools directory on the Cisco Unity server to monitor AMIS transmissions.

Cisco Unity also provides reports on AMIS message traffic. For more information, refer to the "AMIS Out Traffic Report" and the "AMIS In Traffic Report" sections in the "Reports" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. (The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.)

Although Cisco Unity monitors the UAmis mailbox, you may want to check the UAmis mailbox periodically to confirm that messages are being sent in a timely manner. For example, if there are still messages to be sent when the AMIS schedule becomes inactive, they remain in the UAmis mailbox until the AMIS schedule becomes active again. If messages are often left in the UAmis mailbox, you may need to adjust the AMIS schedule or designate more voice ports for outgoing AMIS calls. Access to the UAmis mailbox is also needed when troubleshooting outbound message delivery problems.

In order to use Microsoft Outlook to access the UAmis mailbox, use the following procedure to add the UAmis mailbox to the user profile of someone with administrative rights to Exchange. Refer to the Outlook documentation for more information.

To Add the UAmis Mailbox to a User Profile


Step 1 Start Microsoft Outlook.

Step 2 On the Tools menu, click Services.

Step 3 On the Services tab, in The Following Information Services Are Set Up in This Profile box, click Microsoft Exchange Server.

Step 4 Click Properties.

Step 5 On the Advanced tab, click Add.

Step 6 In the Add Mailbox box, enter UAmis.

Step 7 Click OK three times to dismiss the dialog boxes.


AMIS Reference

This section contains tables that define the fields on the Cisco Unity Administrator web pages related to AMIS setup, and briefly explain the options for correctly entering information in the fields. See the following sections for details:

AMIS Delivery Location Profile Settings

AMIS Delivery Options Settings

AMIS Schedule Settings

AMIS Delivery Location Profile Settings

AMIS delivery locations are Cisco Unity objects that contain the addressing information that Cisco Unity needs to send messages to and receive messages from another voice messaging system. You create an AMIS delivery location that corresponds to each remote voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates.

Use the following tables to learn more about the delivery location profile settings for an AMIS location.

Table 4-1 Profile Settings Applicable to All Types of Delivery Locations 

Field
Considerations
Name

This displays the name of the delivery location. To change the name, enter a new name here, and then click the Save icon.

Dial ID

Enter the ID that identifies the location to Cisco Unity. Enter numbers only, up to a maximum of ten digits. The default minimum length is three digits.

Although the minimum length for Dial IDs can be reduced by using the Advanced Settings Tool, one- and two-digit Dial IDs may conflict with private distribution list IDs during an address search. When a subscriber addresses a message by entering a one- or two-digit number, Cisco Unity first searches for a matching private distribution list. If a match is found, the search stops. Therefore, when a subscriber addresses a message by entering a location Dial ID (to narrow down the search scope to a particular location), if the number entered matches a private distribution list ID, the conversation offers only the private distribution list as a destination. If subscribers do not address messages to other locations by first entering a Dial ID, there is no conflict, and the minimum length for Dial IDs can be reduced to accommodate complex dial plans.

When sending messages to a remote location, subscribers can dial a number that is made up of the Dial ID and the extension (or the remote mailbox number) of the recipient.

When setting up SMTP networking with a Cisco Unity server in a different directory, the ID that you enter here must match the Dial ID of the primary location at the corresponding remote Cisco Unity server.

The following policies are recommended:

Establish a fixed length for Dial IDs and if possible, a fixed length for extensions.

Assign unique Dial IDs. Dial IDs should not be the same as other Dial IDs or extensions.

Assign Dial IDs that have at least three-digits.

Use a different numbering range for Dial IDs than for extensions.

If you use variable-length Dial IDs, the first digits of each ID should be unique with respect to other Dial IDs.

Recorded Name

Record a name for the delivery location. The subscriber conversation plays this recorded name when the setting Include Locations in Searches on the Network > Primary Location > Addressing Options page is enabled. When subscribers address a message, the recorded name for this delivery location is played in the message addressing search results along with subscriber names. (For example: "There are two matches. For Chris Newton, press 1. For New York, press 2.") Additionally, the subscriber conversation plays this recorded name when subscribers address messages by using blind addressing to this delivery location.

To record the name here, use the Media Master control bar. (Note that the Media Master is not available across a firewall that blocks DCOM communications.) Use the Options menu in the Media Master control bar to set recording and playback devices, if applicable, and to use other sound files.

Destination Type

Display only. Indicates the type of delivery location. The Destination Type is specified when the delivery location is created, and it cannot be changed. The Destination Type is one of the following:

SMTP—Indicates that the delivery location corresponds to a remote Cisco Unity server that accesses a directory different than the local Cisco Unity server. Messages between the local and remote Cisco Unity servers are encoded in a proprietary format and delivered over the Internet or a private TCP/IP network by using the standard Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).

AMIS—Indicates that the delivery location corresponds to an AMIS-compliant voice messaging system. Messages are sent by using the industry-standard Audio Messaging Interchange Specification analog (AMIS-a) protocol.

Bridge—Indicates that the delivery location corresponds to an Octel node in an Octel analog network. Messages are exchanged between Cisco Unity and the Octel system by using the Cisco Unity Bridge. Cisco Unity sends messages to the Bridge in Voice Profile for Internet Mail (VPIM) format with proprietary extensions. The Bridge converts the message format and sends it to the appropriate Octel server by using the Octel Analog Networking protocol.

VPIM—Indicates that the delivery location corresponds to a VPIM-compliant voice messaging system. Messages are sent by using the industry-standard VPIM protocol over the Internet or a private TCP/IP network.


  

Table 4-2 Profile Settings Specific to AMIS Delivery Locations 

Field
Considerations
Delivery Phone Number

Enter the phone number, including trunk access code, that Cisco Unity dials for outgoing AMIS calls to the remote voice messaging system that corresponds to this delivery location.

Node ID:
Country Code, Area Code, Phone Number

Enter the numbers used to identify the remote voice messaging system that corresponds to this delivery location. This Node ID must match the Node ID that the corresponding remote voice messaging system transmits during incoming calls. Cisco Unity accepts messages only from known AMIS nodes, so the Node ID entered here must exactly match the Node ID that the remote voice messaging system transmits.

Although the Node ID numbers should contain all the information necessary for Cisco Unity to send a reply message to the originating system, this is not enforced because of the different ways in which voice messaging systems implement the AMIS protocol. Therefore, the only requirement is that the numbers entered here match the Node ID that the corresponding remote voice messaging system transmits.

The maximum number of digits for each field is:

Country Code—4 digits

Area Code—3 digits

Phone Number—8 digits

Disable Outbound Message Delivery to This AMIS Location

By default, this check box is unchecked. When an outbound AMIS call to this delivery location is answered by a person or a voice messaging system that is not AMIS-compliant (such as an answering machine), this check box is checked automatically. Checking the check box automatically prevents Cisco Unity from repeatedly attempting to deliver messages to an incorrect Delivery Phone Number.

If the call is answered by a person, Cisco Unity plays a prompt that instructs the person to prevent further calls by pressing a touchtone. If the person presses the touchtone, Cisco Unity checks this check box and disables outbound calls to this location. If the person simply hangs up, or if a voice messaging system that is not AMIS-compliant answers (such as an answering machine), Cisco Unity retries the delivery phone number according to the settings on the Network > AMIS Options > Delivery Options page. When the maximum number of retries has been reached, Cisco Unity checks this check box to disable further calls to this number.

Any messages that could not be delivered to this location remain in the UAmis mailbox until you confirm the delivery phone number and then uncheck this check box. An error is logged in the Windows Application Event log when messages remain in the UAmis mailbox for more than 24 hours.

Note that when multiple Cisco Unity servers are networked together, you can view the contents of delivery locations created on other Cisco Unity servers, and edit this field from your local server. 


 

AMIS Delivery Options Settings

The AMIS delivery options settings control attributes of outgoing AMIS calls. These settings apply to messages sent to all AMIS delivery locations and AMIS subscribers created on your Cisco Unity server.

One of the settings that you specify here is the Local Dial Restriction Table. This restriction table and the AMIS schedule together determine when outgoing AMIS calls are made. Refer to the "Restriction Tables" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide for general information about restriction tables. (The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/sag/sag404/ex/index.htm.)

Use the following table to learn more about AMIS delivery options settings.

Table 4-3 Network > AMIS Options > Delivery Options Page 

Field
Considerations
Deliver Urgent Messages Immediately

Check this check box to allow messages marked urgent to be delivered immediately. Checking this check box overrides both the Local Dial Restriction Table and the AMIS schedule. When the check box is unchecked, Cisco Unity handles urgent messages the same as non-urgent messages.

Local Dial Restriction Table

Select a restriction table that determines which AMIS delivery numbers can be processed immediately. If an AMIS delivery number is allowed by the restriction table, messages to this number are delivered immediately. If the delivery number is not allowed by the restriction table, messages are queued in the UAmis mailbox until the AMIS schedule becomes active.

By default, the Local Dial Restriction Table field is set to the predefined Default AMIS restriction table. You can modify the Default AMIS restriction table or select another restriction table. For example, you may want to modify this restriction table to disallow long distance delivery numbers, and adjust the AMIS schedule to become active when the long distance phone rates are lower.

If the Remote System Does Not Answer:
Hang Up After This Many Rings

Specify the number of rings that Cisco Unity waits for the remote node to answer when making an AMIS call. After the specified number of rings, Cisco Unity hangs up. The default value is 4.

If the Remote System Does Not Answer:
Try Calling This Many Times

Specify the number of times that Cisco Unity makes AMIS redelivery attempts when the remote system did not answer the initial call. The default value is 4.

When the schedule that allows AMIS deliveries becomes inactive, the count that Cisco Unity maintains for this setting is reset to 0.

If the Remote System Does Not Answer:
Retry After This Many Minutes

Specify the number of minutes that Cisco Unity waits after an AMIS call is not answered before attempting the call again. The default value is 5 minutes.

If the Remote System Is Busy:
Try Calling This Many Times

Specify the number of times that Cisco Unity makes AMIS redelivery attempts when the initial attempt resulted in a busy signal. The default value is 4.

When the schedule that allows AMIS deliveries becomes inactive, the count that Cisco Unity maintains for this setting is reset to 0.

If the Remote System Is Busy:
Retry After This Many Minutes

Specify the number of minutes that Cisco Unity waits after receiving a busy signal before attempting the AMIS call again. The default value is 5 minutes.


AMIS Schedule Settings

The AMIS schedule and the AMIS restriction table together determine when outgoing AMIS calls are made. If a delivery number for an outgoing AMIS message is allowed by the AMIS restriction table, the message is sent immediately—the schedule settings do not apply. If the delivery number is not allowed by the AMIS restriction table, the schedule determines when the message is sent. Therefore, the schedule determines when messages are sent for delivery numbers that are disallowed by the AMIS restriction table.

Cisco Unity batches messages to a delivery location, with a maximum of nine messages per batch. If an AMIS transmission is in progress when the schedule becomes inactive, the transmission of the entire batch of messages is completed. However, any other messages remaining in the queue, but not in the batch that was in the process of being transmitted, are queued until the next active time in the schedule. Queued messages are placed in the Inbox for the UAmis account.

Because the transmission of AMIS messages may tie up voice ports for long periods of time, you may want to schedule outgoing AMIS calls during closed hours or at times when Cisco Unity is not processing many calls. Additionally, if most or all of your AMIS delivery numbers are long distance, you may want to schedule the AMIS calls when the long distance phone rates are lower.

Use the following table to learn more about AMIS schedule settings.

Table 4-4 Network > AMIS Options > Schedule Page 

Field
Considerations
Click Individual Blocks to Set Hours

Click the blocks in the grid to change from inactive to active hours. Click the block again to undo your change. Messages queued in the UAmis mailbox are sent only during the active hours on the schedule. Note that you can set active and inactive hours for one day, then use the Copy Day's Schedule box to copy the settings to other days.

Copy Day's Schedule

To avoid clicking the same blocks for more than one day, use the Copy Day's Schedule and >> functions. Select a day to copy, then select which days to copy the schedule setting to.


Troubleshooting

For information on troubleshooting problems with AMIS messages, refer to the following sections in the Cisco Unity Troubleshooting Guide, which is available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/unity40/tsg/tsg404/ex/index.htm.

In the "Logs and Traces" chapter:

"AMIS Diagnostic Traces"

"Cisco Unity Voice Connector Logs"

In the "Messages" chapter:

"Troubleshooting Problems with Outbound AMIS Messages"

"Troubleshooting Problems with Inbound AMIS Messages"

For detailed information about the touchtones that are transmitted during an AMIS call, refer to the White Paper: AMIS Analog Networking Definitions, available at http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/voice/c_unity/whitpapr/amis.htm.

Finally, you can use the StatusMonitor utility (located in \CommServer\TechTools on the Cisco Unity server) to observe call progress.

Notable Behavior

This section describes notable behavior of AMIS Networking. See the following sections for more information:

Call Transfer Settings for AMIS Subscribers

Inbound Messages Are Delivered Only to Primary Extensions

Inbound Search Scope

Running the Voice Connector Setup Program in Another Language

Call Transfer Settings for AMIS Subscribers

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked via Digital Networking, the number that Cisco Unity uses for call transfers to a subscriber is the only number replicated among the Cisco Unity servers; none of the other settings on the Subscriber > Call Transfer page in the Cisco Unity Administrator are replicated. For example, in Figure 4-2, call transfers are set to ring the subscriber at the number 9,5551212. The only call transfer setting that is replicated to other Cisco Unity servers is the call transfer number 9,5551212. If the setting was "Yes, ring subscriber's extension" instead, the number 3047 would be replicated.

Figure 4-2 Only the Call Transfer Number Is Replicated

When the call transfer setting is set to "No (send directly to subscriber's greeting)," the call transfer number is automatically set to the subscriber extension (3047 in the example above), which is replicated to the other networked Cisco Unity servers.

Call transfers to AMIS subscribers created on other Cisco Unity servers are always handled by the phone system (release to switch)—rather than by Cisco Unity (supervised transfer)—even if the subscribers are set up for supervised transfers (as in the above example). The release to switch call transfers happen when:

A Cisco Unity subscriber chooses to call the sender (live reply) after listening to a message left by an AMIS subscriber. (Live replies to AMIS subscribers are always done release to switch, even when the reply is to an AMIS subscriber on the same Cisco Unity server.)

A caller enters the extension of an AMIS subscriber from the automated attendant (for example from the opening greeting), and the AMIS subscriber account is on another Cisco Unity server.

A caller spells the name of an AMIS subscriber from a directory handler, and the AMIS subscriber account is on another Cisco Unity server.

On a release to switch transfer, Cisco Unity dials the call transfer number configured for the AMIS subscriber and hangs up, leaving the phone system to handle the call. Note the following limitations with release to switch transfers:

The AMIS subscriber call screening, call holding, and announce features are ignored.

The call transfer setting "No (Send Directly to Subscriber's Greeting)" is ignored. Cisco Unity dials the AMIS subscriber extension and hangs up. If the subscriber extension is a valid extension on the phone system that Cisco Unity is integrated with, then the subscriber phone rings. If the subscriber extension is not a valid phone extension, what happens to the call after that depends on the phone system and how it is configured. If you do not configure the phone system to handle calls to the subscriber extensions, the caller may be disconnected.

Inbound Messages Are Delivered Only to Primary Extensions

When addressing a message to a Cisco Unity subscriber, users on the remote voice messaging system must use the primary extension of the Cisco Unity subscriber; alternate extensions are not supported. Senders will receive an NDR if they address a message with an alternate extension of a Cisco Unity subscriber.

Note also that even though Cisco Unity public distribution lists, call handlers, and interview handlers have extensions, Cisco Unity accepts inbound messages from the remote voice messaging system only for subscribers, and only for the primary extension.

Inbound Search Scope

In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, the search scope for a matching subscriber extension for inbound messages sent from another AMIS-compliant voice messaging system is controlled by the primary location addressing options in the Cisco Unity Administrator. The search scope for inbound AMIS messages can be set to the local Cisco Unity server, to the dialing domain that the local Cisco Unity server is a member of, or to the entire global directory. Note that only subscriber extensions are searched. Incoming AMIS messages cannot be delivered to distribution lists.

Running the Voice Connector Setup Program in Another Language

The Voice Connector installation program does not prompt with a choice of languages for the installation; it always installs in English. To run the Voice Connector installation program by using one of the localized versions (FRA, DEU, or JPN) instead of English, do the following procedure.

To Run the Voice Connector Setup Program in Another Language


Step 1 From the Cisco Unity installation DVD or CD 1, copy the entire VoiceConnector-Ex2000 or VoiceConnector-Ex55 directory (depending on which Voice Connector is required for your installation) to your hard disk.

Step 2 In this local directory, browse to the LocalizedFiles\ENU directory.

Step 3 Rename the CiscoUnity_VoiceConnector.dll and SetupRes.dll files. (For example, rename the files CiscoUnity_VoiceConnector_ENU.dll and SetupRes_ENU.dll.)

Step 4 Copy the files CiscoUnity_VoiceConnector.dll and SetupRes.dll from the LocalizedFiles\<XXX> directory (where <XXX> is your language of choice) to the Localized\ENU directory.

Step 5 Run Install.exe from the VoiceConnector-Ex2000 or VoiceConnector-Ex55 directory on your hard disk. The installation program should be presented in the language you chose.


Note Only the installation program will be in this language; currently, the Event Log messages, logging, properties, and configuration settings are not localized.