Fax Server

Fax server integration is one of the advanced features supported with Cisco Unity Connection providing additional messaging capabilities. Fax server integration enables users to receive faxes in the mailbox and forward a received fax to other users or fax machines for printing. Users can manage faxes using phone, Messaging Inbox, or IMAP client. Unity Connection creates the fax by integrating with a Cisco Fax Server.

Cisco Fax Server

Cisco Fax Server is an electronic delivery system that allows you to send and receive fax messages including documents, voice messages, and graphics to users configured on different Cisco Unified Messaging solutions.

Unity Connection communicates with the Cisco Fax server using the SMTP protocol. Faxes can either be inbound (sent from Cisco Fax server to Unity Connection users) or outbound (sent from Unity Connection users to Cisco Fax server).

The Cisco Fax Server handles the following functions:

  • Routing inbound faxes to user mailboxes.
  • Managing inbound and outbound faxes.
  • Writing logs for inbound and outbound faxes.
  • Generating reports for monitoring Cisco Fax Server statistics.
  • Sending alerts to the administrator.
  • Providing cover pages.
  • Providing least-cost routing.
  • Configuring POP3 Service and Custom Messages for integration with the Unity Connection server.
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Noteblank.gif The Text-to-Speech feature cannot read faxes.


For more information on fax servers supported with Unity Connection, see the “Cisco Fax Server Integration in Cisco Unity Connection 10.x” chapter of the Design Guide for Cisco Unity Connection, Release 10.x, available at

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/10x/design/guide/10xcucdgx/10xcucdg080.html.

Task List for Configuring Fax Server Integration

The Cisco Fax server must be installed and configured before configuring the Unity Connection server. All features of Cisco Fax server must be managed directly in the Cisco Fax server and not in Cisco Unity Connection Administration.

Do the following steps to create a Cisco Fax server integration in Unity Connection:

1.blank.gif Install Cisco Fax server 9.0 or later.

2.blank.gif Configure the Cisco Fax Server: For configuring Cisco Fax Server, see the appropriate documentation at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/fax_server/90/faxdocs.html

3.blank.gif Configure Unity Connection. See the Configuring Unity Connection for Cisco Fax Server Integration section.

4.blank.gif Configure the Unity Connection user accounts. See the Configuring Users for Cisco Fax Server Integration section.

5.blank.gif Test the Cisco Fax Server integration. See the Testing Cisco Fax Server Integration section.

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Noteblank.gif You can change the Cisco Unity Connection configuration and the user configuration after the Cisco Fax Server integration is created. See the Changing Unity Connection Configuration for Cisco Fax Server Integration and Changing User Configuration for Cisco Fax Server Integration sections.


Configuring Unity Connection for Cisco Fax Server Integration

See the section:

Configure SMTP on Unity Connection server

To Configure SMTP on Unity Connection Server


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings and select SMTP Configuration > Server.

Step 2blank.gif On the SMTP Server Configuration page, in the Edit menu, select Search IP Address Access List.

Step 3blank.gif On the Search IP Address Access List page, select Add New.

Step 4blank.gif On the New Access IP Address page, in the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the Cisco Fax Server and select Save.

Step 5blank.gif Check the Allow Unity Connection check box and select Save.


 

Enable Cisco Fax Server Integration on Unity Connection

To Enable the Cisco Fax Server Integration on Unity Connection


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings and select Fax Server.

Step 2blank.gif On the Edit Fax Server page, check the Enabled check box.

Step 3blank.gif In the Fax Server Name field, enter a descriptive name for the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 4blank.gif In the SMTP Address field, enter the fully qualified SMTP address of the SMTP server on the Cisco Fax Server.

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Caution blank.gif This fully qualified SMTP address must match the server address and domain that are configured for the POP3 mailbox on the Cisco Fax Server. Otherwise, the integration do not function correctly.

Step 5blank.gif In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 6blank.gif If you use a smart host SMTP server to deliver faxes from the Cisco Fax Server to Unity Connection, check the Use Smart SMTP Host check box. Otherwise, uncheck this check box.

Step 7blank.gif Select Save.


 

Customize Cisco Fax Server integration on Unity Connection

To Customize the Cisco Fax Server Integration on Unity Connection


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings, then select Advanced > Fax.

Step 2blank.gif In the Fax Configuration page, in the Faxable File Types field, enter the file extensions (separated by a comma) that Unity Connection keeps in messages that are delivered to the Cisco Fax Server. Unity Connection removes all files with other file extensions before delivering the message to the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 3blank.gif In the Subject Prefix for Notification of a Successful Fax field, enter the prefix that the Cisco Fax Server adds to the Subject field of fax reports. When Unity Connection detects this prefix, it generates a delivery receipt and places it in the user mailbox.

Step 4blank.gif In the Subject Prefix for Notification of a Failed Fax field, enter the prefix that the Cisco Fax Server adds to the Subject field of fax reports. When Unity Connection detects this prefix, it generates a non-delivery receipt and places it in the user mailbox.

Step 5blank.gif Select Save.


 

Configuring Users for Cisco Fax Server Integration

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Noteblank.gif The Cisco Fax Server must have a subscriber for each Unity Connection user that you are configuring.


While on the phone, users can add or change the number for the fax machine that they send faxes to for printing.

To Configure Unity Connection Users for Cisco Fax Server Integration


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Users and select Users.

Step 2blank.gif On the Search Users page, select the alias of a user.

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Noteblank.gif If the user alias does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page and select Search.


Step 3blank.gif On the Edit User Basics page, in the Outgoing Fax Number field, enter the number for the fax machine that users send faxes to for printing.

Step 4blank.gif In the Outgoing Fax Server field, select the name of the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 5blank.gif Select Save.

Step 6blank.gif Repeat Step 2 through Step 5 for all remaining users.

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Noteblank.gif You can use Bulk Edit mode to add or change fax extensions for multiple users at once.



 

Testing Cisco Fax Server Integration

To Test the Cisco Fax Server Integration


Step 1blank.gif Send a fax to the fax extension of a user who has been configured for the Cisco Fax Server integration.

Step 2blank.gif Sign in to the Unity Connection mailbox of the user to whom you sent the fax.

Step 3blank.gif If the user account is configured for speech access, say Play Messages.

If the user account is not configured for speech access, press 1, and then follow the prompts to list messages.

Step 4blank.gif When you hear the system announce the fax that you just sent, either say Fax, or press the applicable keys on the phone keypad to print the fax.


 

Changing Unity Connection Configuration for Cisco Fax Server Integration

To Change the Cisco Fax Server Integration on Unity Connection


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings and select Fax Server.

Step 2blank.gif On the Edit Fax Server Configuration page, check the Enabled check box to enable the integration with the Cisco Fax Server. Otherwise, uncheck this check box.

Step 3blank.gif In the Fax Server Name, enter a descriptive name for the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 4blank.gif In the SMTP Address field, enter the fully qualified SMTP address of the SMTP server on the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 5blank.gif In the IP Address field, enter the IP address of the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 6blank.gif If you use a smart host SMTP server to deliver faxes from the Cisco Fax Server to Cisco Unity Connection, check the Use Smart SMTP Host check box. Otherwise, uncheck this check box.

Step 7blank.gif Select Save.


 

To Change the Customized Settings for the Cisco Fax Server Integration on Unity Connection


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand System Settings and select Advanced > Fax.

Step 2blank.gif In the Fax Configuration page, in the Faxable File Types field, enter the file extensions (separated by a comma) that Unity Connection keeps in messages that are delivered to the Cisco Fax Server. Unity Connection removes all files with other file extensions before delivering the message to the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 3blank.gif In the Subject Prefix for Notification of a Successful Fax field, enter the prefix that the Cisco Fax Server adds to the Subject field of fax reports. When Unity Connection detects this prefix, it generates a delivery receipt and places it in the user mailbox.

Step 4blank.gif In the Subject Prefix for Notification of a Failed Fax field, enter the prefix that the Cisco Fax Server adds to the Subject field of fax reports. When Unity Connection detects this prefix, it generates a non-delivery receipt and places it in the user mailbox.

Step 5blank.gif Select Save.


 

Changing User Configuration for Cisco Fax Server Integration

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Noteblank.gif While on the phone, users can add or change the number for the fax machine that they send faxes to for printing.


To Change the Unity Connection User Configuration for Cisco Fax Server Integration


Step 1blank.gif In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, expand Users and select Users.

Step 2blank.gif On the Search Users page, select the alias of a user.

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Noteblank.gif If the user alias does not appear in the search results table, set the applicable parameters in the search fields at the top of the page, and select Search.


Step 3blank.gif On the Edit User Basics page, in the Outgoing Fax Number field, enter the number for the fax machine that users send faxes to for printing.

Step 4blank.gif In the Outgoing Fax Server field, select the name of the Cisco Fax Server.

Step 5blank.gif Select Save.

Step 6blank.gif Repeat Step 2 through Step 5 for all remaining users.

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Noteblank.gif You can use Bulk Edit mode to change fax extensions for multiple users at once.



 

Configuring a Single Number to Receive Both Voice Calls and Faxes

Unity Connection can use a single number to receive both voice calls and fax calls. In this configuration, incoming calls are directed to a Cisco gateway that can detect a CNG (fax) tone. When a CNG tone is detected, the gateway forwards the fax call to the Cisco Fax Server. When no CNG tone is detected, the gateway forwards the voice call to Unity Connection.

Requirements

Configuring a Single Number to Receive Both Voice Calls and Faxes