User Guide for Cisco Unity Connection Release 2.x - Managing Personal Call Transfer Rules to Handle Incoming Calls [Cisco Unity Connection]

Table Of Contents

Managing Personal Call Transfer Rules to Handle Incoming Calls

Managing Caller Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Creating a Caller Group

Adding a Caller to a Caller Group

Deleting a Caller from a Caller Group

Changing the Name of a Caller Group

Deleting a Caller Group

Managing Destinations in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Creating a Personal Destination

Changing a Personal Destination

Deleting a Personal Destination

Changing the Rings-to-Wait Setting for Phone Destinations

Changing the Loop-Detection Setting for Phone Destinations

Managing Destination Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Creating a Destination Group

Changing a Destination Group

Deleting a Destination from a Destination Group

Deleting a Destination Group

Managing Rule Sets and Rules in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Task List for Setting Up a Rule Set

Creating a Rule Set

Adding a Rule to a Rule Set

Changing a Rule

Reordering Rules in a Rule Set

Testing a Rule Set

Deleting a Rule Set

Enabling and Disabling Rule Sets

Enabling a Rule Set by Phone

Enabling a Rule Set for a Range of Dates in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Enabling a Rule Set for Days of the Week in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Disabling a Rule Set by Phone

Disabling a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Changing Call Holding Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Changing Caller Message Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Changing Call Screening Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Using the Transfer All Rule Set

Forwarding All Calls to Cisco Unity Connection

Changing Rule-Processing Preferences

Managing Personal Call Transfer Rules to Handle Incoming Calls

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

Cisco Unity Connection can transfer and screen your incoming calls according to rules you set up. Connection uses a personal call transfer rule to transfer particular calls to you according to caller identity, time of day, and your meeting schedule, or to other transfer calls to voice mail or to another phone number. You can set rules to transfer calls to a phone number, a series of phone numbers, or to an e-mail-based paging address. Additionally, you can set up rules to screen some or all of your incoming calls.

You can build very simple personal call transfer rules—for example, to transfer a call from a single phone number to voice mail—or create more complex rules by using the following components:

Personal Contacts list

Connection uses your Personal Contacts list to route incoming calls, as well as to place outgoing calls when you are using voice commands. (For more information, see the "Managing Your Personal Contacts List" chapter.)

Caller groups

You can organize callers into groups in order to apply one rule to multiple callers without having to recreate the rule multiple times. Caller groups can contain other Connection users, system contacts, and personal contacts.

Personal destinations

You can create a directory of contact phone numbers to which Connection can route incoming calls. (These destinations are in addition to notification devices.)

Destination groups

You can organize personal destinations and notification devices into groups so that Connection routes calls to each destination in the order listed until the phone is answered, the caller hangs up, or the last destination in the group is reached. You can specify the order of destinations in the group and the length of time that Connection waits for the phone to be picked up at each destination.

You manage your rules in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. Once rules have been set, you can enable them by phone or in the web tool.

This chapter contains the following sections:

•Managing Caller Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Managing Destinations in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Managing Destination Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Managing Rule Sets and Rules in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Enabling and Disabling Rule Sets

•Changing Call Holding Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Changing Caller Message Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Changing Call Screening Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Using the Transfer All Rule Set

•Forwarding All Calls to Cisco Unity Connection

•Changing Rule-Processing Preferences

Managing Caller Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

By creating a caller group, you can apply one rule to multiple callers without having to recreate the rule several times. Caller groups contain multiple entries from your personal contacts list and the Cisco Unity Connection directory.

Using groups can help you organize callers in a number of ways. For example, you could create a caller group of your top-priority clients and co-workers. To ensure that these callers can reach you when you are in meetings, you would create a rule set with one rule that transfers calls from anyone in the group to your mobile phone during your meeting times and another rule that transfers other calls to voice mail.

The following sections contain information on managing caller groups:

•Creating a Caller Group

•Adding a Caller to a Caller Group

•Deleting a Caller from a Caller Group

•Changing the Name of a Caller Group

•Deleting a Caller Group

Creating a Caller Group

The following types of callers can be members of caller groups:

Personal contacts

Callers who are entered in your personal contacts list.

System contacts

Callers who are in the Connection system directory but who are not enabled to use Connection features and do not have a voice mailbox.

Connection users

Callers who are in the Connection system directory, have a voice mailbox, and are enabled to use Connection features.

When a caller group contains a caller in the Cisco Unity Connection directory and the caller is later removed from the system by your Connection administrator, the caller will also be removed from your caller group.

To Create a Caller Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Caller Groups menu, click View Caller Groups.

Step 3 On the Caller Groups page, click the New Caller Group icon below the menu bar.

Step 4 On the Caller Group page, enter a name for the caller group, and click Save.

Step 5 Click Add Members.

Step 6 On the Find Contacts page, click the applicable tab, depending on whether you want to search the list of users in the Connection directory or your personal contacts list.

You may be able to search for both users and system contacts in the Connection directory. System contacts are indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the name in the search results list.

Step 7 Fill in the remaining fields, as applicable to your search and click Find.

On this page, you can use the wildcard character * to search by partial name.

Step 8 Check the check box next to the name to add the contact or user to the caller group.

Step 9 Click Add Users or Add Contacts, as applicable. Connection adds the contact to the caller group and returns to the Caller Group page.

Step 10 Repeat Step 5 through Step 9 to add any additional users or contacts.

Step 11 On the Caller Group page, click Save.

Adding a Caller to a Caller Group

You can add members to a caller group at any time.

To Add a Caller to a Caller Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Caller Groups menu, click View Caller Groups.

Step 3 On the Caller Groups page, click the caller group name.

Step 4 On the Caller Group page, click Add Members.

Step 5 On the Find Contacts page, click the applicable tab, depending on whether you want to search the list of users in the Connection directory or your personal contacts list.

You may be able to search for both users and system contacts in the Connection directory. System contacts are indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the name in the search results list.

Step 6 Fill in the remaining fields, as applicable to your search and click Find.

On this page, you can use the wildcard character * to search by partial name.

Step 7 Check the check box next to the name to add the contact or user to the caller group.

Step 8 Click Add Users or Add Contacts, as applicable. Connection adds the contact or user to the caller group and returns to the Caller Group page.

Step 9 On the Caller Group page, click Save.

Deleting a Caller from a Caller Group

You can remove members of a caller group at any time.

To Delete a Caller from a Caller Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Caller Groups menu, click View Caller Groups.

Step 3 On the Caller Groups page, click the caller group name.

Step 4 On the Caller Group page, check the check box next to the name of the caller you want to delete. You can check multiple check boxes to delete more than one caller at a time.

Step 5 Click Delete Selected.

Changing the Name of a Caller Group

To Change the Name of a Caller Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Caller Groups menu, click View Caller Groups.

Step 3 On the Caller Groups page, click the caller group name.

Step 4 On the Caller Group page, change the name of the group in the Name field.

Step 5 Click Save.

Deleting a Caller Group

You cannot delete a caller group if it is used by a rule. Delete the caller group from the rule first, then delete the caller group.

To Delete a Caller Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Caller Groups menu, click View Caller Groups.

Step 3 On the Caller Groups page, check the check box next to the group that you want to delete. You can check multiple check boxes to delete more than one group at a time.

Step 4 Click the Delete Selected Rows icon below the menu bar.

Managing Destinations in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

Destinations are phone numbers or e-mail addresses to which Cisco Unity Connection can transfer your incoming calls or send text messages as a part of personal call transfer rules. There are three types of destinations:

Phone

Phone destinations are phone numbers to which Connection can transfer incoming calls.

Phone numbers associated with you in the Connection directory can be used as phone destinations. These might include your primary extension, voice mail access number, and company mobile phone number. Phone numbers in the directory are maintained by your Connection administrator.

You can also create personal phone destinations, such as your personal mobile phone number, your home phone number (if it is not listed in the Connection directory), and phone numbers at which you can be reached during a business trip. You manage personal phone destinations in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

SMTP

SMTP destinations are e-mail addresses to which Connection can send a text message. The message uses the standard format "You have a call from <number or extension> at <time> on <date>." (For example, "You have a call from 3233 at 15:16 on 04 October 2006.")

Note that for an SMTP destination to be used in a rule, it must be added to a destination group that contains at least one phone destination. (SMTP destinations do not appear in the Destination list on the Rule page when you are creating a rule.)

SMTP devices may be created for you by your Connection administrator, and you may be able to modify them in the Cisco Unity Assistant web tool. SMTP devices do not need to be enabled in the Cisco Unity Assistant to be available as a destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

The following sections contain information on managing destinations:

•Creating a Personal Destination

•Changing a Personal Destination

•Deleting a Personal Destination

•Changing the Rings-to-Wait Setting for Phone Destinations

•Changing the Loop-Detection Setting for Phone Destinations

Creating a Personal Destination

To Create a Personal Destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destinations.

Step 3 On the Destinations page, click the New Destination icon below the menu bar.

Step 4 On the Create Destination page, in the Name field, enter a name for the destination.

Step 5 In the Phone Number field, enter a phone number for the destination.

Use digits 0 through 9. Do not use spaces or parentheses between digits. For long-distance numbers, also include 1 and the area code.

You may not be able to enter certain phone numbers, or your phone system may require additional characters (for example, you may be required to enter an access code to dial outbound numbers). If you are experiencing difficulties with this setting, contact your Connection administrator.

Step 6 In the Rings to Wait field, enter the number of rings you want Connection to wait before transferring the call to voice mail or to the next destination in a destination group, depending on your other call transfer settings. The default value is four rings.

Step 7 If you have set this destination to forward calls to Connection, check the Loop Detection Enabled check box.

If you create a rule that transfers calls from Connection to a phone destination, you may inadvertently create a call-looping situation in which Connection forwards calls to your phone, and your phone consequently forwards the call back to Connection, and callers may never be able to reach you. Selecting this setting when you configure this type of destination to forward calls to Connection can help eliminate call-looping problems.

Step 8 Click Save.

Changing a Personal Destination

To Change a Personal Destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destinations.

Step 3 On the Destinations page, click the name of the personal destination.

Step 4 On the Change Destination page, make the applicable changes and click Save.

Deleting a Personal Destination

You cannot delete a personal destination while it is being used in a destination group or in a rule. Delete the destination from the destination group or rule first, then delete the destination.

To Delete a Personal Destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destinations.

Step 3 On the Destinations page, check the check box for the personal destination you want to delete. You can check multiple check boxes to delete more than one personal destination at a time.

Step 4 Click the Delete Selected Rows icon below the menu bar.

Changing the Rings-to-Wait Setting for Phone Destinations

For phone destinations, you can change the Rings to Wait setting on the Destinations page of the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

To Change the Rings-to-Wait Setting for a Phone Destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destinations.

Step 3 On the Destinations page, in the Rings to Wait column, enter the new value for the number of rings you want Connection to wait before transferring the call to voice mail or to the next destination in a destination group.

Step 4 Click Update.

Changing the Loop-Detection Setting for Phone Destinations

For phone destinations other than your primary extension, you can use the Loop Detection Enabled setting to indicate to Cisco Unity Connection when you have configured a phone to forward calls to Connection. For example, you may configure your mobile phone to forward all calls to Connection to store all of your voice messages in Connection. If you then create a rule that transfers calls from Connection to your mobile phone, you may inadvertently create a call-looping situation in which Connection forwards calls to your mobile phone, and your mobile phone consequently forwards calls back to Connection, and callers may never be able to reach you.

Selecting this setting can help to eliminate the call-looping problem. If calls seem to be transferring from the phone destination to Connection and then back to the phone, Connection will either transfer the call to the next assigned device (if you have created a destination group) or transfer the call to voice mail if there are no additional destinations defined.

Note When this setting is enabled, you can expect to hear a slight delay as Connection transfers the call to the next destination in the destination group, or to voice mail.

To Change the Loop Detection Setting for a Phone Destination in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destinations.

Step 3 If you have set this destination to forward calls to Cisco Unity Connection, check the Loop Detection Enabled check box.

Step 4 Click Update.

Managing Destination Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

Destination groups contain multiple destinations arranged in a sequence and stored under a single group name.

For example, to ensure that you receive calls from a specific personal contact, you might create a destination group with your primary extension, mobile, and home phone numbers, then create a rule that tells Cisco Unity Connection to transfer calls from the personal contact to the destination group. To be used in a rule, a destination group must contain at least one phone destination.

When a call is transferred to a destination group, Connection tries the destinations in the order listed until a phone is answered, until the caller leaves a voice message or hangs up, or until the last destination in the group is reached. If the group contains an SMTP destination, Connection sends the device a text message about the call.

If a destination is not answered, Connection prompts the caller to press 1 to continue waiting while it tries the next destination or to press 2 to leave a voice message. Connection waits for a phone to be answered based on the specified number of rings, which is set in the Rings to Wait field when you create a destination. If you do not specify a number of rings, Connection uses the default value of four rings. You can change the Rings to Wait setting anytime after you create a destination.

When Connection runs out of destinations, the call is forwarded to your default phone number or to the primary extension in the destination group, which is typically your primary extension.

The following sections contain information on managing destination groups:

•Creating a Destination Group

•Changing a Destination Group

•Deleting a Destination from a Destination Group

•Deleting a Destination Group

Creating a Destination Group

You can add any of your destinations to a destination group. You can also add a destination to more than one destination group. A destination group must contain at least one phone number.

The order of destinations within a group is important because Cisco Unity Connection dials the destinations from top to bottom as they appear in the list. After you add destinations to a group, you may need to reorder them to suit your needs.

To Create a Destination Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destination Groups.

Step 3 On the Destinations Groups page, click the New Destination Group icon below the menu bar.

Step 4 On the Destination Group page, enter the name of the group.

Step 5 Click Save.

Step 6 On the Destination Group page, click Add Destinations.

Step 7 On the Add Destinations page, check the check box next to the destination that you want to add to the group. You can check multiple check boxes to add more than one destination at a time.

Step 8 Click Add Destinations.

Step 9 On the Destination Group page, enter a number in the Priority column to specify the order in which you want Connection to try the destinations in the group. (For example, to call your mobile phone first and your home phone second, enter 1 for your mobile phone and 2 for your home phone.)

Step 10 Click Save.

Changing a Destination Group

On the Destination Group page, you can change the group name, add or delete destinations from the group, and change the priority order of the destinations in the group.

To Change a Destination Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destination Groups.

Step 3 On the Destination Groups page, click the name of the group.

Step 4 On the Destination Group page, change the group name or change the priority order of the destinations in the group.

Step 5 Click Add Destinations to add another destination to the group. To remove a destination from the group, click the check box next to the destination name to select it and click Delete Selected.

Step 6 Click Save.

Deleting a Destination from a Destination Group

The last phone destination cannot be deleted from a destination group if that will result in the group having only SMTP destinations.

To Delete a Destination from a Destination Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destination Groups.

Step 3 On the Destination Groups page, click the name of the group.

Step 4 On the Destination Group page, check the check box for the destination you want to delete from the group. You can check multiple check boxes to delete more than one destination at a time.

Step 5 Click Delete Selected.

Deleting a Destination Group

You cannot delete a destination group while it is used in a rule; you must remove the destination group from the rule first and then delete the destination group.

To Delete a Destination Group in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Destinations menu, click View Destination Groups.

Step 3 On the Destination Groups page, check the check box for the group you want to delete. You can check multiple check boxes to delete more than one destination group at a time.

Step 4 Click the Delete Selected Rows icon below the menu bar.

Managing Rule Sets and Rules in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

Personal call transfer rules allow you to consolidate how and where you want to receive calls. Using the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool, you can create rules to transfer and screen calls based on caller identification, time of day, and meeting schedules. You can also set Cisco Unity Connection to transfer selected calls to a destination or destination group.

You can change the characteristics of your rules as frequently as you need. (For example, you might create a rule that sends all calls from a co-worker to your mobile phone and later change the rule to send all calls except those from the co-worker to your mobile phone.)

Rules can be general, such as "Send all my calls to voice mail." Or they can be specific, such as "Send calls from Jane Smith to my mobile phone if she calls between 9:00 am and 10:00 am, and screen the call."

A rule set is a group of one or more rules that you can enable on certain days and for a range of dates, according to your schedule. When the date or day specified for a rule set becomes current, Connection activates the rule set and begins processing calls against it. Connection gives precedence to a rule set enabled for a range of dates over one enabled for day(s) of the week.

Connection uses the first rule in the set that matches the condition of an incoming call and applies it. Therefore, the way in which you order your rules within a set is important. In general, order rules from most specific to least specific.

To set up a rule set successfully, see the "Task List for Setting Up a Rule Set" section.

The following sections contain information on managing personal call transfer rule sets and rules:

•Task List for Setting Up a Rule Set

•Creating a Rule Set

•Adding a Rule to a Rule Set

•Changing a Rule

•Reordering Rules in a Rule Set

•Testing a Rule Set

•Deleting a Rule Set

Task List for Setting Up a Rule Set

To set up a rule set successfully, do the following tasks in the order listed.

1. Set up any personal contacts, caller groups, personal destinations, and destination groups that you plan to use in your rules. See the applicable sections:

•Managing Your Personal Contacts List, page 12-1

•Managing Caller Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Managing Destinations in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Managing Destination Groups in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

2. Create a rule set. See the "Creating a Rule Set" section.

3. Add rules to the rule set. See the "Adding a Rule to a Rule Set" section.

4. Order the rules correctly. See the "Reordering Rules in a Rule Set" section.

5. If you want Connection to ring your extension before applying your transfer rules, check the check box on the Preferences > Rule Settings page in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. See the "To Change Rule-Processing Preferences in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool" procedure.

6. Test the rule set, if applicable. See the "Testing a Rule Set" section.

7. Change rules as necessary. See the "Changing a Rule" section.

8. Enable the rule set. See the "Enabling and Disabling Rule Sets" section.

Creating a Rule Set

You can record the name of a rule set by using the Media Master. Cisco Unity Connection uses this name when you access rule settings by phone.

To Create a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click View Call Transfer Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Sets page, click the New Rule Set icon below the menu bar.

Step 4 On the Rule Set page, enter a name for the new rule set. Choose a name that applies to the situation and is easy to remember. (For example, a rule set named "Workweek" might be active Monday through Friday, while a rule set called "Africa Trip" might be active during the calendar dates of that trip.)

Step 5 On the Media Master, click Record and record the name of the rule set.

Step 6 When you finish recording, click Stop.

Step 7 Click Save.

Adding a Rule to a Rule Set

Once you have created a rule set, add one or more rules to it.

Caution Any personal contacts, caller groups, personal destinations, or destination groups that you plan to use in your rules must be created before you add rules. If they do not exist, you will not be able to set up your rules correctly.

To Add a Rule to a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click View Call Transfer Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Sets page, click the name of the rule set to which you want to add a rule.

Step 4 On the Rule Set page, in the Transfer Rules section, click Add Rule.

Step 5 On the Rule page, in the If the Call Is section, enter the applicable information that you want Connection to use when identifying calls or callers. At a minimum, you must choose a destination, destination group, or voice mail to which to transfer the incoming call.

Use Table 19-1 to determine values for the fields.

Table 19-1 Fields in the "If the Call Is" Section

Field

Considerations

From

Use with the Caller(s), Caller Group, Phone Number, and/or Call Source fields to set conditions for the caller identity in the rule.

Check the From check box, and click From or Not From in the list, as applicable.

Caller(s)

Use to add callers to a rule.

a. Check the Caller(s) check box, then click Add Callers.

b. On the Find Contacts page, click the applicable tab, depending on whether you want to search the list of users in the Connection directory or your personal contacts list.

You may be able to search for both users and system contacts in the Connection directory. System contacts are indicated by an asterisk (*) next to the name in the search results list.

c. Enter a name or partial name, and click Find.

d. Check the check box next to the caller you want to add to the rule. You can check multiple check boxes to add more than one caller at a time.

e. Click Add Users or Add Contacts, as applicable.

f. To remove a caller from the rule, select the name and click Delete Selected.

Caller Group

Use to add a caller group to a rule.

Check the Caller Group check box, and click a caller group in the list. (Note that before you can use a caller group in a rule, you need to create the caller group.)

Phone Number

Use to add a phone number to a rule.

Check the Phone Number check box, and enter the number that Connectionwill associate with the incoming call. Connection processes the rule only if the phone number of an incoming call matches exactly what you enter in the field. You can use the wildcard characters X and * to match more than one phone number:

•The X character matches any single digit in the range 0 through 9. For example, the pattern 9XXX matches the range of phone numbers from 9000 through 9999.

•The asterisk (*) character matches any sequence of digits. For example, the pattern 5556304* matches the phone numbers 5556304, 55563040, 55563041, 5556304100, and so forth.

Call Source

Use to include or exclude callers based on whether the caller can be identified by Connection as a known number (a Connection user, a Connection system contact, or a personal contact) or as an unknown phone number (an external caller), if applicable.

Check the Call Source check box, and click Known Number or Unknown Number in the list, as applicable.

Received Between

Use to set the time period during which Connection applies the rule to your incoming calls.

Check the Received Between check box, and click Received Between or Not Received Between in the list, as applicable. Choose an hourly range from the hour and minute lists.

I Am in a Meeting

Use to have Connection use your Microsoft Outlook calendar to determine whether you are in a meeting when it applies the rule to an incoming call. Connection considers you to be in a meeting when your Outlook meeting time is scheduled as Busy. Any meetings set as Tentative, Free, or Out of the Office are not considered by Connection.

Check the I Am in a Meeting check box, and click I Am In a Meeting or I Am Not in a Meeting in the list, as applicable.

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

Step 6 In the Then Transfer the Call To section, enter the applicable information that you want Connection to use when transferring calls. For a rule to be valid, you must specify either a destination, destination group, or voice mail.

Use Table 19-2 to determine values for the fields.

Table 19-2 Fields in the "Then Transfer the Call To" Section

Field

Considerations

Destination

Use to have Connection transfer calls to the destination you specify.

Click Destination, then click the destination name in the list.

Note SMTP destinations do not appear in the Destination list. To be used in a rule, the devices must be in a destination group with at least one phone number.

Destination Group

Use to have Connection transfer calls to the destination group you specify.

Click Destination Group, then click the destination group name in the list.

Voice Mail

Use to have Connection transfer calls directly to voice mail.

Click Voice Mail.

Screen the Call

Use to have Connection screen the incoming calls to which it applies the rule. (For details on call screening, see the "Changing Call Screening Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool" section.)

Check the Screen the Call check box.

Note This option is available only if your Connection administrator has enabled screening options for you and there are screening options set on the Call Holding and Screening Options page.

Step 7 In the Preview section, click Update Preview to display a text version of the rule so you can confirm that it is correct before you add it to the rule set.

Step 8 Click Save to add the rule to the rule set.

Step 9 Repeat Step 2 through Step 8 for any additional rules you are adding to the set.

Caution A rule set cannot become active until it has been enabled. After you have added rules to your set, see the "Enabling and Disabling Rule Sets" section for instructions on enabling it.

Changing a Rule

To Change a Rule in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click View Call Transfer Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Sets page, click the name of the rule set that contains the rule you want to change.

Step 4 On the Rule Set page, in the Transfer Rules list, click the rule name.

Step 5 On the Rule page, make your changes. Use Table 19-1 and Table 19-2 in the "Adding a Rule to a Rule Set" section to determine values for the fields.

Step 6 In the Preview section, click Update Preview to display a text version of the rule so you can confirm that your changed version is correct.

Step 7 Click Save.

Reordering Rules in a Rule Set

The order of rules in a rule set is important because Cisco Unity Connection processes the rules from the top of the list to the bottom, then applies only the first rule whose conditions are met by the incoming call.

If a rule set has more than one rule, arrange the rules from most specific to least specific to ensure that Connection applies the most specific rule to a call, rather than applying a more general rule to it.

Tip To change the priority of only one rule in a set, make your change to that rule in the Transfer Rules list on the Rule Set page, and click Update Priority. All other rules in the rule set will be reprioritized accordingly.

To Reorder Rules in a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click View Call Transfer Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Sets page, click the name of the rule set.

Step 4 On the Rule Set page, enter a number in the Priority column to specify the order in which you want Connection to process the rules in the set. (For example, to process the "Send all my calls to voice mail" rule first, enter 1; to process the "Send calls from Jane Smith to my mobile phone" second, enter 2.)

Step 5 Click Update Priority. The rules are reorganized according to their priority and saved.

Testing a Rule Set

Use the Call Transfer Rule Tester tool to see how Cisco Unity Connection would transfer an incoming call based on the rule(s) in a set. You might choose to test a rule set after building it to see if the rule applies to a specific caller or to an incoming call that reaches you at a specific time of day.

The Call Transfer Rule Tester tool is also a good way to diagnose a call-forwarding problem. For example, if a call was not forwarded in a way that you expected, enter the name of the actual caller and the time of day and date when the call was placed, and the Rule Tester can help you figure out the part of the rule set that Connection would apply to the incoming call.

To get results with the Call Transfer Rule Tester, the rule set that contains the rule you are testing must be enabled or active.

Note Contact your Connection administrator if you are unable to diagnose call-forwarding problems with the Call Transfer Rule Tester tool.

To Test a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Tools menu, click Call Transfer Rule Tester.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Tester page, enter and/or choose the incoming-call conditions that you want to use for the test:

•Name or phone number of the caller. If you are testing for a known user (a user in the Connection directory or a personal contact), click Select Caller to add the user to the Rule Tester.

•Time of day

•Calendar date

•Year

•Whether or not you are in a meeting

To get accurate results with the Rule Tester tool, specify a date. If you do not specify a date, the rule is evaluated with the current date, which is the default.

You can combine the conditions in any way to test your rules. For example, you can specify the caller, time, date, and year. Or you can specify only the time of day and date.

Step 4 Click Test.

If an enabled or active rule applies to the call conditions that you specified, Connection displays the rule.

If no enabled or active rule applies to the call conditions that you specified, Connection displays the message "No matching rule found: Transfer all calls to dialed number."

Tip When using the Call Transfer Rule Tester to diagnose why a call was not forwarded in a particular way, start by defining broad call conditions. For example, provide a name and date. If the rule applies to the broad conditions, begin to narrow the conditions to single out the reason why your rule did not apply to the incoming phone call.

Deleting a Rule Set

To Delete a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click View Call Transfer Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Call Transfer Rule Sets page, check the check box next to the rule set you want to delete.

Step 4 Click the Delete Selected Rows icon below the menu bar.

If the rule set is active, you will receive an error message that the rule set cannot be deleted.

Step 5 Click OK to delete the rule set.

Enabling and Disabling Rule Sets

Enabling a rule set means to set the days or date range that it will be active. Cisco Unity Connection uses the schedule to apply rules to your incoming phone calls.You can schedule the active period in advance in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

Disabling a rule set means making it ineligible to be active.

Your options for enabling a rule set within a range of dates depends on the tool you use:

By phone

You can enable only one rule set at a time, and it becomes active immediately.

In the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool

You can set the active period in advance.

Connection allows more than one rule set to be enabled within the same time period. When more than one rule set is enabled, a set enabled within a range of dates takes precedence over a set enabled by days of the week. When the range of dates is no longer applicable, the set enabled by days of the week is restored. Multiple rule sets cannot be enabled on overlapping dates.

The following sections contain information on enabling and disabling rule sets:

•Enabling a Rule Set by Phone

•Enabling a Rule Set for a Range of Dates in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Enabling a Rule Set for Days of the Week in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

•Disabling a Rule Set by Phone

•Disabling a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Enabling a Rule Set by Phone

When you enable a rule set by phone, it becomes active, and you can enable only one rule set at a time.

(To enable more than one rule set or to enable a rule set for a specific weekday, use the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.)

To Enable a Rule Set by Phone Using Touchtone Keys

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have enabled the rule set, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Press 4 to enable a rule set. If you have more than one rule set, Connection plays the names of both enabled and disabled rule sets in alphabetical order.

Use the following keys as you hear the rule sets:

Key

Action

1

Enable the rule set.

Connection prompts you to enter the number of days the rule set will be active. Note that a day ends at 11:59 p.m., so a duration of one day means until the end of the current day (11:59 p.m.), two days is through the end of tomorrow, and so on. You can enter from 1-999 days for duration.

9

Go to the next rule set.

7

Go to the previous rule set.

0

Help

*

Exit

After you enable a rule set, Connection returns to the Main menu.

Enabling a Rule Set for a Range of Dates in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

To enable a rule set, you set the days or date range that it will be active. You can schedule several date ranges in advance. For example:

•Vacation rule set, enabled March 1 to March 8

•Work Travel rule set, enabled March 9 to March 11

•Workweek rule set, enabled March 12 to March 31

You cannot enable multiple rule sets with overlapping date ranges. Only the rule set enabled during the date range that includes the current date is active.

To Enable a Rule Set for a Range of Dates in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click Enable Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Enable Rule Sets page, in the Date Range section, click the rule set in the Rule Set column list that you want to enable. The check box in the Enabled column is checked automatically.

Step 4 Set the applicable dates in the Start Date and End Date column lists.

Step 5 To add another row, click Add Date Range, then repeat Step 3 and Step 4 to specify the date range for any additional rule sets.

Step 6 Click Save.

Enabling a Rule Set for Days of the Week in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Do the following procedure to enable a rule set for one or more days of the week (for example, every Tuesday, every weekday, or every weekend).

To Enable a Rule Set for Days of the Week in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click Enable Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Enable Rule Sets page, in the Days of Week section, click the rule set in the Rule Set column list that you want to enable for the applicable days of the week. The check box in the Enabled column is checked automatically.

You can specify a rule set for one or more days of the week, or you can choose Daily to apply the rule set to every day of the week.

Step 4 Click Save.

Disabling a Rule Set by Phone

To Disable a Rule Set by Phone Using Touchtone Keys

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have disabled the rule set, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Connection plays any enabled and active rule sets and asks if you want to cancel them.

Press 1 to cancel an active rule set.

Or

Press 5 to disable an enabled rule set. If you have more than one rule set, Connection plays the names of enabled rule sets in alphabetical order. Use the following keys as you hear the rule sets:

Key

Action

1

Disable the current rule set.

9

Go to the next rule set.

7

Go to the previous rule set.

0

Help

*

Exit

Disabling a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

To Disable a Rule Set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Rules menu, click Enable Rule Sets.

Step 3 On the Enable Rule Sets page, uncheck the check box in the Enabled column.

Alternatively, you can click None in the Rule Set column list.

Step 4 Click Save.

Changing Call Holding Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This section describes call holding settings for users who have access to the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. (If you do not have access to the web tool, see the "Changing Call Transfer and Holding Settings in the Cisco Unity Assistant Web Tool" section on page 18-3 instead.)

When the primary extension is busy, call holding settings allow callers to hold or to retry connecting periodically to reach the user. Call holding applies to calls transferred to the primary extension only.

To Change Call Holding Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Preferences menu, click Call Holding and Screening.

Step 3 On the Call Holding and Screening Options page, in the Call Holding Options section, choose the applicable option in the If My Extension <Number> Is Busy list:

Send Callers to Voice Mail

Connection plays your greeting, then prompts the caller to leave a message.

Put Callers on Hold Without Asking

Connection puts the caller on hold and does not offer the option of leaving a message.

Ask Callers to Hold

Connection gives the caller the option of holding or leaving a message.

Step 4 Click Save.

Changing Caller Message Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This section describes caller message settings for users who have access to the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. (If you do not have access to the web tool, you change caller message settings in the Cisco Unity Assistant web tool. See the "Changing Caller Message Settings in the Cisco Unity Assistant Web Tool" section on page 18-4.)

Caller message settings allow you to choose what callers can do with messages they leave for you. You can change caller message settings only in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool, not by phone.

To Change Caller Message Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Preferences menu, click Call Holding and Screening.

Step 3 On the Call Holding and Screening Options page, in the Callers Leaving a Message Can section, check or uncheck the applicable check boxes:

Listen To and Rerecord the Message

Connection gives callers the option of listening to, adding to, rerecording, or deleting their messages.

Mark the Message as Urgent

Connection asks callers if they want to mark their messages urgent.

Step 4 Click Save.

Changing Call Screening Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Note This section describes call screening settings for users who have access to the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. (If you do not have access to the web tool, you change call screening settings in the Cisco Unity Assistant web tool. See the "Changing Call Screening Settings in the Cisco Unity Assistant Web Tool" section on page 18-5.)

You can screen calls transferred to you through personal call transfer rules. Adding call screening to a rule gives you options for handling screened calls before they are connected.

With call screening, Cisco Unity Connection places the caller on hold, then—depending on your screening settings—may identify the caller and prompt the person answering the phone to accept or forward the call. Connection considers a call connected only when someone picks up and presses a touchtone key for a menu option.

Because call screening is part of a rule, you set your screening preferences on the Call Holding and Call Screening Options page first before you can add a rule with call screening. When call screening is set, it is applied to rules that specify both destinations and destination groups.

When you receive a call to which a rule with call screening applies, the caller is placed on hold while you decide whether to take a call. If you set the "Ask for Caller's Name" option, all callers are asked to say a name. Connection records the name and plays it to identify the caller for you.

If you have set the "Ask Me If I Want to Take the Call" option, Connection tells you to press 1 to take the call or to press 2 to send the call to voice mail. In the meantime, Connection tells the caller, "Wait while I transfer your call."

If you are not available to pick up a screened call, Connection sends the call to voice mail.

For more information on adding call screening to a rule, see the "Adding a Rule to a Rule Set" section.

To Change Call Screening Settings in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Preferences menu, click Call Holding and Screening.

Step 3 On the Call Holding and Screening Options page, in the Screen Calls section, check the applicable check boxes:

Tell Me When the Call Is Connected

Connection tells you when it connects the call.

Tell Me Who the Call Is For

Connection plays the recorded name associated with the dialed extension. Use this option when two or more people share a phone.

Ask Me If I Want to Take the Call

Connection asks if you want to take the call or have the caller leave a message.

Ask for Caller's Name

Connection records the name of the caller and plays it for you before connecting the call.

Step 4 Click Save.

Using the Transfer All Rule Set

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

The Transfer All rule set contains a single rule that forwards all of your calls to a specific destination for a specified time. Transfer All is the only rule set that you must set by phone. Cisco Unity Connection activates the rule set and displays it on the Call Transfer Rule Sets page of the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

When you enable Transfer All, it immediately becomes your active rule set for the duration specified. If a transferred call is not answered at the Transfer All destination, Connection transfers the call to voice mail.

You can change the duration and destination of the Transfer All rule set in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool. See the "Changing a Rule" section for more information.

This section contains two procedures. Do the applicable procedure to enable or disable the Transfer All rule set.

To Enable the Transfer All Rule Set by Phone

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have enabled the Transfer All rule set, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Press the applicable touchtone key:

Key

Action

2

To set the Transfer All rule set to send all incoming calls to voice mail. Connection prompts you for the number of days you want the rule set to route your calls to voice mail.

3

To set the Transfer All rule set to send all incoming calls to a specific phone number. Connection prompts you for the phone number and for the number of days you want the rule set to route your calls to the number.

To Disable the Transfer All Rule Set by Phone

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have disabled the Transfer All rule set, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Press 1 to disable the Transfer All rule set.

Forwarding All Calls to Cisco Unity Connection

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

You can forward all your incoming calls to Cisco Unity Connection so that your personal call transfer rules are applied to calls directly. With this option, Connection does not ring your phone extension first before applying personal call transfer rules to locate you when there is no answer.

This section contains two procedures. Do the applicable procedure to forward all calls or to cancel forwarding all calls.

To Forward All Calls to Cisco Unity Connection by Phone Using Touchtone Keys

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have forwarded all calls to Connection, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Press 6 to forward all calls to Connection.

To Cancel Forwarding of All Calls to Cisco Unity Connection by Phone Using Touchtone Keys

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have canceled forwarding of all calls to Connection, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Press 6 to cancel forwarding of all calls to Connection.

Changing Rule-Processing Preferences

Note This feature is not available on all systems. Ask your Connection administrator whether it is available to you.

You can enable and disable personal call transfer rule sets, and you can choose whether to have Cisco Unity Connection always ring the dialed extension first, before processing any active personal call transfer rules.

If you choose not to have Connection ring the dialed extension first, direct and indirect calls may be handled differently:

Direct calls

These calls ring the extension. If there is no answer, the call is routed to Connection, where personal call transfer rules are applied.

Indirect calls

These calls are routed through Connection, and personal call transfer rules are applied without ringing the extension.

Direct calls are those that dial your phone directly—for example when another Connection user dials your extension or when an outside caller dials your direct line, if you have one. Indirect calls are those that are routed to you from Connection—for example, from callers using Connection directory assistance to reach you.

This section contains two procedures. Do the applicable procedure to set rule-processing preferences by phone or in the Personal Call Transfer Rules web tool.

To Change Rule-Processing Preferences by Phone

Step 1 Log on to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 2 If you are not using voice commands, skip to Step 3

If you are using voice commands, say "Touchtone conversation" or press 9 to temporarily change to using touchtone keys.

Tip To switch back to using voice commands after you have set rule-processing preferences, hang up and log on to Connection again.

Step 3 Press 4 4.

Step 4 Follow the prompts to set rule-processing preferences. The menu options you hear will differ, depending on how your rule sets are set.

To Change Rule-Processing Preferences in the Personal Call Transfer Rules Web Tool

Step 1 On the Cisco PCA Home page, click Cisco Unity Personal Call Transfer Rules.

Step 2 On the Preferences menu, click Rules Settings.

Step 3 Check one of the following check boxes, if applicable:

Disable All Processing of Personal Call Transfer Rules

When checked, personal call transfer rule sets are disabled and are not considered by Connection when processing incoming calls. Incoming calls are routed to the dialed extension.

Note Existing rule sets are not deleted when the sets are disabled.

Always Ring Primary Extension Before Applying Personal Call Transfer Rules

When checked, Connection rings the primary extension first before applying any rule sets, regardless of whether the incoming call is from an outside caller or an internal caller.

Tip If your phone is set to Call Forward Answer, check this check box to achieve consistent behavior when callers dial you directly and when callers dial your number through Connection. Your primary extension will always ring before Connection tries to locate you at other destinations.

If you do not want your primary extension to ring at all, uncheck this check box and set the Call Forward Answer setting on your phone to Cisco Unity Connection.

Step 4 Click Save.