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Table Of Contents
Task List: Setting Up Cisco Unity To Use VPIM Networking
Procedures for Setting Up Cisco Unity To Use VPIM Networking
Making Design Decisions and Gathering Needed Information
Verifying Connectivity Between Exchange and the Remote Voice Messaging System
Resolving Names with IP Addresses
Extending the Active Directory Schema
Setting Up the Voice Connector for VPIM Networking (Exchange 2000)
Customizing the Primary Location
Creating VPIM Delivery Locations
Before Creating Subscriber Accounts
Using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import Wizard To Create Multiple Subscriber Accounts
Using the Cisco Unity Administrator To Create VPIM Subscriber Accounts
After Creating Subscriber Accounts
Gathering Information About Cisco Unity To Configure Another Voice Messaging System for VPIM
Voice Connector and VPIM Networking
How the Voice Connector Processes Outgoing VPIM Messages
How the Voice Connector Processes Incoming VPIM Messages
Messaging Similarities and Limitations
Blind Addressing and VPIM Networking
Subscriber Experience with Blind Addressing
Subscriber Experience with VPIM Subscribers
Migrating Subscribers from Another Voice Messaging System to Cisco Unity
Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers
VPIM Delivery Location Profile Settings
VPIM Networking
Overview: VPIM Networking
Cisco Unity supports the Voice Profile for Internet Messaging (VPIM) protocol, which allows different voice messaging systems to exchange voice, fax, and text messages over the Internet or any TCP/IP network. VPIM is based on the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) protocols.
VPIM 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 VPIM Networking. The Cisco Unity server configured for VPIM Networking is referred to as the bridgehead server.
In this chapter, you will find procedures for setting up VPIM Networking. See the following sections:
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Task List: Setting Up Cisco Unity To Use VPIM Networking—This task list provides a high-level view of all of the tasks you need to complete, and the order in which they should be completed.
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For a list of VPIM-compliant voice messaging systems that Cisco Unity supports, refer to Cisco Unity System Requirements, and Supported Hardware and Software on Cisco.com, at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_pre_installation_guides_list.html.
Task List: Setting Up Cisco Unity To Use VPIM Networking
Use this task list to set up VPIM Networking in Cisco Unity. The cross-references take you to detailed procedures for the setup.
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On the Cisco Unity server that will be set up for VPIM Networking:
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Procedures for Setting Up Cisco Unity To Use VPIM Networking
This section contains all of the procedures necessary to set up Cisco Unity for VPIM Networking.
Making Design Decisions and Gathering Needed Information
Before you begin setting up Cisco Unity for VPIM Networking, be sure to plan for the following, and gather the appropriate information:
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Verifying Connectivity Between Exchange and the Remote Voice Messaging System
Verify that the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector and the event sink will be installed has network and SMTP connectivity with the remote voice messaging server, and vice-versa.
VPIM messages are sent over the Internet (or any TCP/IP network) via SMTP. With Cisco Unity, the processing of VPIM messages occurs on the Exchange server on which the Voice Connector and the event sink are installed. An SMTP service will be running on the Exchange server. This may not be the case on the remote voice messaging server. Before proceeding, verify that the SMTP service or gateway has been installed on the remote voice messaging server. Refer to the remote voice messaging system documentation for information on installing the SMTP service or gateway.
To verify network connectivity between Exchange and the remote voice messaging server
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If you receive no reply, troubleshoot the network connectivity problem until the problem is resolved. Then continue with Step 3.
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Then enter ping <server name> where <server name> is the name of the remote voice messaging server.
If you receive a reply when pinging the IP address, but no replies when pinging the domain name and server name, see the "Resolving Names with IP Addresses" section. When the problem(s) are resolved, continue with Step 4.
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If any of the above ping tests fail, there is a basic network connectivity problem that needs to be resolved before proceeding with the VPIM Networking setup.
When you verify that you have basic network connectivity, continue with the next procedure, To verify SMTP Connectivity between Exchange and the remote voice messaging server.
To verify SMTP Connectivity between Exchange and the remote voice messaging server
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If any of the telnet tests fails, there is a basic SMTP connectivity problem that must be resolved before proceeding with the VPIM Networking setup.
Resolving Names with IP Addresses
Both the Exchange and remote voice messaging servers require some mechanism for name resolution. While any method or combination of methods may be used, two common ways to accomplish name resolution are through Domain Name System (DNS), and by using HOSTS files.
If the Exchange server and/or the remote voice messaging server are in a network that uses DNS, the servers should have a host address resource (A) record and mail exchange (MX) record in DNS. If the A and MX records for the servers have not already been added, do so now before continuing. Refer to your operating system documentation for more information about adding A and MX records in DNS.
A HOSTS file is a text file that contains the mappings of IP addresses to host and domain names. If the Exchange server is in a network that does not use DNS, you will need to edit the HOSTS file to add host and domain entries for the remote voice messaging server. The HOSTS file on the Exchange server is located in the C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc folder. If the remote voice messaging server is in a network that does not use DNS, you will need to edit the HOSTS file on the remote voice messaging server to add host and domain entries for the Exchange server. The location of the HOSTS file on the remote voice messaging server depends on the operating system that is used. Some systems may have a user interface for editing the HOSTS file. Refer to the remote voice messaging system documentation for more information.
Extending the Active Directory Schema
Before Cisco Unity is installed, the Active Directory schema is extended to store Cisco Unity-specific information. To support VPIM Networking, the schema must be further extended to add attributes to the Cisco Unity location object class. To see the schema changes that need to be made to support VPIM Networking, browse to the directory Schema\LdifScripts on Cisco Unity Disc 1, and view the file vpimgateway.ldf.
To extend the Active Directory schema for VPIM Networking
Do this procedure only if you have not already modified the Active Directory schema to support VPIM Networking during the Cisco Unity installation. A log file is generated each time the schema is updated. A shortcut to the directory where the log file is located is placed on the Windows desktop.
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Setting Up the Voice Connector for VPIM Networking (Exchange 2000)
Although there are two Voice Connector installation programs included on Cisco Unity Disc 1, the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 is the only one supported for VPIM Networking.
Install the Voice Connector on an Exchange 2000 server. If the Exchange 2000 and Cisco Unity servers are in different routing groups, a routing group connector must be installed. Although the Voice Connector can be installed on the Cisco Unity server (if Exchange 2000 is also on the server), this is not recommended for performance reasons.
Do not install the Voice Connector on a server in an Exchange cluster. Microsoft does not support third-party connectors on an Exchange cluster server.
If a prior version of the Voice Connector is installed, it may need to be uninstalled before continuing. How you uninstall the Voice Connector depends on the version that is installed. See "Upgrade and Uninstall Information" for more information. After uninstalling the existing Voice Connector, continue with the next procedure, To install the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000.
To install the Voice Connector for Exchange 2000
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To determine if the Microsoft Windows 2000 Script Host should be updated
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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.
Customizing the Primary Location
Carefully consider the Dial ID that you will assign to the primary location, particularly if your organization has multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together. See the "Guidelines for Assigning Dial IDs and Extensions" section on page 7-2 for detailed information about choosing a Dial ID.
To customize the primary location
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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.
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Setting Search Options
In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, set the addressing and directory handler search options on all Cisco Unity servers, not just those that you are setting up for VPIM Networking.
See the "Primary Location Addressing Option Settings" section on page 7-5. Also refer to the "Directory Handler Search Options Settings" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide, which is available on Cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_administration_guide_books_list.html.
To set search options
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To allow subscribers on other Cisco Unity servers to be located in directory assistance, select Dialing Domain. (The Cisco Unity servers must be in the same dialing domain as the local Cisco Unity server.)
Creating VPIM Delivery Locations
Create a VPIM delivery location on your local Cisco Unity server for each remote voice messaging system to which subscribers will send messages. In installations with multiple Cisco Unity servers, you need to create the VPIM delivery location only on the designated VPIM bridgehead server.
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.
To create VPIM delivery locations
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Creating VPIM Subscribers
You can create VPIM subscriber accounts by using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard or the Cisco Unity Administrator. See the following sections:
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Before Creating Subscriber Accounts
This section lists—in order—the issues that you must consider before creating subscriber accounts.
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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 procedure to run the SysCheck diagnostic tool.
To check Cisco Unity setup and permissions by using the Cisco Unity SysCheck tool
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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 VPIM 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.
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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 VPIM subscribers because they cannot log on to Cisco Unity or use the Cisco Personal Communications Assistant (PCA), administrators can enter call transfer numbers for VPIM subscribers. For security purposes, you should modify the restriction table used for transfers in the COS to which VPIM subscribers belong, as necessary. For details, refer to the "Restriction Tables" chapter in the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide.
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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.
In Active Directory, VPIM subscribers correspond to contacts, and public distribution lists correspond to distribution groups. This means that the contacts and distribution lists are listed in the address book for Outlook (or other e-mail client). To prevent e-mails from being sent to VPIM subscribers, you may want to create lists that contain only VPIM subscribers, and then hide these distribution lists and contacts from Exchange address lists. Additionally, you may also want to exclude VPIM subscribers from the All Subscribers distribution list or any other distribution list that contains regular subscribers.
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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 appropriate 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.
The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available on Cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_administration_guide_books_list.html.
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. For each new VPIM subscriber account that is created, Cisco Unity creates a corresponding contact in Active Directory.
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 online Help.
To prepare a CSV file for creating VPIM subscriber accounts
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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.
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Abade,Alex,2001,3000 Bader,Kelly,2002,3100 Campbell,Terry,2003,3200 Cho,Li,2004,3300Step 5
LAST_NAME,FIRST_NAME,DTMF_ACCESS_ID,REMOTE_USER_IDFor example, using the sample data from Step 4, the CSV file would look like this:
LAST_NAME,FIRST_NAME,DTMF_ACCESS_ID,REMOTE_USER_ID Abade,Alex,2001,3000 Bader,Kelly,2002,3100 Campbell,Terry,2003,3200 Cho,Li,2004,3300Step 6
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To create VPIM subscriber accounts by using the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard
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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. Once you correct 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, do the procedure, To correct errors that occurred when importing data from a CSV file.
To correct errors that occurred when importing data from a CSV file
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Using the Cisco Unity Administrator To Create VPIM Subscriber Accounts
Using the Cisco Unity Administrator, you can create VPIM subscriber accounts one at a time. When you add a new VPIM subscriber account, Cisco Unity creates a contact in Active Directory.
To create an VPIM subscriber account, do the procedure, To add a new VPIM subscriber by using the Cisco Unity Administrator.
To add a new VPIM subscriber by using the Cisco Unity Administrator
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After Creating Subscriber Accounts
After creating VPIM subscriber accounts, consider the following:
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The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available on Cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_administration_guide_books_list.html.
Gathering Information About Cisco Unity To Configure Another Voice Messaging System for VPIM
Configuring another voice messaging system to exchange VPIM messages with Cisco Unity may require the following information:
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VPIM messages destined for Cisco Unity should be sent to the Exchange 2000 server on which the Voice Connector and Transport Event Sink are installed. When defining a location for Cisco Unity on the other voice messaging system, this Exchange server should be specified.
Cisco Unity is expecting incoming VPIM messages to be formatted as <UnityPhonePrefix+UnitySubscriberExtension@PrimaryLocationSMTPDomainName>. These specific properties are configured on Cisco Unity, but to ensure successful message flow, similar information should be provided when configuring the other voice messaging system.
VPIM Concepts and Definitions
The following sections explain VPIM concepts in detail:
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Introduction to VPIM
VPIM Networking allows the exchange of voice, fax, and text messages between different voice messaging systems over the Internet or any TCP/IP network. VPIM is an industry-standard protocol based on the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) protocols.
VPIM enables organizations to link different voice messaging systems and to provide seamless voice message sending, receiving, forwarding, and replying between these systems. With VPIM Networking, organizations may be able to save long-distance toll charges for network messages. An organization can exchange messages over a TCP/IP-based intranet, or over the Internet, or a combination of the two.
The VPIM specification defines the format of messages and message addresses, and how messages are exchanged between mail servers. VPIM does not specify how the mail servers interact with client applications, or how they interface with end users. This allows many different kinds of existing systems to support VPIM. For more information about VPIM, refer to the Open Group VPIM website at http://www.ema.org/vpim.
VPIM Messages
VPIM messages are made up of one or more MIME-encoded parts. The VPIM specification allows for optional MIME parts for spoken name and for forwarded, fax, and text messages. VPIM messages may also include a vCard (an electronic business card) attachment, which includes phone number, text name and e-mail address. Cisco Unity allows you to select whether the voice name and vCard of the sender will be sent with outgoing messages. If incoming messages include a voice name, it is played as part of the message. If a vCard is attached to an incoming message, the recipient can look at the vCard data in ViewMail. Cisco Unity does not update the directory with the voice name or the vCard data from incoming messages.
VPIM voice message parts are encoded by using the ITU G.726 32-kbps ADPCM standard. VPIM fax encoding is based on the TIFF-F specification, and the vCard format is based on the Internet adaptation of the Versit vCard specification.
VPIM Addresses
A VPIM address is in the same format as a typical SMTP e-mail address—localpart@hostpart. The right-hand side of the address is the domain name of the system on the TCP/IP network that handles messages. The left-hand side of the address is a unique identifier for the user. Typically, the left-hand side is the subscriber mailbox number or the mailbox number with a prefix.
For example, an outgoing VPIM message to Terry Campbell with the remote mailbox 2233 could be:
To: 2233@remotevoicemailsystem.comIf needed to accommodate the dial plan for your organization, the address can also contain a prefix:
To: 8882233@remotevoicemailsystem.comVPIM addresses are created by the Voice Connector when sending VPIM messages; they are not entered by subscribers when addressing messages.
Locations and VPIM Networking
Central to how you set up VPIM Networking 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 VPIM Networking, you use the Cisco Unity Administrator to give the primary location a new name and a Dial ID (which is an identifier for the location within Cisco Unity), enter the SMTP domain name, and customize other properties as appropriate. See the "Primary Location Profile Settings" section on page 7-1 for more information.
You create a delivery location in the Cisco Unity Administrator 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 VPIM-compliant voice messaging systems. A VPIM delivery location contains the SMTP domain name of the system on the TCP/IP network that handles messages for the remote voice messaging system. See the "VPIM Delivery Location Profile Settings" section for more information.
Location data is stored both in the SQL database on the Cisco Unity server and in Active Directory. In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together, the location data replicates to all the Cisco Unity servers in the network. This means that delivery locations need to be created only on one Cisco Unity server in the network. The Cisco Unity server on which delivery locations are created is referred to as the bridgehead server. See the "Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers" section for more information.
Voice Connector and VPIM Networking
Cisco Unity makes use of Exchange 2000 to provide messaging between Cisco Unity and other VPIM-compliant voice messaging systems. Exchange 2000 is VPIM-transport compliant and provides the ability to send and receive messages across the Internet or any TCP/IP network to computers that support SMTP.
Before an outgoing message to a VPIM-compliant voice messaging system can be sent, it must be encoded as a MIME message. The Cisco Unity Voice Connector for Exchange 2000 handles the conversion to and from the MIME format.
The Voice Connector must be installed on an Exchange 2000 server. If the Exchange 2000 and Cisco Unity servers are in different routing groups, a routing group connector must be installed. Although the Voice Connector can be installed on the Cisco Unity server (if Exchange 2000 is also on the server), this is not recommended for performance reasons.
The Voice Connector must not be installed on a server in an Exchange cluster. Microsoft does not support third-party connectors on an Exchange cluster server.
See the "Setting Up the Voice Connector for VPIM Networking (Exchange 2000)" section for information about installing the Voice Connector.
How the Voice Connector Processes Outgoing VPIM Messages
When subscribers use the phone to address a message to a VPIM recipient, Cisco Unity constructs a To address for the message in the form VPIM:<Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox>. As with any other message, Cisco Unity hands it off to Exchange for delivery. Since the message has a VPIM address type, it is first passed to the Voice Connector for processing.
The Voice Connector performs the following tasks:
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The newly formatted message is put in the SMTP pickup folder of the Windows 2000 server for delivery to the VPIM-compliant voice messaging system.
How the Voice Connector Processes Incoming VPIM Messages
When the Voice Connector is installed, it registers a transport event sink with the Windows 2000 SMTP server. An event sink is code that is activated through a defined trigger, such as the receipt of a new message.
The event sink is registered by the Voice Connector and monitors all incoming messages. Messages that have the content type Multipart/Voice-Message and are addressed to the SMTP domain defined during the Voice Connector installation are readdressed to the Voice Connector by the event sink.
When the Voice Connector receives the message, it first verifies that the message is from a domain specified in a VPIM delivery location. If a VPIM delivery location with a matching domain name is not found, the Voice Connector rejects the message and sends a non-delivery receipt (NDR) to the sender.
If a VPIM delivery location with a matching location is found, the Voice Connector does the following:
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Message Addressing Options
Cisco Unity provides these ways to address messages to individuals by using a VPIM-compliant voice messaging system:
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Messaging Similarities and Limitations
For the most part, messaging between Cisco Unity subscribers and individuals on a VPIM-compliant voice messaging system is the same as messaging between Cisco Unity subscribers. For example:
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Note the following exceptions:
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Blind Addressing and VPIM Networking
Blind addressing is one of the methods that Cisco Unity provides for addressing VPIM messages to users of another voice messaging system. Blind addressing allows Cisco Unity to address messages without having specific information about the recipients on the remote voice messaging system (such as their names and mailbox numbers). One of the steps to setting up blind addressing is to change the Blind Addressing setting on the Primary Location > Addressing Options page to something other than None. You also create a VPIM delivery location that corresponds to each voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates.
You provide the following key information for each delivery location:
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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 that a voice name was recorded for the delivery location).
Subscriber Experience with Blind Addressing
Subscribers can address messages by using the phone, Cisco Unity ViewMail, or the Cisco Unity Inbox. To address a message by using ViewMail or the Cisco Unity Inbox, subscribers enter the address in the following format:
[VPIM:<Delivery Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox Number>]
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Because your Cisco Unity server does not have access to the names, extensions, and recorded voice names of the people who use the other voice messaging system, subscribers will encounter some limitations with blind addressing:
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VPIM Subscribers
VPIM subscribers are a representation in Cisco Unity of individuals who use another voice messaging system. Voice messages addressed to VPIM subscribers are sent to the voice messaging system that they use. Unlike regular subscribers, VPIM subscribers do not require user licenses.
You create and manage VPIM subscribers in much the same way that you do regular subscribers. You can use the Cisco Unity Administrator or the Cisco Unity Bulk Import wizard to create VPIM subscribers, and you use the Cisco Unity Administrator to modify or delete VPIM subscribers. (Note that the Bulk Edit utility cannot be used to modify settings for VPIM subscribers.)
To set up VPIM subscribers, you first create a VPIM delivery location that corresponds to each remote voice messaging system with which Cisco Unity communicates. After creating the delivery locations, you create a VPIM subscriber for each remote user. When creating each VPIM subscriber, you specify the user mailbox number on the other voice messaging system, and select a VPIM delivery location with which to associate the subscriber. The Voice Connector uses the information on the associated delivery location when delivering a message to the VPIM subscriber. Note that VPIM subscribers can be created only on the VPIM bridgehead server on which the associated VPIM delivery location has been created.
Extensions are mandatory for VPIM subscribers. The extension is the number that subscribers dial when addressing a message to a VPIM subscriber. This number may or may not be the same as the mailbox number of the VPIM subscriber on the remote voice messaging system. Callers who reach the opening greeting of your organization can dial the extension of a VPIM subscriber or look up a VPIM subscriber in directory assistance and leave a message.
VPIM subscribers in Cisco Unity are represented as contacts in Active Directory. When you delete VPIM subscribers in the Cisco Unity Administrator either by deleting individual accounts or by deleting a delivery location with which the VPIM subscribers are associated, the underlying contacts are not removed; you must delete them manually by using Active Directory Users and Computers.
Other than receiving messages, VPIM subscribers do not have access to other Cisco Unity features, and some sections of the Cisco Unity Administrator are disabled for VPIM subscribers. VPIM subscribers:
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Setting up VPIM subscribers requires more overhead for administrators of Cisco Unity than blind addressing does. However, the VPIM subscriber option allows other subscribers to address messages to VPIM subscribers the same way that they address messages to regular subscribers. In general, setting up VPIM subscriber accounts is a good solution in the following circumstances:
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Because of the administrative overhead of setting up and maintaining many VPIM subscriber accounts, you may prefer a combination of blind addressing and VPIM subscribers. For example, you might want to set up VPIM subscriber accounts for senior sales staff, but not for other employees.
Subscriber Experience with VPIM Subscribers
Provided that VPIM subscribers are listed in the phone directory and have had voice names and greetings recorded for them:
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Extension Address Utility
When you create an VPIM subscriber, Cisco Unity automatically generates an e-mail address in the following format:
VPIM:<Delivery Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox Number>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 VPIM subscriber is associated, and the Remote Mailbox Number of the VPIM subscriber. Each contact in Active Directory that corresponds to a VPIM subscriber contains an extension address.
When subscribers use the phone to address messages to a VPIM subscriber, they dial an extension. Cisco Unity recognizes the recipient as a VPIM subscriber and retrieves the extension address from the SQL database on the Cisco Unity server.
The extension address retrieved by Cisco Unity is identical to the format the subscriber would use in addressing the message from ViewMail or the Cisco Unity Inbox: the delivery location Dial ID and the Remote Mailbox Number. When using ViewMail or the Cisco Unity Inbox to address a message to a VPIM subscriber, subscribers can either select the contact from the Outlook address book or address the voice message by using the full format: [VPIM:<Delivery Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox Number>]. For example, to send a message to Dial ID 206, mailbox 444, the address is: [VPIM:206_444].
Although extension addresses are generated automatically when you create VPIM subscribers, if you later change the Dial ID of a delivery location, you will need to run the Extension Address utility to update the extension addresses for the VPIM subscribers associated with the location. Otherwise, VPIM subscribers will have incorrect extension addresses, and they will not receive messages.
To run the Extension Address utility
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It may take a few minutes for the extension addresses to be updated in Exchange.
Hiding VPIM Subscribers
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 VPIM subscriber accounts are created for them, the Exchange address list will contain duplicate listings—the existing user account and a contact. Both listings are viewable in Outlook.
To prevent the VPIM subscribers from being listed in the Exchange address list, you will need to hide them by using Active Directory for Users and Computers. (To access the tool, click View > Advanced Features, and make changes on the Exchange Advanced property page). Note that even when recipients are hidden, Cisco Unity is able to deliver messages to them. However, if you hide the contact created for the VPIM subscriber, subscribers who use ViewMail or Cisco Unity Inbox must manually enter the extension address for the VPIM subscriber in the following format:
[VPIM:<Delivery Location Dial ID>_<Remote Mailbox Number>]Because e-mails should not be sent to VPIM subscribers, you may want to exclude them from distribution lists in addition to hiding them in the Exchange address list, because distribution lists are also viewable in Outlook. Before creating VPIM subscriber accounts, you may want to create a subscriber template just for VPIM subscribers, and modify the subscriber template distribution lists settings so that the VPIM subscribers are not added to any distribution lists. For more information, refer to the "Subscriber Template Distribution Lists Settings" section in the "Subscriber Template Settings" chapter of the Cisco Unity System Administration Guide. (The Cisco Unity System Administration Guide is available on Cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_administration_guide_books_list.html.)
Migrating Subscribers from Another Voice Messaging System to Cisco Unity
If you have set up VPIM 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 VPIM subscriber account (such as the voice name) with an existing mail user. The utility then deletes the VPIM subscriber account and optionally, deletes the associated Active Directory contact.
The Migrate Subscriber Data utility is available in Tools Depot (the Tools Depot icon is installed on the Cisco Unity server desktop). Refer to the Help file that comes with the utility for more information.
Considerations for Networked Cisco Unity Servers
A small subset of subscriber and distribution list data is stored in Active Directory, as is all location data. In organizations with multiple Cisco Unity servers networked together such that they access a common directory, the Cisco Unity-specific data replicates to all Cisco Unity servers in the network. Therefore, all Cisco Unity servers on the network have the information that subscribers need to address messages to users at a VPIM location.
Because of directory replication, VPIM delivery locations and VPIM subscribers need to be created only on one Cisco Unity server in the network. If allowed by the primary location addressing options on each server, all subscribers, no matter which Cisco Unity server they are associated with, can send messages to a VPIM delivery location or to a VPIM subscriber created on another server.
Phone Prefixes
Each VPIM delivery location provides the following prefixes, which are used to accommodate various dial plans:
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If all VPIM delivery locations have a unique domain name, prefixes are optional. If you have multiple delivery locations with the same domain name, the Remote Phone Prefix is required. Within the set of the delivery locations with the same domain name, the Remote Phone Prefix must be a unique number.
For example, assume that an organization has implemented a 10-digit dial plan, in which the mailbox numbers for Cisco Unity subscribers begin with 206, and the mailbox numbers of subscribers on a VPIM voice messaging system begin with 425.
Assume the following has been set on the VPIM delivery location:
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By setting both the Remote Phone Prefix and the Dial ID to 425, the number that a subscriber enters when blind addressing a message to someone at the VPIM location is the same number that the subscriber enters when calling.
Because of the prefix, VPIM subscribers are assigned a 7-digit Remote Mailbox Number. For outgoing messages, the Voice Connector adds the prefix 425 to the beginning of the remote mailbox number, creating a 10-digit recipient mailbox number.
Audio Formats Supported
The Voice Connector always sends outbound VPIM messages in the G.726 format. The Voice Connector can receive VPIM messages with voice attachments in the G.711, GSM 6.10, and G.726 audio formats. The Audio Format Conversion setting on the VPIM Delivery Locations page allows you to control whether incoming messages are converted to another format, or are stored in the same format in which they were sent. See the "VPIM Delivery Location Profile Settings" section for details about the Audio Format Conversion setting.
VPIM Reference
This section contains tables that define the fields on the Cisco Unity Administrator web pages related to VPIM setup, and briefly explain the options for correctly entering information in the fields.
VPIM Delivery Location Profile Settings
VPIM 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 VPIM 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 a VPIM location.
