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Overview: Maintaining Cisco Unity
Introduction
Overview: Maintaining Cisco Unity
All of the software and hardware associated with the Cisco Unity server requires maintenance to ensure availability. Degradation in any piece of the installed software can affect server performance. If you do regular maintenance, you can reduce the likelihood of unplanned downtime.
See the following sections in this chapter for more information:
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Scheduling Maintenance Tasks—This section provides an overview of system maintenance tasks and suggested frequency.
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Scheduling Maintenance Tasks
The frequency of scheduled maintenance depends on your particular environment, taking into account such issues as system size, configuration, and traffic levels. At a minimum, we recommend that you do scheduled maintenance as indicated in Table 1-1. If you already do the following tasks more frequently than we recommend, use your schedule rather than our recommendations.
Table 1-1 Maintenance Tasks and How Often to Do Them
Forward unaddressed messages to the appropriate recipients. For more information, see the "Forwarding Unaddressed Messages to the Correct Recipients" section.
Continually
Scan for viruses. See the "Scanning for Viruses" section.
X
Back up the Cisco Unity server. See the "Backing Up and Restoring a Cisco Unity System" chapter.
X
Verify that messages in the Unity Messaging Repository (UMR) are being delivered.
X
Check to see whether Cisco Unity Administrator sessions are not in use and are not being freed by Cisco Unity.
X
Verify that the system backup is complete before the beginning of the next business day.
X
Verify that the backup medium has enough room to back up the entire contents of the Cisco Unity server.
X
Install the latest Cisco Unity-qualified service packs and security hot fixes. See the "Recommended Service Packs and Updates Overview" section.
X
Run the Database Walker (DbWalker) utility to check database integrity. Fix any errors encountered by following the on-screen instructions. See the "Running the DbWalker Utility" section.
X
Update the system clock. See the "Updating the System Clock" section.
X
Update virus-scanning definitions. See the "Updating Virus-Scanning Definitions" section.
When new definitions become available
Restart the Cisco Unity server. See the "Restarting the Cisco Unity Server" section.
According to your current schedule, or as needed
Run and review Cisco Unity reports.
As needed
Monitor system resources. See the "Performance Monitoring" chapter.
According to your current schedule, or as needed
Monitor the available forums for Cisco Unity.
As needed
Setting Up a Test Environment
If your system resources allow it, we recommend establishing a test environment for the entire Cisco Unitydeployment. The test environment can be smaller in scale than the production environment, but should have the same configuration characteristics.
Use the test environment to validate any proposed changes prior to implementing them on the production system. This includes any upgrades or patches to Cisco Unity, the phone system, and the network, including but not limited to the automated attendant, ports, schedules, call handlers, class of service, distribution lists, languages, the mail store, and third-party software.
Document the initial configurations of both the production and the test environment, and keep a log of all changes made. Failing to do so can affect the supportability of Cisco Unity in the production environment, causing unnecessary delays if support personnel must work around undocumented changes. Also, failing to document the current environment and any changes made to the test and production systems can affect the ability to efficiently and successfully expand the system and to do major upgrades in the future.