Integrating a Cisco CUCM 7.x cluster with multiple Exchange 2010 UM servers

Microsoft's Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging is shaping up to be a top class messaging system. Cisco's Unified Call Manager is a steady standard for VOIP. Can the two live together in a high availability environment? yes they can, and here is how.

CUCM's cluster exists as a failover solution. If the Primary Server fails, devices contact the secondary (or tertiary) server. Changes made on the Primary are replicated to the Secondary. Exchange 2010 allows for as many UM servers as your organisation needs. Failed calls to one server are re-routed to another. Once there are two UM servers it also load balances between the two. Having a Call Manager and a Unified Messaging Server in each of your DR sites effectively means uninterrupted access to voicemail, auto attendants, etc.

Note that we had Cisco Unity enabled and running throughout the time we migrated to UM and they happily sat side by side.

Starting with Exchange UM: We will assume that you have created your Dial Plan and Mailbox Policies and skip straight to creating a new IP Gateway. Specify the name (being possibly the name of the Primary CUCM Server) and specify the IPv4 address. After creating the IP Gateway, right click the gateway and select Properties. Make sure "Allow outgoing calls through this UM IP Gateway" and "Allow Message Waiting Indicator" are both ticked. Create a new IP Gateway for the Secondary CUCM Server with the same details enabled.

Now for the CUCM set up. You may be told that some of these steps are unnecessary, especially in regard to Media Resource Groups. We listened to experience of other users where not using Media Resource Groups caused a problem. In the end, following this path did not result in any problems.

You should already have Media Termination Points set up, one for each server, although only one may be active on the secondary server. You can view them by going to Media Resources -> Media Termination Points. Note their names. Create a Media Resource Group under Media Resources -> Media Resource Group (We'll call it MRG_CCM) and add the previously noted Media Termination Points. Now create a Media Resource Group List (we'll call this MRGL_CCM) that contains the Media Resource Group MRG_CCM.

Go to System -> Device Pool. Copy the Default pool and call it Ex_UM_Device_Pool. In Ex_UM_Device_Pool specify the MRGL_CCM Media Resource Group List and save. (Why this step I don't know, the following steps don't use this profile?!!)

Go to System -> Security Profile -> SIP Trunk Profile. Copy the existing Non Secure SIP Trunk Profile and call it e12_NS_SIP_Trunk_Profile. Tick the boxes for "Accept Out-Of-Dialog REFER", "Accept Unsolicited Notification" and "Accept Replaces Header". Leave the other settings untouched.

Go to Device -> Trunk and create a new trunk with Trunk Type being "SIP Trunk" and Device Protocol being "SIP". Under "Device Information" change the Media Resource Group List to MRGL_CCM. Tick "Media Termination Point Required." Under Call Routing Information select your internal Calling Search Space and tick "Redirecting Diversion Header Delivery - Inbound." (The calling search space is needed for the 'Listen on Phone' feature. Change Calling Party Selection to "Originator" and tick "Redirecting Diversion Header Delivery - Outbound." Under SIP Information enter the IP Address of your first Exchange Unified Messaging server. For SIP trunk Security Profile, select the previously created e12_NS_SIP_Trunk_Profile. Set the Rerouting Calling Search Space to Internal. Finally for SIP Profile select the Standard SIP Profile.

Note that the Standard SIP Profile must have a Default MTP Telephony Event Payload Type of 101. If it is different, you will need to create a new SIP profile and use it here.

Create a new Trunk for each additional UM Server using the above information. (You can test these trunks by adding a route directly into the trunks themselves. However, you will need to remove all routes to those trunks before you add the trunk into a route group. You cannot have the trunk individually routed to AND in a route trunk. If you need to route to an individual Trunk for a specific reason, you can create a separate Route Group List, etc.)

Now to create a Route Group that contains all of the Trunks you have created to the Unified Messaging servers. Under Call Routing -> Route/Hunt -> Route Group select Add New. We will call this e12_UM_Route_Group. Highlight the Trunks you have created. They will only appear here if you have not specified them in a Route Pattern already. Click on Add to Route Group to include them.

Now Create a Route List that can be used in a Route Patter by going to Call Routing -> Route/Hunt -> Route Group. We will call it e12_UM_Route_List. Add the previously created e12_UM_Route_Group.

Now to create a Route Pattern. Under Call Routing -> Route/Hunt -> Route Pattern select Add New. Enter the voicemail access number (We will pretend this is 2010) leave the Route Partition blank. Select the previously created e12_UM_Route_List under Gateway/Route List and make sure "Route this pattern" is selected. Make sure that under the section "Calling Party Transformations" the calling Line ID Presentation is set to "Allowed."

Under Voice Mail -> Voice Mail Pilot, select Add New. Enter 2010 for "Voice Mail Pilot Number" and leave the Calling Search Space as .

Under Voice Mail -> Voice Mail Profile, select Add New. We will give it the name UM2010_Profile. Select the newly created Pilot 2010/.

Back in Exchange -> Organisation Configuration -> Unified Message (UM Dial Plans tab) Open the properties of your dial plan and select Subscriber Access. Ensure to associate the Voice Mail Pilot number (ours is 2010 in this example) with the dial plan.

Find a suitable test mailbox that you have full access to under recipient configuration -> Mailbox. Select "Enable Unified Messaging" and assign a suitable extension, we will select 1050 for example.

Back to CUCM under Call Routing -> Directory Number. Find your extension test extension 1050. Under Voice Mail Profile select UM2010_Profile. Make sure that Call Forward Settings allow forwarding to voicemail.

You should now be able to access Exchange Voicemail from that phone by pressing the messages button, and be able to call into the system. This setup should now be secure from a power failure at either DR site.