VOIP HOME LAB - Part 1.8 Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.5.1 Configuration

In a previous tutorial we completed Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.5.1 installation. In this tutorial we are going to continue with CUCM configuration to support Cisco phones according to our network topology. At the end on the tutorial we should be able to place phone call between Cisco IP phone 7961 connected to Cisco Catalyst 3550 and Cisco IP Communicator installed on VMware virtual machine.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Configuration

Once installation is completed open CUCM address http://192.168.100.252 in your web browser. Be aware that only IE, Firefox and Safari browsers are officially supported. Click on Cisco Unified Communications Manager link in Installed Applications menu. You will be redirected to Cisco Unified CM Administration page https://192.168.100.252/ccmadmin/showHome.do

Type username ccmadmin and password ccmadmin to login to Cisco Unified CM Administration page.

1. System Parameters Configuration

a) Server

Navigate to System -> Server. Click on Find button and the server CUCM-I will appear in the server list. Click on CUCM-I server to edit CUCM-I parameters. Server can be defined either by its hostname or IP address. As we have not deployed DNS server in our home Local Area Network, edit Host Name/IP Address option and type IP address 192.168.100.252. Add server description if you want and then click on Save button.

Pic1_Server_configuration

Picture 1 - Server Configuration

Note: Always use Save button to save configuration changes.

b) Cisco Unified CM

Navigate to System -> Cisco Unified CM. Click on CM_CUCM-I that is presented in the list. Change configuration options as following:

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Name -> CUCM-I
Starting Directory Number -> 3000
Ending Directory Number -> 3010
Auto-registration Disabled on this Cisco Unified Communications Manager -> uncheck the Auto-registration Disabled check box

Pic2_Cisco_Unified_CM_configuration

Picture 2 - Cisco Unified CM Configuration

Note: We are using Autoregistration feature to allow Cisco phones automatically register with CUCM.

c) Cisco Unified CM Group

Navigate to System -> Cisco Unified CM Group. Click on the CM group Default. Change configuration options as following:

Name -> Branch-Group

d) Phone NTP Reference

Navigate to System -> Phone NTP reference. Click on Add New button and changes NTP configuration.

Pic3_Phone_NTP_reference_configuration

Picture 3 - Phone NTP Reference Configuration

e) Date/Time Group

Navigate to System -> Date/Time Group. Click on CMLocal Date/Time Group. Change configuration options as following:

Time Zone -> (GMT+1:00) Europe/Bratislava
Add Phone NTP Reference -> 192.168.100.254 and click on Add Selected button

Pic4_Date_Time_Group_ Configuration

Picture 4 - Date/Time Group Configuration

f) Region

Navigate to System -> Region. Click on the Default region and change its name to Branch-Region. Leave other parameters to their default values.

g) Location

Navigate to System -> Location. Click on Add New button. Create a new location Branch-Location.

h) Device Pool

Navigate to System -> Device Pool. Click on the Default Device Pool and change its parameters as following:

Device Pool Name -> Branch-Pool
Cisco Unified Communications Manager GroupRequired Field -> Branch-Group
Dare/Time Group -> CMLocal
Region -> Branch-Region
Location -> Branch-Location
Network Locale -> Slovakia

2. Media Resources Configuration

a) Annunciator

Navigate to Media Resources -> Annunciator. Click on ANN_2 annunciator and modify annunciator settings according to the picture.

Branch_Annunciator

Picture 5 - Annunciator Configuration

b) Software Conference Bridge

Navigate to Media Resources -> Conference Bridge. Click on CFB_2 bridge and modify its settings according to the picture.

Branch_conference_bridge

Picture 6 - Conference Bridge Configuration

c) Media Termination Point

Navigate to Media Resources -> Media Termination Point. Click on MTP-2 termination point and modify its settings according to the picture.

Branch_MTP

Picture 7 - Media Termination Point Configuration

d) Music On Hold (MOH) Server

Navigate to Media Resources -> Music On Hold Servers. Click on MOH_2 music on hold server and modify its settings according to the picture.

Branch_MOH_server

Picture 8 - Music On Hold (MOH) Server Configuration

e) Media Resource Group

Navigate to Media Resources -> Media Resource Group and add a new Media Resource Group. Click on the arrow symbol to add all available media resources.

Branch_MRGP

Picture 9 - Media Resource Group Configuration

f) Media Resource Group List

Navigate to Media Resources -> Media Resource Group List. Click on Add New button and modify its settings according to the picture.

Branch_MRGL

Picture 10 - Media Resource Group List Configuration

g) Change Media Resource Group List in Device Pool Configuration

Navigate to System -> Device Pool -> Branch-Pool. Select a media resource group list Branch-MRGL-I in Media Resource Group List setting.

3. Starting Services

So far we have configured CUCM to bale to connect Cisco IP phones. The last step consists of activation required CUCM services. Select Cisco Unified Serviceablility in Navigation box at the right corner of CUCM administration window. Click on Go button. Navigate to Tools -> Service Activation. To figure out which services should be activated, click on Help -> About this page. You can read more about services in a chapter Understanding Services from Cisco Unified Serviceablility 8.5.1 Administration Guide.

To save RAM and CPU resources I recommend to activate only minimum CM services. Other services can be activated later in case they are needed. These are the services that have to be activated in order to register Cisco IP phones with CUCM. 

  • Cisco CallManager
  • Cisco Tftp
  • Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming App

Once services are activated, power on a virtual machine with installed Cisco IP Communicator and plug Cisco IP phone 7961 to Catalyst 3550 switch. Switch back to Cisco Unified CM Administration page and navigate to Device -> Phone. Click on Find button. As we enabled Autoregistration feature in step 1 - Cisco Unified CM Configuration, both phones should automatically register with CUCM.

Branch_phones

Picture 11 - Cisco IP Phones Registration

You should be able to place call from Cisco 7961 to Cisco IP Communicator and vice versa. Below are phone call statistic captured on CIPC. In this case, G.722 codec is used in both call directions and receiver and sender packets counters are increasing as the phone call remains active.

Pic12- Phone_call_stats

Picture 12 - Phone Call Statics

One thought on “VOIP HOME LAB - Part 1.8 Cisco Unified Communications Manager 8.5.1 Configuration

  1. HOw can i change system defined announciator messages for example 'your call is coplated as dial..' is there a way change to this error messages tone from my recorded file.

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