Cisco Unity Fundamentals

A comprehensive introduction to deploying, configuring, and maintaining Cisco Unity

• Discover the various Cisco Unity integration and deployment solutions, as well as the environmental differences between PBX and IP telephony-based telephone systems
• Learn the pitfalls of existing systems integration and how to avoid downtime
• Maintain a Cisco unified messaging solution by using the book's examples, including setups, additions, message sourcing applications, and error reporting
• Perform the proper installation, upgrade, and back up of Cisco Unity systems
• Monitor performance and troubleshoot a Cisco Unity system using the proper tools and utilities that help you ensure high availability
• Choose the proper Cisco Unity networking features to deliver messages to other voice-messaging systems

Cisco Unity is the official unified messaging solution for the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video, and Integrated Data (AVVID) and complements the full range of Cisco IP-based voice solutions, including Cisco CallManager and Cisco Personal Assistant.

Cisco Unity Fundamentals provides design and administration goals for migrating from PBX to Cisco IP Telephony, as well as working in a mixed PBX/Cisco IP Telephony environment. You will learn about the transition from the traditional model, with separate architectures for voice-mail and e-mail systems, to supporting unified messaging: e-mail, voice, and fax messages delivered to a single inbox. You will also discover common troubleshooting solutions, such as performance monitoring and the importance of data collection for predicting future system requirements.

Cisco Unity Fundamentals begins by introducing the engineering aspects of Cisco Unity and then moves quickly into the hardware and software platforms. Part I focuses on the administration of Cisco Unity, describing the features, general setup, and global settings. Part II describes installation and discusses various types of integration with Cisco CallManager and other telephone systems, including Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy. Part II also delves into networking with other voice-messaging systems. After reading Cisco Unity Fundamentals, you will understand the system, configuration, and on-going maintenance issues associated with a successful Cisco Unity deployment.

About the Authors

Brian Morgan, CCIE No. 4865 is a consulting systems engineer with Cisco specializing in Unified Communications and Collaboration technologies. In 20 years in the networking industry, he has performed in a number of roles, including network consultant, Certified Cisco Systems Instructor, and engineering director for a telecommunications company. When he's not spending time with the family, Brian enjoys working with local high school and college students enrolled in local Cisco Network Academy programs in North Texas.

Moises Gonzalez is a Test Engineer working in the CallManager engineering group at Cisco Systems, where he focuses on testing CallManager with Unity. He has more than 10 years of networking experience, and prior to joining Cisco Systems, he provided technical assistance for the Unity product and was an instructor for CTI-based solutions. Moises holds a MCSE and has completed the CNE, Unity Engineer, CIPT exams.