Cisco Voice Guru

I got burned by this bug last night.  Read up on it and be aware of what you might run into with CUCM 7.0(1) on the lab!

CSCsl74701 Bug Details
ARQ requests 1280 when no regions are defined to use g711

Symptom:
ARQ sent to gatekeeper requests bandwidth for a g711 call (1280) even though only g729 is configured in all of the regions.

Conditions:
In a call routed to a GK controlled ICT and all regions are configured for g729, the originating CCM requests 160 in the ARQ to the gatekeeper. When the h225 setup arrives at the terminating CCM, an ARQ is sent to the gatekeeper requesting 1280. This is because the IntraAudioRegionDefault and InterAudioRegionDefault service paramater settings are included in the calculation for the maximum bandwidth request. Callmanager default setting for IntraAudioRegionDefault is g711.

It should check region pair before applying default if there is nothing matched.

Workaround:
Set both service parameters to g729, or increase zone bandwidth setting on the gatekeeper

First thing…  Set this URL to be your homepage from now until you pass your CCIE Voice lab.

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/psa/default.html

When you’re at work and have a problem, search this site for your answers.  Train yourself to use the documentation.  Resist the urge to use Google to find your answer.

The CCIE lab is just as much about knowing the technologies as it is knowing Cisco’s documentation.  How’s that for “drinking the Kool-aid” and taking the Cisco plunge?

These examples will provide you TONS of working configuration examples.  Be familiar with these guides.

CUE/VPIM Configuration

• Clickable path: CISCO UNITY EXPRESS > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide 1: Configuration Example: Cisco Unity Express Networking
• Cisco Guide 2: CallManager for Cisco Unity Express Configuration Example

B-ACD

• Clickable path: COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER EXPRESS > CONFIGURE > Configuration Guide
• Cisco Guide: Cisco Unified CME B-ACD and Tcl Call-Handling Applications
• Search for: “Embedded Call-Queue and AA Tcl Scripts: Example”

RSVP Agent

• Clickable path: CISCO IOS SOFTWARE > CISCO IOS 12.4 T > Configuration Guides
• Cisco Guide: CUCM and Cisco IOS Interoperability Guide, Release 12.4
• Search for: “Configuring RSVP Agent”

DSP Farms

• Clickable path: CISCO IOS SOFTWARE > CISCO IOS 12.4 T > Configuration Guides
• Cisco Guide: CUCM and Cisco IOS Interoperability Guide, Release 12.4
• Search for: “MGCP Gateway with T1 PRI: Example”

Transcoding

• Clickable Path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: Enhanced Transcoding and Conferencing for IOS Voice Gateways in a CallMananger Network using DSP Resources Configuration Example
• Search for: “sccp ccm”

COR

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: Unified SRST Interactive Voice Network Configuration Example
• Search for: “Configure Class of Restriction (COR) on the SRST Router”

MGCP

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: Unified SRST Interactive Voice Network Configuration Example
• Search for: “Remote RTP Router”

Cisco Unity Express (CUE) with CUCM

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > CISCO UNITY EXPRESS > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: CallManager for CUE Configuration Example

Cisco Unity Express (CUE) with CUCME

• Clickable path: Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > CISCO UNITY EXPRESS > CONFIGURE > CONFIGURATION EXAMPLES AND TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: CUCME/CUE Configuration Example

Cisco Unity Connection (CUC) with CUCME

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > CISCO UNITY CONNECTION > CONFIGURE > Configuration Examples and TechNotes > Configuration Guides
• SCCP-Based Cisco Guide: CUCM Express SCCP Integration Guide for CUC Release 7.x
• SIP-Based Cisco Guide: CUCM Express SIP Trunk Integration Guide for CUC Release 7.x

SRST Configuration

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > CISCO UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > MANAGER (CALLMANAGER)  > TROUBLESHOOT AND ALERTS > TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNOTES > Unified SRST Interactive Voice Network Configuration Example
• Cisco Guide: Unified SRST Interactive Voice Network Configuration Example
• Search for: “COR” (Configure Class of Restriction (COR) on the SRST Router)

3750 QoS Configuration

• Clickable path: SWITCHES > CISCO CATALYST 3750 SERIES SWITCHES > TROUBLESHOOT AND ALERTS > TROUBLESHOOTING TECHNOTES
• Cisco Guide: Cisco Catalyst 3750 QoS Configuration Examples
• Search for:

IPPA

This section contributed by a CCIE Voice study partner of mine, Roger:

• Clickable path: VOICE AND UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS > CUSTOMER CONTACT > CISCO UNIFIED CONTACT CENTER PRODUCTS > CONTACT CENTER EXPRESS > Install and Configure Guides
• Cisco Guide: Cisco CAD Installation Guide for CAD 6.6 for Unified CM
• Search for: “:62” – Third hit is what you need.

You know there are two different URLs that can be used for the UCCX phone agent service?

One where you have to insert agent id, password and agent extension on the phone, since this takes valuable time away from your lab time we often choose to use the other method, namely the one where all this is already filled in when you subscribed to the service. In other words, the one button login.

There is a document that describes how to do this, but it can be somewhat difficult to find. At least if you compare to the effort needed to find the first example. But rest at ease, the is an easy way to do both with what you find in the easily found document.

The trick to find this second URL and the name of the parameters is to paste the first URL into a browser on your computer: http://<IP_of_UCCX_server>:6293/ipphone/jsp/sciphonexml/IPAgentInitial.jsp

In the result that comes up in your browser you will have the second URL and the exact name of the parameters needed, remember that these are case-sensitive.

Question: I am trying to import CUCM end users into Unity Connection, but my search under CUC > Tools > Import Users does not return any results:

Answer: Make sure that you check the following:

1. AXL connections are setup correctly under Telephony Integrations > Phone System > Edit > AXL Servers
2. AXL connections are using port 443
3. AXL service is activated and running on Unity Connection
4. CUCM end user is associated to its IP phone and that a primary extension is set under User Management > End User

Question: How can you send a test call from an IOS gateway itself?

Answer: You would use “csim start [dialed digits]“.  However, be aware that though the dialed digits strings will match the destination-pattern defined in your dial peer.  Any voice translation-profiles applied at the dial-peer level will not be activated during a csim test call.

Case in point, I have the following setup:

dial-peer voice 11300 voip
 translation-profile outgoing OUT-GK-EXPAND
 destination-pattern [15]…$
 session target ras
 dtmf-relay h245-alphanumeric
!
voice translation-profile OUT-GK-EXPAND
 translate called 11300
!
voice translation-rule 11300
 rule 1 /5…$/ /1#1212394\0/
 rule 2 /1…$/ /1#1617863\0/

If I dial “5002″ from BR2-PHN2 (ext. 3002), dial-peer 11300 is matched ([15]…$) and then translated from 5002 > 1#12123945002 before it is sent, via RAS, to my gatekeeper. 

If I issue a “csim start 5002″, it will match my dial-peer 11300 (“debug voip dialpeer”), but the translation will not occur.  Verify this for yourself by running “debug gatekeeper main 10″ from your gatekeeper.  You’ll see that the call comes in as “5002″ instead of “1#12123945002″.

Happy labbing!

Question: In IOS, the default dial-peer terminator is #.  This terminator never needs to be added to a destination-pattern command.  It is a system-wide command.  How would you change the dial-peer default terminator in the IOS?

Answer: You would use “dial-peer terminator [0-9, A-F, *, or #]“

A friend of mine in Europe, Iwan Hoogendoorn, was good enough to pass on the slide deck from the 2009 Cisco Live! CCIE Voice Techtorial session. If I could go to Cisco Live! this year, I’d do it just for the techtorial. This PDF has some great information regarding the lab setup and the technologies we’re going to be tested on.

One more note: I’ve been impressed with IPexpert’s materials and how closely they parallel the material covered in the exam. If you’re just getting started in your pursuit and are looking for quality training materials, check them out!

Click here to download (Right-click, select “Save As”)

I was a little jealous because my friend Roger won a hat from the “Ask the Expert” forum on Cisco’s site.  So I wrote Ben Ng a note on the forum – not asking for a hat, but running some strategy questions by him.

This is what I asked:

Ben,

In your opinion, when do you “know” that you’re ready to take the lab?  There’s a plethora of Cisco documents to review, hands-on training to get, etc.  For someone like me who is having to shell out the money myself (going on $10k without booking the lab), how do you know?  What can a candidate use to gauge his confidence level?

I know some guys have the mindset that they’ll take it once, expecting to fail.  Most of those guys are probably getting it paid for by their employer.  For guys like me, who want to take the lab (and actually have a chance of passing the first time), what would you say?  Any sagely words of wisdom?

Read the rest of this entry »

Cisco is currently running an “Ask the Expert – CCIE Voice” forum over at the Cisco Support Community.  Ben Ng, is answering all your CCIE Voice lab-related questions through tomorrow, February 12th.

Ben’s Profile

Ben Ng is a program manager with the CCIE program at Cisco Systems, Inc., where he manages exam content for the CCIE Voice track. Prior to joining the CCIE program, Ng worked in Cisco’s Technical Assistance Center (TAC) where he provided technical and escalation support to Cisco customers on WAN, LAN switching, Multi-Service, and Unified Communications technologies. Ng is excited about how Cisco technologies, UC in particular, are redefining how people communicate with one another; and he is passionate about enabling engineers to excel in Cisco UC careers via training and certifications. Certified in CCIE R&S and Voice, Ng also holds a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management from Oklahoma State University.

Read the rest of this entry »

Good ol’ Jerry from IBM wrote a nice post on the “Ask the Expert” forum with Ben Ng.  He came close to violating the NDA, in my opinion.  The wording of his questions help shed some light on the mysterious exam that I’m prepping for.

Here’s what I gathered:

1. There will be three voice gateways on the lab (SIP, MGCP, and H.323?)
2. The dial-plan section may be “small” on words, but big in configuration requirements.
3. Understand configuration and impact of TEHO in the environment.
4. Understand how codec selection and CAC interact with one another.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a little insight from Ben Ng, CCIE Voice content manager at Cisco.

“Yes, troubleshooting is present in the Voice lab, not exactly in the same format as R&S, which have a dedicated section on troubleshooting. In the current Voice lab, troubleshooting is “integrated” into the exam – we won’t blast out on a loud speaker and say, “Attention everyone, now entering the tourbleshooting section”; instead, we will tell you the requirements, and you do whatever you need to get there; sometimes you need to troubleshoot, sometimes you need to configure.”
 
-ben