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Networking Guide for Cisco Unity Release 5.x (With Microsoft Exchange)
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Chapter 3 Cross-Server Logon, Transfers, and Live Reply
Overview of Cross-Server Logon, Transfer, and Live Reply
Although the cross-server features are distinct features, they all use the same underlying
functionality—an enhanced supervised call transfer:
1. The Cisco Unity server on which a logon, transfer, or live reply originates puts the caller on hold
and calls the home Cisco Unity server.
2. When the destination Cisco Unity server answers, the originating Cisco Unity server sends a
sequence of DTMF tones that identify the call as a cross-server logon, transfer, or live reply.
3. The destination Cisco Unity server responds with a sequence of DTMF tones, and the originating
Cisco Unity server hands off the call to the destination server for processing.
4. At this point the functionality is the same as though the call had originated on the home Cisco Unity
server.
In this chapter, an originating Cisco Unity server is defined as a server that calls other Cisco Unity
servers. A destination Cisco Unity server is defined as a server that answers a cross-server call.
Phone System Considerations for Cross-Server Features
The cross-server features are supported for integrations with Cisco Unified Communications
Manager (CM) (formerly known as Cisco Unified CallManager), integrations with phone systems
through PIMG/TIMG units, and/or integrations with Cisco SIP Proxy Server (CSPS). Integrations with
phone systems through voice cards are not supported.
The following factors can contribute significantly to delays in cross-server call handoff:
• Longer subscriber extensions. A four-digit extension does not take as long for Cisco Unity to dial
as a ten-digit extension.
• Longer dialing strings to reach the destination Cisco Unity server. A four-digit dialing string does
not take as long for Cisco Unity to dial as a ten-digit dialing string.
• Multiple elements (such as PIMG/TIMG units, voice gateways, TDM trunks, and PSTN interfaces)
in the call path between the originating Cisco Unity server and the destination Cisco Unity server.
More elements in the call path require more processing time for handing off cross-server calls.
Tab l e 3-1 Cross-Server Features
Feature Description
Cross-server logon Cross-server logon allows administrators to provide subscribers who are
homed on different Cisco Unity servers in the same dialing domain with one
phone number that they can call to log on to Cisco Unity. When calling from
outside the organization to log on to Cisco Unity, subscribers—no matter
which is their home Cisco Unity server—call the same number and are
transferred to the applicable home Cisco Unity server to log on.
Cross-server transfer Cross-server transfer enables calls from the automated attendant or from a
directory handler of one Cisco Unity server to be transferred to a subscriber
on another Cisco Unity server in the dialing domain, according to the call
transfer and screening settings of the called subscriber.
Cross-server live reply Cross-server live reply allows subscribers who listen to their messages by
phone to reply to a message from a subscriber on another Cisco Unity server
in the dialing domain by calling the subscriber (according to the call transfer
and screening settings of the called subscriber).