Exchange 2007 UM

Software Requirements for the Unified Messaging Server Role

For computers that have the Unified Messaging server role installed, you must also install the following components:

For information about the supported IP/VoIP gateways to use with the Unified Messaging server role, see Supported IP/VoIP Gateways.

Note

Installing and running the Unified Messaging server role in a virtual environment is not supported.

Supported IP/VoIP Gateways

Integrating Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging (UM) with your company’s telephony network is one of the most significant deployment challenges when you are deploying Unified Messaging. Interoperating with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging will depend on your specific Private Branch eXchange (PBX) or IP/PBX configurations and may also require that you install IP/VoIP gateways, purchase additional PBX hardware, or configure and enable features on your PBXs or IP/PBXs. In some cases, the PBX may cause reduced functionality or limitations in the Unified Messaging features. This is especially true for IP/PBXs. This topic discusses the manufacturers and specific models of IP/VoIP gateways that you can configure to support Microsoft Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging (UM).

Important

We recommend that all customers who plan to deploy Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging obtain the assistance of a Unified Messaging specialist. They will help make sure that there is a smooth transition to Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging from a legacy voice mail system. Performing a new deployment or upgrading a legacy voice mail system requires significant knowledge about PBXs and Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. For more information about how to contact a Unified Messaging specialist, see Exchange Server Partners: Unified Messaging.

Supported IP/VoIP Gateways

There are many models and manufacturers of PBXs, IP/VoIP gateways, and IP/PBXs. However, there are basically two configurations for IP/VoIP gateway devices:

There are two manufacturers and several models of IP/VoIP gateways that have been tested and are supported for Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. Table 1 shows the IP/VoIP gateways that are supported for Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

Note

The models of IP/VoIP gateways listed in Table 1 may not be available in all countries or regions. For up-to-date information about the IP/VoIP gateways that are available in your area, see the IP/VoIP gateway vendor Web sites listed in the "For More Information" section of this topic.

Note

The third-party Web site information in this topic is provided to help you find the technical information you need. The URLs are subject to change without notice.

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Correctly configuring IP/VoIP gateways for your organization is a difficult deployment task that must be completed to successfully deploy Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. To help answer questions and give you the most up-to-date IP/VoIP gateway configuration information, see the Exchange Unified Messaging Telephony Advisor Web site. This Web site gives you IP/VoIP gateway configuration notes and files that you must have to correctly configure your organization’s IP/VoIP gateways to work with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

IP/PBX and PBX Support

Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging relies on an IP/VoIP gateway that can receive incoming calls from a legacy Private Branch eXchange (PBX) or on an IP/PBX that can receive incoming calls and then correctly forward those incoming calls to a Unified Messaging server in your organization. This topic discusses some issues that can occur when you are interoperating IP/PBXs and PBXs. This topic also gives you information and links to the appropriate resources for successfully deploying Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

Important

We recommend that all customers who plan to deploy Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging obtain the assistance of a Unified Messaging specialist. A Unified Messaging specialist helps you make sure that there is a smooth transition to Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging from a legacy voice mail system. Performing a new deployment or upgrading a legacy voice mail system requires significant knowledge about PBXs and Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. For more information about how to contact a Unified Messaging specialist, see Exchange Server Partners: Unified Messaging.

IP/PBX Support

An IP/PBX is a telephone switching system inside an enterprise that switches calls between Voice over IP (VoIP) users on local lines and lets all users share a certain number of external telephone lines. The typical IP/PBX can also switch calls between a VoIP user and a traditional telephone user, or between two traditional telephone users much like a conventional PBX does. With a conventional PBX, you must have separate networks for voice and data communications. One of the main advantages of an IP/PBX is that it uses converged data and voice networks. This means that network access, in addition to VoIP communications and traditional telephone communications, are all possible by using a single line to each user. Like a traditional PBX, an IP/PBX is typically owned by an organization.

There are many manufacturers of IP/PBXs. However, for an IP/PBX to interoperate with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging, the IP/PBX generally must support the following:

However, even if a specific IP/PBX supports these protocols, there is no guarantee that the IP/PBX will successfully interoperate with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

Correctly configuring your organization’s IP/PBXs is a difficult deployment task that must be completed to successfully deploy Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. To help answer questions and give you the most up-to-date IP/PBX configuration information, see the Exchange Unified Messaging Telephony Advisor Web site. This Web site gives you IP/PBX configuration notes and files that are required to correctly configure your organization’s IP/PBXs to work with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

Cisco Call Manager

Cisco Call Manager tracks all active VoIP network components. These components include telephones, gateways, conference bridges, voice mail boxes, and other components. Cisco Call Manager frequently uses the Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP) as a communications protocol for signaling the hardware endpoints of the system, such as IP-based telephones, or it uses SIP to pass call signaling to IP/VoIP gateways. Cisco Call Manager evaluates numbers that are dialed and activates IP/VoIP gateway events to receive or send calls to the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging has been tested for use with Cisco Call Manager version 5.x. If you have Cisco Call Manager 5.x on your network, you will be able to connect Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging servers directly to Call Manager without the requirement of an IP/VoIP gateway. Many of the features that are included with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging are fully functional with Cisco Call Manager 5.x. However, the Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) feature does not work and faxing does not work because the T.38 faxing protocol is not supported by Cisco Call Manager.

Cisco call Manager 4.x is only appropriate for a test environment. There are various limitations for this version of Cisco Call Manager. Therefore, we recommend that you use it only for test or lab environments.

Caution

Cisco Call Manager 4.x is not recommended for use in Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging production environments.

To configure Cisco Call Manager 4.x for your test environment, perform the following tasks:

If you decide to configure Cisco Call Manager 4.x in your test environment, there are the following limitations:

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PBX Support

A PBX, sometimes known as a telephone switch or telephone switching device, is a device that connects office telephones in a business to the public telephone network. The central functions of a PBX are to route incoming calls to the appropriate extension in an office, and to share telephone lines between extensions. Users of the PBX share a certain number of outside lines for making telephone calls external to the PBX.

Most medium-size and larger organizations use a PBX because it is much less expensive than connecting an external telephone line to every telephone in the organization. In addition, it is easier to call someone that has an extension number within the same PBX because the number that you dial is typically merely three or four digits.

Correctly configuring your organization’s PBXs is frequently one of the more difficult deployment tasks because PBXs are very different and their functionality depends on the PBX model and software that is installed. To help answer questions and give you the most up-to-date PBX configuration information, see the Exchange Unified Messaging Telephony Advisor Web site. This Web site gives you PBX configuration notes and files that are required to correctly configure your organization’s PBXs to work with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging.

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Supported PBXs

Cisco Call Manager version 5.0 has been tested for direct IP interoperability with Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging. All other PBXs will require one of the gateways in the following list.

The following PBXs are supported by the Intel NetStructure PBX-IP Media Gateway (PIMG).

Architecture Link http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/e2k7help/9ed9dc7a-82e4-47da-b341-a64a1c0da8fd.mspx?mfr=true