The Design Process—Planning

1. The Design Process—Planning Resolving Dial Plan Issues

2. Dial Plan Issues in Cisco Unity Design • Common dial plan issues in Cisco Unity design include: • Cisco Unity searches • Extensions and alternate extensions • Dialing domains • Overlapping dial plans

3. Cisco Unity Directory Searches • Cisco Unity search scopes are configurable for Auto Attendant transfers, directory handlers, and subscriber messaging. Places You Can Transfer From Cisco Unity Tool Options “Thank you for calling… You may dial an extension at any time …” Auto Attendant Search Scope Transfers can be limited to the local server or a dialing domain. Opening Greeting “Please spell the name of the person you are trying to call …” Directory Handler Search Scope Directory handler searches can be limited to a distribution list, class of service, local server, location, or dialing domain. Directory Handler Subscriber Messaging Subscriber messaging can be limited to the local server, dialing domain, or global directory. “To send a message, press 2 …” CiscoUnity

4. About Dialing Domains • Dialing domains are • Collections of Cisco Unity servers that are integrated with a networked phone system. • Grouping schemes that allow Cisco Unity to handle overlapping dial plans. Global Directory Dial Domain 1 PBX 1 CiscoUnity 1 Extensions 1000–5000 Extensions 4000–8000 CiscoUnity 3 PBX 2 Dialing domain used to segment directory because of overlapping extensions CiscoUnity 2

5. Issue: Overlapping Dial Plans Global Directory Dialing Domain 1 PBX 1 CiscoUnity 1 Extensions 1000–5000 Extensions 4000–8000 CiscoUnity 3 PBX 2 Cisco Unity 2 Fred x4000 Joe x4000 When Joe calls Fred, he must dial 202-555-4000. Joe cannot send a message to Fred via the TUI because they share a mailbox extension.

6. Alternate Extensions • Alternate extensions must be unique on the Cisco Unity server. • Alternate extensions can be used to enable easy message access and directory searches. • Each individual subscriber has up to nine alternate extensions.

7. Solution: Using Alternate Extensions Global Directory Dialing Domain 1 PBX 1 CiscoUnity 1 Extensions 1000–5000 Extensions 4000–8000 CiscoUnity 3 PBX 2 CiscoUnity 2 Joe x4000 Alt. Extension: 7037774000 703-777-4000 Fred x4000 Alt. Extension: 2025554000 202-555-4000 Joe can send a message to Fred via the TUI because they have unique alternate extensions.

8. Solution: Using Location Objects Global Directory Dialing Domain 1 PBX 1 CiscoUnity 1 Extensions 1000–5000 Extensions 4000–8000 CiscoUnity 3 PBX 2 CiscoUnity 2 Joe x4000 Cisco Unity Location 3333 Fred x4000 Cisco Unity Location 1111 Joe can send a message to Fred if he first dials 1111 and then Fred’s extension.

9. Summary • Dial plans are a fundamental component of any telephony network. • The dial plan is integrated into Cisco Unity through search scopes, dialing domains, extensions, and alternate extensions. • Dial plan issues involve designing around overlapping or variable-length extensions, providing subscribers with multiple extensions, and provisioning PSTN and WAN access. • Cisco Unity search scopes are configurable for Auto Attendant transfers, directory handlers, and subscriber messaging. • You can use both alternate extensions and location objects to allow subscribers associated with Cisco Unity to address voice messages to subscribers in the dialing domain.