Alphanumeric SIP URIs for Rendezvous Conferences

Pre-Requisites

• Refer to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager with Cisco Expressway (SIP Trunk) Deployment Guide for the underlying configuration required to get SIP trunks/neighbour zones configured between CUCM & the Expressway-C or VCS-C.
• Refer to the Cisco TelePresence Conductor with Unified CM Deployment Guide for the underlying configuration required to integrate TelePresence Conductor & Server with CUCM.

The combination of TelePresence Conductor & Server integrated with CUCM allows both ad hoc and rendezvous video conferences. However there are some limitations in that currently (CUCM v10.5) can only handle alphanumeric URIs on directory numbers. To direct calls to TelePresence Conductor requires using route patterns, which have the following limitations:

• Route patterns only handle simplified regular expressions for phone numbers, so you can't specify an alphanumeric string.
• SIP route patterns work on IP addresses or domain names (e.g. 1.2.3.4 or test.com) so you can't specify a whole URI such as test@test.com.

To get round this you can create unassigned DNs with a directory URI configured, that then call forward all to the appropriate route pattern to reach a conference. This has the advantage of requiring no additional equipment and minimal configuration.
However if you have Expressways or VCSes you can offload the call routing to them instead and thus use a proper SIP URI to dial into rendezvous conferences. This way allows external participants to join without ever having to hit CUCM for call routing, but requires more configuration.

Configuration Overview 1
First create a DN, as it is unassigned make sure that active is ticked:

Don't forget to fill out the appropriate directory URI & then set the call forward all destination to the route pattern that directs calls to TelePresence Conductor:

Now you can join a rendezvous conference via numeric dialling or SIP URI.

Configuration Overview 2
First configure a SIP neighbour zone on the Expressway-C or VCS-C with all the CUCM servers as peer addresses:

You'll need a DNS A record that resolves to the TelePresence Conductor's rendezvous IP address so that we can configure a neighbour zone to the Conductor:

Note that if you have TLS verify mode on, the Conductor's certificate must have the rendezvous FQDN as a Subject Alternate Name (SAN); it's easiest to just turn TLS verify off.

Next configure a wildcard (*.*) SIP route pattern in CUCM pointing to the Expressway-C to direct calls to unknown URIs to it via a SIP trunk:

Now we need a search rule on the Expressway-C or VCS-C to direct calls to the rendezvous URI to the Conductor:

Finally Conductor needs a suitable conference alias to create or add participants to a rendezvous conference:

By also having a numeric conference alias that shares the same conference name as the alphanumeric alias, we can allow phones that can't dial URIs to also join the same conference via dialling a pilot number.

Ordering Personal MultiParty & Expressways

Cisco have started bundling some nice new toys at no extra charge if you have valid ESW & UCSS contracts in place. CUWL Pro users get Personal MultiParty, which is a combination of TelePresence Conductor & TelePresence Server to enable 4 participant video conferences. All licence levels (UCL Essential aside) get Expressway-C & Expressway-E virtual machines to enable Mobile and Remote Access for Jabber.
Unusually for existing deployments you don't use PUT to request the relevant install media & licences, instead you must place orders for zero cost items with your Cisco Partner.
The top level part codes that can be used are:

• L-CUWL-MISC for Personal MultiParty
• R-UCL-UCL-LIC-K9 for Expressways

An example bill of materials for 50 users Personal MultiParty & 4 Expressways (so they can be clustered) looks like this:


1.0    L-CUWL-MISC    Unified Workplace Licensing - Top Level -  Misc Addon Only        x1
1.0.1    CON-SES4-CUWLMISC    SC ESS ADV SAS Unified Workplace Licensing-Top Level        x1
1.1    LIC-PM-V-USRA-UWL    Personal Multiparty Video for Virtual Machine            x50
1.2    LIC-CNDTR-PMP-K9    Conductor License for Base Encrypted Software Image        x1
1.3    LIC-VTS-PMP-INTOP    Order L-VTS-UPG-PAK for e-Delivery Virtual TS Interop Lic    x2
1.4    LIC-VTS-PMPUWL-1SL    Cisco TelePresence Server Resource License            x10
1.5    LIC-VTS-PMP-PAK    PAK for e-Delivery Virtual TS Lic                    x1
1.6    VMCNDCTR-PMP-K9    Virtual TelePresence Conductor  supports Personal Multiparty        x1
1.7    SW-VTS-V4.X-PMP-K9    Software Image v4.X for Virtual TelePresence Server        x2
1.8    LIC-AES-VTS-PMP-K9    AES and HTTPS option for VTS                    x2
1.9    LIC-CNDTR-PMP-B30    Conductor license support up to 30 bridges            x1
1.10    LIC-CNDTR-PMP-CL    Conductor clustering support                    x1
1.11    LIC-VMCNDTR-PMP-PK    PAK for virtual Conductor                    x1
1.12    SW-CDTR-2.X-PMP-K9    Cisco TelePresence Conductor base software image v2.X        x1
1.13    LIC-VTS-PMP-K9    Cisco VM TelePresence Server Release Key                x2
1.14    VTS-PMP-K9    Cisco VM Telepresence Server                        x2
1.15    LIC-CNDR-PMP-C2400    Conductor 2400 call sessions license                x1
           
2.0    R-UCL-UCM-LIC-K9    Top Level SKU For 9.x/10.x User License - eDelivery        x1
2.0.1    CON-ESW-RUCLUCK9    ESSENTIAL SW Top Level SKU For 9.                x1
2.1    EXPWY-VE-C-K9    Cisco Expressway-C Server Virtual Edition                x2
2.1.0.1    CON-ESW-EXPWYVEC    ESSENTIAL SW Cisco Expressway-C S                x2
2.2    EXPWY-VE-E-K9    Cisco Expressway-E Server Virtual Edition                x2
2.2.0.1    CON-ESW-EXPWYVEE    ESSENTIAL SW Cisco Expressway-E Server Virtual Editi        x2
2.3    SW-EXP-8.X-K9    Software Image for Expressway with Encryption Version X8        x1
2.4    LIC-EXP-E-PAK    Expressway Series Expressway-E PAK                    x1
2.5    LIC-SW-EXP-K9    License Key Software Encrypted                        x4
2.6    LIC-EXP-GW    Enable GW Feature (H323-SIP)                        x4
2.7    LIC-EXP-SERIES    Enable Expressway Series Feature Set                    x4
2.8    LIC-EXP-TURN    Enable TURN Relay Option                        x2
2.9    LIC-EXP-E    Enable Expressway-E Feature Set                        x2
2.10    LIC-EXP-AN    Enable Advanced Networking Option                    x2


To enable video calls through the Expressways requires Rich Media Session licences to be installed on every Expressway (both C & E). Simply add LIC-EXP-RMS under the options for the Expressways, each licence equates to 1 sessions, so select the quantity based on the of calls you want through each one.
Finally note that you have to be careful when redeeming the PAK codes you receive as LIC-EXP-E-PAK & LIC-VTS-PMP-PAK will have multiple licence quantities attached that will need to be fulfilled against different serial numbers to receive the option keys.