E1 PSTN redundancy with CUBEs in HA

[alfonso.cornejo]

Hi guys,

I have this scenario:

I have two cubes working in HA and they will have the HSRP configuration according to the guide "Cisco Unified Border Element High Availability (HA) Using HSRP", in order to send the calls to the remote PBX I will configure a sip trunk to the cucm and to the remote PBX's according the guide and the redundancy for those calls will be handled by the Active / Standby and HSRP operation of the CUBEs. 

The issue that I have is how to handle the redundancy for the calls that will be going and coming to and from the PSTN using the E1's?

How can I setup the call flow in order to have as a first option the E1 in the Active CUBE and as a second option the E1 in the Standby CUBE in case the E1 in the Active CUBE is down?

In a pair of h323 gateways I can create in the cucm cluster a route group, then a route list and then change to false the system parameters stop routing on allocated number flag and stop routing on user busy flag in order to send the calls first to the E1 in the GTW1 and if it is down then to the E1 in the GTW2 but what alternatives do I have in a CUBE HA configuration?

Any ideas?

Thanks in advanced,

[Mohannad Abdullah]

Hi Alfonso,

For Incoming Calls, E1 Service Provider need to handle it.

For Outgoing Calls, You can still add both gateways as H323 or MGCP and insert it in the same RG with Circular Algorithm

and using Route Patterns you will route calls to destination whether it is the SIP Trunk or the H323/MGCP E1

so you will have to call flows

CUCM -- MGCP/H323 -- GW -- E1 -- PSTN

CUCM -- SIP Trunk -- CUBE -- SIP Trunk -- PBX

I hope i understood your question clearly ...

Cheers,

Mo Giacobbe

CCIE Collaboration #50401

[alfonso.cornejo]

Hi Mo,

Thanks alot!, what do you think about the incoming calls when, for example, the E1 Service Provider is sending calls to the E1 in the CUBE Active and also to the E1 in the CUBE Standby?

When CUBEs are working in HA, can they both (Active and Standby) process calls? I will have sip dial peers from the CUBEs to the cucm in order to reach the internal directory numbers.

Thanks in advanced,

[Dennis Mink]

To be honest, I would use MGCP gateways, and forget about HSRP, this will allow you to add the separate gateways in a Route Group for out bound and call manager will decide if an MGCP gateway is up or down an route the outbound call accordingly.  

[alfonso.cornejo]

Hi Dennis,

I'll try that.

Thanks alot.