MRA and IP phone personal directory

[Tofaz]

Hi all,

in our MRA deployment we have a user requesting to use the IP phone personal directory as it is currently not working (the error shown is file not found). It seems that this feature is in a grey area as not listed as supported feature in the phone documentation but neither listed as non-supported in the MRA documentation.

Does any of you encoutered the same scenario and received confirmation from Cisco that this feature is not officially supported?

Thank you!

Best,

[Vaijanath Sonvane]

Hi,

Directory access mechanism other than UDS is not supported over MRA. Please check this release notes:

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/expressway/release_note/Cisco-Expressway-Release-Note-X8-9-2.pdf

Or check this MRA configuration guide for latest version:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/expressway/config_guide/X12-5/exwy_b_mra-expressway-deployment-guide/exwy_b_mra-expressway-deployment-guide_chapter_01.html

[Tofaz]

Hi Vaijanath, thank you for your reply!

I see from your first release note document that the version is X8.9.2, currently we are using X8.11.4 and in this release document there is no mentioning about the uds service: 

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/expressway/release_note/Cisco-Expressway-Release-Note-X8-11-4.pdf

Additionally, in the X12.5 MRA configuration guide that you posted it is mentioned only the following: "Directory access mechanisms other than the Cisco User Data Service (UDS) are not supported for Cisco Jabber clients over MRA."

So it mentions just Jabber clients and no MRA compatible hard phones, and the same statement has been posted in the X8.11.4 deployment guide.

Thank you

[Jaime Valencia · Accepted solution]

You just need to make sure that the PD is added to the http allow list on your expressway for it to work.

Look at your expressway logs and you should see it there being blocked due to that.

[Tofaz]

Thank you for your tip Jaime!

It was indeed the missing http allow list inboud rules and now the Personal Directory is working correctly. Also Cisco TAC confirmed that the Personal Directory service is considered as non standard and so that's why the new inbound rules are needed on Expressway-C.

Best,