Unity Connection : unable to retrieve messages from alternate extension

Rajesh Kalra · ‎08-20-2012

Hi,

I have created a shared mailbox number 1118 for extensions 1501 and 1502 , and setup alternate extension for it as 1501 and 1502. 1501 and 1502 don't have individual mailboxes in unity conenction, but are set as alternate extensions to 1118.

Whwn a voice message is left for 1118, the MWI lights propoerly on 1501 and 1502 phones.. but problem is while retrieving messages.

To retrieve message from 1502 , when the messages button is pressed, unity doesn't prompt the user for a PIN,

Instead it gives a message " cisco unity messaging system, from touchtone system , you may dial an extesnison, for directory services pree * , or ask your operator for assistance...

Can somebody suggest, how this can be fixed... I seems unity is not recognising 1502..

When I run the port monitor tool, I notice correct port group is being selected.

Thanks

Kenneth Mohammed · ‎08-20-2012

Hi Rajesh,

This is default behavior. If you are pressing the messages button from the phone with extensions 1501 or 1502, the unity connection is looking for a mailbox with either one of those extensions as its primary extension. Since there are none, you get the default unity connection opening greeting.

However, if you leave a message for extension 1501 or 1502, and press the messages key on the phone with extension 1118, you will be able to access the messages for 1501 or 1502 as it is a shared mailbox that has 1118 as the primary extension.

If you want to get these messages when checking from the phones with ext 1501 or ext 1502, you will need to hit the messages key, then press * when the unity connection greeting comes on, enter your id and # (in this case it will be 1118# as this is the parent extension for the mailbox you are trying to access), and then the pin for ext 1118 mailbox.

Hope that makes sense.

Hope that helped, if so please rate.

Rob Huffman · ‎08-21-2012

Hi Rajesh,

In addition to the good notes from Kenneth (+5 "K" )

In our system the Alternate extensions can access the system by just entering the PIN

as you desire. The one thing I noticed in your query is that you mention the MWI lamps

are turned on on 1501 & 1502 when a message is left on 1118. This is not the standard

behavior for Alternate extensions and leads me to believe that perhaps 1501 & 1502 have

been set as Alternate MWI but not actual Alternate extensions.

Adding Alternate Extensions

You can add alternate extensions by updating user accounts one at a time, or you can update multiple user accounts at once. Do the applicable procedure. Note that you cannot add alternate extensions on a user template.

•To Add an Alternate Extension to an Individual User Account

•To Add Alternate Extensions to Multiple User Accounts in Bulk Edit Mode

To Add an Alternate Extension to an Individual User Account

Step 1 In Cisco Unity Connection Administration, find the user account for which you want to add an alternate extension.

Step 2 On the Edit menu, select Alternate Extensions.

Step 3 On the Alternate Extensions page, select Add New.

Step 4 On the New Alternate Extension page, in the Phone Type list, select the applicable phone.

Step 5 In the Display Name field, enter a description of the alternate extension.

Step 6 In the Phone Number field, enter the phone number of the alternate extension.

Step 7 Select Save.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/8x/user_mac/guide/8xcucmac040.html#wp1458710

Here is what a "working" call from 8899 which is the "Alternate extension" under the parent 7001

looks like (using rPSM);

07:49:06, New Call, CalledId=8700, RedirectingId=, Origin=16, Reason=1, CallGuid=98456E48AFE143EE9018621A806F3312, CallerName=Alumni Homecoming, LastRedirectingId=, LastRedirectingReason=1024, PortDisplayName=CallManager-1-001,[Origin=Invalid],[Reason=Invalid]

07:49:06, AttemptSignIn

07:49:06, State - AttemptSignIn.cde!Dummy

07:49:06, Event is [NULL]

07:49:06, SubSignIn

07:49:06, Subscriber Sign-In

07:49:06, State - SubSignIn.cde!AnswerPhone

07:49:06, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:06, State - SubSignIn.cde!AuthenticateUser

07:49:06, -->SubAuthenticate

07:49:06, State - SubAuthenticate.cde!TryCounter

07:49:06, Event is [NULL]

07:49:06, State - SubAuthenticate.cde!GatherID

07:49:06, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:06, State - SubAuthenticate.cde!LoadSubscriberMinimalData

07:49:06, Event is [NULL]

07:49:06, State - SubAuthenticate.cde!GatherPIN

07:49:06, -->SubAuthenticatePW

07:49:06, State - SubAuthenticatePW.cde!ValidatePwd

07:49:14, Subscriber sign-in successful. Alias - rhuffman. Extension - 7001. Caller Id - 8899.

07:49:14, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:14, State - SubAuthenticatePW.cde!ReturnAuthenticated

07:49:14, Event is [Authenticated]

07:49:14, <--SubAuthenticatePW

07:49:14, Event is [Authenticated]

07:49:14, State - SubAuthenticate.cde!ReturnAuthenticated

07:49:14, Event is [Authenticated]

07:49:14, <--SubAuthenticate

07:49:14, Event is [Authenticated]

07:49:14, State - SubSignIn.cde!RunSignInUtil

07:49:14, -->SubSignInUtil

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckAccountLocked

07:49:14, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckExpiredAndNew

07:49:14, Event is [NULL]

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckForExpirationWarning

07:49:14, Event is [NULL]

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckForAdminConversation

07:49:14, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckAlternateGreeting

07:49:14, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:14, State - SubSignInUtil.cde!CheckForLeaveMsg

07:49:14, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:15, <--SubSignInUtil

07:49:15, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:15, State - SubSignIn.cde!RunSignInUtil_default

07:49:15, Event is [NULL]

07:49:15, State - SubSignIn.cde!RunNextConv

07:49:15, -->SubMenuOpt1

07:49:15, Subscriber Mailbox (Rob Huffman)

07:49:15, State - SubMenu.cde!MapTemplate

07:49:15, Event is [NULL]

07:49:15, State - SubMenuOpt1.cde!SetSubConversations

07:49:15, Event is [NULL]

07:49:15, State - SubMenu.cde!RunMsgCount

07:49:15, -->SubMsgCount_OptConv1

07:49:15, State - SubMsgCount.cde!CountMailboxMessages

07:49:15, Event is [NULL]

07:49:15, State - SubMsgCount.cde!GetMailboxStatus

07:49:15, Event is [YesEvent]

07:49:15, State - SubMsgCount.cde!SayHello_WithShortCut

07:49:17, Event is [NULL]

07:49:17, State - SubMsgCount.cde!RunCheckBroadcastMsg_WithShortCut

07:49:17, -->SubBroadcastMessage

07:49:17, State - SubBroadcastMessage.cde!CheckForBroadcastMessage

07:49:17, Event is [NULL]

07:49:17, <--SubBroadcastMessage

07:49:17, Event is [NULL]

07:49:17, State - SubMsgCount.cde!AnnounceMsgGreeting_WithShortCut

07:49:17, Event is [NULL]

07:49:17, State - SubMsgCount.cde!CheckPurgeDelMsg

07:49:17, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:17, State - SubMsgCount.cde!AnnounceMsgCount

07:49:21, Event is [TT1Event]

07:49:21, <--SubMsgCount_OptConv1

07:49:21, Event is [TT1Event]

07:49:21, State - SubMenu.cde!RunNewMsgStack

07:49:21, -->SubNewMsgStack

07:49:21, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!CheckTotalMsgCount

07:49:21, Event is [NULL]

07:49:21, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!AnnounceMsgs

07:49:23, Event is [NULL]

07:49:23, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!CheckOfferMsgTypeMenu

07:49:23, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:23, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!PlayMsgStack

07:49:23, -->SubMsgPlay_OptConv1

07:49:23, State - SubMsgPlay_Custom.cde!MapTemplate

07:49:23, Event is [NULL]

07:49:23, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MsgRoot

07:49:23, Event is [NULL]

07:49:23, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!ValidMsgStreams

07:49:23, Event is [NULL]

07:49:23, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageHeaderDispatchCheck

07:49:23, Event is [NULL]

07:49:23, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageHeader

07:49:24, Event is [TimeoutEvent]

07:49:24, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageBody

07:49:31, Event is [TimeoutEvent]

07:49:31, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageFooter

07:49:31, Event is [TimeoutEvent]

07:49:31, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MsgMenu

07:49:47, Event is [TT7Event]

07:49:47, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!SetExitProperties_Delete

07:49:47, Event is [NULL]

07:49:47, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_CheckMarkNew

07:49:47, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:47, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_CheckMarkRead

07:49:47, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_MarkRead

07:49:48, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_CheckToggleUrgency

07:49:48, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_CheckUndelete

07:49:48, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MessageExit_RouteToAction

07:49:48, Event is [ExitDelete]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!CheckUseDelItmFldr

07:49:48, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!GetMailboxStatus1

07:49:48, Event is [YesEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MsgDelConfirmCheck

07:49:48, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!DeleteMsgWithoutConfirm

07:49:48, Event is [TrueEvent]

07:49:48, State - SubMsgPlay.cde!MsgDeleted

07:49:48, Event is [NULL]

07:49:48, <--SubMsgPlay_OptConv1

07:49:48, Event is [NULL]

07:49:48, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!AnnounceEndOfMsgs

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!MsgExitCount

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, State - SubNewMsgStack.cde!CheckTotalMsgExitCount

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, <--SubNewMsgStack

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, State - SubMenu.cde!ResetMsgCount

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, State - SubMenu.cde!COSAndMsgCount

07:49:50, Event is [NULL]

07:49:50, State - SubMenu.cde!CheckMailStoreMounted

07:49:50, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:50, State - SubMenu.cde!CheckJumpToNewMessages

07:49:50, Event is [FalseEvent]

07:49:50, State - SubMenu.cde!AnnounceMenu

07:49:59, Event is [TTStarEvent]

07:49:59, State - SubMenu.cde!SubConvExit

07:49:59, Event is [HangupEvent]

07:49:59, <--SubMenuOpt1

07:49:59, Event is [HangupEvent]

07:49:59, Idle

Cheers!

Rob

"Always movin' ahead and never lookin' back" - Springsteen

David Hailey · ‎08-21-2012

Actually, an Alternate Extension configuration (by itself) should behave as Rob noted above. This is what an alernate extension does:

When you specify the phone number for an alternative extension, Connection handles all calls from that number in the same way that it handles calls from a primary extension (assuming that ANI or caller ID is passed along to Connection from the phone system). This means that Connection associates the alternate phone number with the user account, and when a call comes from that number, Connection prompts the user to enter a PIN and sign in.

However, an Alternate Extension does not affect MWI behavior. To enable MWI for an extension other than the primary extension assigned to the mailbox, you would have to configure an alternate MWI extension. In your case, it sounds like this is the configuration you have (Alternate MWI and not Alternate Extension).

The other thing to look at once the Alternate Extension is in place is to make sure that the caller ID is being passed correctly so you would want to ensure that you assign the proper VM profile to the lines.

Hailey

Please rate helpful posts!

MattNicholls_2 · ‎08-29-2012

Saw this last week before all the replies but failed to find a moment to get back here. Great answers up above.

I was in a similar situation last year but decided to make some changes for one of my departments. they have a main DID number to the department which resides on a call-handler. at 2 points in the call tree the callers have the option to '0' out to someone in the department. Because the department is very busy and understaffed the "Message Recipient" on the "Edit Message Settings" page of the call handler is set to Distribution List The distribution list then notifies both users standard mailboxes that a message is available and the MWI is lit. This gives the user who is the first one to listen to the message the ability to mark is as read, unread or delete it.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/connection/8x/administration/guide/8xcucsag230.pdf

I'm not sure if this is viable in all versions of Unity or Unity Conection, we are running 8.6. I believe this also helps limit the number of voice mail licenses you use. Which may only matter if you have a similar setup for many departments.