Multiple Unity servers, separate trees, same forest

[jsmbrown]

We have two Unity servers in one tree, one Unity server in another tree, and another Unity server in yet another tree. They are all part of the same forest though. The first two are configured for failover. The other two are separate servers. I did not expect that the Unity servers would know about each other, being that they are in a different tree and domain. Please explain the relationship these servers have to each other. Locations were not changed from defaults because each server was to be a separate entity. I noticed that the stream files list wav file from the other two servers in the other domains. Should I set up different locations? What can I do to ensure that the servers act as their own entity instead of sharing stream files? What else is shared between the systems?

[lindborg]

you might want to read the "Unity Architecture Overview" paper on the Documents page of www.CiscoUnityTools.com - it goes into some of this in some detail that may help you understand what's going on here.

the short story is all Unity servers in the forrest will add properties to their subscribers, public distrubtion lists and locations to the directory - each Unity server will pull in information about all other subscribers, locations and public distribution lists touched by the other Unity servers.

This does not mean they're "working together" - you can determine what happens here on each box. Specifically if you don't add the Unity servers to the same dialing domain (which indicates they're on the same switch network) and you limit the addressing search scope to the dialing domain or the local box then users on each box will not know about users on the other boxes - they wont be able to address messages to them or transfer to their phones etc...

Another doc that'd be good to review is the digital networking doc - this explains what you _can_ do with mutliple Unity servers on the same network - it should fill in some holes here as well. You'll find it here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guide_book09186a00801ba396.html