Cisco CUBE - why does it exist?

[post]

I have been reading through some material on the Cisco CUBE, and as everyone knows, it's basically a standard 29/39xx or ASR router. There is no forced licensing, but you can a CUBE bundle. so what are we paying for here? I understand that 1) You can perform the same operations on a SRST or CME router. So why would i buy a CUBE bundle and put another box in front of my SRST/CME at a branch? Couldnt i just keep my SRST/CME behind my firewall and make the necessary firewall openings?

I am having trouble seeing the value of the CUBE name....anyone care to enlighten me?

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6790/gatecont/ps5640/prod_white_paper0900aecd806780df.html

Regards

Sigbjørn

[paolo bevilacqua]

CUBE/SBCS is not CME/SRST.

They do different things and have different features.

If you can't see what CUBE does, I'd recommend you read the documentation again.

[post]

I know what it does, provide SIP-SIP and H323-SIP trunking, hide topology, etc, but when i read the whitepapers, and other docs it seems to be that the features you use are standard IOS features?

[paolo bevilacqua]

Define "standard" ?

SBCS features are enabled with the purchase of the appropriate license.

Details vary by platform.

[post]

From what i see, the CUBE lisensing provides Address hiding, H323 and SIP interworking, DTMF interworking, SIP security and transcoding. Arent these things you can without a CUBE? Does the CUBE come with a particular IOS verion?

I am not trying to mock the CUBE, I just want to understand why I should use instead of just having a standard voice enabled router behind a firewall with a dial-peer for SIP to my Service provider.

It is also a bit unclear from the documentation where the CUBE should be located, but I think it should be on either on the inside or in a DMZ?

Thanks for your responses!

[paolo bevilacqua]

Non-SBCS IOS doesn't to IP to IP voice without license or image. Again, details vary by platform.

[v_bashaev]

That's interesting.

In isr g1 (at least) ip to ip gw was there without cube license. I've been using it for quite a while, including h323 to sip and sip to sip with dtmf manipulation.

In g2 it also doesn't resist when these things are configured without additional licenses. and works as well...

so I have to admit I join the army of those who don't quite understand the mysterious cube. Are we now required to pay for every concurrent voip call going through the gateway?

What does it add to old school 'allow connections' and dial-peer set?

Maybe it finally supports multiple sip-ua's ?

Can someone finally clear this thing out?

[michael-luo]

I guess the question here is: why do we have to pay for the "CUBE license" if we can get the same without paying.

Since from G2 ISR, licensing model and activation process was changed.  However, Cisco does not enforce CUBE licensing check right now.

If you're using G2 ISR (19xx, 29xx, 39xx) and using CUBE (a.k.a. IP-IP GW) feature, you're supposed to purchase CUBE license.  (though it'll work even if you didn't).

Michael