Unity Bridge, multiple Unity boxes.

[pdepalma]

Jeff,

We have an existing 3.1.5 Unity VM only setup with a pre 3.0 bridge. This bridge provides networking into an Octel VM network.

We are installing a remote site and would like this remote site to utilize that bridge. We have verbally confirmed from Cisco that we need to go to 4.0.3/Unity and 3.0/bridge on the existing setup and join it's AD...the new code allows multiple Unity Boxes to talk through a bridghead to a single Bridge, right?

We don't think we are going to be able to upgrade the existing Unity Server and Bridge before we deploy the location (we don't control the existing one).

My questions are:

1. Was our SE right about the multiple Unity to Bridge statement above?

2. Can we join our new 4.0.3 server into the existing 3.1.5/3.0 Unity/Bridge setup's AD. Then when we are ready to upgrade the old 3.1.5/3.0 to the latest code, will we be able to get this working...Are there implications here?

3. Is this going to work O.K.?

[Ginger Dillon]

Hi -

Your SE is correct. Multiple 4.0(3) Unity servers can communicate with a single bridgehead server to the Unity bridge. During the upgrade process, you designate which Unity server will act as the bridgehead server using ConFigMgr.exe. Here is the upgrade doc - http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_installation_and_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00801ba352.html#1389277

I believe you can join your 4.0(3) server into your existing AD structure and network with your 3.1(5) server (i.e. create a dialing domain and access your shared directory). However, the 4.0(3) server will not talk to the Unity bridge until the bridge has been upgraded to 3.0 and the Internet Voice Connector, which is probably running on your 3.1(5) server today in an Exchange onbox mode, has been upgraded to 11.0. Note that once you configure a 4.0(3) server to communicate with the bridge, all networked Unity servers must also be upgraded to 4.0(3). Here's another good doc - http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/prod_pre_installation_guide09186a0080145e42.html#55642

Sincerely,

Ginger