Cisco VoIP/CCME

The Cisco VoIP/CCME section aims to provide a solid VOIP configuration reference guide to
the VoIP community. The articles in this section will cover Cisco's CallManager Express VoIP
system, UC500 Series - including UC520, UC540 & UC560 configuration, setup and
troubleshooting.

Basic concepts such as ephone, ephone-dn, dial-peers, CME GUI interface, voip router
configuration, CallManager Express (CCME) SIP trunks, Telephone-service configuration, call
forwarding, call blocking, cisco voice translation patterns, router ISDN & POTS interface
configuration, Cisco Unity Express installation and setup, voicemail, message notification,
hunt-groups, voice hunt-groups, overlay extensions and much more are all covered in great
depth.

We will continuously keep adding more topics to cover all possible CallManager, Unity
Express and UC500 topics.

# Article Title Author Hits

1 Introduction to Cisco Unified Communication Manager Express (CallManager Express - CME) Administrator 3151
2 Cisco CallManager Express Basic Concepts - Part 1 Administrator 2033
3 Cisco CallManager Express Basic Concepts - Part 2 Administrator 1340
4 CallManager Express GUI Software Installation & Configuration - Part 1 Administrator 5815
5 CallManager Express GUI Software Installation & Configuration - Part 2 Administrator 1837
6 CallManager Express & UC500 Series: Changing Background Images on a Cisco IP Phone Administrator 1877

Introduction to Cisco Unified Communication Manager Express (CallManager Express - CME)

We have been hearing about VoIP for many years now and while some have never worked
with it, it has become today's standard in IP Communications and Private Branch Exchange
(PBX) or telephony center solutions.

Popular vendors such as Siemens, Panasonic, Alcatel and many more who, until recently, did
not offer VoIP solutions saw the new wave coming and produced solutions that would allow
their systems to support VoIP. However, these 'hybrid' products are not pure VoIP and do
not support expected VoIP PBX features such as SIP Trunking with global providers, codec
selections, H.323 call signalling protocol and more.

While Cisco never produced analogue or digital PBXs (thank goodness!) they started off right
with the latest technology, which is VoIP. Carrying decades of experience with the largest
portion of the switching and routing market, Cisco Call Manager and Call Manager Express
were born.

Cisco CallManager, now officially named 'Cisco Unified Communication Manager' or CUCM,
is a server-based IP Telephony solution and currently Cisco's flagship VoIP product. Scalable
to support thousands of IP Phones by clustering multiple CUCM servers together, it is the
ultimate pure VoIP solution for enterprise customers.
Recognising the need to penetrate into smaller markets, Cisco came out with a smaller
version, Cisco CallManager Express, also known as CCME or CME. The new offical name here
is Cisco Unified Communication Manager Express (CUCME), however most people still call it
by its older name, that is CCME.

Cisco CallManager Express (CME) is a fully capable IP Telephony solution able to handle from
24 Phones up to 450 Phones depending on the router model. Perhaps the best part of CME
is that it runs on Cisco routers and does not require separate hardware as is the case for
CME.

Assuming you have a Cisco router, running CME can be as simple as upgrading your IOS and
possibly DRAM memory. From there on, depending on your requirements, you can configure
and use it immediately or you might require an additional upgrade. CallManager Express is
extremely flexible because it is modular.

Where to find CallManager Express and how to identify its versions

CME is a software based IP Telephony system embedded in the following more advanced
Cisco IOS versions. The Cisco IOS new packages are as follows and the highlighted ones
provide CME functionality:

1. IP Base
2. IP Voice
3. Enterprise Base
4. Advanced Security
5. SP Services
6. Advanced IP Services
7. Enterprise Services
8. Advanced Enterprise Services

All four highlighted editions contain a full version of CME capable of covering most
companies VoIP requirements.

The above IOS packages stand for all IOS upto 12.4. From version 12.5, Cisco has introduced
the concept of a 'Universal IOS' that features all services (1 to 8) but are activated with the
appropriate license! With IOS 15 and above, you must have a UC (Unified Communications)
license activated in order to use and configure Cisco CallManager Express or voice services.

CME versioning is also quite simple to follow. Depending on the IOS version, your CME
version will also change. The latest available version at the date of writing this article is
version 8.1 which is present in IOS version 15.1(2)T

For a more detailed description of the available CME versions and IOSs please follow this
link.
Hardware Requirements

CME's requirements depend on the product version and platform on which it will be
installed.

For example, the latest v8.1 requirements for a Cisco 2811 router are 256MB DRAM and at
least 128MB Flash memory. This will provide support for up to 35 IP Phones. A Cisco 2851
router will support up to 100 IP Phones, however, it will require 384MB DRAM accompanied
by at least 128MB Flash memory.

Obviously the Cisco 2851 router is a much larger model and is able to support more IP
Phones, hence the increased requirements in DRAM.

With the new 2900 ISR series routers the requirements are pretty much the same for all
models. For example, a Cisco 2901 router will support up to 35 IP Phones and requires
512MB DRAM with 256MB Flash memory. The Cisco 2951 will support up to 150 IP Phones
and requires exactly the same amount of DRAM and Flash memory (512/256).

The reason for this is because Cisco has recently changed its IOS strategy and now provide a
'Universal' IOS that has all features built in (e.g Firewalling, VoIP, VPN etc), however, it
requires an activation code in order to enable different services and functions - this might
sound a great idea, but most Cisco engineers do not agree with Cisco's tactic as it seriously
limits the IOS features you are able to 'test' on your routers.

Generally, if you would like to try out Cisco CallManager Express, then version 7.1 (IOS
version 12.4.(24)T ) is a great starting point as it contains numerous bug fixes and
enhancements. This version is also able to run on older Cisco 1760 series routers and is not
tied to the licensing restrictions Cisco has introduced with IOS version 15 and above.

Article Summary

This article introduced the Cisco CallManager Express system and covered the hardware it
runs on. Articles that follow in the voice section deal with the analysis of CallManager
Express and UC500 series IP PBx's (Including UC520, UC540 & UC560) and cover from simple
configuration to complex setups for demanding customers.

If you have found the article useful, we would really appreciate you sharing it with others by
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 Cisco CallManager Express Basic Concepts - Part 1

How does CME, UC500, UC520 & UC540 Work?

Before we plunge into CME initialisation & configuration, we need to introduce a few
concepts and become familiar with them.

Understanding how basic functions of CallManager Express operate is crucial for the correct
configuration and operation of the system. As mentioned, the CME runs on the Cisco router
and provides its services to the network. IP Phones connected to the network via a switch
are used to handle incoming and outgoing calls.

Once power is on, the IP phones will boot up and register with the Cisco CallManager
Express. If configured, the CallManager Express will provide an extension for each IP phone
and is then able to set up or tear down calls to or from the IP phones. The IP phones and
CallManager Express router use a proprietary protocol called Skinny Client Control Protocol
(SCCP) to communicate.

Below is a diagram illustrating roughly what goes on when one IP phone dials another IP
phone, both connected to the same CallManager Express.

When a call is placed between two IP phones under the control of CallManager Express, the
SCCP protocol is used to set the call up. SCCP is also commonly known as the 'skinny'
protocol. The SCCP protocol is not used between two IP phones, but only between the IP
phone and the Cisco CME system.

Once the call is set up, the Realtime Transport Protocol (RTP) will be used to carry the audio
stream. RTP is used to carry voice inside of IP packets. RTP is a common protocol that is used
to carry time-sensitive traffic like voice and real-time video. RTP is carried inside of a UDP
segment, which is then carried inside an IP packet.
When the telephone session between the two IP phones ends and they hang up, a signal will
be sent from each IP phone to CME to inform the server of their new status.

Voice VLAN - Separating Data and Voice Traffic

Just like any network device IP phones generate traffic during a call. This is defined as Voice
over IP, or VoIP traffic. VoIP traffic is extremely sensitive to network delays that occur from
bottlenecks and unavailable bandwidth. If there is a lot of traffic on the network, chances
are there will be problems with the voice stream between IP Phones and CME, voice cutting
and jittering being the most common VoIP problems faced by networks.

To overcome these problems, Cisco always recommends to isolate the VoIP traffic from the
data traffic no matter how large or small your network is. The isolation of VoIP traffic is
accomplished by the creation of a separate VLAN marked as the 'Voice VLAN'. Cisco switches
have built in mechanisms that will automatically identify and prioritise VoIP traffic. This type
of design will ensure that VoIP packets will have higher priority than other packets, hence
minimizing or eliminating the type of problems described.

If you are not familiar with the VLAN concept, you can read all about it in our VLAN section.
It includes an in-depth analysis of the concept and contains diagrams to help the learning
process.

To help get the picture, here is an example of a typical network that contains a Cisco CME
router connected to the Internet and pstn network, along with a Cisco voice-capable switch
(it is able to identify voice packets) with a couple of workstations and IP phones.

The concept is pretty straightforward, however, pay attention to how the Cisco CME router
connects to the local network and how some IP phones connect to the network and
workstations behind them. Due to the fact IP phones occupy a network port to connect to
the local area network, Cisco has equipped most IP phones with a switch allowing a
workstation to connect directly to the IP phone.

This method obviously has the advantage of cutting in half the required switchports for IP
phones and workstations. In this scenario, the link from the switch to the IP phone is
configured as a 'Trunk' link where as the link between the IP phone and workstation is
configured as an 'Access' link.

Trunk links allow traffic from all VLANs to pass through them, whereas Access links allow
only specific VLAN traffic. In our example, we have Access Links belonging to the Data VLAN
(for the workstations) and also Voice VLAN (for the IP phones).

The general idea is that we use trunk links to the IP phone and from there an access link is
provided for the network device, usually a workstation. If there is only one device
connecting through one port, then this can also be configured as an access link assigned to
the VLAN required.

The Cisco CallManager Express router almost always connects to the core switch via a trunk
link, and has access to both Data and Voice VLANs as it should. Workstation traffic is routed
to the Internet via the Data VLAN, whereas voice traffic is routed to the PSTN network via
the Voice VLAN.

Router Interfaces - Voice Interfaces for CallManager Express

The Cisco CallManager Express system can act as the PSTN gateway as well as managing the
IP phones. There are different types of connections to the PSTN including both digital, VoIP
and analog connections. The type of connection used will be dependent on the density of
connections needed, technology available in the region, cost of the connections and the
interfaces present on the router.

The example below shows a Cisco 2801 router populated with 4 interfaces. Each interface is
inserted into one of the available four slots and, once the router is powered up, if the IOS
supports the interface installed it will automatically recognise it and provide the engineer
access to the appropriate CLI commands so it can be configured.
At this point, it is important to mention that there are over 90 different interface cards that
can be used on Cisco routers. The two main types of interfaces are the Data interfaces and
Voice interfaces.

As the name implies 'data interfaces' terminate WAN connections used to transfer/route
data, whereas 'voice interfaces' terminate analogue or digital voice networks such PSTN,
ISDN or PRI (E1/T1) lines, all used to carry voice.

Data interface examples are ADSL, Serial and ISDN Data cards. Below is serial data interface
card normaly used to terminate leased lines connecting remote company offices with their
headquaters:

Voice interface examples are ISDN Voice cards, FXO (PSTN) and FXS cards. Below is a 4 port
FXO card, used to terminate PSTN lines from the telco directly to the CCME router:

The Cisco 2801 router in our example is able to handle up to 4 different interfaces, a
maximum of two can be Data interface cards. This allows the following combinations:

a) 2 Data interface cards + 2 Voice interface cards

b) 4 Voice interface cards

Understanding a router's capabilities, capacity and where each voice card is used is critical to
the design of a VoIP network and selection of the CME router. Cisco provides extensive
information on all routers and available cards making it a lot easier to build your
configuration.
Unified Communications 500 series (includes UC520 & UC540)

The Cisco Unified Communications 500 series is what many call a 'Cisco Swiss Army Knife'.

The UC500 series practically bridges a big gap for the Small-Medium Business market as the
entry level before it was a Cisco router with CME enabled software.

The UC500 series is a small appliance that combines many functions into one compact
design. Functions and services include:

 Voice Gateway functions - fully featured PBX with integrated Auto Attendant
 Multiple interface support to PSTN/ISDN Network via FXS, FXO & ISDN Interface cards
 Voice Mail Support
 VoIP Phones support, including Cisco's SMB series IP Phones, 7900 series IP Phones,
SIP IP Phones and many more
 Routing support
 Firewall
 Wireless networking support (optional)
 VPN Support - allows termination of IPSec (Crypto) tunnels directly on the UC

The UC500 series runs on its own software which is identical to Cisco's Advanced Enterprise
IOS running on Cisco routers. Configuration commands are identical to those of CME and
therefore all examples analysed in our VoIP section can be applied to the Cisco UC500 series
without a problem.

Article Summary

This article covered the introduction to Cisco's Call Manager Express - Part 1, which runs on
Cisco routers and UC 500 series appliances (including UC520, UC540 & UC560). Basic
concepts of VoIP technologies were introduced along with some important configuration
theory related to CME's operation. You can continue to Part 2 by clicking on the following
link: CCME Basic Concepts - Part 2.
 Cisco CallManager Express Basic Concepts - Part 2

Ephone & Ephone-dn

The Cisco CallManager Express system consists of a router (or simply a 'box' for the UC 500
series) that serves as a voice gateway (PBX) and one or more VLANs that connect IP phones
and phone devices to the router.

All type of PBXs consist of physical phones and their internal directory numbers (extensions).
The same concept applies in CallManager Express. The physical phones are referred to as
'ephone' which stands for 'Ethernet Phone' and the directory numbers as 'ephone-dn' short
for 'Ethernet Phone Directory Number':

An ephone can represent any type/model of physical phone available and supported by
Cisco. CallManager Express will recognise a physical phone device from its ephone
configuration which also contains the device's MAC address.

For example, a Cisco 7945 IP Phone with a MAC address of 0027.0D3F.30B8 represents the
ephone. Directory number 32 assigned to this phone represents the ephone-dn number.

Directory numbers are assigned to line buttons on phones during configuration.

This means that each physical IP Phone must be configured as an ephone. Cisco CallManager
Express will recognise the physical phone from its ephone configuration MAC Address
parameter.
Configuring an IP Phone in CME is a straightforward process and involves the creation of an
ephone and ephone-dn entry.

The ephone holds the phone's MAC Address and button configuation, while the ephone-dn
the directory number assigned to the IP Phone.

In the example above, the ephone 1 configuration binds the phone's first button (button 1)
to the ephone-dn 20. Since ephone-dn 20 has been configured with directory number 300,
the IP Phone will be assigned directory number 300.

To ensure we understand this concept, consider the following example:

Using the same scenario we've created three ephone-dn entries, a total of three directory
numbers. We would now like to assign Phone 1, directory number 380. All that is required is
to map button 1 to the approriate ephone-dn that contains number 380, that is ephone-dn
22. To achieve this, we issue the button 1:22 command under the ephone 1 configuration. IP
Phone 1 now has directory number 380!
VoIP Bandwidth - Codecs

VoIP calls, just as any other network resource, require bandwidth. The amount of bandwidth
required per call is governed by the type of codec configured by the system. Cisco CME and
UC500 series support a variety of different codecs, making the system extremely flexible to
cover any requirement.

By default, the codec used by Call Manager Express and UC500 series, is G.711 which
requires 64Kbps of bandwidth – the same amount of bandwidth used by telecommunication
providers for one call. Note that 64Kbps is the data payload, this means when captured into
an Ethernet packet, the total amount of bandwidth will be the data payload plus the IP
packet overhead, bringing the total amount to 87.2 Kbps. This is the actual bandwidth
required per call per phone on an Ethernet network.

The amount of 87.2 Kbps might not seem large for an Ethernet network, however, when we
need to pass the call over a WAN network this changes completely. WAN networks require
bandwidth-optimised applications and services and there is no exception for VoIP calls.

For this reason, when we are dealing with situations that require optimised bandwidth
control, we switch to different codecs that have much smaller bandwidth requirements,
essentially allowing us to conserve precious bandwidth and money. In these cases, the G.729
codec is usually preferred, requiring only 31.2 Kbps, a generous saving of 56Kbps! In
practice, this means that you can squeeze almost three G.729 VoIP calls using the same
amount of bandwidth required by one G.711 VoIP call!

Apart from the evident difference in bandwidth requirements for each codec, there is also a
noticeable difference in the quality of the call, G.711 being far superior in comparison with
the G.729. To help provide an example, the quality of a G.711 call is similar to that of a call
made between two ISDN land lines whereas a good example of G.729 quality would be a call
between two mobile phones.

Taking in consideration that the quality of mobile phone calls is acceptable to everyone
today, not many would complain if they had the same quality between site-to-site calls.

Of course there are other codecs that require a different amount of bandwidth, however,
the two most important and popular are the G.711 and G.729 codecs. These codecs can be
further configured to change their bandwidth requirements, but that's a topic to be covered
in the future.

Article Summary

This article covered the introduction to Cisco's Call Manager Express which runs on Cisco
routers and UC 500 series appliances (including UC520, UC540 & UC560). Basic concepts of
VoIP technologies were introduced along with some important configuration theory related
to CME's operation.

If you have found the article useful, we would really appreciate you sharing it with others by
using the provided services on the top left corner of this article. Sharing our articles takes
only a minute of your time and helps Firewall.cx reach more people through such services.
 CallManager Express GUI Software Installation & Configuration - Part 1

Cisco CallManager Express, also known as CME or CCME, runs on both Cisco ISR Routers and
UC500 platform, including UC520, UC540 and UC560.

CallManager Express's PBX functionality is built into the IOS that runs on all the above
devices. When the router or UC500 series device loads the IOS, the administrator is able to
start configuring VoIP services as required.

One of the most common questions regarding CallManager Express configuration is what
methods are available to actually configure the product?

Depending on the platform, there are currently up to three different ways to configure
CallManager Express, . If CallManager Express is running on a ISR router (2800, 3800, 2900 &
3900 series routers) users, have the GUI Web and Command Line Interface (CLI) at their
disposal, where as users on the UC500 platform have also got the Cisco Configuration
Assistance (CCA) tool - an application that installs and runs on a workstation and guides you
through a step-by-step menu to easily setup your VoIP PBX.

The common methods amongst the two platforms (ISR & UC500) is the Cisco CallManager
Express Graphical User Interface and CLI interface. This article will explain how to install and
configure the Cisco CallManager Express GUI but also cover the most important
configuration options offered by it.

Matching IOS & GUI Files

Engineers who have dealt with Cisco CallManager Express will have noticed that its version
changes depending on the IOS version. As noted in our Cisco CallManager Express
introduction page (INSERT LINK), the CallManager Express service is embedded inside the
Cisco IOS. The newer IOS, the newer CallManager Express version you get.

Remember that up to version 12.4.26, only the following IOS's have the CallManager Express
capabilities embedded:

- SP Services
- Adv. IP Services
- Adv. Enterprise Services

As of the latest major IOS Version, 12.5.x, Cisco has replaced all previous IOS's with one-
universal IOS that has all previous IOS version features (12.4), but requires you to purchase
the correct activation key to enable the additional services you need.

For example, VoIP Services such as CallManager Express are covered under the Unified
Communications (UC) license. Purchasing and installing the UC activation license, will enable
these features.
The table below illustrates the Cisco IOS releases, CallManager Express versioning and
CallManager Express GUI version that should be used or installed on the device (router or
UC500):

Cisco Unified
Cisco Unified CME Specifications
Cisco IOS Release CME GUI
Version Link
Version
15.2(2)T 9.0 9.0.0.0 CME 9.0 Link
15.1(4)T 8.6 8.6.0.0 CME 8.6 Link
15.1(3)T 8.5 8.5.0.0 CME 8.5 Link
15.1(2)T 8.1 8.1.0.0 CME 8.1 Link
15.1(1)T 8.0 8.0.0.0 CME 8.0 Link
15.0(1) XA 8.0 8.0.0.0 CME 8.0 Link
15.0(1) M 7.1 7.1.1.0 CME 7.1 Link
12.4(24)T 7.1 7.1.0.0 CME 7.1 Link
12.4(22)T 7.0(1) 7.0.0.1 CME 7.0 Link
12.4(20)T 7.0 7.0.0.0 CME 7.0 Link
12.4(15)XZ 4.3 4.3.0.0 CME 4.3 Link
12.4(11)XW9 4.2 4.2.0.4 CME 4.2 Link
12.4(15)T 4.1 4.1.0.2 CME 4.1 Link
12.4(11)T 4.0(2) 4.0.3.1 CME 4.0(2) Link
12.4(9)T 4.0(0) 4.0.0.1 CME 4.0 Link
12.4(6)T 3.4 3.4.0.1 CME 3.4 Link

It is evident that there is a wide range of version to select from and as a general thumb of
rule, the latest is the best option.

From experience, most version are stable enough for a production environment, however
version 12.4.22T is an extremely buggy IOS version, especially when VPN tunnels are
involved. It's best to try and avoid it.

As soon as the IOS version running on the router is identified, you'll need to download and
install the necessary CME software and phone firmware files from the Cisco Software
Download center.

For example, assume IOS version 12.4.24 (SP Services, Adv. IP services or Adv.Enterprise
version) is installed on the router, according to the above table, it contains CME version 7.1
and will therefore require the relavent GUI files.

To obtain and install these files, follow the relevant link on the column named 'Specifications
Link'. This will load Cisco's page where you'll be able to find all necessary files for the CME
version you require.
The Specifications Link page includes a wealth of information, that includes:

 Supported Cisco IP Phones

 Necessary firmware version for each IP Phone supported
 Supported platform. E.g Cisco 1861, 2801, 2811, 2911 e.t.c
 Supported devices per platform. E.g Cisco 1861 will support up to 12 IP Phones with
CME version 7.1
 Dram & Flash Memory requirements for the specific CME version
 Compatible Voice Products. E.g Unity Express, VG224 and more

The Specifications Link page is extremely important as it can help you examine if you meet
the requirements and save you a lot of time and trouble. It is strongly suggested the whole
page is read, so the information contained is clearly understood.

When ready, click on the 'Cisco Software Download' link as shown below, to proceed with
the download of the CME GUI files:

This link will take you directly to the Cisco download area. Bare in mind that this will require
a CCO account and possibly an account with permissions to download this software,
otherwise no access will be provided.

As shown, the download area contains files for all CME versions, but the system will take you
directly to the one selected, for our example, version 7.1.

If there's a small difference in the version e.g 7.1.0.1 instead of 7.1.0.0, it doesn't really
matter as its more likely to contain small bug fixes and shouldn't create any problems.
Notice that there are two similar files from which you can select. One named 'basic' and the
other 'full'. The difference between each other is purely the amount of files included.

Here's the description for the 'Full Download':

CME 7.1 Full System Files for IOS 12.4(24)T releases. Includes MOH, Ringtones, 7970/71/75
Backgrounds, the following phone loads (7906/11, 7921/25, 7931, 7937, 7941/61, 7942/62,
7945/65, 7970/71, 7975) and updated GUI files for 12.4(24)T

And the 'Basic Download':

CME 7.1 basic system files for IOS 12.4(24)T releases, includes Basic Phone Loads (7906/11,
7921, 7937, 7941/61, 7942/62) with updated GUI for 12.4(24)T

Since the difference between the two is only 30Mb, it is suggested to always download the
full version, regardless if required or not. It can be stored away just in case it is needed in the
future. For this example, we will download both files, but install the one containing the basic
system files.

To continue reading about the installation process of the Cisco CallManager Express GUI,
please continue to Part 2 of our guide
 CallManager Express GUI Software Installation & Configuration - Part 2

Loading the CallManager Express GUI Files

As mentioned in our previous page, we'll be installing the file containing the basic
CallManager GUI files. This is a common practice over the full version as free space on the
system's flash is often a problem.

The 40MB .tar file (cme-basic-7.1.0.1.tar) should just about it on a system with a 128MB
flash that already contains the Cisco IOS on it. While this file can be viewed using Winzip, it is
intended to be extracted directly on to your CallManager platform using the CLI interface.

Using the necessary commands, the cme-full-7.1.0.1.tar file is extracted directly on to the
device's flash memory. This means you must ensure you have enough free space on your
router or UC500 flash, otherwise the extraction process will fail.

To extract the file, launch a TFTP server and ensure the file is accessible by the tftp server,
then follow the below command:

R1# archive tar /xtract tftp://10.0.0.10/cme-basic-7.1.0.1.tar flash:

Loading cme-basic-7.1.0.1.tar from 10.0.0.10 (via FastEthernet0/0): !
extracting APPS-1.2.1.SBN (2593969 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!
extracting apps11.8-4-1-23.sbn (2925555 bytes)!!!!!!!!!!!
<output omitted>

The 'archive tar /xtract' command tells the router or UC500 to load the .tar file from our tftp
server and extract it directly on to the router's flash. In total, our example had 132 files of
which only 18 are the essential GUI files.

Opening the .tar file using Winzip and locating the files with the path 'gui\' will reveal the
GUI related files:
In the worst-case scenario, if there is limited space on the CallManager Express flash
memory, simply extract the files with the 'gui\' path and upload them individually in the root
directory of your flash memory.

Once uploaded on the router's flash, next step is to enable the router's http server,
configure the authentication method, so that the router uses its local user accounts for
authentication, and finally create a local user account with privilege 15 access:

R1(config)# ip http server

R1(config)# ip http authentication local
R1(config)# username firewall privilege 15 secret mysecret

Alternatively, for increased security, it is possible to specify a user that will only be used for
the CallManager Express GUI interface. This user will not have any other type of access to
the CCME router as it is not considered a 'local account':

R1# configure terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
R1(config)# telephony-service
R1(config-telephony)# web admin system secret 0 mysecret

When entering the password or secret, type '0' reflects a non-encrypted password where as
type '5' reflects an encrypted password.
We are now ready to access the Cisco CallManager Express GUI Interface using the following
URL: http://10.0.0.1/ccme.html. This example assumes that the CallManager Express system
is on IP address 10.0.0.1.

When typing the URL in our web browser, the system will request for a username and
password. We enter the credentials accordingly and are presented with the CallManager
Express homepage:

From here, we are able to configure basic system parameters, ip phone devices, create and
assign extensions, receive basic call reports and much more.

The scope of this article will cover as much as the basic system parameter since the rest will
be covered in future articles.

The begin setting up the basic system parameters, select 'Configure > System Parameters'.
This will load the system parameter page where a number of options are available:
The most important parameters are outlined below:

 Administrator's Login Account - create or reset new CCME GUI accounts.

 Date and Time Format - The date/time format displayed on the IP Phones.
 IP Phone URLs - The urls IP Phones must use in order to obtain access to advanced
features such as XML services or Internet.
 Max. Number of IP Phones - The maximum number of IP Phones allowed to register
to our CCME system. This number cannot be more than the max. number of phones
supported by the system.
 System Message - The message or company name displayed on all IP Phones.
 System Time - Allows the setting of year, month, day and time. If this option is not
available, it will be necessary to enter the 'time-webedit' command under the
'Telephony-service' section using the CLI prompt.
 Timeout - The number of seconds between interdigit timeout (how long the system
will wait as a user is entering a phone number, before timing out), ringing and busy
timeout.
 Transfer Patterns. The pattern of destination phone number(s) allowed for
transferring calls to external numbers. e.g to allow an incoming to call to be
transferred to an external mobile (by placing another call), the mobile's number or
pattern must be entered here, otherwise the system won't permit it.
 MOH File - Music-On-Hold file. This is the music file played when a caller is placed on-
hold. The file is sampled at 8Khz, mono, 8bit and saved using .wav A/mu-Law format.
As the parameters are set, the data entered are translated into CLI commands and placed
under the 'Telephony-service' section of the router's or UC's configuration.

Below is the 'Telephony-service' configuration from a working CCME system. Notice that
there are a lot more commands entered than available from the web interface, however it is
fairly easy to locate the ones covered with the GUI interface. In-depth analysis and
configuration of the telephony-service will be covered on another article:

R1# sh run | sec telephony-service

telephony-service
video
maximum bit-rate 300
max-ephones 30
max-dn 100
ip source-address 10.0.0.1 port 2000
auto assign 1 to 100
service phone videoCapability 1
timeouts interdigit 4
system message Datavision
url services http://10.0.0.4/
network-locale GB
load 7914 S00104000100
load 7906 SCCP11.8-2-2SR1S
load 7911 SCCP11.8-2-2SR1S
load 7921 CP7921G-1.1.1
load 7931 SCCP31.8-2-2SR1S
load 7941 SCCP41.8-3-3S
load 7942 SCCP42.8-3-2S
load 7945 SCCP45.8-3-2S
load 7962 SCCP42.8-3-2S
load 7965 SCCP45.8-3-2S
load 7975 SCCP75.8-3-2S
time-zone 24
time-format 24
date-format dd-mm-yy
voicemail 88
max-conferences 8 gain -6
moh flash:north-gate.wav
multicast moh 239.10.16.4 port 2000
web admin system name admin secret 5 tLHc4.7jdhWlZp9KHjC.
dn-webedit
time-webedit
transfer-system full-consult
transfer-pattern 4.
transfer-pattern 6948......
after-hours pstn-prefix 4 4
night-service code *1234
create cnf-files version-stamp Jan 01 2002 00:00:00

Once complete, Cisco CallManager Express is ready to accept new IP phones and extensions.

As a last note, we should warn that Mozzila Firefox seems to have issues handing the
javascript the GUI interface uses. This is especially evident when trying to assign extensions
to physical IP phone buttons.

If you are using Mozzila Firefox and stumble into problems with the GUI interface, try
switching to Internet Explorer - amazingly as it might sound, no problems have been
encountered with it so far!

Article Summary

This article covered the Cisco CallManager Express GUI interface and how it relates to
different IOS versions. We examined the CCME version contained in each IOS and where to
obtain the necessary files.

We also saw the information contained in each CallManager Express specification page, how
to select and download the appropriate CCME GUI files and what they contain.

Closing, we showed how to install the Cisco CallManager Express GUI files onto a Cisco
router or UC500 series platform and provided the necessary commands required to get the
GUI working. Basic system parameters were also covered, giving a view of the available
options for Cisco CallManager Express.

If you have found the article useful, we would really appreciate you sharing it with others by
using the provided services on the top left corner of this article. Sharing our articles takes
only a minute of your time and helps Firewall.cx reach more people through such services.
 CallManager Express & UC500 Series: Changing Background Images on a Cisco IP Phone

Cisco's CallManager Express (Cisco router platform & UC520, UC540 & UC560) offers a
number of customisation features aimed to allow the CCME administrator customise the
system to suite the customer's needs.

One popular feature is the ability to change the IP Phone's background image for IP Phones
with colour or black/white LCD displays. This feature helps give a new look to the IP phone
and usually comes as a pleasant surprise by the end users.

IP Phone background images are files using the .png format and are stored on the router's
flash memory in a special directory named 'Desktops'.

Cisco usually provides a .zip file for each CallManager Express version. This file contains IP
Phone firmware, ringtones, GUI Interface and much more (Links to the download pages can
be found from our CCME GUI Software Installation & Configuration article). Within each
CCME zip file, you'll find a file named 'backgrounds.tar' which contains total of 6 colour
backgrounds to start you off with.

For those without a Cisco CCO account, Firewall.cx has made the 'backgrounds.tar' file
available below:

Download 'backgrounds.tar'

Following are thumbnails of the backgrounds provided by Cisco. These are the background
images found in 'backgrounds.tar':

Below is the standard background image loaded on every 7945, 7965, 7970 & 7975 IP Phone:

Installing the background images is a straight forward process. All that's required is to
extract the 'backgrounds.tar' file directly on to the router's flash and make them available to
your IP phones via the router's TFTP server:
Step 1 - Extracting the Files on to the Router's Flash

Note that there must be a TFTP server running on the workstation from where the
'backgrounds.tar' will be uploaded and extracted to the router. Enter the command to
extract the 'backgrounds.tar' file from the TFTP server, directly on to the router's flash. This
will also create the directory structure in the .tar file:

R1# archive tar /xtract tftp://10.0.0.10/backgrounds.tar flash:

Loading backgrounds.tar from 10.0.0.10 (via FastEthernet0/0): !
Desktops/ (directory)
Desktops/320x212x12/ (directory)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/CampusNight.png (131470 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/CiscoFountain.png (80565 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/CiscoLogo.png (8156 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/Fountain.png (138278 bytes)!
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/List.xml (726 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/MorroRock.png (109076 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/NantucketFlowers.png (108087 bytes)!
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CampusNight.png (10820 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CiscoFountain.png (9657 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CiscoLogo.png (2089 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-Fountain.png (7953 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-MorroRock.png (7274 bytes)
extracting Desktops/320x212x12/TN-NantucketFlowers.png (9933 bytes)
Desktops/320x216x16/ (directory)
extracting Desktops/320x216x16/List.xml (726 bytes)
Desktops/320x212x16/ (directory)
extracting Desktops/320x212x16/List.xml (726 bytes)
[OK - 641024 bytes]
R1#

Extraction of the 'backgrounds.tar' file will create a root 'Desktops' directory. Under this
directory, three directories are created: 320x212x12, 320x216x16 & 320x212x16. The code-
naming of these directories relate to the resolution of the images they contain (e.g 320x212)
and colour resolution (e.g x12). As such, different IP Phones models will look into the
appropriate directory to find image files suited for their LCD screen.

For example, a Cisco CP-7965 IP phone will automatically search in the

Desktops/320x212x16/ directory for a list of image files.

In each directory (e.g 320x212x12) there are three type of files found:

1) imagename.png

2) TN-imagename.png

3) List.xml
It is very important to understand the meaning of each file. Please note that all filenames are
case-sensitive in the Cisco IOS.

The imagename.png file is the image the IP phone will load when selected as a new
background.

The TN-imagename.png file is the thumbnail version of imagename.png. When a user

selects the 'Background Images' menu, he will be presented with the thumbnail version of
available images. If the thumbnail file for a specific image does not exist, a portion of the
full-resolution image will be displayed instead.

The List.xml file is a xml file that contains the path and list of the available images and their
thumbnails. The List.xml file can include up to 50 background images. The images are in the
order that they appear in the 'Background Images' menu on the phone.

For each image, the List.xml file contains one element type, called 'Image Item'. The 'Image
Item' element includes the following two attributes:

a) Image. The path that specifies where the phone obtains the thumbnail image

b) URL. The location of the actual image file

Below is an example of the List.xml file, showing the location of the thumbnail and full
resolution image of "CampusNight.png":

<ImageItem Image="TFTP:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CampusNight.png"
URL="TFTP:Desktops/320x212x12/CampusNight.png"/>

The List.xml file is the same file for all three directories. If an additional background image is
uploaded on to the system, you must edit the List.xml file and upload it to all three
directories, overwriting the existing file.

Essentially all images are stored into one directory (usually Desktops/320x212x12) and all IP
phones are directed to that directory through the List.xml files.

Step 2 - Serving the Files to your IP Phones

Once the files are loaded on the CME router, it is necessary to enter the appropriate tftp-
server commands to load List.xml and all .png files and make them available to the IP
phones:

tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/CampusNight.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/CiscoFountain.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/MorroRock.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/NantucketFlowers.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/Fountain.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/CiscoLogo.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CampusNight.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CiscoFountain.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-MorroRock.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-NantucketFlowers.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-Fountain.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/TN-CiscoLogo.png
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/List.xml
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x216x16/List.xml
tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x16/List.xml

Inserting custom background images

As in most cases, you would want to load your own custom images. For example, we created
our own Firewall.cx background image and loaded it on to our IP phones.

Here's the necessary procedure and final result:

1) Create an .png image with dimensions 320x212. We did not bother creating the thumbnail
version:

2) Edit the List.xml and append the newly created image:

<ImageItem Image="TFTP:Desktops/320x212x12/firewall-cx-logo.png"
URL="TFTP:Desktops/320x212x12/firewall-cx-logo.png"/>

3) Load the image into the 'Desktops/320x212x12/' directory.

R1# copy tftp flash://Desktops/320x212x12/

Address or name of remote host []? 10.0.0.10
Source filename []? firewall-cx-logo.png
Destination filename [/Desktops/320x212x12/firewall-cx-logo.png]? [hit enter]
Accessing tftp://10.0.0.10/firewall-cx-logo.png...
Loading firewall-cx-logo.png from 10.0.0.10 (via FastEthernet0/0): !
[OK - 34493 bytes]

34493 bytes copied in 0.792 secs (43552 bytes/sec)

4) Load the modified List.xml file into all three directories (320x212x12, 320x212x16 &
320x216x16), overwriting the existing file. We only show the process for one of the three
directories:

R1# copy tftp flash://Desktops/320x212x12/

Address or name of remote host [10.0.0.10]? [Hit enter]
Source filename [firewall-cx-logo.png]? List.xml
Destination filename [/Desktops/320x212x12/List.xml]? [Hit enter]
%Warning:There is a file already existing with this name
Do you want to over write? [confirm] [Hit enter]
Accessing tftp://10.0.0.10/List.xml...
Loading List.xml from 10.0.0.10 (via FastEthernet0/0): !
[OK - 845 bytes]

845 bytes copied in 0.440 secs (1920 bytes/sec)

5) Enter the appropriate tftp-server commands to load the new image file and make it
available to the IP phones:

R1(config)# tftp-server flash:Desktops/320x212x12/firewall-cx-logo.png

We are now ready to load the new background image on to our IP phone by selecting
'Settings > UserPreferences > Background Images>.

Notice that the IP phone will show a thumbnail version which essentially is our background
image - cropped. This is because we did not create a proper thumbnail version of the
background image.

Once we select the new file and save our selection, the IP phone will display it. Below if the
final result on our 7945G IP phone:
If you would like to use the Firewall.cx background on your IP phone, you can download the
necessary files here: Firewall.cx Cisco Background. Be sure to download and extract the
backgrounds.tar file provided at the beginning of the article, to create the necessary
directory structure on the router's flash.

Article Summary

In this article we explained how to load background images on the Cisco IP phones. We
examined the files involved and the procedure that needs to be followed to create and load
custom background image files. Lastly, we also provide as a free download, our custom
made Firewall.cx background image and Cisco's standard images.

If you have found the article useful, we would really appreciate you sharing it with others by
using the provided services on the top left corner of this article. Sharing our articles takes
only a minute of your time and helps Firewall.cx reach more people through such services.<