Configuring Verba Cisco Recording Announcement for Inbound Calls (CUCM based)

patThe Verba system allows configuring audio prompts for inbound PSTN calls to Cisco systems. The feature is available with any Cisco recording technology.

Overview

Verba uses Cisco External Call Control (ECC) to trigger prompts for the calls controlled by CUCM.

For more information on ECC, click here.

The Cisco ECC feature relies on an external application (hosted on Verba servers in this case) that responds to external call control requests configured on various trigger points, such as translation patterns, route patterns, etc. Cisco UCM provides an XML/HTTP API for ECC request, called Cisco Unified Routing Rules XML Interface (CURRI).

Inbound call flow

Internal or external person calls a regulated user
ECC is triggered on the line/directory number of the regulated users
CUCM sends a routing request to the Verba Announcement service (XML/HTTP API)
The Verba Announcement service decides based on the announcement configuration which notification should be played, or if the call can be established without an announcement. It returns an appropriate routing decision to the CUCM.
CUCM plays the selected announcement and establishes the call with the original called party.

Prerequisites

In order to play recording announcement, the SIP Profile of the SIP Trunk connecting to the Gateway has to be configured. The SIP Profiles can be found in the Device \ Device Settings \ SIP Profile menu. CUCM uses Early Media for the announcement. The following settings are required:

SIP Rel1XX Options: Send PRACK for all 1xx Messages
Early Offer support for voice and video calls: Mandatory (insert MTP if needed)

The second prerequisite is the Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming App. The services can be configured in the Cisco Unified Serviceability, in the Tools \ Control Center - Feature Services menu.

Configuring Cisco for Recording Announcement

Create the External Call Control Profile:

If the outbound announcement is configured already, then the existing External Call Control Profile can be used, so the following steps can be skipped

Step 1 - Go to the Call Routing \ External Call Control Profile menu.

Step 2 - Click on the Add New button.

Step 3 - Provide a Name, and set the Primary Web Service setting the following way: http://verba_server_hostname:10205/ciscoannouncement/

Step 4 - Set the Call Treatment on Failures setting to Block Calls.

Step 5 - Click on the Save button.

Create a new Media Resource:

Step 1 - Open the Cisco Unified Call Manager web interface and go to the Media Resources \ Announcement menu.

Step 2 - Click on the Add New button.

Step 3 - Provide a name at the Announcement Identifier setting, then click Save.

Step 4 - Click on the Upload File button, then upload an announcement file in .wav format.

Configuring Verba for Cisco Recording Announcement

Step 1 - On the Verba web interface, navigate to System > Servers > Select the server which is hosting the Announcement service > Click on the Service Activation tab.

Step 2 - Activate the Verba Cisco Announcement Service by clicking on the icon.

Step 3 - Click on the Change Configuration Settings tab. Expand the Cisco Recording Announcement section.

Step 4 - Set a value for the Internal Number/Domains Pattern parameter. The value is a regular expression that defines the internal phone numbers or number ranges to accurately identify the direction of the recorded calls.

In multi-tenant environments, if an internal pattern regular expression is defined in both the environment and the recording announcements configuration, the pattern specified in the environment configuration is used to determine the internal values, not the pattern defined in the recording announcements configuration.

Step 5 - Save the changes by clicking on the icon.

Step 6 - A notification banner will appear on the top. Click on the click here link, so you will be redirected to the Configuration Tasks tab. Click on the Execute button in order to execute the changes.

Step 7 - Click on the Service Control tab.

Step 8 - Start the Verba Announcement Service by clicking on the icon.

Step 9 - On the Verba web interface, navigate to System > Servers > Select the Media Repository (or Combo) server > Click on the Change Configuration Settings tab.

Step 10 - Under the Web Application \ Lync Recording Announcement section, provide the previously set Announcement Identifier at the Inbound Announcement Cisco Media Resource IDs setting.

Step 11 - Save the changes by clicking on the icon.

Step 12 - A notification banner will appear on the top. Click on the click here link, so you will be redirected to the Configuration Tasks tab. Click on the Execute button in order to execute the changes.

Step 13 - Log into the Media Repository (or Combo) server and restart the Verba Web Application service in the Services console.

Setting up Extensions for Inbound Announcement

Step 1 - Open the Cisco Unified Call Manager web interface and go to the Call Routing \ Directory Number menu.

Step 2 - Select the Directory Number from the list.

Step 3 - Set the External Call Control Profile setting to the one created earlier.

Step 4 - Click on Save button then on the Apply Config.

Outbound Announcement and Proxy-based Recording

In case of proxy-based recording, the External Call Control Profile has to be set to on the Route Pattern which is the same as the Directory Number.

Step 5 - In the Verba web interface, go to Users > Users menu.

Step 6 - Select the user from the list.

Step 7 - Under the Cisco Recording Announcement section set the Play Notification for Inbound Calls setting.

Step 8 - Click the Save.

Step 9 - A notification banner will appear on the top. Click on the click here link, and you will be redirected to the Configuration Tasks tab. Click on the Execute button in order to execute the changes.