Daryl Hunter - Network Cowboy

Cisco CUCM & Exchange 2010 Migration from 2007

Welcome back!

Recently, I had an interesting opportunity with a local University.  They have been using Cisco CUCM for about 5 years, but a couple years ago they migrated away from Cisco Unity for their Unified Messaging and instead started using Exchange 2007.  Everything was working just fine.

Until.

They tried to get Exchange 2010 UM working as well in a coexistence situation with 2007 UM.

Sad Trombone

Rather than focusing on the easy part - you can read the really great document that already exists discussing how to configure Exchange 2010 & CUCM for Direct SIP.

This part was already done and working for the customer.  If a user already had their mailbox on exchange 2010, and you dialed the voicemail pilot for CUCM->Exchange2010 - it was great.

The real issue here was when the customer wanted to migrate the voicemail pilot to Exchange 2010, yet the user mailboxes still lived on Exchange 2007.

In that case, when you dialed the Exchange 2010 Voicemail Pilot, the call simply failed.  It didn't ring.  It just failed.  That's not helpful.  Let's get some advanced logging in play.

On Exchange 2010 - Unified Messaging - we enabled Expert level Diagnostic Logging.

Also on Exchange 2007 - Unified Messaging - we did the same thing.

Let's look at the log files.

So, the user at 8815 calls 8699 which is the voicemail pilot for Exchange 2010.  You can see this is going to Exchange 2010 which is "sv-ad-max-exch4"

Exchange 2010 knows that 8805 belongs to our "DPierce" user. It also knows that the mailbox for DPierce belongs on Exchange 2007 which is "sv-ad-xod-exch1"

Now, Exchange 2010 starts to end the call

And this is the SIP REFER / Diversion. Exchange 2010 sends the call back to Call Manager to send it back to Exchange 2007.

Then the call fails.  Something is broken and not working properly.

If we look a little more closely at the Cisco / Exchange 2010 document linked above, we see the following useful tidbit of information.

It looks like there is a DNS / FQDN requirement here.  This is different because if you've ready through my previous Exchange 2010 / CUCM posts, you'll notice that IP based SIP trunks work just fine.  And, in fact, in this situation, both the Exchange 2010 and 2007 SIP trunks were IP based.

So, we change both 2010 and 2007 SIP Trunks to use FQDN, but no joy.

So we login to CUCM via the CLI and make sure DNS works. It does.

Weird.  So I spent a ton of time trying to figure it out, talk to a lot of smart people including @amyengineer who gives me some reasonable pointers.  None of them work.  Deep in my gut I'm positive this is a missing Enterprise Parameter from CUCM.

So, we open a TAC case.  But, before TAC responds, my customer asks me what my gut feel is.  I tell her i believe it's a domain based (DNS based) Parameter.  So, we begin googling and googling and googling and run across this post by another really smart guy @voipnorm.  What's funny is that that post is CUCM / Lync… but it has this really important information.

Read that last sentence again.  SIP 404.  This sounds like our issue.

So, we add those parameters.

This requires service restarts, so, we restart the Call Manager service on both the CUCM Publisher and Subscriber.

Then we try again.  It's been weeks now, so, we're hopeful :)

And it works!  WHAT?

8805 is our test user this time.  This is the same.

Yup, 8805 is "khanlon" here. This is the same.

Call starts to disconnect.  This is the same.

SIP REFER / Diversion goes back to CUCM. This is the same.

But the call works.  Let's take note of our call information / hash.

b0222400-f2c13cd1-9bb-205010a is what we're keeping track of.

So, let's look at Exchange 2007.

Wow.  Check that out.  We're definitely on the Exchange 2007 server here.  Notice the Computer name in the log file.  Also notice the "Diversion Information" came from Exchange 2010 (sv-ad-max-exch4) and notice the Call ID is the same "b0222" number we noted from above.

Yup, UM takes the call, the CALL ID matches.  All is well.

All of this was a simple missing Enterprise Parameter in CUCM.

Hope this helps someone else in the future.

Thanks again Amy & Chris - you guys are uber smart!

Cisco IOS-fu #13 - Spanning-Tree & Multiple Paths & High Availability

So, I've had this conversation several times recently. I've filled up a few whiteboards, in a few different states, so, I thought it's time to put it out on ye olde blog.

Let's consider the following "simplified" network diagram.

In this simple environment, We have 2x Core routers and 2x Switches which are dual homed - one link to each of the core routers.

I've got several different ways this conversation can go, but for tonight, let's focus on two things:

• We want gateway redundancy
• We want to simultaneously utilize BOTH links from the Switches (and thus BOTH Core routers)

Here's a few simple config snippets for the conversation.

Core1

hostname Core1
!
<Only putting in relevant STUB Configuration>
!
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree extend system-id
spanning-tree vlan 5,101,201,999 priority 4096
spanning-tree vlan 10,102,202 priority 8192
!
vlan internal allocation policy ascending
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
 description Uplink Switch1 gig0/27
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,101,201
 switchport mode trunk
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/2
 description Uplink Switch2 gig0/27
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,102,202
 switchport mode trunk
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
!
interface Vlan1
 no ip address
 shutdown
!
interface Vlan5
 ip address 10.128.5.252 255.255.255.0
 standby 5 ip 10.128.5.254
 standby 5 priority 200
 standby 5 preempt
!
interface Vlan10
 ip address 10.128.10.252 255.255.255.0
 standby 10 ip 10.128.10.254
!
interface Vlan101
 ip address 10.128.101.252 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 101 ip 10.128.101.254
 standby 101 priority 200
 standby 101 preempt
!
interface Vlan102
 ip address 10.128.102.252 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 102 ip 10.128.102.254
!
interface Vlan201
 ip address 10.128.201.252 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 201 ip 10.128.201.254
 standby 201 priority 200
 standby 201 preempt
!
interface Vlan202
 ip address 10.128.202.252 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 202 ip 10.128.202.254
!
interface Vlan999
 no ip address
!
ip classless
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.128.5.1 (IP address of the firewall cluster)
!
<SNIP>

Core2

hostname Core2
!
<Only putting in relevant STUB Configuration>
!
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree extend system-id
spanning-tree vlan 10,102,202 priority 4096
spanning-tree vlan 5,101,201,999 priority 8192
!
vlan internal allocation policy ascending
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
 description Uplink Switch1 gig0/28
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,101,201
 switchport mode trunk
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
!
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/2
 description Uplink Switch2 gig0/28
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,102,202
 switchport mode trunk
 spanning-tree bpdufilter enable
!
interface Vlan1
 no ip address
 shutdown
!
interface Vlan5
 ip address 10.128.5.253 255.255.255.0
 standby 5 ip 10.128.5.254
!
interface Vlan10
 ip address 10.128.10.253 255.255.255.0
 standby 10 ip 10.128.10.254
 standby 10 priority 200
 standby 10 preempt
!
interface Vlan101
 ip address 10.128.101.253 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 101 ip 10.128.101.254
!
interface Vlan102
 ip address 10.128.102.253 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 102 ip 10.128.102.254
 standby 102 priority 200
 standby 102 preempt
!
interface Vlan201
 ip address 10.128.201.253 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 201 ip 10.128.201.254
!
interface Vlan202
 ip address 10.128.202.253 255.255.255.0
 ip helper-address 10.128.10.101
 standby 202 ip 10.128.202.254
 standby 202 priority 200
 standby 202 preempt
!
interface Vlan999
 no ip address
!
ip classless
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.128.5.1 (IP address of the firewall cluster)
!
<SNIP>

Switch1

hostname Switch1
!
<Only putting in relevant STUB Configuration>
!
spanning-tree mode rapid-pvst
spanning-tree extend system-id
!
vlan internal allocation policy ascending
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 description Workstation With Phone
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 101
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 101,201
 switchport mode trunk
 switchport voice vlan 201
 no ip address
 spanning-tree portfast trunk
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/2
 description Server
 switchport mode access
 switchport access vlan 10
 spanning-tree portfast
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/27
 description Uplink Core1 gig1/0/1
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,101,201
 switchport mode trunk
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/28
 description Uplink Core2 gig1/0/1
 switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
 switchport trunk native vlan 999
 switchport trunk allowed vlan 5,10,101,201
 switchport mode trunk
!
interface Vlan1
 no ip address
 shutdown
!
interface Vlan5
 ip address 10.128.5.101 255.255.255.0
!
ip classless
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.128.5.254 (IP address of the vlan5 HSRP Virtual IP)
!
<SNIP>

Gateway Redundancy

I've blogged before about HSRP - so I won't bore you.  You can see how the VLANs have individual IP addresses and then share a Virtual / Standby IP address.  We simply point the various VLAN traffic to the Virtual / Standby IP for its gateway, and bingo bango - you win.

What I'm doing here is specifying the "even" VLANs to be primary on one core, and the "odd" VLANs to be primary on the other core.

Utilizing Both Links

In a normal setup, with 2x links, Spanning-Tree will choose one link to "forward" and the other link to "block" but that's not what we want.  We want to utilize both links.

Notice how I adjusted the spanning-tree priorities here?  I've got the "even" set as root/priority 4096 on one core and 8192 on the other.  And then, vice versa, I've got the "odd" set as root/priority 4096 on the other core and 8192 on the first.

This allows the odd VLAN traffic to flow down one link while the even VLAN traffic flows down the other link - at the same time.  So, both links are in "forward" status for their appropriate VLANs and in "block" status for the others.

And, because this is spanning-tree, if one fails, the other will take over.

That's enough for today.  I just wanted to start the conversation.

Is anyone else doing this? Are you doing it differently? Am I missing an obvious issue/error here?

My Three Words 2012 - Discipline, Invest, Act

So, for the third year in a row - I'm going to attempt to focus my year on three words.  I got this idea from many of my friends who got it from @chrisbrogan.

In 2010 I focused on "Read, Play, & Share"

In 2011 I focused on "Mastery, Replication & Inheritance"

This year, 2012, I'm going to focus on "Discipline, Invest & Act"

Discipline - I have fallen way out of discpline in recent years.  When I really want to do something, or really want to be discplined (and put my mind to it), God can do some really cool things inside me. However, I am also pretty stubborn, and lazy, and like to do whatever I want whenever I want. Frankly, I've gotten sloppy.

This #muffintop picture; for example, is proof that discipline has not been part of 2011.

I am trying to get back into my routine of reading, and some exercise I hope, and want to drop about 25 pounds.  I think I have some friends that are going to join me in some Muffintop Eradication!  I am starting this year re-reading Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. I have some God stuff i need to get fixed but also some general "discipline" things to address this year and I figured this book would be a good place to start. Again.

Invest - I would like to think my friends see me as generous. I try to be generous with my finances, and time, and energy - but in many ways I'm selfish.  I want to nap.  I want to just hang out at home.  And many times (confession time here), I just want to be left alone.  I like to put in my headphones and listen to music and get lost in my own thoughts trying to solve the unsolvable problems.  I have a weird brain thing that many of my friends see and know about - and it's easy to get lost inside this head of mine.

This year I want to continue to invest finances in our local church, to various friends and family who need/ask, and support some worthy causes that God places in front of us.  That gets easier every year.  I want to invest time in my Life Group at Springdale because my friends are important to me and I need to actually start - you know - doing more life with them.  I want to meet new friends, and invest in them.  And I hope to re-invest in some other friendships that I've neglected the last year or so.

Act - I've often been accused of talking alot.  I know that's surprising to many of you that really know me. I **DO** like to talk.  What's interesting though is that the time comes when you need to Act. I've talked about this before. Do what you need to do. Say what you need to say. Make the call, say the words, do the tough things. In me, personally and specifically, it means I need to go bed. I need to play with my kids. I need to ACT on many things that I know need to be done. In 2012, I want to be more intentional to not just KNOW what needs to be done and not just TALK about what I am going/wanting to do... but I want 2012 to be the year I ACT on it.

So, how about you? What's 2012 going to be like for you? How is it going to be different?