Cisco CMR Setup for Expressways

Summary

In this tutorial, Anson Garcia explains how to set up Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR) with an existing Expressway deployment using Mobile and Remote Access (MRA). He details the configuration of SIP trunks between Call Manager, Expressway-C, Expressway-E, and the Internet. The guide covers trunk settings, SIP profiles, security considerations, and routing configurations. Garcia demonstrates live screen captures, highlighting the necessary steps and configurations to ensure seamless integration and encrypted communication. This comprehensive guide is ideal for IT professionals seeking to enhance their Cisco collaboration infrastructure.

Takeaways

• 🔌 Setup Cisco CMR with Expressway involves configuring SIP trunks and zones between CCM, Expressway, and the Internet.
• 📞 Trunk configuration to Expressway requires enabling SRTP and setting a destination address, with a focus on BFCP being included in the profile.
• 🛡️ SIP trunk security profiles should be distinct for Expressway to accommodate hidden SIP trunking created by MRA.
• 🔢 A non-standard port number for the Call Manager is recommended to avoid conflicts with the hidden SIP trunk used for MRA.
• 📡 Ensure BFCP is selected in the standard SIP profile for interoperability with Call Manager.
• 🌐 The traversal zone to 'E' (Expressway) may not need a separate client and server setup if MRA is already encrypted.
• 🔒 DNS zone setup includes a TLS verify to ensure secure communication with the Internet, specifically for WebEx.com.
• 📞 Sip route patterns are established for both WebEx.com and internal dial plans, directing calls to the appropriate trunks.
• 📅 Scheduled meetings in Jabber client demonstrate the use of a steering digit followed by a unique number string for access.
• 🔄 Transform rules are utilized to adjust the call routing from the dial plan to match the required format for WebEx.com.
• 👤 Anson Garcia provided a walkthrough of the setup process, emphasizing the ease of configuration and the importance of secure communication.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the Cisco CMR setup explained in the transcript?

The purpose of the Cisco CMR setup is to integrate with an existing Expressway deployment that uses MRA (Multi-Site Redundancy and Availability) to facilitate SIP trunking and call routing between the Call Manager (CCM), Expressway, and the Internet.

What are the three main components involved in the setup?

The three main components involved are the Call Manager (CCM), Expressway C (Cisco Expressway Cloud), and the Internet, with SIP trunks established between them.

What is SRTP and why is it important in the trunk configuration?

SRTP stands for Secure Real-time Transport Protocol. It is important in the trunk configuration because it provides encryption for the media streams, ensuring secure communication between the Call Manager and Expressway.

What is the role of the SIP trunk security profile in the setup?

The SIP trunk security profile is used to define the security settings for the SIP trunks, such as enabling SRTP and specifying the destination address. It is crucial for ensuring secure and proper communication between the components.

Why is BFCP needed in the Expressway standard SIP profile?

BFCP (Bearer Independent Call Control Protocol) is needed in the Expressway standard SIP profile to facilitate the control of media streams independently of the bearer technology, enhancing interoperability and functionality.

What is the recommendation regarding the port number for the SIP trunk in the Call Manager?

The recommendation is to use a port number different from the default 5060 for the SIP trunk in the Call Manager when enabling MRA, to avoid conflicts with the hidden SIP trunk created by MRA for communication with Expressway.

What is the significance of the traversal zone in the setup?

The traversal zone is significant as it allows encrypted communication to pass through to the Internet. It is set up with digital certificates to ensure secure traversal of SIP traffic.

What is the role of the DNS zone in the setup?

The DNS zone is responsible for directing the SIP traffic to the correct destination on the Internet, such as WebEx.com, with TLS verification ensuring the security of the communication.

How does the call routing work with scheduled meetings in the setup?

In the setup, when a scheduled meeting is conducted, the video address is not a room but a dialed number string. This number string is used to route the call to the appropriate Expressway trunk.

What is the purpose of the transform in the route pattern for the nine-digit dialed number string?

The transform in the route pattern for the nine-digit dialed number string is used to modify the dialed number into a format that can be recognized and routed correctly by the system, such as adding the '@' symbol and the domain name.

How does the search rule pattern catch the SIP address for a personal room in the setup?

The search rule pattern catches the SIP address for a personal room by using a regular expression that matches the specific format of the SIP address, allowing it to be routed to the correct destination.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Setting Up Cisco CMR with Expressways and MRA

This paragraph introduces the video's purpose, which is to provide a brief tutorial on setting up Cisco CMR (Cisco Meeting Room) with existing Expressways and MRA (Multi-Site Redundancy and Availability). The speaker outlines the process of creating SIP trunks and zones between the CCM (Cisco Call Manager), Expressway C, Expressway E, and the Internet. The tutorial will cover the configuration of trunks, security profiles, and zone settings, with a focus on SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol) and BF-CP (Best-Fit Codec Preference). The speaker also mentions the potential need for different port numbers for SIP trunks due to hidden trunks created by MRA on the call manager.

05:06

🔒 Configuring Traversal Zones and DNS for MRA

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the configuration of traversal zones and DNS settings for MRA. It is mentioned that while some documentation suggests creating separate client and server traversal zones for Expressway E, the speaker's experience indicates that this may not be necessary if MRA is already in place, as calls are already encrypted. The speaker emphasizes the importance of digital certificates for setting up traversal zones. The paragraph also covers the configuration of zone settings pointing back to the call manager and the Internet, with a focus on TLS verification for security. The speaker demonstrates how to set up search rules and call routing for both scheduled meetings and personal rooms, highlighting the use of SIP route patterns and the transformation of dialed numbers for seamless call routing.

10:08

🛠️ Transforming and Routing Calls in Cisco CMR Setup

The final paragraph details the process of transforming and routing calls within the Cisco CMR setup. The speaker explains the use of regular expressions in search rules to capture and transform call information, such as removing port numbers and adding '@' symbols. The focus is on directing calls from the call manager to the appropriate zones, including the traversal zone and the DNS zone, which is configured for TLS verification. The speaker also demonstrates how to handle calls from scheduled meetings and personal rooms, ensuring that they are routed correctly through the Expressway. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of the speaker, Anson Garcia, thanking the viewers for watching.

Keywords

💡Cisco CMR

Cisco CMR, or Cisco Cloud Managed Routing, is a service that simplifies the management of network routing for businesses. In the context of the video, it is being set up alongside existing Expressway devices with MRA (Multi-Site Redundancy and AnyConnect). The script mentions setting up SIP trunks and zones between the CCM (Cisco CallManager), Expressway, and the Internet, which is central to the video's theme of network configuration.

💡Expressway

Cisco Expressway is a family of products designed to enable secure and reliable voice and video communications over the cloud. The script discusses creating SIP trunks and zones between the Expressway and the Internet, as well as between the Expressway and the CCM, highlighting its importance in the video's network setup.

💡SIP Trunks

SIP trunks are a way to connect a business's telephony system to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or to a Voice over IP (VoIP) service provider. In the script, the presenter is setting up SIP trunks between the CCM, Expressway, and the Internet, which is a key step in configuring the communication system discussed in the video.

💡SRTP

Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) is a security protocol for the transmission of real-time data over the internet. The script mentions allowing SRTP in the trunk configuration, which is important for securing the communication lines within the network setup being discussed.

💡BFCP

The Bundle Floor Control Protocol (BFCP) is a protocol used for conference control in VoIP systems. The script specifies that the SIP profile should have BFCP enabled, which is crucial for managing conference calls in the Cisco system being configured.

💡MRA

Multi-Site Redundancy and AnyConnect (MRA) is a feature that provides high availability and redundancy for remote access VPNs. The script discusses enabling MRA on Expressway, which is a critical aspect of the network's reliability and disaster recovery strategy.

💡TLS

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. The script mentions setting up a TLS verify on the DNS zone, which is part of ensuring that all communications to the Internet are encrypted and secure.

💡SIP Route Pattern

A SIP route pattern is used to match incoming SIP requests and determine how they should be handled. The script describes setting up a simple SIP route pattern for WebEx.com, which is used to route calls to the appropriate trunk based on the dialed number.

💡Jabber Client

Jabber is an extensible messaging and presence protocol used for instant messaging and presence services. In the script, the presenter uses a Jabber client to demonstrate how to join a scheduled meeting by dialing a number, which illustrates the user experience of the configured system.

💡Transform

In the context of the script, a transform refers to modifying the format of a SIP address or request before it is processed or routed further. The presenter discusses using a transform to reformat the dialed number into a SIP address for routing to WebEx, which is a key part of the call flow.

💡Search Rules

Search rules are used to determine how incoming SIP requests are matched against route patterns. The script mentions configuring search rules to direct calls to the appropriate destination, whether it's the internal CCM to CMR cloud or to the external DNS zone for WebEx.com.

Highlights

Setting up Cisco CMR with existing Expressways and MRA involves creating SIP trunks and zones between CCM, Expressway C, Express 4 E, and the Internet.

Trunk configuration requires SRTP to be allowed and a destination address for the cluster.

Expressway standard SIP profile must include BFCP for interoperability.

SIP trunk security profile should be non-secured and have different port numbers for Expressway MRA.

A hidden SIP trunk is created in Call Manager when MRA is enabled.

The SIP profile should have BFCP selected and standard settings for FCPS.

Expressway C and E zones should point back to the Call Manager with specific port numbers.

Traversal zone to E may not require a separate client and server setup if MRA is already in place.

Digital certificates are necessary for setting up an encrypted traversal zone.

DNS zone for the Internet should have TLS verification for secure communication.

SIP route patterns are simple, directing WebEx.com calls to the Expressway trunk.

Scheduled meetings use a dialed number string instead of a room, which is a nine-digit number.

Route patterns and hunt rules are used to manage call routing to Expressway.

Jabber client demonstration shows dialing into a meeting using a steering digit and number string.

Personal room access via the WebEx.com SIP route pattern.

Transform rules are used to process the dialed number strings for call routing.

Search rules and regular expressions are utilized to direct calls to the appropriate zones.

The process is straightforward and easy to follow for setting up Cisco CMR with Expressways.

Anson Garcia concludes the presentation with a thank you note to the viewers.

Transcripts

okay hi this is going to be a brief

explanation on how

setup Cisco CMR with you're already

running expressways with MRA so let's

get started just a quick rundown here

we're gonna create all these SIP trunks

or zones an expressway between the CCM

expressway C Express 4 E and the

Internet

right so there's a trunk in between call

manager and expressway see there is a

trunk in between expressway C and E and

there's a trunk from E into the Internet

we're going to okay that's it there all

right let's get started

I'm gonna go through some of these are

screen captures and I'll provide you

with this presentation but I'm gonna go

through instead of going on through all

the spring screen captures I'm just

going to take you through them live here

on the screen so the first thing trunk

configuration we need a trunk to

expressway see okay here's my trunk to

expressway see there's nothing fancy

here the thing I think that is probably

needed is SRTP is allowed and

let's see if you have a destination

address it's a cluster that's gonna be

different I just have one I'd be a

little bit different the expressway

standard zip profile just make sure the

profile has BF CP on it and what else

okay let's take a look at this SIP trunk

security profile as well and I'm not

remembering everything but I just got

want to show you guys everything just in

case I I forgot something you'll notice

it on the screen so we have the

expressway non-secured all right oh

that's one thing one of the

recommendations early on I'm not sure if

it's still still required today but is

to make these supports something

different for expressway because

expressway when you enable MRA it

creates a SIP trunk kind of a hidden SIP

trunking call manager so I haven't read

it in the latest documentation but it

used to be when this first came out that

you had to have the the port number on

call manager different than 5060 because

it was already a hidden SIP trunk 5060

that you couldn't see and call manager

that went to the expressway see for the

purposes of MRA so again that's that's

the way I have mine configured and it

doesn't hurt to do it and then let's see

the SIP profile I don't think there's

anything fancy about to sit profile I

don't think there's anything fancy here

just to make sure BF CP is selected and

I think eight six and beyond the FCPS on

the standard sip profile already okay

so next let's go take a look at I'll

show you the trunk one more time

just so you get on video run through

there and again nothing fancy here okay

let's go take a look at the expressway

see and we're gonna look at the zone

pointing back to call manager so this is

my CMR CCM neighbor so you can see my

port number there

fifty sixty five I just showed you on

that sip security profile nothing too

fancy here I think that's it the zone

profile make sure you choose 861 or

above and that already has the BF CP and

things it used to be you had to do a

custom and choose BF CP and a couple

other things but that kind of creates a

you know good interoperability for for

call manager and okay let's go back and

then we're gonna go we're gonna hop to

the trunk or the traversal zone to the e

now so there's some documentation that

says to go create a different traversal

client and server over to the e but I

haven't found out really exactly why

they they talked about encryption and

things like that but this this the if

you already have MRA going again I do

you can push the calls through this

traversal zone already and it is already

encrypted right because we have to set

that up we have to do digital assigned

digital certificates to get this

traversal zone up so in my opinion as a

states now and I'm not an expert at disk

but this is already this is already

encrypted so I don't create another zone

because it's not needed in my opinion

again nothing weird here okay and then

let's hop over to e and let's go to

zones again

I'm gonna look at the zone pointing back

to the sea now there it is right there

and this is your standard stuff when you

set up MRA okay and then let's take a

look at the DNS zone this is the zone

it's pointing out to the internet okay I

do a TLS verify on this particular DNS

zone so the only thing that this trunk

right can can call right now is WebEx

calm and there's a TLS verify on here as

well so everything's encrypted and

that's it so let's go look at the search

rules now so that kind of covers us for

all the trunks and then call routing

let's go to sip route pattern very

simple here just uh while card WebEx

comm I'm gonna point to the trunk the

expressway trunk and then the other

thing I'll show you here is when you do

a scheduled meeting in and I don't think

I have that up but you can do a

scheduled meeting here's a scheduled

meeting you can see that the video

address it's not like a room anymore

it's a it's a it's a dialed number

string a nine digit number string and

then at whatever your domain is alright

whatever the customer domain is so we do

another route pattern in here and it's

our traditional route pattern let's go

to route hunt and we want to go to route

pattern and what I did here is just a

seven some steering digit just grab any

steering digit that you want is the way

I do it and and nine wild cards there

and you're gonna point that to

Expressway obviously choose off net here

we don't want to provide outside dial

tone or anything like that and then we

just let it loose right that's all we do

we've got to send it

/ and then we'll deal with kind of

transforming it over there in expressway

okay so those are the two things that

we're gonna get to get things out of so

let me bring up a jabber client here and

you can see here this is a scheduled

meeting so there's my number and what I

want to do in jabber or what we want our

customers to do right it's just dial

seven that was a steering digit and then

you know this number and I just have it

there I'll just go in like that and you

can see I get right in there okay so and

in the other way if I went to my

meetings and let's see my personal room

there is the other that's the other way

in right if we go into our personal room

and that's when that WebEx comm sip

remember that sip route pattern over

here is gonna catch this guy right there

so I can also do that and everything's

gonna work okay paste that in I'm

missing it hey there and I can tell that

and that's gonna go right in as well to

see that's working okay so what happened

here

when I dialed the number string the nine

digit number string is one other thing

that I have here and that is the

transform

now let's follow the WebEx all the way

through first let's follow that let's

just do one at a time here so let's do

the table plan and we're gonna do search

rules so we saw those search rules where

the route pattern is a call manager and

then we're gonna route this this guy

right here CCM to CMR cloud that's what

I'm calling it

and you can see in here what I have here

I just have a regular expression and

then I basically have you know anything

at anything dot I know it's hard to see

that dot WebEx dot-com and in anything

if there's a port number or something

like that I call managers like to do

that sometimes

you have to add this this guy right here

because you're gonna take it off

so basically we're we're with rather

expressions we're saying hey in between

these brackets or these parentheses here

this is number one this is number two

and then this is number three

parentheses so I'm what I'm doing here

is just saying hey put one and then an @

symbol and then go ahead and put two and

three and see I'm leaving off I'm

leaving this off over here and then stop

and then obviously we're gonna go across

to the e right traversal zone client

all right now once we get it into e

we're gonna catch that guy and we're

gonna go right over to the DNS zone so

there's a named it the same see I got

the same exact guy right here I just

copy and pasted it and then a replace I

do that stop I kick it out to the DNS

zone which we saw earlier all right

that's really it okay and then let's go

back to the C and I take the same route

pad or a same same the same search rules

but before on that on a schedule meeting

where you dial the nine digits I'm doing

one thing here in this little transform

so I'm doing a little transform first so

this just you know nine digits seven and

nine digits come in and then what I do

is I just a little regular expression

again anything with seven that has nine

digits right and then dot anything over

here to catch any port numbers that are

coming across from call me integer and

I'm just you know doing you know put the

one in here the one is remember anything

between the first parenthesis here which

will be the number so we're leaving off

to seven and then just a pend at you

know whatever the customer domain is

WebEx calm alright and that's really it

and then you know after it does this

it's going to catch that same search

rule because it's going to

the transform first and it's gonna come

over here and then grab that search for

one in and then go on so that's really

it that's in a nutshell that's how you

do it's very easy and any questions just

give me huh this is Anson Garcia and I'd

like to thank you for watching