Microsoft Exchange UM

[jvangent100]

Hi there, a little background first:

Running PIAF 1.2 with Asterisk 1.4.15, rock solid and stable. I think this particular system is running close to three years now.

Now one of the most important features of that install is the link with Exchange UM. As Asterisk 1.4 doesn't support SIP over TCP, I use sipx as a proxy between the two systems, but apart from that additional VM, the link works 100%. I can call into OVA, call out using OVA, and of course replace Asterisk's voicemail with Exchange voicemal, and using play on phone feature in both Outlook and OWA.

Now I am looking into getting rid of that extra VM and have a direct link between Asterisk and Exchange UM (currently at version 2010 SP1).

Now I have been playing with various PIAF versions, and even trying to downgrade Asterisk on it. As it turns out, Asterisk 1.6.0.9 works perfectly with Exchange UM, newer versions have some troubles, most notably the play on phone feature.

Now I was able to install Trixbox 2.8.0.0 using Asterisk 1.6.0.9 and that works perfectly.

I then tried to use PIAF latest distro, and simply recompiled Asterisk 1.6.0.9 on it, sadly I cannot make the Play on Phone work with that change either.

Does anyone know of a PIAF version that runs said Asterisk version 1.6.0.9 ? Or any version lower then 1.6.0.10 ?

 

[wardmundy]

Load the base system with the Bronze build which is Asterisk 1.6.x. Then edit /etc/pbx/digiumsource.conf and enter the desired Asterisk version under BASTERISK. Save file. Then...

update-programs
update-source
update-fixes

 

[jvangent100]

^ nice one if it's that simple, beats having to recompile asterisk, the add-ons, the dahdi and libpri manually

Anyway, it seems I might have a workaround for my play on phone issue, by adding an additional peer into sip_additional, will try that out on the stock 1.6.2.x of the bronze payload tomorrow

I tried 1.8.2 rc, oh my the troubles I had with Exchange were simply daunting.

Don't like trixbox very much to be honest, the web interface just isn't appealing to me. If all else fails, I will simply run asterisk on cent os, and maybe install freepbx and call it a day, 1.6.0.9 works flawlessly with Exchange 2010.

 

[wardmundy]

There's a script here for rolling your own from a base CentOS install if you choose to go that route.

 

[jvangent100]

OHO Forgot something

Well as it turns out, Asterisk 1.6.0.9 works fine on PIAF, the only damm thing was that I forgot about iptables. I know utterly stupid, but we are all humans right ?

The firewall exceptions loaded into PIAF by default, only take SIP over UDP into consideration, not SIP over TCP, and since that is the avenue of choice for Exchange UM, it was blocked by the firewall. No wonder I wasn't getting anything usefull on sip debug

 

[Astrosmurfer]

Sorry to hijack your thread but, it sounds like you have some time in on Exchange UM and I'm curious about your experiences.

Is Exchange UM a part of Exchange 2010 Standard or is it an additional fee add-on?

What are the storage issues like when storing voicemails in the message stores?

How do the users take to it/like it?

What are the issues?

 

[jvangent100]

Since the "problem" has been solved in any case, I don't mind you asking about Exchange UM, and since that particular feature is the centerpiece of this thread, it is hugely on-topic as far as I'm concerned.

ExchangeUM is part of the Exchange 2010 (or 2007) as a server role, just as the transport, cas or mailbox role. It can be installed together with the previously mentioned roles (except of course with the edge role, as that role can only installed alone).

The unified messaging component requires an enterprise cal.

Storage requirements aren't that huge I think, a 5 second VM is stored in WMA, and takes about 12kb.

IMHO it is a great feature, it gives users the ability to not only get an email once a voicemail arrives, the UM service not only does that, it also attach the voicemail as WMA, it also has speach to text, so the content of the voicemail is also printed on the same email. It also offers the ability to use play on phone on both outlook or OWA to a default extension, or one that the user specifies (including external numbers, if that is allowed by sysadmin).

But the most compelling feature is OVA (outlook voice access), which let's you call into a predefined number on the UM box, and will let you not only listen to voicemail, it will also give you the ability to listen to your emails, handle your appointments/calendar, manage and call your contacts.

More information : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb397228.aspx

 

[Astrosmurfer]

Thanks very much for the information. One last question:

The text to speech or, more importantly speech to text, what is the quality like. I've used a few such transcription systems, including Google's and the results have been far less than perfect. Does Exchange do a significantly better job or is it still a work in progress?

 

[MrBostn]

I've used 2010 UM and I find the transcription

a work in progress. Basically useless-it was only for me, so I didn't care much. I was just testing things out anyway.

What I did like was how Exchange synced with the UM portion. If I deleted the email that contained the vm, it deleted it from the system too. That was nice.

MWI didn't work but that didn't bother me.

 

[TheShniz]

MWI didn't work but that didn't bother me.

^^^
The single biggest complaint; if only there was a way... HMmmmmmmm

 

[jvangent100]

MWI seems a bit redundant

Actually MWI seems a bit redundant, as you'll get an email with the voicemail in any case (and a missed call email, if they didn't bother to leave a message).
The reason that it doesn't work is that Asterisk isn't accepting unsollicited MWI from other SIP gateways. There is a patch, that supposedly is included in 1.8, but documentation on the fix is scarce (basically the instructions talk about adding unsolicited_mailbox=number in the trunk settings and adding mailbox number@SIP_Remote to each extension. I read a message from a guy who had it working on 1.8 but apparently all phones got the MWI

The patch is https://issues.asterisk.org/view.php?id=13028
But I was unable to apply this patch against 1.6.2.14, and I'm not sure if I'm willing to go to 1.8 just for MWI as I have seen other problems arising with Exchange UM and 1.8...