Shocky
2009-Apr-10 06:06 UTC
[asterisk-users] Can Asterisk bridge between a SIP client and a Cisco Call Manager server?
Hi, This is probably outside what Asterisk is intended for, but I'm hoping it can help. I need to make and receive calls through a Cisco Call Manager server that I have no control over. I have to use a Cisco soft phone (Cisco IP Communicator), which only runs on Windows. But I'm on Linux. CCM is apparently capable of supporting SIP and H.323 interfaces, but they won't provide this option for me. Right now I'm using a VMWare XP guest to run the soft phone, but this is painful (especially with some VPN complications thrown in). I've read that Asterisk supports SCCP, at least somewhat. I'm wondering if I could set up Asterisk on my desktop machine to route calls between a SIP client such as Kphone or Ekiga and the CCM server. Would this be possible? I heard that one of the problems in interfacing with CCM over SCCP is the use of proprietary codecs. Would this be a problem in my case? If there's a chance it can be made to work, I'll give it a try. If I'd be wasting my time, please let me know. Thanks, Shocky -- These are my opinions. Get your own.
Gordon Henderson
2009-Apr-10 09:33 UTC
[asterisk-users] Can Asterisk bridge between a SIP client and a Cisco Call Manager server?
On Fri, 10 Apr 2009, Shocky wrote:> Hi, > > This is probably outside what Asterisk is intended for, but I'm hoping it can > help. > > I need to make and receive calls through a Cisco Call Manager server that I > have no control over. I have to use a Cisco soft phone (Cisco IP > Communicator), which only runs on Windows. But I'm on Linux. CCM is > apparently capable of supporting SIP and H.323 interfaces, but they won't > provide this option for me. Right now I'm using a VMWare XP guest to run the > soft phone, but this is painful (especially with some VPN complications > thrown in). > > I've read that Asterisk supports SCCP, at least somewhat. I'm wondering if I > could set up Asterisk on my desktop machine to route calls between a SIP > client such as Kphone or Ekiga and the CCM server. Would this be possible? > > I heard that one of the problems in interfacing with CCM over SCCP is the use > of proprietary codecs. Would this be a problem in my case? > > If there's a chance it can be made to work, I'll give it a try. If I'd be > wasting my time, please let me know.I've never looked at SCCP, but if it does work then you could use the console phone built into asterisk rather than IP plumb it into a soft-phone... So asterisk is essentially acting as an SCCP soft-phone itself. No GUI though, but if you're happy typing commands... :) Gordon
Dimitar Dimitrov
2009-Apr-10 10:27 UTC
[asterisk-users] Can Asterisk bridge between a SIP client and a Cisco Call Manager server?
Hi Shocky. It is possible. You should use SIP trunk in CCM and configure some prefix to point to the Asterisk Box. On the Asterisk BOX use SIP peer configuration to make calls trough CCM. You can use some prefix from the both sides and strip it when call arrive at the each side. If you have CCM > 5.0 you can use SIP enabled softphone by directly registering info the CCM. Since you have CCM4 you should use SIP trunk to connect CCM and Asterisk. Dimitar Shocky ??????:> Hi, > > This is probably outside what Asterisk is intended for, but I'm hoping it can > help. > > I need to make and receive calls through a Cisco Call Manager server that I > have no control over. I have to use a Cisco soft phone (Cisco IP > Communicator), which only runs on Windows. But I'm on Linux. CCM is > apparently capable of supporting SIP and H.323 interfaces, but they won't > provide this option for me. Right now I'm using a VMWare XP guest to run the > soft phone, but this is painful (especially with some VPN complications > thrown in). > > I've read that Asterisk supports SCCP, at least somewhat. I'm wondering if I > could set up Asterisk on my desktop machine to route calls between a SIP > client such as Kphone or Ekiga and the CCM server. Would this be possible? > > I heard that one of the problems in interfacing with CCM over SCCP is the use > of proprietary codecs. Would this be a problem in my case? > > If there's a chance it can be made to work, I'll give it a try. If I'd be > wasting my time, please let me know. > > Thanks, > > Shocky >-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: smime.p7s Type: application/x-pkcs7-signature Size: 2921 bytes Desc: S/MIME Cryptographic Signature Url : http://lists.digium.com/pipermail/asterisk-users/attachments/20090410/638478a7/attachment.bin
Dan Austin
2009-Apr-10 16:53 UTC
[asterisk-users] Can Asterisk bridge between a SIP client and a Cisco Call Manager server?
Shocky wrote:> This is probably outside what Asterisk is intended for, but I'm hoping it can > help.> I need to make and receive calls through a Cisco Call Manager server that I > have no control over. I have to use a Cisco soft phone (Cisco IP > Communicator), which only runs on Windows. But I'm on Linux. CCM is > apparently capable of supporting SIP and H.323 interfaces, but they won't > provide this option for me. Right now I'm using a VMWare XP guest to run the > soft phone, but this is painful (especially with some VPN complications > thrown in).It maybe a small nuance, but as a CCM administrator I can understand the refusal to support a roaming H323 or SIP endpoint on CCM. Perhaps if your asterisk box was not mobile, the CCM admins would consider a H323 trunk to your system?> I've read that Asterisk supports SCCP, at least somewhat. I'm wondering if I > could set up Asterisk on my desktop machine to route calls between a SIP > client such as Kphone or Ekiga and the CCM server. Would this be possible?The SCCP support in Asterisk is currently limited to asking as a SCCP server, not as an SCCP client. So you cannot use Asterisk to register as a phone to CCM. The SCCP protocol does have a 'trunking' mode, but Cisco barely uses it themselves, and it is geared to low density situation, two-four channels. I am not aware on any effort to duplicate that in chan_skinny. It is conceivable that chan_skinny could be taught to emulate a Cisco endpoint (7965 for example), but the end result would be of limited value. It would have a limited number of lines/channels and the protocol in this use model would not support passing destination information, so it would require a 1-to-1 mapping of a CCM extension to an Asterisk extension.> I heard that one of the problems in interfacing with CCM over SCCP is the use > of proprietary codecs. Would this be a problem in my case?Not quite true. SCCP is a proprietary protocol, but the codecs supported match well with what Asterisk offers, at least the codecs you would likely choose to use.> If there's a chance it can be made to work, I'll give it a try. If I'd be > wasting my time, please let me know.There is a chance, but it depends on working with the CCM admins and how willing they are to create a one-off configuration for you... Dan