Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) is a popular IP telephony solution that provides call processing, voicemail, messaging, and other communication services. To use CUCM, phones must be added to the system so that they can register and make calls. In this article, we will discuss the different ways in which phones can be added to CUCM.
Manually add phones: The simplest way to add phones to CUCM is to do it manually using the CUCM Administration web interface. The administrator can create a new phone and specify its model, MAC address, phone type, and other settings. This method is suitable for small installations with a few phones.
Bulk Administration Tool: The Bulk Administration Tool (BAT) is a CUCM feature that allows administrators to perform bulk operations on phones. With BAT, administrators can import a CSV file containing the details of multiple phones, such as MAC address, phone type, and extension number, and then use the tool to add the phones to CUCM.
Auto-registration: Auto-registration is a CUCM feature that allows phones to automatically register with the system when they are connected to the network. When a new phone is connected, CUCM assigns it a temporary directory number and adds it to the system. The administrator can then configure the phone’s settings and assign it a permanent extension number.
TFTP provisioning: Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) provisioning is a method of adding phones to CUCM by configuring the TFTP server to provide the phone with its configuration file. When a new phone is connected, it requests its configuration file from the TFTP server and then registers with CUCM. This method requires the administrator to create and configure the phone’s configuration file.
Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express: Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CUCME) is a scaled-down version of CUCM that is designed for small to medium-sized businesses. CUCME supports a simplified configuration process that allows phones to be added using a web interface or the Command Line Interface (CLI).
In conclusion, there are several ways to add phones to CUCM, including manual configuration, bulk administration using BAT, auto-registration, TFTP provisioning, and using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express. The method used depends on the size and complexity of the installation, as well as the preferences of the administrator.