In Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM), a line group is a feature that allows a group of phone lines to share the same call distribution and call coverage characteristics. This feature is particularly useful for call centers, help desks, and other organizations that need to distribute incoming calls among a group of agents.
A line group consists of a set of phone lines that are associated with a single hunt list, which determines the order in which calls are distributed to the lines. When a call comes in, CUCM looks at the hunt list and sends the call to the first available line in the group. If all lines are busy, the call is sent to the next line in the list, and so on.
Line groups also support call coverage, which allows calls to be forwarded to another line or to voicemail if the initial line is busy or not answered. Call coverage settings can be configured at the line group level, ensuring that all lines in the group have the same coverage options.
Line groups can be created and configured using the CUCM Administration web interface. To create a line group, the administrator must specify the hunt list, which determines the order in which calls are distributed to the lines, and the lines that are part of the group. The administrator can also configure call coverage settings, such as forwarding and voicemail, for the entire group.
Line groups can be used in conjunction with other call distribution features in CUCM, such as call queuing and call routing. For example, an organization may use a line group to distribute calls among a group of agents, and then use call queuing to hold calls in a queue if all lines are busy.
In summary, a line group in CUCM is a feature that allows a group of phone lines to share the same call distribution and call coverage characteristics. This feature is useful for organizations that need to distribute incoming calls among a group of agents and can be configured using the CUCM Administration web interface.