Specifications

Configuring Application Servers
ShoreTel 7.5 Administration Guide 4 – 3
HQ servers, and they may be the same server or different servers. For proper
functionality of the switch-to-switch extension monitoring, the following
conditions must exist:
— Switch A must be able to talk to server X.
— Server X must be able to talk to server Y.
— Server Y must be able to talk to switch B.
— If X and Y are the same, connectivity is, of course, assumed to exist.
• Auxiliary information on incoming calls, such as trunk information and called
workgroup (WG) information, requires connectivity between the switch and a
headquarters (HQ) server or distributed voice mail (DVM) server that controls
that switch.
PCM Limitations/Requirements
• Personal Call Manager (PCM): PCM utilizes two communications channels, TAPI
and CSIS. TAPI is used to communicate with the server that manages the switch
that manages the user's phone (regardless of whether the phone is an analog or IP
phone). CSIS is used to communicate with the user's voice mail server. (These two
servers are often the same device.) As long as the client can reach these two
servers, PCM is fully functional.
• First-time PCM users: When a user logs into PCM for the first time, CSIS and
TAPI both communicate with the HQ server in order to find out which server they
need to use. Thus, for first-time users, a connection is required between the client
and the HQ server regardless of where their VM and extensions are being serviced.
• Workgroup functionality: If users are configured to have workgroup functionality,
they can access the mailboxes of all workgroups to which they belong. This
requires connectivity to the server(s) on which those mailboxes reside.
Legacy Voice Mail Integration
ShoreTel 7.5 seamlessly integrates with legacy phone systems for customers who would
like to have the freedom and flexibility to continue to use their legacy systems while
migrating toward a newer IP telephony solution. The legacy system must continue to
work flawlessly regardless of whether calls are traversing the ShoreTel PBX on their way
to the legacy voice mail system or whether they are traversing the legacy PBX on their
way to ShoreTel voice mail.
To address these needs, ShoreTel uses the Simplified Message Desk Interface (SMDI)
protocol. SMDI allows dissimilar voice mail and PBX systems to work together. The
protocol evolved at a time when voice mail services and PBX services were provided by
separate physical devices, and enabled the disparate devices to share information over
an out-of-band serial cable connection.
There are two modes of operation with respect to integrating a ShoreTel system and a
legacy system using SMDI:
• External voice mail—In this configuration, the legacy system provides voice mail
services while the ShoreTel system acts as the PBX for users.
• ShoreTel voice mail—In this configuration, the ShoreTel system provides voice
mail services while the legacy system acts as a the PBX for users.
Voice mail extension lengths for the legacy voice mail system may be different from the
ShoreTel voice mail extension lengths. In this case, digit translation information is
required. For more information on digit translation tables, see “Digit Translation
Tables” on page 2-6.