DrVoIP is a full service VoIP installation, support and training telephony company. In addition, we offer many free services to support the VoIP community, and immediate problem resolution for ShoreTel IP PBX, Asterisk, Free PBX, Trixbox, Fonality and many.
What exactly is the value of a Distributed Voice Mail Server (e.g. DVM)? What are the pro’s and con’s of installing one? Does it have any impact on resiliency (not redundancy) as it relates to business continuity in the event of server failures? ShoreTel has a distributed architecture but like all other VoIP solutions there is only one “read/write” database and that is a component of the ShoreTel architecture aptly named the HQ server. IF this server goes down and the R/W database is unavailable configuration changes can not be made throughout the “single image” installation.
Installing a DVM at the same level, or in the same site as the HQ server, provides a high degree of resiliency at comparatively low cost. At the HQ site, put all your HQ users on a DVM. If the DVM goes down, the HQ will pick up the heavy lifting for the Users on the DVM. If the HQ goes down, the DVM users will still have VM and AA services. As of today, there are three services, however, that are NOT distributed in the ShoreTel architecture. These services are known as Workgroups, Route Points; and Account codes. If you lose the HQ server, you will lose these services for all sites, even if they have a DVM installed at that site!
As it relates to low cost business continuity options, we like to install a DVM at the HQ site, but we want all switches at all sites to be managed by the HQ server. This usually provokes a heady discussion, but here is our reasoning. The real value of a DVM is to keep VM and AA media streams off the very expensive WAN connections. Remember that a DVM can fail up, which means the HQ server can take over Voice Mail and AA processing for the users at a site that has a failed DVM. It makes sense to put the users at a remote site on the DVM at that site, but does it really make sense to have the switches at that site managed by the DVM at that site?
We think not. Lets separate the issue of Users and Voice Mail from issues like TAPI, Workgroups and Personal Call Managers. We need to remember that if a server goes down, the switches managed by that server will lose all the TAPI information for the phones that it controls. This means you will have no functioning Workgroup Agents and not ability to monitor those Agents. Additionally, the Personal Call Managers will not work for any extensions on switches managed by the down server.
Given that Workgroups is not a distributed service, if the HQ server goes down, you will not have Workgroups anyway. If the DVM at a remote site goes down, the HQ server will proxy for that sites Voice Mail and Automated Attendants. Given that the HQ server was managing the switches at that remote site, you will not lose any of the PCM functionality highlighted above. It occurs to us that this is a better place to be. Let the HQ manage all switches and use the DVM’s for Voice Mail services for the users at remote sites! Use a DVM at HQ for additional resiliency.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
What is RingCentral DigitalLine VoIP and how it works
By: Cyril Bird | 10/12/2009DigitalLine will save you lot of money as compared to conventional systems regardless whether you are a heavy or sporadic telephone user.
Improved Audio Video & Web Conferencing Service Technology
By: Vivek Kushwaha | 08/12/2009Telephone is a great medium to talk to your friend, family member, business associate or anybody you want to talk with. But its biggest limitation is that it does not allow any third party to participate in your conversation. Understanding this problem, some companies introduced of audio conferencing service. It is a technique which allows 2-3 persons or even more to converse simultaneously.
Advancements in IP Office Conference Phones Technology
By: Kamesh Goud | 04/12/2009IP Office Conference phones have made communication faster and uninterrupted, using Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), by allowing you to call each member at the same time instead of calling each of them separately.
Office & Business VoIP Phone Systems
By: Henry Funk | 04/12/2009From connection to coverage, StarView solutions are creating a miracle in the entire communication world. StarView helps in improving your communication coverage with the help of VoIP.
VoIP Business Solutions: Feel the Technology
By: Article Manager | 04/12/2009VoIP is dwelling the entire era with ultimate advancement in the technology. Now the traditional telephony is simply taken over by the VoIP communication due to its optimum effectiveness and reduced calling rates.
Avail VoIP Phone services form reliable VoIP phone service provider
By: Article Manager | 04/12/2009With the increasing popularity of VoIP technology, numerous VoIP phone service providers are ready to offer customized services at cost-effective rates. It is important to gather information about services and facilities they are offering before availing the services.
Video Conferencing & IP Conference Business Phone Systems for Authentic Communication
By: Kamesh Goud | 04/12/2009Video conferencing systems & IP conference business phone systems can also be used for file, desktop & data sharing, to work on the same file simultaneously. Moreover, facial expressions and non-verbal behavior ensure natural flow of communication.
How diverting virtual numbers works and what is PSTN forwarding?
By: Didlogic | 03/12/2009What is PSTN forwarding? How it can help you to save money on the phone calls.
The ShoreTel "prefix" Option!
By: Peter Buswell | 26/09/2009 | VoIPIn this economy there are a growing number of mergers and acquisitions, or "marriage by shot gun". When companies combine they have the challenge of integrating their data and telecommunications systems. For example, we have witnessed an increased demand in companies seeking technical assistance in merging ShoreTel systems. There are two basic options for doing this and the choice often depends on resource requirements and "dial plan" conflicts.
ShoreTel Contact Center C2G Interaction Reports
By: Peter Buswell | 15/09/2009 | VoIPPrior to release of ShoreTel Contact Center Version 5.0, reporting was essentially statistical analysis.
What is a ShoreTel DVM and why do I need one?
By: Peter Buswell | 15/09/2009 | VoIPAs it relates to low cost business continuity options, we like to install a DVM at the HQ site, but we want all switches at all sites to be managed by the HQ server.
ShoreTel Version 9 Personalized Call Handling Options
By: Peter Buswell | 15/09/2009 | VoIPIf your job role is part of a larger group, it may be more appropriate to ask the caller to press zero to speak to another member of you team
What is all the Hub about?
By: Peter Buswell | 17/08/2009 | VoIPAnyone that has done a VoIP deployment knows or has learned the hard way, that “hubs” will kill a VoIP phone deployment! Multiple devices in a hub will immediately change your Ethernet port to half-duplex.
How to get your iPhone running SIP on your ShoreTel IPBX!
By: Peter Buswell | 17/08/2009 | CommunicationIf you are and iPhone aficionado, you absolutely want your iPhone to work on your ShoreTel IPBX! I recently downloaded VeNetCorps SipPhone from the iPhone App store! There are several SIP phone apps at the store, but most have a pre-programmed domain name for the sip registration proxy server.
Hack ShoreTel Database to Kill “dial 9″ requirement?
By: Peter Buswell | 02/07/2009 | VoIPFax Machines on ShoreTel? It is not uncommon for system administrators to create a user named FAX SEVER, then define it as EXTENSION ONLY.