Ip Office Server Edition Architecture 2

[Jimmyjoe1975]

Hi,

I was thinking to change my old Ip Office V2 to Ip Office Server Edition with redundancy.
I was thinking to implement a Primary and a Secondary server as virtual machines, power user phones (without One-X Portal) and SIP Trunks.
I thought that if the Primary Server went out-of-service the Secondary will take the control for everything, but after that I was talking with a BP and they told me that the Secondary will not take control for any power user phone, because it only has redundancy for phones series 16xx and 96xx, not softphones, and also I will need SIP Trunks licenses in the Secondary Server to work with the SIP Trunks.
It is really weird because I don't understand where is then the redundancy? if there is not redundancy for power user phones that means nobody can register the softphones in the Secondary Server.
Besides they told me, as the Primary Server is in a virtual Machine with Wmware that I can save that machine daily and install it in another VMware Server, so in case of failure of the Primary Server I can start the same virtual machine in another VMware server and work with it.
Is that true?

Thanks

 

[derfloh]

Restoring a backup needs about two hours if everything works well...

SIP trunk redundancy is something you have to configure. SIP trunk licenses ar hold on primary server but secondary can go on using these licenses if primary is down.

I'm not sure about softphone (you mean Communicator, right?). You can perhaps get some positive results with a well configured DNS (voice.example.com points to primary server first and then to secondary) but I didn't test that so far. If Communicator connects to the second server if primary is down the rest should be OK because the users go from primary server to secondary if primary is down.

 

[Jimmyjoe1975]

Thanks for the answer.
The idea is every night save the virtual machine and restore in another VMware server. In case of any problem just turn off the faulty one and turn on the other (and if there is some changes done during the day it will be lost).
I believe power users use One-X softphone. The idea is that Secondary Server can not take the control for other phone different from H323 and SIP, and the softphone is not.

 

[tlpeter]

You cannot take a snapshot of a running SE (you can but gives issues when you put it back)
The SE must be down before you take that snapshot.
Only the H.323 supported IP phones can do resiliency, softphones cannot.
You better think of the server edition select which supports HA (VMWare high availability)
You only need one sever edition in this case.
Your VMWare solution then takes care of the redundancy.


BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!

 

[Jimmyjoe1975]

Thanks tlpeter, as always your knowledge is amazing.
I was not thinking in a snapshot of the VM, I believe is better to backup the VM every night and restore it in another VMware Host, so in case I have a problem with my Host I can turn off the VM with the Primary Server and turn on the Primary Server with the VM restored in another Host.
I don't know what is the reason of Avaya to exclude softphones from the redundancy.

 

[tlpeter]

You cannot do that as you will have no working licenses.
The server edition has a hardware id which will change if you move the server to another server.
I have been there and tried that
The only option is HA in this case.

BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!

 

[Jimmyjoe1975]

Uffff, that is a huge problem.
When you say the only option is HA you mean Ip Office Select?
Thanks

 

[tlpeter]

Yes select.
Select is the only one who supports HA and then the licensing is done differently so it can be moved.
I do not know all the details so i cannot explain it better.

BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!

 

[Jimmyjoe1975]

tlpeter,

I am sure you are totally right on it because I know you are an Ip Office expert, but I have been talking with an Avaya representative and he told me he has a customer who is doing that (making a backup of the Primary Server and restore it in another VMWare machine) working. Nevertheless the official Avaya policy is that it is not supported.
So sorry to ask you this again, but did you tested it and it gave you an error regarding the licenses?
From my point of view what you say makes sense.
Thanks

 

[tlpeter]

Probably there must be a way to hack the system but yes moving the server resulted in a system without valid license for me.
The hardware id is made of some objects which change when you move the system.


BAZINGA!

I'm not insane, my mother had me tested!