Integration with Microsoft Active Directory and Exchange 2007

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Dec 29, 2010 by Former user (Deleted)Version comment
4 min read

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<html>

Integration with Microsoft Active Directory

sipXecs, starting with release 3.10, is able to automatically synchronize with Microsoft Active Directory using the LDAP protocol. Synchronization can be done one or automatically at a configurable time interval. Users created or deleted in Microsoft Active Directory are then automatically synchronized with users in sipXecs, which makes administration a lot easier. the following explains the steps you have to take to accomplish this:
<center>

</center>
First, navigate to the LDAP / AD screen found under the System tab. To setup a new LDAP / Active Directory server select the "LDAP Server" link on the right side under Quick Links. This will take you to the screen below. Enter the hostname / IP address of your Microsoft server including the administrator password.
NOTE: The User section requires your full DN information, for example: CN=Administrator,CN=Users,DC=pdc,DC=mydomain,DC=com

<center>

</center>

Next, you have to select the relevant object classes you want to extract from the Active Directory database. Select just two classes: "User" and "Person" as shown below.

NOTE: Because the attributes AD uses are different from a standard LDAP installation they won't match up, you'll have to manually configure them. Standard LDAP setups such as OpenLDAP by default use those attributes unless it's configured differently.

<center>

</center>

The next screen allows you to assemble the query for the Active Directory database using a graphical interface. The search base must be: "CN=Users, DC=example, DC=com", where the DC parameters have to represent your domain. The Filter is "proxyaddress=*". Use "cn" and "sn" as the first name and last name attributes, respectively. The email address is "userPrincipalName". The Alias, User group, and SIP password attributes will vary depending on what the admin of the Active Directory server configured.

<center>

</center>

The next screen allows you to preview user records as they would be imported based on the query you just defined. This is really helpful to make sure everything is working as intended.

<center>

</enter>

The last step then is to do the actual import. This is done back on the original screen for LDAP / AD import. An import can be triggered manually or you can setup a schedule for recurring imports.

<center>

</center>

Integration with Microsoft Exchange 2007 Voicemail and Auto-Attendant

The following provides instructions on how to integrate sipXecs with Microsoft Exchange 2007 for VM and AA applications. Microsoft Exchange 2007 is a speech enabled application able to serve as a Voice Mail or auto-Attendant server. In addition, it can read your email or provide voice enabled access to your calendar.

Upgrading from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2007 requires an upgrade to the 64 bit version of the Windows Server 2003 operating system.

As part of sipXecs release 3.9/3.10 we completed a tight integration with Exchange 2007, which provides automated plug & play configuration. Even a mixed environment is possible where one group of users uses Exchange 2007 as their voicemail system, while another group used the sipXecs voicemail system.

Give a User or Group of Users Permission to use Exchange VM as their Voicemail System

On a per user basis or for an entire group of users the administrator can select Microsoft Exchange as the voicemail system. Go to the configuration screen for the respective user and select "Permission" from the left navigation menu. Scroll all the way down until you see the fields for voicemail permission.

<center>

</center>
Then scroll down on the "Permission" page until you find the entries for the voicemail system:
<center>

</center>

Note: Only one voicemail server must be selected for a user.

Create a Dialplan Rule for the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server

If all the users on this system use Microsoft Exchange 2007 as their voicemail system, then change the default voicemail rule in the dialplan to indicate that Exchange 2007 is selected as the voicemail server. If both Exchange 2007 and the sipXecs voicemail system shall be used simultaneously then a second voicemail dialing rule has to be created that designates Microsoft Exchange 2007 as the voicemail server. A different voicemail extension and prefix have to be chosen for one of the voicemail servers.
<center>

</center>

Select the "Voicemail" rule or create a new one (there can be several voicemail rules in a system if you have more than one voicemail system).
<center>

</center>

Note: Due to a bug in the Microsoft implementation of SIP Message Waiting Indication (MWI) does not work for users who use Exchange 2007 as their voicemail system. However, Microsoft provides full unified messaging where all voicemail messages are available in your inbox.

Integration with the Exchange 2007 Auto-Attendant

Two steps are required to add the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Auto-Attendant as a system auto-attendant to sipXecs:

  1. Create a new SIP Trunk Gateway that points at the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server. Choose TCP as the transport protocol under advanced settings. The Route fields can be left empty if the Exchange server is reachable over a routed network (no NAT or firewall).

<center>

</center>

  1. Create a new Custom dialing rule that routes calls with a specific number to the Exchange AA Server

</html>