How to Configure Route Groups

Before You Begin

You must define one or more gateway or SIP trunks before you add a route group.

A route group allows you to designate the order in which gateways are selected. It allows you to prioritize a list of gateways and ports for outgoing trunk selection.

For example, if you use two long distance carriers, you could add a route group so that long distance calls to the less expensive carrier are given priority. Calls only route to the more expensive carrier if the first trunk is unavailable.

Use this procedure to add or modify route groups.

Note

Each gateway or gateway and port combination can only belong to one route group and can only be listed once within that route group. All gateways in a route group must have the same route pattern. The pattern is assigned to the route list containing the route group (not the route group itself).

Route groups are optional. If a proposed route group only contains one gateway or one gateway and port combination and that route group is not to be included in a route list, the route group is not needed.

Procedure

  1. Log in as provider, reseller or customer administrator.

  2. Perform one of:

    • If you logged in as provider or reseller administrator, choose Device Management > CUCM > Route Groups.
    • If you logged in as customer administrator, choose Device Management > Advanced > Route Groups.

  3. Perform one of:

    • To add a new route group, click Add.
    • To edit an existing route group, click the group to be updated, edit the fields as required, then click Save to save the edited route group.

  4. From the CUCM drop-down menu, choose or modify the Cisco Unified Communications Manager that corresponds to the route group.

  5. Enter a unique name for the new route group in the Route Group Name field, or modify the existing Route Group Name if desired. The name can comprise up to 50 alphanumeric characters and can contain any combination of spaces, period(s), hyphens (-), and underscore characters (_). Ensure that each route group name is unique to the route plan.

    Tip:

    Use concise and descriptive names for the route group. The CompanynameLocationGroup format usually provides a sufficient level of detail and is short enough to enable you to quickly and easily identify a route group. For example, - CiscoDallasAA1 - identifies a Cisco Access Analog route group for the Cisco office in Dallas.

  6. From the drop-down menu, select or modify the Distribution Algorithm options for the route group. Default value is Circular.

Option Description
Top Down

Select this option if you want Cisco Unified Communications Manager to distribute a call to idle or available members starting with the first idle or available member of a route group to the last idle or available member of a route group.

Note:

You need to select Top Down to prioritize the order of devices in Step 10.
Circular Chose this option if you want Cisco Unified Communications Manager to distribute a call to idle or available members starting from the (n+1)th member of a route group, where the nth member is the member to which the Cisco Unified Communications Manager most recently extended a call. If the nth member is the last member of a route group, Cisco Unified Communications Manager distributes a call starting from the top of the route group.

  1. Click + to open the Members box. Perform one or more of the following steps:

    • To add a device to the route group, perform Step 8.
    • To modify the priority of a device, go to Step 10.
    • To remove a device from the route group, go to Step 11.

  2. To add a device to the route group:

    1. From the Device Name drop-down menu, choose the device where the route group is added.

      Note:

      When a SIP trunk or gateway is added, all ports on the device are selected.

    2. For Device Selection Order, indicate the order in which to prioritize multiple devices. A lower selection order indicates higher priority. This field requires an integer value. The default is no setting. The device selection order, if specified, overrides the position of the device in the list.

  3. To add another device to the route group, click + at the top of the Members box, then repeat Steps 8 and 9 for each additional device.

  4. If no device selection order is specified, you can change the priority of a device by moving the device up or down in the list by clicking the arrows on the right side of the Members box. Using the Up arrow, move the device higher in the list to make it a higher priority in the route group, or using the Down arrow, move the device lower in the list to make it a lower priority in the route group.

    Note: The Top Down distribution algorithm must be selected in Step 6 to prioritize the order of devices.

  5. To remove a device from the route group, select the device in the Members box and click the - on the right side of the Members box.

    Note:

    You must leave at least one device in the route group.

  6. To save a new or updated route group, click Save. The route group appears in the Route Group list.