Route Groups

Overview

A route group allows you to define 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.

Configure Route Groups

This procedure adds or updates route groups.

Prerequisites:

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

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.

Perform these steps:

  1. Log in as Provider, Reseller or Customer administrator.

  2. Choose an option:

    • If you logged in as Provider or Reseller administrator, go to (default menus) Apps Management > CUCM > Route Groups.

    • If you logged in as Customer administrator, go to (default menus) Apps Management > Advanced > Route Groups.

  3. Do you want to ..

    • Add a new route group? Click Add. Go to step 4.

    • 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. In the CUCM drop-down, select the Cisco Unified Communications Manager corresponding to the route group.

  5. In the Route Group Name field, enter a unique name for the new route group.

    Note

    A route group 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.

    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. Select Distribution Algorithm options for the route group. The default value is Circular.

Option

Description

Top Down

Allows CUCM 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.

This option is mandatory if you want to prioritize the order of devices.

Circular

Allows CUCM to 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 CUCM most recently extended a call. If the nth member is the last member of a route group, CUCM distributes a call starting from the top of the route group.

  1. Click the Plus icon (+) to open the Members box.

  2. Choose an option:

    • To add a device to the route group, go to Step 9.

    • To modify the priority of a device, go to Step 10.

    • To remove a device from the route group, select the relevant device, and click the Minus sign (-). Ensure you leave at least one device in the route group.

  1. 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 the Plus icon (+) at Members, then repeat this step for each device you want to add.

  1. 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.

  2. Click Save. The new route group displays Route Group list.

Delete a Route Group

To delete a route group:

  1. Log in as Provider, Reseller or Customer administrator.

    Warning

    When deleting a route group, ensure that you select a valid site under your customer in the hierarchy node breadcrumb at the top of the view. If you attempt to delete a route group at any other node in the hierarchy, you will receive an error indicating that you must be at a site.

  2. Choose an option:

    • If you logged in as Provider or Reseller administrator, choose Apps Management > CUCM > Route Groups.

    • If you logged in as Customer administrator, choose Apps Management > Advanced > Route Groups.

  3. From the list of trunks, select the route group you wish to delete.

  4. Click Delete, then click Yes to confirm.