Understanding Callmanager Services

There are 2 groups of services in Callmanager.

1. Networks Services, these services are required for basic functionality you cannot activate or deactivate them. But you can stop/start/restart them in case of troubleshooting. The expected status of these services should be "Running".

2. Feature Services, these services are required for application feature, you can activate/deactivate/stop/start/restart them. Depending on your environment, you should activate only necessary services to reduce resource consumption.

Before activate these services I would recommend you to change CM hostname to IP Address in System> Server page configuration. This will tell the IP Phones to use IP Address instead when they're registering to Callmanager (DNS Server is required if you set it to hostname).

CM Services

Cisco CallManager - This service is used for call control function including features such as Call Pickup, Call Park, Hunt Group, etc...

Cisco TFTP - When IP Phone is booting up it will contact this service to get the list of Callmanager that it should register.

Cisco Messaging Interface - This service use the serial port of Callmanager to send SMDI message to 3rd party voice-mail system. In most case you don't need to activated this service.

Cisco Unified Mobile Voice Access Service - This service is required if you plan to use features like the following

1. Mobile Connect - Incoming call to IP Phone also ring to your mobile phone simultaneously

2. Enterprise Feature Access or Mobile Voice Access - You dial-in from your mobile phone to Callmanager and use the call control function as if you're using the IP Phone (I'll explain how to configure it in another article).

Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming App - This service is used for the application like music on hold (MoH), Annunciator.

Cisco CTIManager - This service is required for JTAPI/TAPI applications will connect such as Cisco UCCX, Arc Console Connect, Cisco Attendant Console, Cisco IPMA, QRT.

Cisco Extension Mobility - Activate this service if you plan to use extension mobility feature (You can login to IP Phone anywhere in the network to get your phone profiles).

Cisco Extended Functions - Activate this service if you plan to use Quality Report Tool (QRT) softkey to submit voice quality feedback from IP Phone back to the system.

Cisco Dialed Number Analyzer - This service is used for Numbering Plan Diagnostic. You can use this tool to analyze what the number pattern matched for a certain dialed-number.

Cisco DHCP Monitor Service - Activate this service if you use CM Server act as a DHCP Server.

CTI Services

Cisco CallManager Attendant Console Server - Activate this service if you plan to use attendant console software (free version). Note that beginning with V7.0 attendant console software will not be available to download from Callmanager plug-in page. But you can still use the software from V6.x to connect to this service in V7.x, Cisco has a plan to remove this service in V8.x.

Cisco IP Manager Assistant - Activate this service if you plan to use IPMA feature. If you don't know what it is just do not activate it.

Cisco WebDialer Web Service - Activate this service if you plan to use click-to-call feature (You can make an outgoing call by click the number on the web page or click-to-call program).

CDR Services

Cisco SOAP - CDRonDemand Service - Activate this service if you have 3rd party billing application that query CDR record directly to CM Server via SOAP.

Cisco CAR Web Service - Activate this service if you want to access CDR Analysis and Reporting page to see call data such as user call log, gateway utilization, etc...

Database and Admin Services

Cisco AXL Web Service - AXL Service is used for accepting the AXL client SOAP request to update Callmanager configuration. For example in hotel business will use PMS to send AXL SOAP request to update CSS to guest room phone, when guest checked-in they can call outside, when guest checked-out phone cannot call out.

Cisco UXL Web Service - Activate this service if you allow user to use Personal Address Book.

Cisco Bulk Provisioning Service - This service is used for administrator to add/update many phones at the same time, import phones from csv file, update all phone configuration, etc...

Cisco TAPS Service - This service is used to update phone MAC-Addresses when you create dummy MAC addresses for Callmanager auto-register. This service require Cisco CRS Server to function.

Performance and Monitoring Services

Cisco Serviceability Reporter - Activated this service to generate daily report for particular statistics, you access the archived report in Tools> Serviceability Reports Archive.

Cisco CallManager SNMP Service - Activated this service for server performance monitoring like CPU usage, memory usage, etc...

Security Services

Cisco CTL Provider - This service work with CTL Provider Utility to change security mode for the cluster. If you don't know what it is just do not activate it.

Cisco Certificate Authority Proxy Function - This service is used for issue/upgrade/retrieve/delete phone certificate, the example for phone certificate using is SRTP. If you don't know what it is just do not activate it.

Directory Services

Cisco DirSync - This service is used to integrate Callmanager user database with external directory service, for example you can integrate Callmanager user directory to Microsoft Active Directory user.