About Cisco built-in bridge (BIB) functionality for call recordings

The Cisco built-in bridge (BIB) is a functionality for monitoring and recording available with Cisco's Unified Call Manager (UCM) version 6.0 and higher. This call recording method does not require a mirror or span port on the network switch for network sniffing. BIB (built-in bridge) functionality is available on some of the Cisco's 3rd generation VoIP Phones (Phone 7911G, 7931G, 7941G, 7941G-GE, 7961G, 7961G-GE, 7970G, and 7971G-GE models) and supported by Cisco's UCM version 6.0 and higher. To describe the process in few words:

A "Recording Profile" assigned to all recorded Cisco phones.
Versadial recorder is configured in UCM as a SIP trunk and assigned a route pattern.
The "recording profile is linked to the SIP trunk using the Route Pattern in UCM.
When an actual agent-customer call takes place, the UCM sends the calls to the Versadial recorder for recording.

This configuration is very useful in supporting call recording for multiple sites with a centralized recording solution.Configure and Troubleshoot Basic Call Recording

Refer to CUCM recording and monitoring reference for more information about this type of the call recording (e.g. Cisco BIB Reference )

Configure VSLogger recorder for built-in bridge (BIB) recording

CLI Tool used to enable voip siprec hardware Refer to config hw siprec- Terminating VOIP Note: Please, do not get confused with hardware term here. This is strictly software based recording. Term siprec hardware refer to configuration part responsible for defining the number of recorded channels of the specific type (similar to multi-channel voice board)
Individual channels (recorded devices ) configured in the previous section, further configured in config channel - Terminating VOIP Channels

Configure Cisco UCM for built-in bridge (BIB) recording

Typical Configuration Steps

Step 1. Create and configure SIP trunk that points to recorder

Navigate to System / Security Profile / SIP Trunk Security Profile menu item. Click on the Add New button

Gallery: CUCM-BIB SIP trunk secure profile

Name - Recorder SIP trunk security profile
Description - profile used by Versadial recorders
Incoming Transport Type: select TCP+UDP.
Outgoing Transport Type: select TCP (or match Versadial recorder settings, if different). TCP is recommended.
Uncheck Enable Digest Authentication - when you create the SIP Trunk Security Profile
Incoming Port to 5060 port (match to settings of the Versadial recorder).
Make all other parameters unchecked
Click on the Save button.

Navigate to Device / Trunk menu item. Click on the Add New button

Gallery: CUCM-BIB SIP trunk

Device Name - Recorder
Description - Recorder SIP trunk
Device pool default
Common device configuration <none
Call classification <Use default>
Media resource group <None>
Packet Capture mode <None>
Packet capture duration 0
Retry Video Call as Audio, checked
Other check parameters unchecked

In SIP information view

Gallery: CUCM-BIB SIP trunk2

Destination address and Destination port - set to recorder IP address and port configured on the recorder
SIP TRunk security profile set to "Recorder SIP trunk security profile" created earlier
Other parameters leave with default values
Click Save button

Step 2. disable unsupported codecs
Navigate to System/Service Parameters/ Select Server and CallManager Service

Gallery: CUCM-BIB Service Params
Search for "Clusterwide Parameters (System - Location and Region )"
Disable unsupported codecs for recorded devices (G722,iLBC,OPUS,iSAC)

Note : unsupported codecs can cause no RTP data sending to VSLogger

Step 3. Create and configure recording profile
Navigate to Device/ Device Settings/ Recording Profile

Gallery: CUCM-BIB Recording profile

Step 4 Configure call routing
Navigate to Call Routing/ Route/Hunt / Route Pattern

Gallery: CUCM-BIB route pattern

Step 5. Configure transcoder resources (if needed)

Step 6. Configure a recording notification tone (if needed)

Navigate to System/Service Parameters/ Select Server and CallManager Service

Search for " Clusterwide Parameters (Feature - Call Recording )"

Gallery: CUCM-BIB Tone

Step 7. Configure recorded device (Phone)

Navigate to Device/Phone/ Select device
Gallery: CUCM-BIB Devices

1. Set "Built In Bridge*" option to "On"
2. Check chekbox "Allow Control of Device from CTI"

Go to DN (Directory Number) Settings
Gallery: CUCM-BIB Device DN

1. Make sure "Allow Control of Device from CTI" checked
2. Search for Line settings for Device

Gallery: CUCM-BIB Device DN Config

2.1 "Recording Option*" set to Automatic Call Recording Enabled
2.2 "Recording profile" set to profile created in previous steps.
2.3 "Recording Media Source*" set to Phone Preferred
2.4 "Monitoring Calling Search Space" if specified or leave none

Save and Apply Config.

Note:

BIB does not provide call direction or Calling Party Name to the recorder with signaling.

To get this information and apply to recordings, JTAPI integration is recommended, see JTAPI CTI link configuration

Troubleshooting Cisco BIB recording

Problem: Cisco recording session or even calls drop when BIB recording (RTP-forking with built-in bridge) is enabled

Symptoms:

calls are dropped after transfer to a recorded line,
conferences cannot be initiated to 2 or more recorded lines or other call setup related issues

Cause: built-in bridge used for recording in Cisco phones has a limitation. When the phone starts a recording session using a certain codec, it gets "locked" into that codec.
During recording, an action that would otherwise require a simple codec change will instead request a transcoder from UCM. If a transcoder can not be provided, the action will fail. Therefore if your UCM network is properly configured for transcoding between regions, this will not be a problem.

Solution: Configure UCM to:

Switch the codec selection to utilize e.g. G.711 everywhere
Implement hardware transcoding between regions

Note: Errors in codec and transcoding configuration below can result in loss of recordings or even dropped calls

Region configuration

Open Cisco Unified CM Administration
Select System / Region menu item
Select or add the recorder(s) region
Check whether region relationship and inter-region codecs are configured according to your needs. Make sure to modify Relationship of recorder region to other regions.

Media resource configuration

Select the System / Device pool option
Select the recorded phones' pool(s)
Check whether valid transcoding resource is available in the Media Resource Group List if according to region relationships and other needs it might be required

Codecs configuration
VSLogger supports following Cisco supported voice codecs (G.711, G.722, G.729). iLBC and iSAC not supported. It is recommended to disable codecs, which are not supported by VSLogger Recording System and/or you do no have transcoder support.

In the System/Service Parameters menu. Select the cluster to be configured, and Cisco CallManager service.
In Clusterwide Parameters (System - Location and Region) box find codec-specific parameters.
Set Enabled for All Devices Except Recording-Enabled Devices for iLBC, iSAC and G.722

About Adutante JTAPI Link

JTAPI connector is part of the Adutante server functionality, which allows collecting Call information and signaling events from configured JTAPI providers.

Currently following JTAPI interfaces/providers supported and tested:

Cisco JTAPI - allows to get additional call information( Call Direction, Calling Party Name), which is not available in BIB call session

Note: See tapi/jtapi cti supported devices matrix here

Configure JTAPI (CTI Service) on Cisco Unified Call Manager (CUCM)

To enable CTI Service

Double check that Cisco CTIManager Service is Activated

Navigate to "Cisco Unified Serviceability" (drop box in top right corner)

Go to Tools->Service Activation and check CM Services, make sure "Cisco CTIManager" is checked and Activation Status - "Activated"

Configure Application User

Navigate to "Cisco Unified CM Administration" (drop box in top right corner)

Step 1 - Navigate to User Management / Application User / Add New menu item.

Step 2 - Create a user account for CTI link. Fill out all necessary fields and make a note of the User ID and Password fields, because you will have to set them in the Adutante CTI Module

Step 3 - Add from "Available Devices" list to "Controlled Devices" all recorded devices.

Step 4 - Navigate to User Management / User Group menu item.

Step 5 - Put the user to the following groups by selecting this group from the list, then clicking Add Application Users to Group and selecting our CTI user:

Standard CTI Enabled
Standard CTI Allow Control of Phones supporting Connected Xfer and conf (necessary for Cisco 89xx or 99x SIP phones)

Step 6 - Apply settings

Install Cisco JTAPI Client

Gallery: CUCM-BIB Plugins

Step 1 Log in to the computer where you want to install the Cisco JTAPI client software (The same PC where Adutante server is installed).

Step 2 Close all Windows programs.

Step 3 Open a web browser.

Step 4 Go to the Cisco CallManager administration windows:

http://Name/CCMAdmin/main.asp

where: Name specifies the name or IP address of the Cisco CallManager

Step 5 Choose Application > Install Plugins.

Step 6 Choose the 32 Cisco JTAPI Client for Windows link.

Step 7 Save the file on your desktop.

Step 8 Follow the instructions in the popup windows.

Attention!!! After installation

copy jtapi.jar (Default location: C:\Windows\Java\lib) to C:\Versadial\Adutante\applications\adutante\lib\external\

Adutante CTI Configuration

To enable jtapi cti link on Adutante open cti.properties file (C:\Versadial\Adutante\applications\adutante\config\) with notepad.exe and add following parameters:

cti.properties

// jtapi settings

// Cisco JTAPI

cti.jtapi.cisco.enabled=Y

cti.jtapi.cisco.cucm=x.x.x.x(,[x.x.x.x]) // ip address of CUCM(s)

cti.jtapi.cisco.user=cti // CTI Application user

cti.jtapi.cisco.password=cti // CTI Application password

cti.jtapi.cisco.dn = 1000,1001,.... // monitoring/controlling extensions (DNs) , add list of recorded extensions (comma separated)

cti.jtapi.cisco.providerId =10010 // subscriber ID for JTAPI events (vslogger provider id, see Adutante/Administration/PRecordings/Providers )

Save and restart Adutante service

CUCM Clusters and Versadial Recorder

A CUCM Cluster is a group of CUCM servers running the same version of CUCM that share the same database and resources.

Typical and recommended solutions for CUCM BIB recording

Single CUCM Cluster and single recorder

Configuration : Recording devices group, single recorder/recorder SIP trunk

Single CUCM Cluster and redundant recorders (Main and Backup recorders)

Configuration : Recording devices group, two recorders/recorder SIP trunks (Main and Backup)

Two or more CUCM Clusters and single or redundant recorder

Configuration : Recording devices group on each cluster point to single or redundant recorder/recorder SIP trunk

Note: while this configuration may work, it is not recommended due potential duplicate/conflicting configurations of the recorded devices