Horrendous price of servers for CCM

I saw at Cisco's website the compatible servers which can host CCM 4.1, and a quick checked showed me their prices elsewhere online. Like $4,000.00-$5,000.00.

How does anyone managed to learn CCM if they don't have it at work to use for free?! Unless they're wealthy and a couple of grand is no big deal? No wonder there are so few CCVPs out there - Cisco prices their compatible servers out of reach of the average American worker, so they can't learn CCM in order to pass CIPT and TUC. God forbid that you're just an end-user wanting to learn CCM on your own. I think Cisco believes that everyone works at a telco or for AT&T and uses CCM every day.

Also, CCM can only be used on HP or IBM servers, even if you meet the hardware requirements. I finally dug that info out of Cisco. The suggested servers listed say they support 1000, 4000, 10,000 users, etc. Well, I only need a server to support, say, 4 users - i.e. my home lab. Why pay the earth to support numbers I'll never see? There doesn't seem to be any options for this.

Here are the compatible servers, btw:

The following servers will support Cisco CallManager Version 4.1:
• MCS-7815-1000
• MCS-7815I-2.0-EVV1
• MCS-7815I-3.0-IPC1
• MCS-7825-1133
• MCS-7825-800
• MCS-7825H-2.2-EVV1
• MCS-7825H-3.0-IPC1
• MCS-7825I-3.0-IPC1
• MCS-7835
• MCS-7835-1000
• MCS-7835-1266
• MCS-7835H-2.4-EVV1
• MCS-7835H-3.0-IPC1
• MCS-7835I-2.4-EVV1
• MCS-7845-1400
• MCS-7845H-2.4-EVV1
• MCS-7845H-3.0-IPC1
• HP DL320*
• HP DL380/1CPU*
• HP DL380/2CPU*
• IBM x306*
• IBM x330 1.2GHz only*
• IBM x342*
• IBM x345/1CPU*
• IBM x345/2CPU*

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/voicesw/ps6788/vcallcon/ps556/product_data_sheet0900aecd801979f0.html

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gorebrush

Cisco themselves document how to run CCM on VMWare.

Think the money you are spending goes on support too..

However, I'm lucky and kinda cursed. At work, I've taken over a CCM installation, and HAVE had to learn on my own.

But that suits me, so I'm VERY lucky... Think I better get the CIPT exam while I still have the chance to use it!

BTW, CCM isn't for 4 users- you'd be using CME or something instead.

networker050184

If you read it says servers that are supported. Which means if you want Cisco support you need to be running it on one of those platforms. Trust me it will run on others though.

Crunchyhippo

gorebrush wrote:

Cisco themselves document how to run CCM on VMWare.

Think the money you are spending goes on support too..

However, I'm lucky and kinda cursed. At work, I've taken over a CCM installation, and HAVE had to learn on my own.

But that suits me, so I'm VERY lucky... Think I better get the CIPT exam while I still have the chance to use it!

BTW, CCM isn't for 4 users- you'd be using CME or something instead.

This is true. However, the CCVP tests test on CCM, not CME, so it doesn't matter if it's for users or not - one has to learn CCM one way or the other.

gorebrush

Crunchyhippo wrote:

gorebrush wrote:

Cisco themselves document how to run CCM on VMWare.

Think the money you are spending goes on support too..

However, I'm lucky and kinda cursed. At work, I've taken over a CCM installation, and HAVE had to learn on my own.

But that suits me, so I'm VERY lucky... Think I better get the CIPT exam while I still have the chance to use it!

BTW, CCM isn't for 4 users- you'd be using CME or something instead.

This is true. However, the CCVP tests test on CCM, not CME, so it doesn't matter if it's for users or not - one has to learn CCM one way or the other.

CCNA Voice then?

mikej412

Crunchyhippo wrote:

Unless they're wealthy and a couple of grand is no big deal?[/i]

Hum... nice fast dual Xeons, supported HP DL380-G3 on eBay for $350. With 4gig ram and 2 73gig drives -- $500. Free Shipping.

Media kit off eBay under $100.

Of course if you want to go cheaper, you can probably find a supported HP DL380-G2 Server with Dual Pentium III 1400-MHz Processor on eBay for a lot less.

If you dig through the Cisco docs you can find the 4.x supported third-party servers and shop for your own deals on eBay.

empc4000xl

I built a call manager server and got 2 ip phones for less than 200 bucks, and got Unity running on there also. You can do it. I did it for call manager 4, because that my primary job. If you dig around you can do it.

gorebrush

VMWare?

I've got a Quad Core Q6600 and 8GB RAM and triple channel RAID-0 - surely this can handle a CCM lab installation

AlanJames

ccm works great in vmware, I have it running on my laptop with out issues.

And have unity and call manager on the same box at work in a lab. Never mind buying the hardware.

pitviper

+1 for VMWare. I ran CUCM 6.1 on a laptop for a while with no problems. Recently upgraded the lab with a dual quad core Dell Poweredge w/8GB RAM. Running an entire Server 2003 environment with Exchange, Unity, and Call Manager cluster w/no problems whatsoever.

Crunchyhippo

pitviper wrote:

+1 for VMWare. I ran CUCM 6.1 on a laptop for a while with no problems. Recently upgraded the lab with a dual quad core Dell Poweredge w/8GB RAM. Running an entire Server 2003 environment with Exchange, Unity, and Call Manager cluster w/no problems whatsoever.

You're running CCM on a Dell server? I was told that it only runs on either an HP or IBM server, as CCM checks the BIOS in its hardware check.

msteinhilber

Crunchyhippo wrote:

pitviper wrote:

+1 for VMWare. I ran CUCM 6.1 on a laptop for a while with no problems. Recently upgraded the lab with a dual quad core Dell Poweredge w/8GB RAM. Running an entire Server 2003 environment with Exchange, Unity, and Call Manager cluster w/no problems whatsoever.

You're running CCM on a Dell server? I was told that it only runs on either an HP or IBM server, as CCM checks the BIOS in its hardware check.

He's using VMWare

pitviper

Crunchyhippo wrote:

You're running CCM on a Dell server? I was told that it only runs on either an HP or IBM server, as CCM checks the BIOS in its hardware check.

Yes, I'm running VMWare on the dell server - everything else is virtual. CUCM 6 will install no problem – Of course it warns you that it’s technically not supported (No TAC help) and not recommended for a production environment. The older flavors will work as well; you would just have to use your favorite search engine to find the workaround…

Crunchyhippo

pitviper wrote:

Crunchyhippo wrote:

You're running CCM on a Dell server? I was told that it only runs on either an HP or IBM server, as CCM checks the BIOS in its hardware check.

Yes, I'm running VMWare on the dell server - everything else is virtual. CUCM 6 will install no problem – Of course it warns you that it’s technically not supported (No TAC help) and not recommended for a production environment. The older flavors will work as well; you would just have to use your favorite search engine to find the workaround…

I understand. But if you're using VMWare, why use a server at all? I could just use my good ol' Dell Inspiron to run CCM.

empc4000xl

Crunchyhippo wrote:

pitviper wrote:

Crunchyhippo wrote:

You're running CCM on a Dell server? I was told that it only runs on either an HP or IBM server, as CCM checks the BIOS in its hardware check.

Yes, I'm running VMWare on the dell server - everything else is virtual. CUCM 6 will install no problem – Of course it warns you that it’s technically not supported (No TAC help) and not recommended for a production environment. The older flavors will work as well; you would just have to use your favorite search engine to find the workaround…

I understand. But if you're using VMWare, why use a server at all? I could just use my good ol' Dell Inspiron to run CCM.

I say just give it a go. I don't recommend trying to do CCM 4 if you dont' want to hack anything. Just setup a CCM6 in VM ware. Its pretty easy. Just buy a CD from ebay or get 1 from work and load it up in VMware.

mikej412

Crunchyhippo wrote:

But if you're using VMWare, why use a server at all? I could just use my good ol' Dell Inspiron to run CCM.

Right -- that's the nice thing about VMWare -- you can use whatever you have.

I have CallManager and Unity VMWare images that I can run on my Dell Inspiron Laptops that I use when I'm studying.

I have some nice Quad Core PCs that aren't supported -- but I can run multiple VMWare images on those without any problems.

I have some really nice IBM Rack Mount Servers that aren't the supported models -- but I can easily run multiple VMWare images on those at one time.

And I can shuffle the VMWare images around between all my computers that can run VMWare.

I use VMWare a bunch even though I do have supported servers in my home Voice Lab that run 4.x and 6.x CallManagers.

VMWare is the cheap solution. Supported servers are the more realistic solution. Either solution works for a home lab.

Crunchyhippo

mikej412 wrote:

Crunchyhippo wrote:

But if you're using VMWare, why use a server at all? I could just use my good ol' Dell Inspiron to run CCM.

Right -- that's the nice thing about VMWare -- you can use whatever you have.

I have CallManager and Unity VMWare images that I can run on my Dell Inspiron Laptops that I use when I'm studying.

I have some nice Quad Core PCs that aren't supported -- but I can run multiple VMWare images on those without any problems.

I have some really nice IBM Rack Mount Servers that aren't the supported models -- but I can easily run multiple VMWare images on those at one time.

And I can shuffle the VMWare images around between all my computers that can run VMWare.

I use VMWare a bunch even though I do have supported servers in my home Voice Lab that run 4.x and 6.x CallManagers.

VMWare is the cheap solution. Supported servers are the more realistic solution. Either solution works for a home lab.

I assume, even using VMWare, that it still checks to see that you have at least 72 GB of HD space? I was going to practice on my lab at work, but I forgot my external HD, which has 325 GB vs. about 20 GB or so on my laptop's internal HD. I haven't installed the VMWare on the laptop yet.

mikej412

Crunchyhippo wrote:

I assume, even using VMWare, that it still checks to see that you have at least 72 GB of HD space?

Yeah, but you don't have to pre-allocate the space and it only uses a fraction of that.