Using an external FTP/SFTP server the Vyopta data collector can behave as if it were a billing processor, and the CUCM can therefore be configured to send its CDR records directly to the collector rather than have the collector poll for them via the API.

Up to three billing servers can be configured on each CUCM. Should the three already be in use then the Vyopta Data Collector can be configured into the CUCM and can, in turn, forward the received CDR files to a further system.

Push based CDR collection requires the installation of a third party SFTP server application on the Vyopta data collector server. Several options are available and an example of configuring the open-source FreeFTPd server is detailed here: Vyopta Monitoring - Installing and Configuring freeFTPd

Enabling Push Based CDR Collection

There are several steps required to configure push-based collection. 

 1. Add the Billing Server to the CUCM

To configure the data collector as a billing server, login in to the CUCM and select Cisco Unified Serviceability from the navigation drop-down menu in the top right, and navigate to Tools -> CDR Management

In the screen that is shown, locate Billing Application Server Parameters and click on the Add New beneath this section

The following form will be presented, and should be populated with the appropriate parameters for your SFTP server

Replace the Directory Path with a CUCM specific directory if more than one CUCM is used, and ensure that this directory is created under the SFTP default directory on the collector machine.

Click on Add to provision the server.

NOTE: In the future if this password needs to be changed, it must be changed on the external FTP/SFTP server first. When you update the password here, it will attempt to login to the FTP/SFTP server with the new password. If login fails, it will not save the new password.

2. Testing CDR Send

A test call should be placed between endpoints registered on the CUCM then after ending the call, verify that the file is sent to the SFTP directory on the server.

In the event of trouble, please consult the logs on the CUCM for further information.

3. Disable Collection for the CUCM

Once CDR collection is verified, we need to disable collection for the CUCM Pubs that you are setting up to use push-based CDR collection:

Go to the Vyopta Admin portal via your login menu in the Tech Insights tools

Select Infrastructure 

Search for the CUCM Pub to be modified and click the edit button or the system name.

Disable the CUCM infrastructure by clicking the Enabled button at the top of the page.

4. Configure Vyopta for Push CDRs for the CUCM

FTP Settings

Scroll down to the "FTP Settings" menu and expand it. Enter the full path where the CDRs are landing on the Vyopta Collector (folder used in Step 2). Set the interval to 10 minutes and then Save. 

CDR File Collection (Contact Vyopta Support)

The next step can only be performed by Vyopta Personnel. Please contact support and ask them to enable push based CDR collection for your organization

Scroll down to the "CDR File Collection (common for all CUCM systems)" menu and 
expand it. Here you check the "Use push-based CDR collection?" box and then Save:

Note: Push based CDR collection must be used by all of the CUCM Pubs in Vyopta, so the billing server must be set up on all of the Pubs prior to re-enabling collection for CUCM.

CDR Forwarding

If all three billing servers were already occupied on any of the CUCM Pubs, then it is necessary to use one of the billing server slots for Vyopta and then have Vyopta forward the collected CDRs to the billing server that was replaced. For this, configure the collector to forward the CDR files onward to this server by expanding the Forward menu and entering the FTP configuration used by the original billing server:

5. Re-enable Collection for the CUCM

Finally, scroll back to the top of the Vyopta CUCM configuration page and Enable the system. Successful upload of files can be observed on the server by opening the SFTP directory setup for collecting the CDR files. Files should be seen briefly as they are collected and cleared as they are successfully uploaded to Vyopta. By default, this is done every 10 minutes, but can be adjusted as needed.