What is UC Monitor? › Product Components

Product Components

The UC Monitor system includes hardware and software components: a collection device and a web-based management console. The components are deployed in the following ways:

• In a distributed system, the collectors and the management console are installed on different servers.
• In a standalone system, the collector and management console are installed on the same server.

Depending on your environment, the collection device is the standard UC Monitor collector or the external Lync collector.

Collector

The UC Monitor collector (collector) monitors VoIP network traffic in Cisco IP telephony and Avaya Communication Manager environments.

• When attached to a SPAN port on a core switch, the collector monitors data flows to and from Cisco Unified Communications Manager call servers. The collector inspects network traffic and collects data about voice- or video-over-IP performance. Specifically, it inspects packets that use the SIP, SCCP, H323, or MGCP protocols. The collector sends data to the management console at regular intervals for storage, analysis, and reporting.
• Without using a port mirroring session, the collector monitors Avaya unified communications deployments with passive and active monitoring technologies. The collector receives and processes call quality reports from Avaya endpoints and call detail records from the Avaya Communication Manager. The collector also polls supporting devices for information.
• Multiple collectors can communicate with the same management console.

Lync collector

UC Monitor supports an external collection device, the Lync collector, in a Microsoft Lync environment. A server in a Lync system is configured as the Lync collector, which sends audio and video call quality data to the management console.

In a Microsoft Lync environment, the standard UC Monitor collector is not required.

Management Console

The management console processes, stores, and reports on unified communications-related data. The management console uses a MySQL database to store data.

Use the management console to perform tasks such as the following:

• Define the Locations to monitor and send this configuration information to the collector.
• Create UC Monitor users and assign them roles with permissions to view reports and initiate diagnostic actions.
• View reports.
• Initiate diagnostic actions, such as the Call Watch feature.