Introduction

Updated firmware from Polycom (release 5.8.0) enables customers to experience the benefits of VVX business phones as a certified Microsoft Skype for Business/Teams IP phone, while remaining confident that in the event of an outage, calls can be placed via the SBC edge solution from Ribbon.

This Best Practice identifies how to configure the SBC and subtended VVX phones (running Release 5.8.0) to offer:

• SBA-like VVX phone survivability in Skype for Business Server on-premises deployments without an SBA;
• VVX phone survivability in select Skype for Business Online deployments where survivability was previously not available.

Survivability Prior to Polycom VVX Release 5.8.0

Prior to Polycom VVX Release 5.8.0, survivability options were:

Skype for Business On-Premises Homed VVX Phones

• Option 1. Qualified Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) is deployed; Skype for Business services remain available on the VVX phones (including inside the office) even in the event of a loss of connection with the Skype for Business Server. For details regarding the a subtended client phone with the SBA, refer to the enterprise voice resiliency.
  

  SBA Deployment, No WAN Failure

  

  SBA Deployment, WAN Failure

   

• Option 2: SBA is not deployed, and a VVX phone outage is experienced in the event of a connection loss to the Skype for Business Server. The VVX phone provides the full suite of Skype for Business servers only when Skype for Business connectivity is in place (at the expense of no service during an outage).
  

  No SBA Deployment - No WAN Failure

  

  No SBA Deployment - WAN Failure

  

• Option 3: SBA is not deployed in the office with VVX phones; a Ribbon SBC is deployed and the VVX phones are configured as a non-Skype for Business phone client. This option includes the following:

  
  
  • Skype for Business treats the VVX phones as non-Skype for Business endpoints (i.e., analog endpoint reachable as a client from a certified SBC).
  • The VVX clients in the branch office does not receive Skype for Business features.

  • The Ribbon SBC Edge provides calling services for the subtended branch VVX clients, both inside and outside the office irrespective of connectivity with the on-premises Skype for Business Server. 

  To configure the VVX phones, refer to Ribbon SBC 1000/2000 V6.0.0 Registration IOT Skype for Business 2015 Analog Devices and Failover; this application note applies to SfB Server on-premises and SfB online deployments.

  No SBA deployment, VVX clients configured as endpoints behind SBC, no WAN failure

  

  No SBA deployment, VVX clients configured as endpoints behind SBC, WAN failure

  

Office 365 Skype for Business Online Phone System Homed VVX Phones

No survivability is available while retaining Skype for Business related features on the VVX phones. Enterprises have two options:

• Option 1. Ribbon is not deployed in the office with VVX phones, and accept a VVX phone outage in the event of a connection loss to the Phone System.
  
  

  Skype for Business Online Phone System deployment, no WAN failure

  

  Skype for Business Online Phone System deployment, WAN failure

  

• Option 2. Ribbon SBC is deployed in the office with the VVX phones, and the VVX phones are configured as non-Skype for Business phone clients. This option includes the following:

  • Skype for Business Online Phone System treats the VVX clients as non-Skype for Business endpoints (i.e., analog endpoint reachable as a client from a certified SBC).

  • The VVX clients in the branch office does not receive Skype for Business features.

  • The Ribbon SBC Edge provides calling services for the subtended VVX clients, whether or not there is connectivity with the Phone System. 

  To configure the VVX phones as analog clients from the SfB perspective, please refer to Ribbon SBC 1000/2000 V6.0.0 Registration IOT Skype for Business 2015 Analog Devices and Failover (which applies to SfB Server on-premises and SfB online deployments).

  Skype for Business Online Phone System -No WAN Failure

   

  Skype for Business Online Phone System - WAN Failure

   

Survivability with Polycom VVX Release 5.8.0 and later

For Polycom Release 5.8.0, survivability options are as follows:

Skype for Business On-Premises Homed VVX Phones

• Option 1: Qualified Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) is deployed; Skype for business services remain available on the VVX phones (including inside the office) even in the event of a loss of connection with the Skype for Business Server. Refer to Skype for Business Server On-Premises homed VVX Phones, Option 1.
  
  
• Option 2:  Enterprises deploy Ribbon SBC without an SBA, which includes the following VVX phone services:
  
  • • With connectivitiy between the VVX phones and the Skype for Business server, all Skype for Business services are available on the VVX clients.

    • With disruption in connectivity between the VVX phones and the Skype for Business server, VVX clients can place calls via Ribbon SBC inside and outside the office (as if registered analog endpoints). Service loss occurs on other related services, such as presence notifications.

  No SBA Deployment, no WAN Failure

  

  No SBA Deployment, WAN Failure

  

• Option 3: SBA or Ribbon SBC is not deployed, and VVX phone outages are experienced in the event of a connection loss to the Skype for Business Server. The VVX phones provides the full suite of Skype for Business servers only when Skype for Business connectivity is in place (at the expense of no service during an outage). Refer to Skype for Business Server On-Premises Homed VVX Phones, Option 2.

Office 365 Skype for Business Online Phone System Homed VVX Phones

• Option 1. Ribbon SBC is not deployed in the office with VVX phones, and accept VVX phone outages in the event of a connection loss to the Phone System.

• Option 2. Enterprises deploy a Ribbon SBC with VVX clients, which provides the following phone services:

  • With connectivity between the VVX phones and the Phone System, all Skype for Business services are available to the VVX clients.
  • With disruption in connectivity between the VVX phones and the Phone System, VVX clients place calls both outside and inside the organization via Ribbon SBC (as if registered analog endpoints). Service loss occurs on other related services, such as presence notifications.

  VVX clients registered to Skype for Business Online Phone System, no WAN Failure

  

  VVX clients previously registered to Skype for Business Online Phone System, WAN Failure

  

Configuration Instructions for VVX Phone Survivability with Release 5.8.0 Firmware

Prerequisites

Polycom VVX phone

• Requires Release 5.8.0 or later.

  For downloading Polycom VVX Release 5.8.0, refer to the Polycom Support Site.

Ribbon SBC Edge 

• Release 7.0.x firmware is required.

• SIP session licenses and SIP registration licenses may be required. For details, refer to Working with Licenses.

Configuration Instructions

Configure Ribbon SBC Edge for Polycom VVX Phone Registration 

These instructions detail how to configure the Ribbon SBC registrar to accept VVX phones registrations.

1. Access the WebUI, click the Settings tab.

2. In the left navigation page, access SIP > Local Registrars Table.

3. Click on

4. In the Create SIP Local Registrar dialog box, enter the description and maximum number of users.

   For details on SIP Local Registrar configuration, refer to Creating and Modifying SIP Local Registrars.

5. Click OK.

   Create SIP Local Registrar

   

6. Optional: To configure the phone to authenticate to the Ribbon SBC, create a Local / Pass-thru Auth Table (access via Settings > SIP> Local/Pass-thru Auth Tables). This will force the phone to provide a login and password when making a call with the Ribbon SBC. Configure the Phone number as the User Name.

   For details on Local/Pass-through Authorization, refer to Creating and Modifying Entries to Local Pass-through Authorization Tables.

   Create Local/Pass-through Authorization Entry

   

7.  Access Settings > SIP Signaling Group.

8. From the top menu bar, click Create Signaling Group and select SIP Signaling Group.

   For details on SIP Signaling Group configuration, refer to Creating and Modifying SIP Signaling Groups.

9. Create a SIP Signaling Group using the following configuration:

   Create SIP Signaling Group

   Field	Example entry
   Challenge Request	Enable
   Local/Pass-thru Auth Table (Optional)	Polycom (Created in previous step)
   Authorization Realm (Optional)	<YourRealm>
   Listen Port	UDP 5060 (As configured in VVX config)
   Federated IP	Subnet of your VVX phone

10. Create a Call Route (via Settings > Call Routing Table) from the PSTN to the Cloud Connector Edition. If the CCE does not respond, the call is routed directly to the phone using the register IP address.

    For details on creating call routes, refer to Creating and Modifying Entries to Call Routing Tables.

    Create Call Route

    

Update Polycom VVX Phones Configuration for SBC-related Survivability

Configure the following phone information for the Polycom VVX phone:

feature.sfbPstnFailover.enabled=1
reg.1.server.2.address = <Sbc Ip Address>
reg.1.server.2.pstnServerAuth.userId = <Username>
reg.1.server.2.pstnServerAuth.password = <Password>
call.enableOnNotRegistered=1
reg.1.srtp.simplifiedBestEffort=1