Cisco Unity Deployment and Solutions Guide

252 Chapter 7: Components and Subsystems: Features

Two important items should be noted:

• DiRT must be used to restore data to the same Unity version from which data was

backed up. For instance, you cannot use DiRT to back up a Unity 3.1(5) system and

then use it to restore to a Unity 4.0(3) system. If possible, the Unity 3.1(5) system

should be upgraded to Unity 4.0(3); then DiRT can be used to back up that system,

and data can be restored to the Unity 4.0(3) system.

• The latest versions of DiRT offer the option to include subscriber messages as part

of the backup. This option can be useful for voice mail-only systems with a small

number of users. However, it should not be used on unified messaging systems or

any larger Unity systems. For mail store data (messages, and so on), mail store-aware

backup tools should be used in correlation with DiRT to restore a Unity system intact

with all subscriber messages.

Database Walker

Database Walker, or DBWalker, is a tool that administrators can use to identify—and often

fix—problems in the Unity database. DBWalker can be run in report mode or auto-fix mode.

In report mode, DBWalker analyzes the Unity database and reports back any problems.

From this report, the administrator can use the SA to manually fix broken links or other

Unity database problems. In auto-fix mode, DBWalker can be instructed to automatically

fix a number of problems. Not all problems with the Unity database can be automatically

fixed using DBWalker, but DBWalker can detect and fix these common problems

automatically:

• Validate call-handler message recipient

• Validate subscriber and call-handler one-key dialing links

• Validate that the subscriber language is installed on the Unity server

If left unfixed, each of these problems could result in system errors that surely would

interrupt subscriber and outside caller voice-messaging services. DBWalker can help

identify these problems, in addition to a host of other problems, before subscribers

encounter the issue.

Unity Security Features

For many companies, Unity is a business-critical system, and it interfaces with other critical

business systems such as e-mail and phone systems. Because of this, administrators must

have a means to secure the Unity server against security threats against itself or other

interfacing systems. Unity is a messaging system, so it inevitably will access and store

private information in the form of recorded messages. Because Unity is a conduit for

potentially sensitive information, administrators also must have a means to secure the Unity

system data and the Unity subscriber and administrative interfaces. This section discusses