I realize that SIP Server redundancy is only a small part of providing an HA solution but I am currently trying to focus on the SIP Server only. I have a standalone single server deployment with SIP Server/ORS/MCP/RM/... in a lab environment which is connected to my network using a single Sonus core SBC. I am wanting to deploy a second server with a redundant SIP Server. I want each SIP server to have a unique sip address similar to the description for using Proxy servers but in my case I want to use the single SBC. I found an application note describing a Sonus/Genesys configuration which includes configuring the active and standby SIP Server Peer IP addresses in the same trunk group on the SBC. I understand somethings but I don't have a complete understanding of how to do this and the application note doesn't mention anything about the Genesys HA specification configuration.

After looking at other documentation, my understanding is that I need to configure a second host and a SIP Server application to run on the host. I believe this new application will use the same SIP Switch as the existing SIP Server application and the startup parameters for the backup will point to my existing configuration manager and I will create connections to the other components on the existing server. I don't see how I designate one SIP Server as primary and one as backup. Is there some configuration setting that tells the application what its role is at startup? Or is that just determined based on which SIP server starts up first. 

Even though I am not using a proxy, do I configure the SBC in the proxy settings for monitoring so that SIP server can switch on a failure? 
I am using Workspace Edition for the agents. Since they point to the configuration manager, I am guessing they will discover there are two SIP Servers and create connections without any additional configuration. Since they register through the SBC there shouldn't be any changes for SIP registration. 

On the SBC inbound call routing direction, the SBC has a route priority to pick the active. If I configure failure detection on the SBC similar to the detection on the SIP Servers, it will detect a failure. Will the "backup" SIP Server respond to OPTIONS messages from the SBC? If it does, then there there may be a chance that the Sonus SBC and Genesys SIP servers are out of sync regarding which SIP Server is active. Is that a real problem?  How is that handled? 

Sorry to ramble on... Any experience with this would be helpful for me to gain a better understanding. 

Thanks

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Andrew Klassen
------------------------------

Hi Andrew,

As far as I know, basically, there are two ways to communicate external switch with Genesys SIPServer in terms of HA:

1) "Legacy" architecture. When you have primary/backup SIPServer. In this case you should configure IP_Takeover feature (as described within Genesys docs), so one certain SIPServer has unique virtual IP address and in case of switchover another SIPServer opens it's port and "takes" this IP address. On SBC side you are configuring trunk with only one that unique IP address as a destination contact.
2) "Modern" architecture. When primary/backup SIPServers are placed behind one or more SIPProxy. The way to configure SBC side might be different (depend on vendor's instruction). It could be several trunks to each SIPProxy with oos checking, or one single trunk to SIPProxy pool (based on returned DNS SRV records) for example

------------------------------
Evgenii Dremin
Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions GmbH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2020 22:21
From: Andrew Klassen
Subject: Configuring HA SIP Server with SBC

I realize that SIP Server redundancy is only a small part of providing an HA solution but I am currently trying to focus on the SIP Server only. I have a standalone single server deployment with SIP Server/ORS/MCP/RM/... in a lab environment which is connected to my network using a single Sonus core SBC. I am wanting to deploy a second server with a redundant SIP Server. I want each SIP server to have a unique sip address similar to the description for using Proxy servers but in my case I want to use the single SBC. I found an application note describing a Sonus/Genesys configuration which includes configuring the active and standby SIP Server Peer IP addresses in the same trunk group on the SBC. I understand somethings but I don't have a complete understanding of how to do this and the application note doesn't mention anything about the Genesys HA specification configuration.

After looking at other documentation, my understanding is that I need to configure a second host and a SIP Server application to run on the host. I believe this new application will use the same SIP Switch as the existing SIP Server application and the startup parameters for the backup will point to my existing configuration manager and I will create connections to the other components on the existing server. I don't see how I designate one SIP Server as primary and one as backup. Is there some configuration setting that tells the application what its role is at startup? Or is that just determined based on which SIP server starts up first.

Even though I am not using a proxy, do I configure the SBC in the proxy settings for monitoring so that SIP server can switch on a failure?
I am using Workspace Edition for the agents. Since they point to the configuration manager, I am guessing they will discover there are two SIP Servers and create connections without any additional configuration. Since they register through the SBC there shouldn't be any changes for SIP registration.

On the SBC inbound call routing direction, the SBC has a route priority to pick the active. If I configure failure detection on the SBC similar to the detection on the SIP Servers, it will detect a failure. Will the "backup" SIP Server respond to OPTIONS messages from the SBC? If it does, then there there may be a chance that the Sonus SBC and Genesys SIP servers are out of sync regarding which SIP Server is active. Is that a real problem?  How is that handled?

Sorry to ramble on... Any experience with this would be helpful for me to gain a better understanding.

Thanks

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Andrew Klassen
------------------------------

Hi Evgenil, 

Thanks for replying. I was able to get the second method you described working. In my SBC vendor case, I have two peers; i.e. active/standby SIP Server; with one trunk and use oos detection to change from primary to backup. The first routing option is primary. This all seems to be working pretty good.


------------------------------
Andrew Klassen
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-28-2020 13:11
From: Evgenii Dremin
Subject: Configuring HA SIP Server with SBC

Hi Andrew,

As far as I know, basically, there are two ways to communicate external switch with Genesys SIPServer in terms of HA:

1) "Legacy" architecture. When you have primary/backup SIPServer. In this case you should configure IP_Takeover feature (as described within Genesys docs), so one certain SIPServer has unique virtual IP address and in case of switchover another SIPServer opens it's port and "takes" this IP address. On SBC side you are configuring trunk with only one that unique IP address as a destination contact.
2) "Modern" architecture. When primary/backup SIPServers are placed behind one or more SIPProxy. The way to configure SBC side might be different (depend on vendor's instruction). It could be several trunks to each SIPProxy with oos checking, or one single trunk to SIPProxy pool (based on returned DNS SRV records) for example

------------------------------
Evgenii Dremin
Deutsche Telekom Business Solutions GmbH

Original Message:
Sent: 10-22-2020 22:21
From: Andrew Klassen
Subject: Configuring HA SIP Server with SBC

I realize that SIP Server redundancy is only a small part of providing an HA solution but I am currently trying to focus on the SIP Server only. I have a standalone single server deployment with SIP Server/ORS/MCP/RM/... in a lab environment which is connected to my network using a single Sonus core SBC. I am wanting to deploy a second server with a redundant SIP Server. I want each SIP server to have a unique sip address similar to the description for using Proxy servers but in my case I want to use the single SBC. I found an application note describing a Sonus/Genesys configuration which includes configuring the active and standby SIP Server Peer IP addresses in the same trunk group on the SBC. I understand somethings but I don't have a complete understanding of how to do this and the application note doesn't mention anything about the Genesys HA specification configuration.

After looking at other documentation, my understanding is that I need to configure a second host and a SIP Server application to run on the host. I believe this new application will use the same SIP Switch as the existing SIP Server application and the startup parameters for the backup will point to my existing configuration manager and I will create connections to the other components on the existing server. I don't see how I designate one SIP Server as primary and one as backup. Is there some configuration setting that tells the application what its role is at startup? Or is that just determined based on which SIP server starts up first.

Even though I am not using a proxy, do I configure the SBC in the proxy settings for monitoring so that SIP server can switch on a failure?
I am using Workspace Edition for the agents. Since they point to the configuration manager, I am guessing they will discover there are two SIP Servers and create connections without any additional configuration. Since they register through the SBC there shouldn't be any changes for SIP registration.

On the SBC inbound call routing direction, the SBC has a route priority to pick the active. If I configure failure detection on the SBC similar to the detection on the SIP Servers, it will detect a failure. Will the "backup" SIP Server respond to OPTIONS messages from the SBC? If it does, then there there may be a chance that the Sonus SBC and Genesys SIP servers are out of sync regarding which SIP Server is active. Is that a real problem?  How is that handled?

Sorry to ramble on... Any experience with this would be helpful for me to gain a better understanding.

Thanks

#Unsure/Other

------------------------------
Andrew Klassen
------------------------------