Cisco Unified CallManager & Communications Manager

HI, I advise to run CCME or buy Vmware version of CME 6.0

sorry CME runnig on VMware:

http://www.ciscoblog.com/archives/2008/03/callmanager_60.html

The CME is "Call Manager Express", and runs on a router..  For a cheap option, get a 1760v with enough memory and a voice FXO card...  Be careful with the 1760 though - There are 2 different hardware versions, and you can only tell by serial number.  The older ones can't take enough RAM to run later versions of CME...  And, to run the LATEST versions of CME, you'll actually need a better router anyway, so if you want current stuff, get an 1821 or some other ISR router with voice, but that's gonna really cost you...

The "Real" Call Manager (or COMMUNICATIONS manager, as it's known now) runs under Windows or Linux, depending on the version.  The latest versions are all Linux, and are the only ones technically supported on VMWare (and by "supported", I mean only for LAB use, NEVER for production) although you will find plenty of articles online as to how to get a 4.x Call Manager (windows flavor) to work on generic hardware and/or VMware/VPC.

For a couple hundred dollars, I'd grab the DL320 from ebay though..   You will have to make some hardware adjustments if you get an HP branded one rather than Cisco..  HP made the "cisco version" with different specs from the standard HP builds:
Make sure you get 2 gigs of RAM
Get a SUPPORTED processor speed.  If the speed isn't the same as a supported Cisco model, the OS won't load, EVEN if your system is faster..  I've got 4 DL320s at home and I had to replace the processor on all of them because of this.   The good news is that these old processors are cheap these days.. The bad news is that they make different bus speeds with the same processor speed, and the old DL320s dont support all the bus speeds, so you have to be careful.  
One last thing - The software comes on DVD, and the DL320s didn't come with DVD... only CD, so if you buy an HP DL320, you'll need to find a laptop-type DVD drive and replace the CD drive with a DVD.  I've found those for under $30 for a CDRW-DVD   (not DVD Writer) so I've retrofitted all my DL320s with the right parts..

Once you get a DL320, with the right processor, 2 gigs of RAM, and at least 72 gigs of hard drive space (typically 80 gig ATA), you can just boot on the production Call Manager DVD, and it'll update the BIOS to the supported (latest) version, and load the whole OS.  The nice thing about CCM 5.x and later is that with no license, you're in a "demo / lab" mode, where the system will be full-functioned, but only have 50 or 100 (depending on version) phone DLUs.  This equates to 10-25 phones or more, depending on the type of phone you get.  This is perfect for lab/home use and training.

To get ahold of the software, If you work for a Cisco reseller, I HIGHLY recommend ordering the "Lab Kit" of software.   You'll get ALL the voice apps for something like $250 or so..  Call Manager, Unity, Unity Connections, Meetingplace Express, Presence, etc..  All with demo/lab licenses for you to play with.  Dont order them separately, or you'll end up paying the normal $100 each product for lab software from Cisco.

Your class may include a copy of CCM, so that may be irrelelvant.

If you've got no CCM experience, and there's not a pre-requisite for it, I'd just spend your pre-class time building up the hardware lab equipment..  Get your PoE switch, setup a VLAN for voice, configure a DHCP scope and make sure routing is working to/from the voice VLAN.  Setup DHCP to hand out "Option 150" to point to the IP address of your future CCM server (the phones will use this to figure out where to load their software and configs from), and just read some on concepts..

To me, one of the hardest things to comprehend is the difference, and relationships between "Partitions" and "Calling Search Spaces".  You'll save yourself some class-time headaches if you understand those concepts before you show up in class, and it'll help you along..  Do some googling, but here's the 5 cent definition:

Partitions contain phone numbers which can be dialed.
Calling Search Spaces contain lists of partitions which a phone has access to.

So..  A phone NUMBER (DN) on a phone is assigned to a partition, which determines who can call it, and a phone is also assigned a CSS (calling search space) which determines who it can call...

You may have Partitions configured:
Internal:  5xx
Local xxx-xxx-xxxx
Long Distance: 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx
Emergency: 911

Then your phone extension would be assigned to the "internal" partition...

Then, you'd have CSSes defined as:
Internal Only:  contains Partitions Emergency, Internal
Local: contains Partitions Emergency, Internal, local
Unlimited:  contains Partitions Emergency, Internal, local, Long Distance

So..  A phone in the lobby may have a 5xx extension and be in the "internal" partition, and then it would be in the "Internal Only" CSS so that people in your lobby can't make outside calls..

If you get your lab setup, and can understand how a CSS/partition setup is, you'll be ahead of the game when the class starts..

Hope this helps.

-Steve