Cisco IP Communicator on ESXI

[tiredbanchini]

Hi Guys,

Fairly newbie to ESXI. From carrying out some R&D, I understand ESXI guest OSs will not support sound devices....... so first of basic question does this still stand and any hacks around it...

I am trying to install Cisco IP Communicator which is basically an IP phone to test Cisco Voice technologies. I don't actually need the sounds, its more for the visual component to see that call control etc. using remote access. However, the Cisco phone does not start or refuses to start without a sound device, hence I have a catch 22.

Any ideas of suggestions welcome...

Regards,TB

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Welcome to the VMware Community forums. If you have a newer host it might support VMDirectPath in which case you can pass through a sound card to a VM. What sort of hardware are you using? For an Intel based server you would want to look for a BIOS option called Intel Directed I/O (VT-d). You might also want to PM this user as they seem to have it working with VMware View http://communities.vmware.com/thread/187733.

Dave

VMware Communities User Moderator

New book in town - vSphere Quick Start Guide -http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/08/12/new-book-in-town-vsphere-quick-start-guide/.

Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL - http://www.vm-help.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21.

[tiredbanchini]

Thanks a lot Dave.

I am using an ASUS Mobo P64 Evolution, Intel Q9550.

Someone on a different forum suggested the following http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.html

[J1mbo]

Do you need local sound hardware? For example, when RDP'ing to a Windows VM, the sound will work fine on the connected client.

Also ESX isn't good for real-time applications since it's using time division multiplexing for CPU resource, 30ms time slices IIRC - which would be too slow for voice IMO.

[tiredbanchini]

Hi J1mbo

It's a slighty weird one as it's for a voice LAB environment. The softphones just need a sound device to fire up. For the purposes of the lab, only need the visual for the phones to see call set up etc

that said interesting point re real time apps, what other virtual options are there?

[J1mbo]

Once you're RDP'd into the box the Microsoft RDP Audio Driver becomes available, if not try the hints here.

TBH no virtualisation platform is good for real time since the guest is not guaranteed resources at any particular point in time. It's purpose is essentially to make use of idle time in one OS in another.

[tiredbanchini]

Cisco's CIPC, looks for hardware sound device, tried the RDP, but no joy.

I anticipated your answer, but thought the VM boys might have come ip with some solution..

[admin]

Just to respond, yhe CPu scheduling latency comes into play only when physical CPUs are over-commited. So if you have sufficient # of cores to match # of VMs on a host + some room for ESX to do IO processing then you shouldn't experience jitter. If you have any concerns, I would like to hear since I have been working with some VoIP partners.<!Session data>

[davmware]

Upgrade your Windows VM Audio driver to Teradici's audio driver; Point Control  Panel -> Sounds to use Teradici audio as default and it should be OK.  Works on Windows 7 x 64 with View 5.0.1. Cisco IP Communicator version 8.6.1