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Troubleshooting Call Telemetry Greeting Injection

Overview​

When Call Telemetry policies request greeting injection (recording warnings, announcements), Cisco CallManager (CUCM) uses Annunciator services to play audio before connecting calls. This guide covers the most common issue: greetings that never play due to missing or misconfigured Media Resource Group Lists (MRGL).

Symptom​

Call proceeds normally, but the recording warning or announcement never plays before call connection.

Debug Trace Analysis​

Required Log Configuration: Before troubleshooting, ensure proper logging is enabled in CUCM:

  1. Set Detailed Level Logging for these services:

    • Cisco CallManager (for call processing and media resource allocation)
    • Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming Application (for Annunciator service details)

  2. Collect Logs Using RTMT:

    • Use Real-Time Monitoring Tool (RTMT) to collect traces
    • Set collection for the relevant time period when issue occurs
    • Download SDL traces for analysis

What to Look For​

In your SDL trace (example trace file), look for these key indicators:

00025243.001 | ... xacml (<Response>... <Decision>Permit</Decision> ... <greeting identification="RecordingWarning_00038"/> ...)
00025261.000 | SsInsertMediaReq ... AnnList.tone38 ... MediaResourceType7 annPlayMode1
00025267.001 | MediaResourceManager::sendAllocationResourceErr - ERROR - no Ann device configured
00025267.002 | GenAlarm: MediaResourceListExhausted ... MediaResourceListName : NULL_LIST MediaResourceType : 7
00025271.000 | InsertMediaErr                         |...| InsertMediaError= 7

Key Indicators:

  1. CURRI permits the call and requests greeting RecordingWarning_00038
  2. CUCM attempts to insert Annunciator (MediaResourceType 7)
  3. Allocation fails: "no Ann device configured"
  4. Result: Call resolves to NULL_LIST MRGL causing InsertMediaError=7

Quick Diagnosis Command​

This grep command can help quickly identify the relevant SDL trace lines:

grep -E "greeting identification|AnnList\.tone|MediaResourceManager::sendAllocationResourceErr|MediaResourceListExhausted|NULL_LIST|InsertMediaErr" ccm-sdl-trace.txt

Step 1 - Confirm IP Voice Media Streaming Service Activated​

First, ensure the Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming Application is running on at least one CUCM node.

  1. Navigate to Cisco Unified Serviceability

    • Tools → Control Center - Feature Services

  2. Enable Annunciator Service

    • Find "Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming App"
    • Click Activate

!

Step 2 - Create Media Resource Group (MRG)​

Create an MRG that includes your Annunciator resources.

  1. Navigate to CUCM Administration

    • Media Resources → Media Resource Group

  2. Create New MRG

    • Click "Add New"
    • Name: MRG_Annunciators (or your naming convention)
    • Description: "Annunciator resources for greeting injection"

  3. Add Available Media Resources

    • Move Annunciator resources from Available to Selected
    • Ensure resources are listed in priority order

Step 3 - Create Media Resource Group List (MRGL)​

Create an MRGL and place your Annunciator MRG first in the priority order.

  1. Navigate to CUCM Administration

    • Media Resources → Media Resource Group List

  2. Create New MRGL

    • Click "Add New"
    • Name: MRGL_WithAnnunciators (or your naming convention)
    • Description: "MRGL including Annunciators for greetings"

  3. Add Media Resource Groups

    • Move MRG_Annunciators to Selected (first position)
    • Add other required MRGs (Conference Bridges, Transcoders) below
Priority Matters

The MRG containing Annunciators must be first in the MRGL for greeting injection to work properly.

Step 4 - Assign MRGL to Devices​

Assign the new MRGL to devices that need greeting capabilities.

For SIP Trunks (Most Common)​

  1. Navigate to Device → Trunk
  2. Select your SIP trunk
  3. Find Media Resource Group List
    • Change from default to MRGL_WithAnnunciators
  4. Apply Config and Reset

For Device Pools (Affects All Devices)​

  1. Navigate to System → Device Pool
  2. Select the Device Pool
  3. Update Media Resource Group List
    • Change to MRGL_WithAnnunciators
  4. Save and Reset Affected Devices

For Individual Phones (If Needed)​

  1. Navigate to Device → Phone
  2. Select specific phone
  3. Override Media Resource Group List
  4. Reset Phone

Step 5 - Verify Codec Compatibility​

Ensure codec compatibility between devices and media resources.

Check Codec Configuration​

  1. Verify G.711 (ulaw/alaw) is allowed between:

    • Calling device ↔ Annunciator node
    • Called device ↔ Annunciator node

  2. If G.711 isn't available, add Transcoders to your MRG:

    • Include Transcoder MRG in your MRGL
    • Place Transcoder MRG after Annunciator MRG

Step 6 - Test and Verify​

After completing the configuration:

  1. Reset Affected Devices

    • Reset SIP trunks
    • Reset phones (if Device Pool MRGL changed)
    • Wait for full registration

  2. Test Greeting Injection

    • Make a test call that triggers your greeting policy
    • Verify audio plays before call completion

Successful Configuration Looks Like:​

# In SDL traces, you should see:
MrmAllocateAnnResourceReq        # Resource allocation request
AnnResourceAllocated             # Successful allocation
InsertMediaReq                   # Media insertion request
# No MediaResourceListExhausted errors
# No InsertMediaErr=7 messages

Common Issues and Solutions​

"Media Resource List Group - NULL_LIST Errors"​

Check Device Pool Inheritance:

  • Verify the calling device's Device Pool has correct MRGL
  • SIP trunks often inherit from their Device Pool
  • Phone extensions inherit from their Device Pool

Verify Service Activation:

  • Confirm Annunciator service is running on the CUCM node
  • Check service shows as Active in Serviceability

"Annunciator Allocates But No Audio"​

Audio File Issues:

  • Verify greeting file exists in CUCM Announcements
  • Check file is uploaded to all CUCM nodes in cluster
  • Ensure file format matches CUCM requirements (G.711, 8kHz)

"Works Sometimes"​

Resource Exhaustion:

  • Monitor Annunciator resource usage during peak hours
  • Consider adding more Annunciator services on additional nodes
  • Check if other applications are consuming Annunciator resources

Topology Dependencies:

  • Verify calling device has consistent MRGL assignment
  • Check for region/location restrictions affecting media resource selection

Verification​

After completing the configuration, test the setup:

  1. Reset Affected Devices

    • Reset SIP trunks and phones
    • Wait for full registration

  2. Test Greeting Injection

    • Make a test call that triggers your greeting policy
    • Verify audio plays before call completion

Success indicators in SDL traces:

MrmAllocateAnnResourceReq        # Resource allocation request
AnnResourceAllocated             # Successful allocation
InsertMediaReq                   # Media insertion request
# No MediaResourceListExhausted errors
# No InsertMediaErr=7 messages

Still Having Issues?​

If problems persist after following this guide:

  1. Review Configuration

    • Double-check all MRGL/MRG assignments
    • Ensure Annunciator service is running on required nodes
    • Ensure files are uploaded to all nodes

  2. Collect Diagnostics

    • SDL traces during failed greeting attempts (using RTMT with Detailed logging)
    • Enable Detailed Level logging for CallManager and IP Voice Media Streaming services
    • RTMT real-time monitoring of media resources
    • Call Telemetry policy execution logs
    • Ensure both CallManager and IP Voice Media Streaming service traces are collected

  3. Contact Support

Last updated on by Call Telemetry