Amp's CCIE Quest On a quest for the digits…

Auto-Registration vs Manual

Here's one of the debates that never gets old; to use or not to use auto-registration on the lab is the question? Well in a"real world" enterprise situation with hundreds or even thousands of phones, Auto-Registration and the BAT tool may be the way to go. However, being that we will have anywhere from 6 - 9 phones (give or take a phone or two) on the lab, I can't just jump out the window and say "Auto Reg" is the way to go. Why not? I'm glad you asked.

One very simple reason: It depends on what the lab is asking me to do!

If I am tasked with using SCCP and SIP phones then I will MANUALLY add the phones to the database. I have had nothing but trouble letting auto-registration do it for me in a mixed environment. The process of changing a phone from SCCP to SIP and vice versa is not difficult at all; however waiting on the phones to actually do it is a whole nother beast and I do not care to waist any of my time in the lab waiting on a phone to get it's head together. I have been able to manually add the phones to the database with relative ease and quickness, plus copy and paste is a great tool to have.

Conversely, if I am tasked with using one protocol or the other and not a combination of the two then I will use auto-registration. All I will need to do is go to System ==> Enterprise Parameters ==> Auto Registration (cluster wide parameters) and make sure the protocol is whichever one the lab guide says to use, save, and restart the CUCM and everything will be honky-dory in happy land.

Well that's my take on it; I will holla at y'all later!!!

Amp