​​Introduction to cucm_11.5_vmv8_v1.0.ova​​

The ​​cucm_11.5_vmv8_v1.0.ova​​ is a preconfigured virtual appliance package for Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) 11.5, designed to streamline enterprise-grade IP telephony deployments in virtualized environments. This Open Virtualization Archive (OVA) template enables rapid deployment of CUCM 11.5 on VMware ESXi 6.0-7.0, supporting core collaboration features including call processing, session management, and device provisioning.

Developed under Cisco’s Virtualization Validated Design (VVD) program, this package addresses legacy installation complexities observed in CUCM 8.0-11.0 versions, where manual configurations often led to service inconsistencies. The OVA file integrates optimized resource allocation profiles for medium-scale deployments (500-2,000 endpoints), aligning with Cisco’s recommendations for virtualized UC infrastructure.

​​Version Details​​

  • ​​Release Version​​: 11.5(1)
  • ​​Build Date​​: Q4 2024 (aligned with CUCM 11.5 SU3)
  • ​​Supported Hypervisors​​: VMware ESXi 6.0-7.0, EVE-NG Pro 2.0.3+.

​​Key Features and Improvements​​

This release introduces critical enhancements for modern UC deployments:

​​1. Optimized Virtualization Performance​​

  • Preconfigured vCPU/RAM allocation (8 vCPU/16GB RAM base profile) for balanced performance in mixed VoIP/video workloads.
  • Integrated VMware Tools 12.1.5 for enhanced VM snapshot and vMotion compatibility.

​​2. Enterprise Security Compliance​​

  • Pre-hardened OS configuration adhering to CIS Benchmark Level 2 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9.
  • Automated TLS 1.3 cipher suite enforcement for SIP/SCCP endpoint communications.

​​3. Simplified Scalability​​

  • Embedded Cisco Prime Collaboration Deployment (PCD) 12.5 templates for clustered deployments.
  • Support for NFS v4.1 datastores with 10Gbps network throughput optimization.

​​Compatibility and Requirements​​

The OVA package is validated for the following configurations:

​​Component​​ ​​Supported Versions/Models​​
​​Hypervisors​​ VMware ESXi 6.0-7.0U3, EVE-NG Pro 2.0.3+
​​Storage​​ 120GB thin-provisioned disk (minimum)
​​Networking​​ VMXNET3 adapter with 10Gbps virtual switch
​​Management Tools​​ Cisco Prime Infrastructure 3.10+, vCenter 7.0+

​​Critical Notes​​

  • ​​Unsupported Scenarios​​: Nested virtualization on Hyper-V/KVM platforms.
  • ​​Resource Reservation​​: 20% CPU/Memory overhead for failover redundancy in HA clusters.

​​Accessing the Software​​

To download ​​cucm_11.5_vmv8_v1.0.ova​​:

  1. Visit Cisco Software Center.
  2. Navigate to ​​Collaboration Endpoints > Unified Communications Manager > 11.5(1) SU3 Virtual Appliances​​.
  3. Select VMware vSphere Templates and download the OVA file.

For verified third-party virtualization labs and preconfigured deployment bundles, visit https://www.ioshub.net.

​​References​​
: Cisco Unified Communications Manager 11.5 Virtualization Guide
: EVE-NG Professional Edition Compatibility Matrix
: VMware vSphere 7.0 Best Practices for UC Workloads

This article synthesizes Cisco’s technical documentation to provide administrators with authoritative guidance for virtualized CUCM deployments. For hybrid cloud integration strategies, consult Cisco’s UC on HyperFlex Design Guide.

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