Cisco IPC Express System Architecture

Figure 3-1 shows the overall software architecture of a Cisco IPC Express system. Cisco CME and its internal components are on the left, and Cisco UE and its components are on the right. The Cisco CME software (the call processing software) runs as part of Cisco IOS on the host router platform. Cisco UE runs in a Linux-based embedded environment on a hardware module that slots into the host router.

Figure 3-1. Cisco IPC Express System Architecture

On a physical level, Cisco CME and Cisco UE communicate via an IP (Ethernet) interface across the backplane of the router chassis. As shown in Figure 3-1, there are several logical connections between the two components:

• A graphical user interface (GUI) browser interface that communicates with the router's HTTP server as well as HTTP server software on the Cisco UE module
• System management communication such as configuration lookup during the Cisco UE Initialization Wizard, and configuration synchronization with the router during the life of the system
• Call control communication using a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) interface
• Underlying communications connectivity via TCP and Ethernet