Build your own Cisco UC Lab in vmware Workstation
Release date: 08/Feb/2022
Abdul Jaseem. V.P
Solution Architect
(Former Technical Consulting Engineer at Cisco TAC)
CCIE Collaboration #59174, CCNP Collaboration,
CCNP DC, CCNP DevNet, CCNP Ent., VCP DCV,
Azure Admin, AWS SAA, CKA, ACE MCNA
LinkedIn
How to Build Your Own Home UC Lab in vmware Workstation
• The complete UC lab you can set up on your laptop / workstation if you have enough RAM
• Even without large amount of RAM, you can still setup a miniature lab for practice
• You need to have vmware Workstation to build the lab, download and install vmware workstation
Step 1: Enable virtualization Intel VT-X from BIOS
• This step differs for each laptop / desktop manufacture
• You should find a way to enable Intel VT-X from BIOS. Google to find the way to enable it based on
you manufacture
Step 2: Install vmware Workstation
• Installation is pretty straight forward, just Next, Next, Finish
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Step 3: Identify vmware NAT Network Settings
Once you complete the installation, open vmware Workstation
Go to Edit >> Virtual Network Editor
• Select the VMnet8 (NAT) and check the IP Subnet
• Here my NAT Network is 192.168.192.0 and Subnet Mask is 255.255.255.0, hence below IP
configurations can be used for UC Servers
Network 192.168.11.X / 24
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Starting IP Address 192.168.11.3
Ending IP Address 192.168.11.254
Default Gateway 192.168.11.2
NTP 216.239.35.8
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• While installing UC Servers, make sure you are connected to Internet since we use Public NTP that
is available over internet
• Now you can deploy Windows Server for AD and DNS purpose and then UC Servers can be
deployed
• For CUCM installation, DNS server is optional, you can install without DNS Server as well but for
UCCX installation, DNS is mandatory
• Here you don’t need local any NTP Server, we have used public NTP
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Step 4: Install Windows Server
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• Once windows installation completed, set a static IP address for it with default gateway
192.168.192.2
• Make sure you are able to access internet from the Windows Machine
• Setup AD and DNS on the windows server and add UC Server DNS A Records before installing
CUCM
Step 5: Install CUCM
• Download the CUCM OVA
• Open the OVA from vmware Workstation
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• You can continue the installation, with below Network Settings
IP Address 192.168.11.X
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway 192.168.11.2
NTP 216.239.35.8
DNS Server Windows Server IP
• It is important to select Network Adapter as NAT
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