The system has a default of one universal tenant for the system. This tenant is in partition 1, and is usually the service provider. Another system default that the tenant in partition 1 has access to all facilities in the system, and that all other tenants can access the tenant in partition 1. The tenant in partition one is usually referred to as tenant 1.
The service provider creates additional partitions that are based on tenant requirements. When you create tenant partitions, remember that:
You can assign each Communication Manager endpoint to only one tenant partition. And, you must pass each endpoint to a partition. For example, you must assign each telephone, attendant console, trunk, and virtual endpoint. Virtual endpoints include listed directory numbers and virtual directory number (VDN) to a tenant partition.
Most tenant partitions are separate units. By default, the system does not allow tenants, except tenant 1, to access telephones or trunk facilities that belong to other tenants. However, you can change this system default. You can give explicit permission for a tenant to access another tenant. For example, you can allow tenant 6 to call only tenant 9 and tenant 16.
Note:
If a tenant has permission to call another tenant, the tenant has access to all the endpoints that belong to the other tenant. For example, if tenant 6 has permission to call tenant 9, tenant 6 can also use any trunk facilities in tenant partition 9.
The system can use tenant partitioning restrictions to block calls between two users in the system. However, either user can use the Direct Inward Dialing (DID) extension of the other user to call over the public network.
If tenants want to share some, but not all, facilities, you must group the shared facilities into a separate partition. For example, if two tenants share a trunk, but do not have direct system access to call each other, put the trunk in its own partition. Both tenants can then access the trunk.
You must also consider the constraints and the requirements of access control, attendant services, music sources on hold, and network route selection when you establish or assign partitions.
