What is the difference between direct routing and forward routing in Cisco Unity Connection?

Direct routing applies when a call originates and arrives at Unity Connection without being forwarded (e.g., a caller dials the voicemail pilot directly), while forward routing applies when the call has been forwarded from an IP phone or another system. The routing rules evaluate the call's origin to determine which routing table and greeting to use, making the source of the call the key differentiator.

The destination of the call is the same in both cases - Unity Connection itself - so destination does not distinguish direct routing from forward routing.

Whether a call is on-net or off-net is a separate classification related to the network boundary and is not the defining difference between direct and forward routing.

Off-net call classification relates to call origin outside the enterprise network and is not the basis for distinguishing direct routing from forward routing.

There is a meaningful technical difference between the two routing types; they use separate routing rules and can trigger different greetings and behaviors in Unity Connection.