H.350 Case Study: University of Alabama at Birmingham Jason L. W. Lynn IT Academic Computing University of Alabama at Birmingham

H.350 Implementation Goals Allow Users to Store Conferencing Information in a Structured Manner Allow Users to Store Conferencing Information in a Structured Manner Allow Endpoint Association with UAB Resources (i.e. Rooms) as well as People Allow Endpoint Association with UAB Resources (i.e. Rooms) as well as People Allow H.323 Users Access to Campus H.350- enabled Gatekeeper (RADVISION ECS) Allow H.323 Users Access to Campus H.350- enabled Gatekeeper (RADVISION ECS) Provide Conferencing Endpoint Search Capability in a Well-known Location Provide Conferencing Endpoint Search Capability in a Well-known Location Disturb Enterprise Directory as little as possible Disturb Enterprise Directory as little as possible

Pre-existing UAB Infrastructure Various Videoconferencing Endpoints Various Videoconferencing Endpoints Administered by Endpoint Owner Administered by Endpoint Owner Mostly H.323 Mostly H.323 Campus Enterprise Directory (LDAP) Campus Enterprise Directory (LDAP) Administered by User Services Administered by User Services Serves Many Purposes Serves Many Purposes Legacy Database Backend Legacy Database Backend Updated Once Daily Updated Once Daily Two Main Types of Objects Two Main Types of Objects

Enterprise Directory : People Based on inetOrgPerson & eduPerson classes Based on inetOrgPerson & eduPerson classes Generated by HR, Student System, and additional means Generated by HR, Student System, and additional means Some information can be changed by individual interactively Some information can be changed by individual interactively

Enterprise Directory: Entities Based on uabEntity class Based on uabEntity class Consist of... Consist of... Unique identifier, Title, , Location Information, Nicknames (aka Search Keywords), URL Unique identifier, Title, , Location Information, Nicknames (aka Search Keywords), URL Used to describe anything in directory besides a person Used to describe anything in directory besides a person e.g. Mailing list e.g. Mailing list Hierarchical Structure Hierarchical Structure Owner(s) of an Entity can create child entites through web interface Owner(s) of an Entity can create child entites through web interface

Creating Rooms Unfortunately, no Room Objects (IETF RFC 1274) in UAB Enterprise Directory Unfortunately, no Room Objects (IETF RFC 1274) in UAB Enterprise Directory Concept of Entity at UAB provides means to create ‘Rooms’ Concept of Entity at UAB provides means to create ‘Rooms’ Title is the abbreviation of the building and the room number Title is the abbreviation of the building and the room number Nickname field contains common conferencing search words (e.g. ‘conf’, ‘video’, ‘videoconferencing’, etc.) Nickname field contains common conferencing search words (e.g. ‘conf’, ‘video’, ‘videoconferencing’, etc.) commURIs are Attached to Room Entities commURIs are Attached to Room Entities

H.350 Components Managed by User Services Managed by User Services Enterprise Directory Enterprise Directory Whitepages Whitepages commURIs commURIs Managed by IT Academic Computing Managed by IT Academic Computing Select set of Entities on Enterprise Directory Select set of Entities on Enterprise Directory H.350 Directory H.350 Directory commObjects commObjects H.323 Gatekeeper H.323 Gatekeeper H.350 Applications H.350 Applications

H.350 Directory Pass-through Authentication Pass-through Authentication BIND requests “passed through” to Enterprise Directory BIND requests “passed through” to Enterprise Directory Allows Use of Enterprise Credentials with H.350 Directory Allows Use of Enterprise Credentials with H.350 Directory Allows use of Enterprise Identity with H.350 Directory Allows use of Enterprise Identity with H.350 Directory For separate Enterprise and H.350 Directories For separate Enterprise and H.350 Directories

UAB Extensions to H.350 Additional Attributes Additional Attributes 'owner' 'owner' 'buildingName' 'buildingName' 'roomNumber' 'roomNumber' Additional Support Additional Support H350Support Object H350Support Object commUniqueIDCounter commUniqueIDCounter h323IdentityDialedDigitsCounter h323IdentityDialedDigitsCounter Tagging commURI Label Tagging commURI Label ‘[H323]’ / ‘[SIP]’ ‘[H323]’ / ‘[SIP]’

Security Accomplished through ACLs Accomplished through ACLs Anonymous Access Anonymous Access Modified to exclude passwords Modified to exclude passwords Full Control to Owner Full Control to Owner Leveraging Enterprise Identity Leveraging Enterprise Identity CommPrivate CommPrivate

Applications Display Application Display Application Display Application Display Application Linked from Whitepages Linked from Whitepages Subset of Attributes displayed Subset of Attributes displayed

Applications Add / Modify / Delete Application Add / Modify / Delete Application Add / Modify / Delete Application Add / Modify / Delete Application Gather current Endpoints associated with User and Endpoints created by User associated with UAB Resource Gather current Endpoints associated with User and Endpoints created by User associated with UAB Resource User known by CGI environment (pubcookie) User known by CGI environment (pubcookie) Achieved by searching backwards Achieved by searching backwards Allows Creation of new Endpoints associated with YOU (or a UAB Resource) Allows Creation of new Endpoints associated with YOU (or a UAB Resource) Allows Removal of any current Endpoints Allows Removal of any current Endpoints Allows Modification of Endpoint’s building, room number, and privacy restriction Allows Modification of Endpoint’s building, room number, and privacy restriction

In a Perfect World... H.350 Endpoint Creation H.350 Endpoint Creation 1)User Authenticates 2)User Inputs Information 3)H.350 Object is Created 4)CommURI is inserted in Enterprise Directory 5)User is Notified of Change

Workflow: Add Endpoint User completes and submits an endpoint creation form within the H.350 application User completes and submits an endpoint creation form within the H.350 application H.350 application creates commObject in H.350 Directory and sends mail to H.350 administrator H.350 application creates commObject in H.350 Directory and sends mail to H.350 administrator H.350 administrator gathers all H.350 requests and places them in mail to User Services H.350 administrator gathers all H.350 requests and places them in mail to User Services User Services adds commURI values to specified Objects in Enterprise Directory User Services adds commURI values to specified Objects in Enterprise Directory

Workflow: Modify Endpoint User completes and submits an endpoint modification form within the H.350 Application User completes and submits an endpoint modification form within the H.350 Application H.350 Application modifies the endpoint H.350 Application modifies the endpoint

Workflow: Delete Endpoint User selects an endpoint to delete User selects an endpoint to delete H.350 application deletes commObject in H.350 Directory and sends mail to H.350 administrator H.350 application deletes commObject in H.350 Directory and sends mail to H.350 administrator H.350 administrator gathers all H.350 requests and places them in mail to User Services H.350 administrator gathers all H.350 requests and places them in mail to User Services User Services removes commURI values from specified Objects in Enterprise Directory User Services removes commURI values from specified Objects in Enterprise Directory

Summary Determine Goals Determine Goals Create Agreements with Other Necessary Parties Create Agreements with Other Necessary Parties Get Basic H.350 Infrastructure in place Get Basic H.350 Infrastructure in place Be Creative – Work with what you have Be Creative – Work with what you have There is Always Room for Improvement There is Always Room for Improvement

Resources Directory Services Middleware for Multimedia Conferencing (A ViDe Cookbook) Directory Services Middleware for Multimedia Conferencing (A ViDe Cookbook) HTML HTML Hardcopy (PDF) Hardcopy (PDF) H.350 Discussion List H.350 Discussion List