MCUs – Configuration and Troubleshooting Liane Tarouco Leandro Bertholdo

Cascading servers n Consists of using computational resources of more than a MCU to increase the total of terminals of a conference n Reasons for cascade –Limit of depleted terminals –Computational resources depleted (processing, memory) –Local bandwidth limitation –Local of administration needs

n This example totalizes 42 possible connections n As balancing does not exist, is not possible, for example, more than 10 terminals connected to MCU 1 Cascade – without managing

n Only one flow between MCUs n Increased capacity of each room n Connections to any room can be made in any MCU. Cascade – without managing

Cascade – with managing n All the terminals connect in MC n MC provides a load balancing n MC manage all the terminals and conferences

Cascade – with managing n Only one flow of traffic between MC and MP n In this example, there are 45 connections in total.

Cascading n Multipoint Controller (MC): –it is responsible for control functions in a multipoint conference. –it is responsible for setting of capacities with each terminal that it desires to participate of the conference. –it determines the selected ways of operation for the conference, that can be common for each participant of the conference or alternatively different for some terminals

Cascading n Multipoint Processor (MP): –receive signals from audio, video and data from the participants of a centered or hybrid conference and makes a mixing or switching for each signal, returning the signal processed to the terminals. –To the data signals, a MP will have to be able to act as a MCS not leaf or as a main MCS

Zone n The collection of all terminals, gateways, and multipoint control units managed by a single H.323 gatekeeper. n Gatekeeper provides control service of calls for the all H.323 terminals in the zone

Zona n Comparatively, a H.323 zone is similar to an autonomous system in the Internet: a single or a group of networks that is controlled by a common network administrator. n Inside the same Autonomous System, diverse H.323 zones can coexist, each one managed by gatekeeper different. n A H.323 net can be formed by several zones and and its gatekeepers

Zona n Register in the zone can be made of dynamic or manual form n IP addresses can be banished (blocked) of a zone

Zone –Registration in gatekeeper (Cisco 3510)

Zone – registration in gatekeeper (Cisco 3510) Gatekeeper Confirm to endpoint: [562603] > Registration Confirm [562608] > Unregistration Confirm [567894] >

MCUs – MeetingPoint Configuration

MeetingPoint (Features) n Vídeo support: –H.261 – H.263 n Audio support –G.711u –G.711a –G.723 n Suporte a formatos de vídeo –CIF –QCIF

Authentication n MeetingPoint supports several authentication methods: –Authentication using IP source address –Password for each room: using local configuration files. –Radius: each user has a password –LDAP: using radius as gateway –Easy integration with any enterprise authentication system

Rooms Configuration n There are two manners to configure rooms in MeetingPoint –Editing a file name mpcs.cfg –Using java applets resources via Web.

Rooms Configuration n Conference ID –Identification of the room to be created –Must be unique for each conference n Conference Name –Room name n Conference Greeting –Welcome message (banner) shown when a user get in the room.

Rooms Configuration n Conference Attributes –You can choose a room with any combination of video, audio and T.120 protocol. –You can choose all attributes, but the video requires an additional license. n Conference Mode: Choice of the type of transmission, it can be: –normal (appears who speaks), –broadcast (appears only one speaking) or –broadcast with possibility of intervention of the auditorium (based in a human mediator).

Rooms Configuration n Maximum Participants –Maximum number of participants of the room. –It cannot be modified during an active conference in the room. n Message –Message that appears when the limit of connected users have been reached.

Rooms Configuration n Template –It allows that this configuration turns a model for create new configurations. n Password –Room password, only users that have this on can ingress in a selected room. –It can be blank in the case of an identification by source IP address or by user password.

Rooms Configuration n Invalid Password Message –Message that appears when the user provides a wrong password n Scheduling –schedules the initial and final dates for each videoconference. –It can also choose the conference as permanently open or closed.

Rooms Configuration n Bandwidth –Limit the bandwidth used for the videoconference –This option consider only the H.323 protocol necessities, ignoring the T.120 bandwidth requirements. n Frames per Second –Total of frames to be shown by second –In low speed conferences, you must take care of always have a low frame per second sampling, to prevent image distortions.

Rooms Configuration n Continuous Presence –Allows that four people appear at the same time, sharing the screen –Require additional license n Audio Codec –G.711 or G.711a to high bandwidth –G.723 for low speed connections.

Rooms Configuration n Video Codec –H.261 for high speed connections –H.263 for low speed connections n Resolution –CIF or QCIF.

Rooms Configuration n Time Limit –How much time a user have to stay disconnected after your participation in a conference. –Zero (0) disable this option. n User Authentication –Type of user authentication. Values can be: Without authentication IP authentication Radius authentication –In this case it is possible use radius to forward to another authentication system, like LDAP or SQL database, using a enterprise single sign on schema.

Rooms Configuration n Audio Latency –Minimum audio latency to permit a user get in room (LAN, WAN or modem) n GateKeeper –To create an entrance to use in set with gatekeeper.

Rooms Configuration n Streaming –Allows to send the conference audio and the video to another computer as a streaming, to be distributed by another way (as RealVideo, for example) –Require an additional license

Inviting someone to ingress in a conference n This feature is very useful to permit equipments that does not have a web client to connect in a room (like IP phone) n Used to invite someone to ingress in a meeting n The conference manager only have to access /mpcs/callout.html

Choosing who will appear n In a meeting you can desire show only one speaker n You can choose who using an java applet /mpcs/h323.html n Does not work with broadcast conference (Zone)

Monitoring a videoconference n Reasons to monitor –In broadcast conferences you need to know what another people are seeing. –Some participant can use inadequate equipment an generate an audio echo. –Helps on audio and video problems resolution. –Helps a lot in authentication problems

Moderator n Get a real-time snapshot of client participation in a conference n Get real-time bandwidth consumption and participation statistics for a particular conference n Get information on H.323/H.320 endpoints that are currently registered n Dynamically control client participation in an active conference or in all conferences

Moderator n This guy is responsible for all conference monitoring n They do your work generally using a web applet n /mpcs/mpcs.html

Monitoring n Deny User –Add a user’s IP address to deny list –This disconnects the user and prevents the user from reconnecting n Disconnect User –Temporarily disconnect a user from a conference –Allowed to reconnect after a time configured for that room

Monitoring n Grant Floor –Permit that a participant video, audio, and chat can be seen by other members of the conference even if this is not otherwise permitted in the conference. n Revogue Floor –Removes the time of speaks to the user. –In the case of new Grant Floor, automatically Revogue Floor in the old user who had the video/audio.

Radius Authentication n Can be used a Radius in another server n Only one server can be used to authentication an billing purposes n Each user has your own password n Each room can be configured to use or not a radius group

LDAP Authentication n It is possible using LDAP + Radius integration n MCU ask to Radius then ask to LDAP n Most used solutions uses: –FreeRadius –OpenLdap

MCUs – Cisco IPTV

Cisco IP/TV 3510 n Audio protocol –G.711 n Video Protocols –H.261 –H.263 n Video Formats –CIF –QCIF

CISCO IP/TV 3510 n Have your own gatekeeper that work independent n Can be cascade with another MCUs n Can be a MP (Multipoint Processor) or a MC (Multipoint controller)

Room Configuration n Use a proprietary cisco software client to configure the server n The client configuration software uses SNMPv1 to configure the server n A new service need to be configured before, then that associated to a gatekeeper.

How to configure a service n Description –Service Description –Ever has to start with “#” n Prefix –Service Identification –Must be numbers, “#”, “*” or “,” (comma). n Video Format –Must be choose a video protocol to be used (H.261 or H.263)

Service Configuration n Number of Parties –Maximum number of participants in the room –It depends on the transmission speed of the video n Allow Dynamic Expansion –If marked, it allows dynamic increase of the number of participants n Video Bit Rate (Kbps) –Speed of transmission of the video.

Service Configuration n T.120 enable –If selected, permit T.120 point to point connection between participants using a web interface. n Frame Rate –Tax of pictures by second to be shown in the videoconference. –How much bigger the tax, minor the quality, depending on the room.

Service Configuration n Picture Format –It chooses the size of the video to be sent (CIF ou QCIF) –Only enable if not continuous presence n Continuous Presence –If used, enable continuous presence resource: until for people sharing the same transmition screen at the same time (see it in next picture)

Continuous Presence

Gatekeeper Configuration n One entry to each service must be associated in gatekeeper n The name of the service must the same be of the room

Conference monitoring n Completely made by web n In your browser, inform – –Room to be administrated

Conference Monitoring n Disconnect Participant –Detaches the participant from the conference n Lock/Unlock Video –Display only the current video (do not change between participants) –Useful for broadcast

Conference Monitoring n Mute/Unmute Audio –Close the audio channel to one participant –Useful for echo n Data Share –Initiates a T.120 connection with the participant from the computer –Only works if the T.120 option services is enable

Conference Monitoring n Invite –Invites a participant to a conference –You have to know your IP address n Terminate Conference –It Finish a videoconference –All participant will be disconnected

Troubleshooting

It is not possible to establish connection. The other part refused the call. n MeetingPoint –Take care with proxy –Remember: there are transparent proxies… –Take care with firewall n Ad-hoc connections –The other part must have your client enable –The other part must be apt to receive calls –The other part can not be in a call –Firewalls are a frequent problem.

Troubleshooting You are connected but does not receive any audio or video. n Your room have audio/video support? n Sound and video drivers are correctly configured ? n Someone in your room are sending or sharing something ? n Firewall ?

Troubleshooting You cannot send any audio or video. n Firewall ? n Drivers are installed and working on ? n Its microphone is on? n Are other devices using the same drivers?

Troubleshooting You can not share files, use chat or whiteboard. n MeetingPoint –Your room supports T.120 ? –Firewall filtering T.120 ports n Ad-Hoc –Does it the client support T.120 ? –Has the other part negotiated T.120? –Firewall

Troubleshooting You can receive video on RealOne. n Do you have the right CODEC installed? n Right plug-in ? n Does have the RealOne support for this protocol? n Firewall ?

Troubleshooting Problems with multicast transmission n Are you network multicast ready?

Firewall

Firewall configuration n 389 –TCP –Internet Location Server n 522 –TCP –User Location Server n 1503 –TCP –T.120

Firewall configuration n 1720 –TCP –H.323 Call Setup n 1731 –TCP –Áudio Call Control n –UDP –RealTime Transport Protocol

Firewall configuration n 7642 –TCP –Web-based GUI n 7648 –TCP –CUSeeMe Connections n 7648 –UDP –CUSeeMe Data Streams

Firewall configuration n –UDP –RTP áudio and vídeo for CUSeeme 3 n 1718 –TCP –Gatekeeper Discovery n 1719 –TCP –Gatekeeper RAS