2. Johann Kruse National Technology Specialist Microsoft Australia UNC313

3. Brief overview of Office Communications Server, Microsoft Office Live Meeting and Microsoft Office Communicator capabilities The Challenge Basics of Quality of Experience Right-Sizing your Network Monitoring

4. Office Communications Server 2007 Provides audio and video conferencing for ad-hoc and prescheduled meetings Office Communicator 2007 Telephony client that supports rich multiparty audio/video conferences Live Meeting Console 2007 Server or service client that supports Web/audio and video conferencing

7. QoS and CAC try to recreate conditions of switched networks Traditional IP telephony is really not designed for IP networks Transfer of circuit switched concepts rather than a redesign for IP Fragile codecs, sensitive to minute network service quality impairments: “Even a 1% loss can significantly degrade the user experience with G.711, which is considered the standard for toll quality” Network engineering techniques required for traditional IP telephony

8. Traditional approach QoS/CAC is complex and difficult to manage Traditional approach is often ineffective Administrators may not control the whole network Users are increasingly mobileUsers are increasingly mobile Voice quality is the most common source of user dissatisfaction in current VoIP installations Other factors affect voice quality Cost $ Complexity Ubiquity

10. “ Microsoft UC is unique in providing a complete, comprehensive solution to the QoE needs of Enterprise Voice, without requiring QoS, on any network, anytime, anywhere” Comprehensive, user-focused approach to perceived quality. Centered on users, incorporating all significant parameters of user experience Smart, adaptive endpoints. Endpoints with real-time capability to monitor, pilot, optimise and deliver UC QoE Real time metrics of actual experience. Measuring, quantifying and monitoring the user’s subjective experience Media stack optimised for unmanaged IP networks. Rich application that takes real-time adaptive and corrective actions to continuously optimise the user’s subjective experience on any network

11. Environment or payload issues Devices, ambient noise, echo, lack of gain… Payload effects are end-to-end Often most detrimental but least managed Network can be perfect but call unacceptable Uses AEC, NS, AGC to normalise Network effects Multiple dynamic error correction mechanisms, dynamic automated adaptation to actual network conditions, bandwidth elasticity Based on application layer intelligence

12. Source: Psytechnics 12/06

14. Same stack is used for Messenger and other MS products 1.5 billion voice minutes per month Best voice quality according to PCWorld 280 million clients

16. Even with 2:1 adaptability clients need some bandwidth Whether building out VoIP telephony or audio/video conferencing, you are adding a service to your network Simple policies at the network layer or in the clients give you control

17. These are on the wire numbers, not raw This is only one way Numbers are worst-case; silence suppression saves more bandwidth Packetisation dynamically changes based on usage, which saves more bandwidth CodecMin BandwidthMax Bandwidth Real-Time Audio (RTA)24 Kbps45 Kbps Siren48 Kbps Real-Time Video (VC-1)50 Kbps250 Kbps

18. Media Type Bandwidth Needed Audio45 Kbps Video250 Kbps Data~45 Kbps Signaling10 Kbps Total 350 Kbps per direction Type of usage is important when planning Stack will adjust to available BW every 5 secs Consider the whole path end-to-end

19. Delay Engineer to less than a mean of 150 ms Loss Up to 10% can be handled without significant problems Connectivity The clients can connect through pretty well all common networks NAT, Proxy, Symmetric NAT, Firewalls

20. Server policy Limit the type of conference that can be set up For example, audio only Limit who can set up the conference Limit the number of users per conference

21. Client policy Limit the bandwidth used HKLM\software\policies\Microsoft\LiveMeeting\ MaxAudioVideoBitrate HKLM\software\policies\Microsoft\Communicator\ MaxAudioVideoBitrate Global setting per application Limits the total bit rate used of audio and video Audio always has the preference

22. Does not require DiffServ But can work within a DiffServ environment and supports DiffServ marking DSCP marking by the endpoints By default, endpoints mark all media for DiffServ Audio: Expedited Forwarding Video: Class 3 of Assured Forwarding DSCP marking can be tuned through use of policy Windows Vista allows centralized policy enforcement See appendix for details

23. For traffic management and security reasons controlling ports can be useful By default media uses 1024 and above Keys for OC: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\Enabled HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\MaxMediaPort HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\MinMediaPort Similar keys exist for Live Meeting Console When considering a port policy think: What is your traffic management plan? DMZ/FW traversal considerations?

25. DVT (Deployment Validation Tool) Targeted to Administrators Agents make calls and report status of the E2E system Validates VoIP and PSTN calls are working Verifies the ongoing quality of the network AAT (Answering Agent Tool) Targeted to end users Allows users to do test calls and hear what they sound like Can you hear me now?

30. Creates a CDR for each call or conference Metric CDR includes MOS metrics for the call Network parameters In total more than 30 parameters that impact quality Record can be routed to QoE Monitoring or third-party Server Server collects data Provides reporting interface and runs analytics on data Does limited root cause analysis Available at RTM as tech preview

31. QoEServer At Home PSTNNetwork Off “Corp” Internet Corp AV MCUs At Work Mediation Servers MOM ReportingConsole

35. % calls with poor jitter factor % calls with poor packet loss factor % calls with high delay % calls with failed media connectivity Audio QoE Perf counters Listening MOS, Conversational MOS, Network MOS Classify calls to detect quality degradation Additional counters Some video counters % calls with low video bitrate % calls with high video packet loss

37. Reports QoE Summary Report QoE Trend Report Worst Performing Endpoints Report Call List Report Call Details Reports Flexible Report Filtering Time Connectivity type Call types ThresholdsEndpointsLocation Endpoint type

39. There is no free lunch New services take bandwidth Microsoft UC Quality is a comprehensive approach Combines adaptive end-points measuring the experience for all calls at all times Advanced media stack that can correct network and non-network impairments Microsoft UC manages traffic and quality at the application layer rather than network layer Does not require QoS or CAC; it can function on QoS enabled networks and supports DiffServ Good network design and engineering still matter Priority is sufficient bandwidth and low latency Microsoft UC works to deliver optimal quality on any network, anytime, anywhere

40. Office Communicator Client HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\Enabled HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\MaxMediaPort HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Communicator\Portrange\MinMediaPort By default these registry keys are not set. Live Meeting Console When the Console application is running in Attendee mode: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Live Meeting\Console\Version 8.0\Attendee\MediaPortRangeMin HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Live Meeting\Console\Version 8.0\Attendee\MediaPortRangeMax When the Console application is running in Presenter mode: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Live Meeting\Console\Version 8.0\Presenter\MediaPortRangeMin HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Live Meeting\Console\Version 8.0\Presenter\MediaPortRangeMax

41. http://www.microsoft.com/uc http://blogs.technet.com/jkruse

44. © 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.