Cisco 500-710 - Video Infrastructure Implementation (VII)

 The H.323 standard defines the protocols to provide audio-visual communication sessions on any packet network1 The H.323 standard uses a number of protocols to establish and control multimedia sessions, such as voice and video calls. Two of the protocols used in the H.323 standard are H.245 and Q.931.

H.245 is a protocol that is used for media control and logical channel signaling2 H.245 allows the endpoints to negotiate the media capabilities, such as the codec, the bit rate, and the format, and to open and close the logical channels for media transmission. H.245 also provides functions for conference control, such as floor control, chair control, and multipoint mode. H.245 messages are exchanged between the endpoints using TCP or UDP.

Q.931 is a protocol that is used for call signaling and connection control3 Q.931 is based on the ISDN protocol and is adapted for packet networks. Q.931 allows the endpoints to set up, maintain, and terminate the calls, and to exchange information such as the call identity, the call type, the call state, and the reason for call release. Q.931 messages are exchanged between the endpoints using TCP.

The other options are not protocols used in the H.323 standard. SDP is a protocol that is used to describe the media session parameters, such as the media type, the codec, the port number, and the encryption method. SDP is used in conjunction with SIP, but not with H.323. SIP is another protocol that is used to establish and control multimedia sessions on packet networks, but it is not part of the H.323 standard. SIP is an alternative to H.323 and has a different architecture, syntax, and functionality. 802.1 is a standard that defines the LAN protocols, such as the MAC address, the VLAN, the spanning tree, and the link aggregation. 802.1 is not related to the H.323 standard, which operates at the application layer. References: H.323 - Wikipedia, H.245 - Wikipedia, Q.931 - Wikipedia

Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR) is a solution that enables users to join meetings from any device, whether it is registered to the Cisco Spark cloud or the on-premises infrastructure. CMR offers three options for deploying the products: CMR Premises, CMR Hybrid, and CMR Cloud.

CMR Premises is the option for on-premises deployment, where the meeting services are provided by the Cisco TelePresence Server and the Cisco TelePresence Conductor. CMR Premises allows users to join meetings from Cisco video endpoints, Cisco Jabber clients, or third-party devices that use SIP or H.323 protocols. CMR Premises also supports integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center for web-based collaboration. CMR Premises requires the installation and configuration of the Cisco TelePresence Server, the Cisco TelePresence Conductor, the Cisco Expressway, and the Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM).

CMR Hybrid is the option for hybrid deployment, where the meeting services are provided by both the Cisco Spark cloud and the on-premises infrastructure. CMR Hybrid allows users to join meetings from Cisco Spark-registered devices, Cisco video endpoints,Cisco Jabber clients, or third-party devices that use SIP or H.323 protocols. CMR Hybrid also supports integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center for web-based collaboration. CMR Hybrid requires the installation and configuration of the Cisco Expressway, the Cisco TelePresence Server, the Cisco TelePresence Conductor, the CUCM, and the Cisco Spark Hybrid Services.

CMR Cloud is the option for cloud deployment, where the meeting services are provided by the Cisco Spark cloud. CMR Cloud allows users to join meetings from Cisco Spark-registered devices, Cisco WebEx Meeting Center clients, or third-party devices that use SIP or H.323 protocols. CMR Cloud does not require any on-premises infrastructure or integration, and it offers a simple and scalable cloud solution for video conferencing. References: Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR) - Cisco, Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR) Premises Solution Guide Release 4, Video Conference Room Equipment and Solutions - Cisco

To schedule endpoints that are registered to the Cisco UCM to conferences using TMS, the Cisco UCM must first be added to a folder in TMS Systems > Navigator12.

This is because TMS needs to discover the endpoints that are registered to the Cisco UCM and import them into its database12.

To add the Cisco UCM to a folder in TMS Systems > Navigator, the following steps are required12:

Navigate to Systems > Navigator in TMS and select a folder where you want to add the Cisco UCM.

Click Add Systems and select Unified CM from the drop-down menu.

Enter the IP address or hostname of the Cisco UCM publisher server, the username and password of the application user, and the SIP domain of the Cisco UCM.

Click Save.

TMS will then connect to the Cisco UCM and discover the endpoints that are registered to it. The endpoints will appear under the Unified CM node in the folder.

The endpoints can then be scheduled to conferences using TMS.

References := 1: Cisco TelePresence Management Suite Provisioning Extension Deployment Guide (14.6) - Adding Unified CM to Cisco TMSPE 2: Cisco TelePresence Management Suite Administrator Guide (15.13) - Adding Unified CM to Cisco TMS

Cisco Expressway is a video gateway that enables interoperability between different video endpoints and protocols. It consists of two components: Expressway core and Expressway edge1.

Cisco Meeting Server is a video conferencing solution that supports scalable and resilient deployments with multiple servers and clusters. It can integrate with various call control systems, such as Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Cisco Expressway, or Microsoft Skype for Business2.

To integrate Cisco Expressway with Cisco Meeting Server, the following steps are required3:

Configure the Expressway edge as the traversal server for the Meeting Server, and enable SIP and H.323 protocols on the Expressway edge.

Configure the Expressway core as the traversal client for the Meeting Server, and enable SIP and H.323 protocols on the Expressway core.

Configure the Meeting Server as the traversal server for the Expressway core, and enable SIP and H.323 protocols on the Meeting Server.

Configure the call control system to route calls to the Expressway core, and configure the Expressway core to route calls to the Meeting Server.

Optionally, configure the Expressway core to provide IM&P and video integration with Microsoft Skype for Business, if deployed in the core network with the Meeting Server.

By integrating both Expressway core and Expressway edge with Cisco Meeting Server, the following benefits can be achieved3:

Support for various video endpoints and protocols, such as SIP, H.323, WebRTC, and BFCP.

Support for firewall traversal and NAT traversal for external participants.

Support for encryption and authentication for secure communication.

Support for load balancing and failover for high availability and scalability.

References := 1: Cisco Expressway Series - Data Sheets - Cisco 2: Cisco Meeting Server - Configuration Guides - Cisco 3: Cisco Meeting Server, Deployments with Expressway Planning and Preparation Guide

 123, a Cisco Meeting Server 2000 can support up to 108 simultaneous HD calls. A Cisco Meeting Server 2000 is a Cisco UCS x86 server that runs the Cisco Meeting Server software, which is a scalable and interoperable video conferencing solution. A Cisco Meeting Server 2000 has 36 physical cores and can support up to 3 HD calls per core, resulting in a maximum capacity of 108 HD calls. A HD call is defined as a call with a resolution of 720p at 30 frames per second and a bitrate of 1.2 Mbps. A Cisco Meeting Server 2000 can also support other call types, such as SD, nHD, and audio-only, with different capacities and bandwidth requirements. References := Cisco Meeting Server, Web App, and Meeting Management Revolutionize Team Collaboration Through High Scale and Advanced Interoperability in Audio, Web, and Video Conferencing Data SheetCisco Meeting Server - Cisco Meeting Server - CiscoCisco Meeting Server - Cisco Meeting Server - Cisco

Interoperability is a method for controlling bandwidth within a subzone on the Expressway. Interoperability allows the Expressway to adjust the bandwidth of calls based on the capabilities and preferences of the endpoints involved. For example, if a SIP endpoint calls an H.323 endpoint, the Expressway can downspeed the call to match the lower bandwidth of the H.323 endpoint. Interoperability also enables the Expressway to interwork different protocols, such as SIP and H.323, and different media formats, such as H.264 and H.263. Interoperability can be configured on the Expressway by setting the interoperability mode and the interoperability profile for each subzone. The interoperability mode determines whether the Expressway will try to interwork calls within the subzone or not. The interoperability profile defines the parameters for interworking, such as the preferred protocol, the preferred media format, and the maximum bandwidth. To configure interoperability on the Expressway, go to Configuration > Local Zone > Default Subzone or Configuration > Local Zone > Subzones and select the subzone you want to modify. Then, go to the Interoperability section and select the interoperability mode and profile for the subzone. References := Cisco Expressway Administrator Guide (X15.0) - InteroperabilityCisco Expressway Basic Configuration Deployment Guide (X15.0) - Configuring Interoperability

 A registration log is a tool that records the details of each endpoint registration attempt that passes through the Expressway, including the source and destination addresses, the protocol, the registration status, and the reason for failure. An engineer can use the registration log to check the registration policy, authentication, and network connectivity for each endpoint, and to identify any errors or issues that prevent the endpoint from registering successfully. To access the registration log, go to Status > Registrations > History on the Expressway web interface. The registration log can also be exported as a CSV file for further analysis. References := Cisco Expressway Administrator Guide (X14.0) - Registration Log

12, the Expressway can authenticate devices and users locally or remotely using different methods, such as passwords, certificates, or LDAP. When the Expressway uses local authentication, it verifies the credentials against its local authentication database, which stores the username and password of each account. The password is stored as a salted hash, which means that it is encrypted with a random value to prevent unauthorized access. The username and password are the two elements of authentication credentials that are stored in the local database of the Expressway. The other options, such as crypto hash key, user authority, and CA authority, are not stored in the local database of the Expressway. A crypto hash key is a value that is used to encrypt or decrypt data, but it is not stored in the local database. A user authority is a level of access or privilege that a user has on the Expressway, but it is not stored in the local database. A CA authority is a trusted entity that issues and validates digital certificates, but it is not stored in the local database. References := Cisco Expressway Administrator Guide (X14.0) - Device AuthenticationCisco Expressway Administrator Guide (X14.0) - User Accounts

According to the Cisco documentation1, the Expressway stores the username and password of the local database users in its local database. These users can be used for authentication and authorization purposes when accessing the Expressway web interface or API. The other elements, such as user authority, CA authority, and crypto hash key, are not stored in the local database of the Expressway, but are either derived from other sources or generated dynamically. References: 1: Cisco Expressway Basic Configuration Deployment Guide, Chapter 3: Configuring Local Database Users, https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/expressway/config_guide/X8-11/Cisco-Expressway-Basic-Configuration-Deployment-Guide-X8-11.pdf

= To schedule a CMS conference on TMS with WebEx as a participant, the engineer needs to ensure that the WebEx server address is correctly configured in both TMS and CMS. This is because TMS uses the WebEx server address to create an externally hosted conference with a WebEx SIP URI, and CMS uses the WebEx server address to dial out to the WebEx meeting. The WebEx server address can be configured in TMS under Administrative Tools > Configuration > Network Settings > WebEx Settings, and in CMS under Configuration > WebEx. The WebEx server address should match the WebEx site URL that is used to join the WebEx meeting12. References := 12