Table Of Contents
FAQs for Integrating Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Manager Release 5.7 with Cisco WebEx
General
Desktop
Audio
Meeting Types and Meeting IDs
Best Practices
Known Limitations
FAQs for Integrating Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Manager Release 5.7 with Cisco WebEx
Revised: June 1, 2009, OL-19888-01
•
General
•Desktop
•Audio
•Meeting Types and Meeting IDs
•Best Practices
•Known Limitations
General
Q. What is the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing WebEx integration?
A. Cisco Unified Videoconferencing provides a high-end conferencing experience delivered through either high-definition or standard-definition video. Cisco Unified Videoconferencing can display as many as 16 frames at once while either highlighting the active speaker or simply displaying all the participants at the same time. The addition of these display capabilities to the WebEx meeting room enhances the collaboration experience.
Q. What are the main features of this integration?
A. Standards-compliant videoconferencing:
–Support for standard-based video terminals
–Leverage your existing infrastructure
–Interoperability with webcams using Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop client
–Interoperability with Cisco TelePresence
Advanced video layouts and control:
–Up to a 16 frames layout in a continuous presence call
–Up to 28 different layouts
–Voice-activated video switching
–Full control over video bandwidth
–High-definition video support for Cisco WebEx meeting room (up to 720p)
–Simple to setup and to attend Cisco WebEx meetings with advanced video
Q. What equipment and/or services do I need to use?
A. You need the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing 3500 MCU hardware in your network and the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Manager software, which includes Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop, and Cisco WebEx SaaS with Meeting Center.
Desktop
Q. What is the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Client?
A. This client is installed automatically the first time you attend a Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting. It displays an icon in the notification tray and its function is to capture and render video, record and play back audio, and transmit and receive those streams to and from the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing MCU.
Q. What are the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Client requirements?
A. These are the requirements:
–Microsoft Windows XP or Vista
–Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8
–Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop version 5.7 plug-in
–Recommended hardware:
Dual-core Pentium 2 GHz or faster
2GB RAM
2MP web cam (Logitech 9000) for high-definition quality
Q. Can I still connect if I am behind a Firewall or NAT?
A. Yes, Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop has a built-in firewall and NAT traversal. So even if you are behind a NAT or firewall, it will connect.
Audio
Q. What is an audio provider?
A. The meeting scheduling interfaces for Productivity Tools, Cisco WebEx Connect, and the Cisco WebEx page all provide controls for selecting which type of audio to use. The typical Cisco WebEx site provides selections for "WebEx Audio", "Other Teleconferencing" and "None". Other sites, integrating with third-party audio providers, offer a partner audio solution in substitution for the "WebEx Audio" selection. These audio types are completely separate from Cisco Unified Videoconferencing and currently do not integrate with the embedded VoIP functionality that is mixed in with the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing video.
Q. How do I select an audio provider?
A. There are basically two types of audio options:
a. Cisco WebEx SaaS Audio, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Audio, or Service Provider Audio
This is the recommended solution that works best in most cases. In this situation, the Cisco WebEx audio controls are available, and the active speaker does not work properly.
b. Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Audio
This is the option you should use when you require interoperability with Cisco TelePresence. In this situation, you cannot use the Cisco WebEx audio controls.
Q. When should I disable Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio for my meetings?
A. In some circumstances you might disable Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio because Cisco WebEx and Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio systems are not linked in the current release. This includes third-party TSP integrated audio providers. Scheduling a Cisco WebEx meeting to use a traditional PSTN audio type with Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio results in some participants joining the Cisco WebEx audio and the remaining participants joining through Cisco Unified Videoconferencing. In this case, the two groups cannot hear each other.
You should make sure that the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio is disabled in these situations:
–When you know that participants will not all have headsets, or quality speaker/microphone capabilities, to the degree required to participate in a VoIP session.
–When you know that a room system with a capable PSTN speakerphone has inadequate audio capabilities.
Q. When should I enable Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio for my meetings?
A. You should make sure that the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Audio is enabled in these situations:
–If Cisco TelePresence rooms are participating in a meeting or videoconference.
–When videophones are being used in a meeting.
–When Cisco Unified Videoconferencing is operating with a PSTN gateway.
Note If you create a session type with Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio enabled, ensure that you indicate this in the session type name.
Meeting Types and Meeting IDs
Q. What is a dynamic Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting type?
A. A meeting type in which the Cisco WebEx meeting number is as the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting ID. No other configuration is necessary.
Q. What is a custom Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting type?
A. A meeting type for which you need to enter a custom Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting ID that must include an MCU service prefix.
A Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting ID is composed of a Cisco Unified Videoconferencing MCU service prefix and a pass code. A pass code is an arbitrary number created by the user to formulate a unique conference ID in combination with the MCU service prefix. To avoid meeting ID conflicts, we recommend that users use their phone extension as their pass code so that users can create unique conference IDs without conflicting with others.
Q. Which meeting type should I be using and why?
A. If you want to call into to your meeting from a videoconferencing terminal, you must select the custom Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting type so that you know which number to dial from your terminal.
Q. What is a Cisco Unified Videoconferencing MCU service prefix?
A. An MCU service prefix is a configuration parameter (number) in the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing MCU that dictates the specific meeting characteristics, such as Continuous Presence, G.722 audio, H.264 video for a 5 + 1 layout, and so on. If you use a custom meeting type, then you must specify the MCU service prefix in the meeting ID.
Best Practices
Q. How can I schedule using static or reservationless meeting IDs?
A. Set the advanced scheduler to default on the Cisco WebEx site.
If your video conferencing system requires the use of static or reservationless meeting IDs, ensure that you set the default scheduler for your Cisco WebEx site to "Advanced Scheduler". This is the only type of scheduler on the Cisco WebEx page that allows the entry of a custom Cisco Unified Videoconferencing meeting ID
Q. How can I make sure that the meeting will start on time?
A. To minimize issues that users encounter when participating in their first Cisco WebEx integrated videoconference, we recommend that the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Client be installed on each machine prior to joining. Users may individually install the software by navigating to the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Server URL through Internet Explorer and by clicking the Updates link.
Q. How can I check that my webcam is working and properly configured?
A. We recommend that users check their video by clicking the Check video link before attempting to join their first Cisco WebEx Advanced Video meeting.
Q. Should I disable Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio when using Cisco WebEx or Cisco Unified MeetingPlace audio?
A. Yes. If your WebEx site is using integrated audio not from the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing resource, disable the audio on the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing to avoid echo and user confusion during the meetings
Q. Should I disable Cisco Unified MeetingPlace or Cisco WebEx audio when using Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Audio and Video?
A. Yes. If your system is set up to be used with Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio and video, disable the Cisco WebEx (or Cisco Unified MeetingPlace) audio feature at the scheduling template
Known Limitations
Q. Can I control Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Audio or Video from Cisco WebEx?
A. No. There is no integrated audio or video control between the Cisco WebEx meeting room and Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop client.
Q. Can I reserve ports on the MCU before the meeting?
A. No. Video meetings are created virtually at the time when the first person joins the video session; you cannot reserve the video ports from Cisco WebEx user interface.
Q. What web browsers are supported?
A. Currently the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop client supports Internet Explorer only.
Q. Can a video terminal join the meeting?
A. When the Cisco WebEx dynamic meeting ID is selected, a standard-based video device may not be able to join the videoconference (depending on the dial plan in use). It is still possible to call this standard-based device from the Cisco WebEx Desktop client during the meeting by using IP address.
Q. Why doesn't the large video frame show the active speaker?
A. The large video display frame for the active speaker, and various audio controls found within the video panel, are operational only when using Cisco Unified Videoconferencing mixed audio.
Q. Who can moderate the meeting?
A. Each participant can disable, disconnect, or invite any video endpoint. This is different from the Cisco WebEx behavior.
Q. Do I need to open any ports on my firewall to allow external participants to join?
A. Yes. If the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Server is placed on the internal network with no firewall open ports, only clients with an internal connection can participate and join the video meeting. External participants will not be able to join the meeting. Refer to the Configuration Guide for Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Manager Release 5.7. Note that the only port required to be opened between the Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Client and Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Desktop Server is TCP 443.
Q. Can a terminal join a call if Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio is not used?
A. If the Cisco WebEx or Cisco Unified MeetingPlace audio option is used, the standard-based video device participates with video only and the user must use another audio device to join the audio bridge. This setup should mute the MCU audio to avoid user confusion with the "split media".
Q. Can I use both Cisco Unified Videoconferencing and Cisco WebEx Video?
A. No. If using Cisco Unified Videoconferencing for video, ensure that you disable the Cisco WebEx video (webcam) option because the Cisco WebEx webcam video does not integrate with Cisco Unified Videoconferencing video. The site must be set to use one or the other video option, not both.
Q. Can I record Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio and video?
A. No. Recording is not integrated between Cisco Unified Videoconferencing and Cisco WebEx meeting rooms.
Q. Why does the Active Speaker video sometimes not change?
A. If Cisco Unified Videoconferencing audio is disabled, the Active Speaker feature does not operate properly because the audio is muted.
Q. Do I need to allow ActiveX controls to run?
A. Yes. The video displayed within the panel is served by a web page that embeds an Active-X plug-in, which must be manually approved by the user.
Q. Why do room systems or video phones remain in the meeting after everyone has left?
A. You need to use the Terminate Meeting function to terminate the meeting and ensure that all parties are disconnected.
