Cisco Unified Videoconferencing Manager Administrator Guide Release 5.0
Creating and Scheduling Meetings

Table Of Contents

Creating and Scheduling Meetings

Overview of Meeting Scheduling

Selecting a Meeting Category

Scheduling a New Meeting

Using the Meeting Tab

Using the Invite Tab

Using the Attendees Settings Tab

Using the Attendee Availability Tab

Using the Advanced Tab


Creating and Scheduling Meetings


This section describes how to create and schedule meetings, as well as set up invitee information for the users in the organization. Topics in this section include:

Overview of Meeting Scheduling

Using the Meeting Tab

Using the Invite Tab

Using the Attendees Settings Tab

Using the Attendee Availability Tab

Using the Advanced Tab

You can schedule meetings from the following locations

User > Meeting Scheduling section—See the "Overview of Meeting Scheduling" section.

Terminals tab—See the "Using the Terminals Tab" section on page 6-13.

Overview of Meeting Scheduling

In the Meeting Scheduling section, you can create and schedule the following meetings from the following categories

Normal Meeting-—A regular, one-time meeting with no scheduled reoccurrences.

Recurring Meeting—A meeting that reoccurs on a continuing basis over a certain period of time.

Ad-Hoc Meeting—A meeting that is not planned ahead of time but must be scheduled.

Selecting a Meeting Category

The meeting category you select determines the windows that are displayed in the Meeting Scheduling section.

Procedure


Step 1 In the User sidebar, place the mouse over the Meeting Scheduling icon.

A popup menu appears that includes the options Normal, Recurring, and Ad-hoc.

Step 2 In the popup menu, click the meeting category for the type of meeting you want to schedule.

A window for creating a meeting in the selected category appears. For example, if you select Recurring, the Scheduling a New Recurring Meeting appears.


Note On the Look and Feel tab, if One Button is selected from the Meeting Scheduling button list, the popup menu does not appear. To open the Meeting tab directly, click Meeting Scheduling in the sidebar menu.



Scheduling a New Meeting

Scheduling a new meeting involves specifying the resources, schedule, invitees, and format of the meeting in a series of windows. To access the Meeting Scheduling tabs, on the User sidebar menu, click Meeting Scheduling. The Scheduling a New Meeting window opens.


Note The title of the window reflects the meeting category you select on the sidebar (Normal, Recurring, or Ad-hoc). This only occurs if on the Look and Feel tab, Sub Menu is selected from the Meeting Scheduling button list


In the Scheduling a New Meeting window, you can access the following tabs, which should be used in order. You can use Previous and Next buttons to move between the tabs.

Meeting

Invite

Attendees Settings

Attendee Availability

Advanced


Note By default, Meeting Scheduling opens the Schedule a New Meeting window, on the Meeting tab.



Note The Attendees Settings, Attendee Availability, and Advanced tabs are hidden by default and are activated via the Advanced Settings > Look and Feel tab.


Using the Meeting Tab

On the Meeting tab, you name and define the new meeting.


Step 1 In the User sidebar, click Meeting Scheduling.

The Schedule a New Meeting window opens on the Meeting tab by default.

Step 2 In the Subject field, enter a meeting subject.

Step 3 In the Bill To field, select Host, All Participants or Organizer. The cost of the meeting is billed accordingly.

Step 4 If required, edit the meeting ID that appears automatically in the Meeting ID field. If you do not provide a meeting ID, a random meeting ID is generated.


Note Meeting ID can appear on either the Meeting tab or on the Advanced tab. The Advanced tab is hidden by default. It can be activated via Advanced Settings > Look and Feel tab.


Step 5 In the Description field, enter a description of the meeting for future reference.

Step 6 From the Meeting Type list, select a meeting type.


Note A default meeting type can be set in Admin > Advance Settings section.


Step 7 If One Button is selected from the Meeting Scheduling button list on the Look and Feel tab, then on the Meeting tab, the default start time is Now.

To change the Now default start time, by the Start Time field, click Select a start time. The Date Select window opens in which you can select a start date and precise start time for the meeting. If you want to reset the meeting to start immediately, in the Date Select window, click Now. After making your selections, click OK.

Step 8 To reset the default meeting-duration that appears in the Duration field (determined in the Admin > Advanced Settings, on the Default User Settings tab), enter the length of time you want the meeting to be.

In the End Time field, the precise time for the end of the meeting appears based on the start time and meeting duration.

Step 9 If One Button is selected from the Meeting Scheduling button list on the Look and Feel tab, then a regular meeting is listed by default on the Meeting tab.

To make the meeting a recurring meeting, click Recurrence. In the Recurrence Pattern window that opens, define the recurrence details for the meeting.


Note To check resource availability, click Resource Availability. If there is a resource issue, a message appears. To return to the Meeting tab, click Back.


If all required resources are available, the meeting is automatically scheduled and notifications are sent to all participants.

If network resources are available but non-required resources are not, the meeting is automatically scheduled, notifications are sent, and a conflict list is created for the meeting organizer.


Note The format in which Resource Manager sends e-mail notifications depends on the type of meeting creator. If the meeting creator is a web user, the e-mail notification is in HTML format. If the meeting creator is an Outlook user, the e-mail notification is in VCAL format.


Step 10 To test the settings, click Test.

A message appears detailing the test results. If the test fails, you must adjust the meeting settings.

Step 11 To proceed with scheduling, click Next.

The Invite tab opens.

Step 12 To apply the settings and exit the tab, click Finish. If settings cannot be applied a message appears. In the message window, alternative time slots are suggested for rescheduling of the meeting. To return to the Meeting tab, click Back.


Note If Non Video Conference is selected, only participating users and meeting rooms appear in the list.



Using the Invite Tab

On the Invite tab, you designate required meeting participants.

Procedure


Step 1 In the User > Meeting Scheduling section, click the Invite tab.


Note To open the Invite tab directly, you must complete required fields and selections on the previous tab in Meeting Scheduling. You can also access the Invite tab by clicking Next on the Meeting tab.


Step 2 To search for person or terminal to invite to the meeting, in the Names field, enter a name.

Step 3 To select the source from which to search for resources or participants, from the Select From list, select Organization Groups, Address Book or All Terminals.

Step 4 To move from page to page in the list of Available Participants, use the arrow buttons at the top-right side of the Available Participants section.

Step 5 To move participants to or from Available Participants and Selected Participants, use the arrow buttons between the two sections.

Step 6 To add participants not included in the Available Participants list, in the lower section of the Invite tab, enter the required information about the participant, and then click Add.

The name of the participant appears in the Selected Participants list.

Step 7 To add a participant to the Address Book, check Save to my address book.

Step 8 To test the settings, click Test.

A message appears detailing the test results. If the test fails, you must adjust the meeting settings.

Step 9 To proceed with scheduling, click Next.

Step 10 To apply the settings and exit the tab, click Finish. If settings cannot be applied a message appears. In the message window, alternative time slots are suggested for rescheduling of the meeting. Click Back to return to the Invite tab.


Note If Non Video Conference is selected from the Select from list, All Rooms is displayed instead of All Terminals.



Using the Attendees Settings Tab

On the Attendees Settings tab, you set settings for each meeting participant.


Note The Attendees Settings tab is hidden by default. It can be activated via Advanced Settings > Look and Feel tab.


Procedure


Step 1 In the Meeting Scheduling section, click the Attendees Settings tab.


Note To open the Attendees Settings tab directly, you must complete required fields and selections on previous tabs in Meeting Scheduling.


Step 2 To grant control privileges to an individual attendee, check the CTRL check box. To grant control privileges to all attendees, click the upper CTRL check box.

If the CTRL check box is not checked, only the Administrator and Meeting Operators have in-meeting control rights.

Step 3 To assign or change the assignment of a terminal for a participant without an assigned terminal, click Select.

In the Select Terminal window that opens, select a terminal from the list or add an external number. To add an external number, click Specify custom terminal, enter the required terminal name, and then click OK.


Note You can modify a terminal number in the Select Terminal window.


Step 4 If a terminal is a Dual IP/ISDN terminal and is designated as an ISDN connection for the meeting, check Dual IP/ISDN.

Step 5 If a terminal is expected to be dial-in, select Dial-in for the terminal.

Step 6 If a terminal is a mobile unit, and you want to change the meeting room for the terminal, from the list of alternative meeting rooms, select a meeting room for the terminal.

Step 7 From the View list, select a layout for each terminal. You can view available layouts in the Layouts display by clicking on the numbered side-tabs. If you want to see the view that is currently assigned to the terminal, click Layout at the top-right of the Layouts display. The views that are available are dependant on the service selected for the meeting.

Step 8 To include a terminal name in the terminal meeting display at the start of a meeting, drag and drop the Change Layout icon (located to the right of the View column for each terminal) onto the Layouts display. The terminal name appears in the Layouts display.

Step 9 From the Initial Controller list, select a participant as the meeting controller.

Step 10 From the Host list, select a host for the meeting.

Step 11 To add a participant to the Address Book, check Save to my address book.

Step 12 To test the settings, click Test.

A message appears detailing the test results. If the test fails, you must adjust the meeting settings.

Step 13 To proceed with scheduling, click Next.

The Attendee Availability tab opens.

Step 14 To apply the settings and exit the tab, click Finish. If settings cannot be applied a message appears. In the message window, alternative time slots are suggested for rescheduling of the meeting. To return to the Attendee Setting tab, click Back.


Using the Attendee Availability Tab

On the Attendee Availability tab, you can monitor user (attendee) and terminal availability, and in the case of Non Video Conference, room availability. The legend at the top left of the window explains that T means "Terminal" and that U means "User". In the case of a Non Video Conference, R means "Room". Also, that purple represents "Busy" and white represents "Free". A four week time-period is displayed, beginning from the week that the meeting is scheduled to occur. The information on the Attendee Availability tab is read-only.


Note The Attendee Availability tab is hidden by default. It can be activated via Advanced Settings > Look and Feel tab.



Note To open the Attendees tab directly, you must complete required fields and selections on previous tabs in Meeting Scheduling.


Using the Advanced Tab

On the Advanced tab, you can select from advanced meeting options. Defaults for all settings on the Advanced tab are set in Admin > Advanced Settings, on the Default Meeting Settings tab.


Note The Advanced tab is hidden by default. It can be activated via the Advanced Settings > Look and Feel tab.


Procedure


Step 1 In the Meeting Scheduling section, click the Attendees Settings tab.


Note To open the Advanced tab directly, you must complete required fields and selections on previous tabs in Meeting Scheduling.


Step 2 In the Reference Code field, enter a reference code for the specified meeting. This code is used to identify the meeting for billing purposes.

Step 3 For password protection for the meeting, in the Password field, enter a password. All dial-in participants in the meeting must use this password.

Step 4 For password protection for in-meeting control, in the In-Meeting Control password field, enter a password. The participant assigned in-meeting control privileges must use this password.

Step 5 If you may require additional resources for the meeting, in the Additional Reservations section, enter the number of IP and ISDN participant reservations to be made when the meeting is scheduled.

In Total Reservations, the total number of reservations is displayed.


Note If you do not reserve resources for an additional participant, if resources are available, the participant may be able to join "on-the-fly".


Step 6 In the Terminate Meetings section, check the following options according to your requirements

At scheduled time—To terminate the meeting according to the termination time selected on the Meetings tab.

Alert n minutes before termination-Enter a value in minutes. The warning is received by terminals in the meeting.

n minutes after all terminals have left—Enter a value in minutes. The meeting terminates this amount of time after the last terminal leaves the meeting.

n minutes after the host terminal has left—Enter a time in minutes. The meeting terminates this amount after the host terminal leaves the meeting.

Auto Extend—The meeting continues until it is manually ended via the in-meeting control panel or until all terminals exit the session, whichever occurs first.

Step 7 To prevent dial-in terminals from connecting to the meeting, check Block Dial-in.

Step 8 To admit uninvited PSTN/ISDN calls to the meeting, check Admit unresolved PSTN/ISDN terminals. PSTN/ISDN terminals can dial into the meeting as long as there are available resources. If a PSTN or ISDN terminal is not on the invited list when the meeting was initially scheduled, it is referred to as an unresolved terminal. Unresolved terminals are not allowed to dial into a meeting if the check box is unchecked but Resource Manager can still dial out to any resolved PSTN/ISDN terminals.

Step 9 If you do not want the meeting to begin without the host, select Start only when host joins.

Step 10 To override the setting for the terminal name to be included in video display at the start of a meeting, check Overwrite terminal display name. Unchecked by default.


Note The original setting for the display of the terminal name is located in Admin > Advanced Settings > Default Meeting Settings. The terminal name remains displayed in the user interface of the meeting. The Overwrite terminal display name feature is supported by Cisco MCU 3.6 and later only.


Step 11 From the Prioritize list, select the priority by which meetings are scheduled and which is used in meeting templates by default. This is an important factor in creating efficient conferences. The options are

Local MCU—A local MCU is selected to save communications costs and save time due to reduced distance of routed calls. This mode also supports dynamic cascading of a live conference.

Bandwidth—Resource Manager allocates resources to conserve bandwidth. In some cases, this may cause a meeting to be cascaded to conserve bandwidth, even though a single MCU is available which can host the meeting.

Delay—Resource Manager allocates resources that ensure the best quality for the meeting.

Step 12 From the Required list, select the default resources required for the meeting to be confirmed. A meeting is not allowed if these resources are not available at the time of the meeting. If you select None, Resource Manager confirms available network resources and then reports any availability issues regarding attendees, rooms, or terminals.

Step 13 If you want to change the Default Time Zone for the meeting, select a time zone from the list.