Set Up Conferencing on Cisco Unified Communications Manager

Conferencing capabilities allow users to schedule, attend, and manage Cisco WebEx meetings with Cisco Jabber. You can set up on-premises conferencing with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server or cloud-based conferencing with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center. Review the set up process and what options are available for authenticating with a conferencing server.

This chapter applies to Cisco Unified Communications Manager version 9.0 and higher.

Set Up On-Premises Conferencing

Cisco WebEx Meetings Server provides on-premises meeting and conferencing services for the client.


Note
The client does not support on-premises conferencing when users connect to the corporate network using Expressway for Mobile and Remote Access.

Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Installation and Configuration

The first step in setting up integration between Cisco WebEx Meetings Server and the client is to install and configure Cisco WebEx Meetings Server. You should refer to the Cisco WebEx Meetings Server product documentation for installation and configuration procedures.

Related Information
Cisco WebEx Meetings Server Install and Upgrade Guides

Authenticate with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server

Cisco Jabber supports the following methods of authentication with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server:
Users manually enter credentials in the client

Each user can enter their credentials in the Meetings tab on the Preferences window to authenticate directly with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server.

You set a credentials source on Cisco Unified Communications Manager

If the users' credentials for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server match their credentials for Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service or Cisco Unity Connection, you can set a credentials source. The client then automatically authenticates to Cisco WebEx Meetings Server with the users' credential source.

You configure single sign-on (SSO) with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server

If you configure SSO with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server, Cisco Jabber can seamlessly integrate with the SSO environment. In this case, you do not need to specify credentials in order for users to authenticate with Cisco WebEx Meetings Server.

Specify Conferencing Credentials in the Client

Users can specify their credentials in the Meetings tab on the Preferences window.

Related References
Authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

Add Cisco WebEx Meetings Server

The first step to setting up conferencing on Cisco Unified Communications Manager is to add your details for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server.

Procedure
    Step 1   Open the Cisco Unified CM Administration interface.
    Step 2   Select User Management > User Settings > UC Service.

    The Find and List UC Services window opens.

    Step 3   Select Add New.

    The UC Service Configuration window opens.

    Step 4   In the Add a UC Service section, select Conferencing from the UC Service Type drop-down list.
    Step 5   Select Next.
    Step 6   Specify details for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server in the following fields:
    Product Type

    Select WebEx (Conferencing).

    Name

    Enter a name for the configuration.

    The name you specify displays when you add services to profiles. Ensure the name you specify is unique, meaningful, and easy to identify.

    Description

    Enter an optional description.

    Hostname/IP Address

    Enter the site URL for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server.

    Port

    Leave the default value.

    Protocol

    Select HTTPS from the drop-down list.

    Step 7   Choose the appropriate value for the User web conference server as SSO identity provider check box:
    Cleared

    Do not use Cisco WebEx as the single sign-on (SSO) identity provider.

    Selected

    Use Cisco WebEx as the single sign-on (SSO) identity provider.

    Note   

    This field is available only if you select WebEx (Conferencing) from the Product Type drop-down list.

    Step 8   Select Save.
    What to Do Next

    Add Cisco WebEx Meetings Server to a service profile.

    Add Cisco WebEx Meetings Server to a Profile

    After you add Cisco WebEx Meetings Server on Cisco Unified Communications Manager, you add Cisco WebEx Meetings Server to a service profile. The client can then retrieve the details for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server from the profile and access the conferencing features.

    Before You Begin

    Create a service profile.

    Procedure
      Step 1   Open the Cisco Unified CM Administration interface.
      Step 2   Select User Management > User Settings > Service Profile.

      The Find and List Service Profiles window opens.

      Step 3   Find and select your service profile.

      The Service Profile Configuration window opens.

      Step 4   Configure the Conferencing Profile section as follows:
      1. Select up to three instances of Cisco WebEx Meetings Server from the following drop-down lists:
        • Primary
        • Secondary
        • Tertiary
      2. Select the appropriate value from the Server Certificate Verification drop-down list.
      3. Select one of the following from the Credentials source for web conference service drop-down list:
        Not set

        The user does not have a credentials source that matches their Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials.

        Unified CM - IM and Presence
        The user’s Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service credentials match their Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials.
        Voicemail
        The user’s Cisco Unity Connection credentials match their Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials.
        Important:

        If you select a credentials source, you must ensure that those credentials match the user’s Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials.

        There is no mechanism to synchronize the credentials you specify in Cisco Unified Communications Manager with credentials you specify in Cisco WebEx Meetings Server. For example, you specify that a user’s instant messaging and presence credentials are synchronized with the user’s Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials. The user’s instant messaging and presence credentials then change. You must update the user’s Cisco WebEx Meetings Server credentials to match that change.

      Step 5   Select Save.

      Set Up Cloud-Based Conferencing

      Cisco WebEx Meeting Center provides cloud-based meeting and conferencing services for the client.

      Integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

      As of this release, there are two types of Cisco WebEx Meeting Center integration for on-premises deployments:
      Cloud-Based Integration
      An environment in which Cisco WebEx Meeting Center provides the following services to the client:
      • Data such as participant chat and roster lists.
      • Audio and video capabilities.
      Hybrid Cloud-Based Integration
      An environment in which:
      • Cisco WebEx Meeting Center provides data such as participant chat and roster lists.
      • A conferencing bridge provides audio and video capabilities.
      Related Tasks
      Provide Conferencing Credentials
      Set Up Cisco WebEx Meeting Center on Cisco Unified Presence
      Provide Conferencing Credentials
      Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
      Related References
      Authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

      Authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

      Cisco Jabber supports the following types of authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center:
      Direct Authentication

      The client can pass user credentials directly to Cisco WebEx Meeting Center.

      To enable direct authentication, complete the following steps:
      1. Create user accounts for Cisco WebEx Meeting Center using the Cisco WebEx Administration Tool. Cisco WebEx Meeting Center must validate user credentials in a direct authentication scenario. The user accounts hold the credentials so that Cisco WebEx Meeting Center can validate them when the client attempts to authenticate.
      2. Provide Cisco WebEx Meeting Center user credentials to the client.
      Authentication with an Identity Provider

      The client can redirect authentication from Cisco WebEx Meeting Center to an identity provider.

      To enable authentication with an identity provider, complete the following steps:
      1. Set up your identity provider as appropriate. When users attempt to authenticate with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center, the client redirects that authentication to your identity provider. Your identity provider then validates the credentials and passes an authentication token back to the client. The client then passes that token to Cisco WebEx Meeting Center to complete the authentication process.
      2. Provide Cisco WebEx Meeting Center user credentials to the client.
      Related Concepts
      Integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
      Related Tasks
      Provide Conferencing Credentials
      Set Up Cisco WebEx Meeting Center on Cisco Unified Presence
      Provide Conferencing Credentials
      Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
      Related Information
      Overview of Loosely Coupled Integration
      Using SSO with the Cisco WebEx and Cisco WebEx Meeting applications

      Provide Conferencing Credentials

      Choose one of the following methods to provide conferencing credentials to the client:
      • Users individually specify their credentials in the Meetings tab on the Preferences window.
      • You specify a credentials source on Cisco Unified Communications Manager when you apply the conferencing service to the service profile. See the topic in this section that describes how to add the conferencing server to the service profile for instructions.
      Related Concepts
      Integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
      Related Tasks
      Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
      Related References
      Authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

      Specify Conferencing Credentials in the Client

      Users can specify their credentials in the Meetings tab on the Preferences window.

      Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

      The first step to setting up conferencing on Cisco Unified Communications Manager is to add your details for Cisco WebEx Meeting Center.

      Procedure
        Step 1   Open the Cisco Unified CM Administration interface.
        Step 2   Select User Management > User Settings > UC Service.

        The Find and List UC Services window opens.

        Step 3   Select Add New.

        The UC Service Configuration window opens.

        Step 4   In the Add a UC Service section, select Conferencing from the UC Service Type drop-down list.
        Step 5   Select Next.
        Step 6   Specify details for the Cisco WebEx Meeting Center site in the following fields:
        Product Type

        Select WebEx (Conferencing).

        Name

        Enter a name for the configuration.

        The name you specify displays when you add services to profiles. Ensure the name you specify is unique, meaningful, and easy to identify.

        Description

        Enter an optional description.

        Host Name/IP Address

        Specify the hostname of the Cisco WebEx Meeting Center site.

        Note   

        You must specify a hostname, not an IP address.

        Port

        Specify a port number for the Cisco WebEx Meeting Center site.

        Protocol

        Select HTTPS from the drop-down list.

        Step 7   Choose the appropriate value for the User web conference server as SSO identity provider check box:
        Cleared

        Do not use Cisco WebEx as the single sign-on (SSO) identity provider.

        Selected

        Use Cisco WebEx as the single sign-on (SSO) identity provider.

        Note   

        This field is available only if you select WebEx (Conferencing) from the Product Type drop-down list.

        Step 8   Select Save.
        What to Do Next

        Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center to a service profile.

        Related Concepts
        Integration with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center
        Related Tasks
        Provide Conferencing Credentials
        Related References
        Authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center

        Add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center to a Profile

        After you add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center on Cisco Unified Communications Manager, you add Cisco WebEx Meeting Center to a service profile. The client can then retrieve the details for Cisco WebEx Meeting Center from the profile and access the conferencing features.

        Before You Begin

        Create a service profile.

        Procedure
          Step 1   Open the Cisco Unified CM Administration interface.
          Step 2   Select User Management > User Settings > Service Profile.

          The Find and List Service Profiles window opens.

          Step 3   Find and select your service profile.

          The Service Profile Configuration window opens.

          Step 4   Configure the Conferencing Profile section as follows:
          1. Select your service from the Primary drop-down list.
            Note   

            The client uses only the service you select from the Primary drop-down list. You do not need to select services from the Secondary or Tertiary drop-down lists.

          2. Select the appropriate value from the Server Certificate Verification drop-down list.
          3. Select one of the following from the Credentials source for web conference service drop-down list:
            Not set

            The user does not have a credentials source that matches their Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials.

            Unified CM - IM and Presence
            The user’s Cisco Unified Communications Manager IM and Presence Service credentials match their Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials.
            Voicemail
            The user’s Cisco Unity Connection credentials match their Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials.
            Restriction:

            You cannot specify a credentials source if you use an identity provider for authentication with Cisco WebEx Meeting Center.

            Important:

            If you select a credentials source, you must ensure that those credentials match the user’s Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials.

            There is no mechanism to synchronize the credentials you specify in Cisco Unified Communications Manager with credentials you specify in Cisco WebEx Meeting Center. For example, you specify that a user’s instant messaging and presence credentials are synchronized with the user’s Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials. The user’s instant messaging and presence credentials then change. You must update the user’s Cisco WebEx Meeting Center credentials to match that change.

          Step 5   Select Save.