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Table Of Contents
Configuring and Managing Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration
About the Cisco MeetingPlace MeetingTime Software Application
About Video-Conferencing Access Information
About Changing System Configuration Settings
Changing Values Entered During Installation of Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration
Changing Settings in Other Components
About Managing Video-Conferencing Resources
About Configuring Port Parameters
About Configuring the Number of Video Floater Ports
(Optional) Configuring the Number of Overbook Ports
About Managing User Profiles for Video Use
Important Information About DMZ Configurations and Video Conferencing
About Video-Conferencing Bandwidth
Specifying User and Group Profile Information
About Video-Conferencing Statistics
Viewing Video-Conferencing Statistics
Configuring and Managing Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration
This chapter contains the following information:
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About the Cisco MeetingPlace MeetingTime Software Application
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About the Cisco MeetingPlace MeetingTime Software Application
Some parameters relevant to Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration can be viewed or modified in Cisco MeetingPlace MeetingTime, the PC-based utility for the Cisco MeetingPlace audio server. For complete information about MeetingTime, see the Administrator's Guide for Cisco MeetingPlace Audio Server Release 5.3.
Only parameters in MeetingTime that specify "video" apply to video conferencing.
About Video-Conferencing Access Information
Each video conference is identified by a code that is composed of two numbers:
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For example, if the Cisco MeetingPlace service prefix is 67 and the Cisco MeetingPlace conference ID of a conference is 1234, then the corresponding video conference is identified as 671234. Cisco CallManager and the gatekeeper use this number to route participants through the network to the Cisco IPVC MCU, and then the gatekeeper or the Cisco IPVC MCU uses the Meeting ID part of this number to direct callers to the correct conference.
Users of ISDN video endpoints dial in using an ordinary E.164 number, wait for an IVR prompt, then enter the code for the conference they want to attend.
About Changing System Configuration Settings
Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration components are configured to work together. Settings in each component enable communication between the components. If you change settings in one component, you must also change the corresponding setting you entered in other components.
If you need to change values that you entered during installation of Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration, or change configuration settings in any of the other component parts needed to make the system work, see the following sections.
Changing Values Entered During Installation of Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration
When you installed Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration, you specified settings for the components needed to run Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration.
To change these settings, perform the following steps:
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Changing Settings in Other Components
To change settings in other components that are required for Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration, such as the Cisco IPVC MCU or Cisco MeetingPlace H.323/SIP IP Gateway, follow these general steps:
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About Managing Video-Conferencing Resources
Video-conferencing capacity (the number of video conferences and the total number of ports available at one time) is determined by the Cisco IPVC MCU hardware and settings. For complete details about these settings, see the Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Administrator Guide, Version 3.2 and Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Release Notes for Release 3.5.
Several factors affect video-conferencing resource availability. Manage the availability of ports and conferences by doing one or more of the following:
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Table 4-2 contains conference and port parameters. For more information about MeetingTime, see the Administrator's Guide for Cisco MeetingPlace Audio Server Release 5.3.
Table 4-2 Conference and Port Parameters
Maximum number of simultaneous conferences that are possible
This number depends on settings in the Cisco IPVC MCU.
This number is dynamically taken from the Cisco IPVC MCU and cannot be changed in MeetingTime.
To view the value:
In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then Server Configuration, then scroll down in the panel on the right to Video conferences.
For information on Cisco IPVC MCU hardware and configuration, see the Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Administrator Guide, Version 3.2 and Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Release Notes for Release 3.5.
If you increase the number of available video conferences by changing settings on the Cisco IPVC MCU, the value for this parameter may not update until all meetings that were in session when you made the change have terminated.
Total number of ports that are available to Cisco MeetingPlace video conferencing.
This value depends on hardware and feature configuration of the Cisco IPVC MCU.
Choosing resource-intensive features for the MeetingPlace service on the Cisco IPVC MCU may reduce the number of video-conferencing ports available.
This number is dynamically taken from the Cisco IPVC MCU and cannot be changed in MeetingTime.
To view the value:
In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then Server Configuration, then scroll down in the panel on the right to Video conference ports.
For information on Cisco IPVC MCU hardware and configuration, see the Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Administrator Guide, Version 3.2 and Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Release Notes for Release 3.5.
Maximum number of video ports that users can schedule for a conference.
2 to the maximum number of ports that can be scheduled in advance. The number of ports that can be scheduled in advance is the total number of ports minus the number of ports designated as floater ports, plus the number of overbook ports.
Entering a large number into this field may limit the availability of ports and simultaneous conferences.
Entering 0 means that video conferences cannot be scheduled.
In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then Scheduling Parameters, then scroll down in the panel on the right to the Video meetings heading, Max ports per meeting field.
Default number of video ports to schedule for each conference.
This number appears by default in the # of video callers field on the scheduling form of users whose profiles allow them to schedule video conferences. If users do not change this value when they schedule a conference, this number of video ports will be scheduled for that conference.
0 (zero), or any number between 2 and the maximum number of video ports in the system that can be scheduled. The number of ports that can be scheduled in advance is the total number of ports minus the number of ports designated as floater ports, plus the number of overbook ports.
By default, this parameter is set to zero.
Do not enter 1; Cisco MeetingPlace will not schedule a conference that specifies a single video port.
Entering a large number into this field may limit the availability of ports and simultaneous conferences.
In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then click Scheduling Parameters, then scroll down in the panel on the right to the Video meetings heading, Default # of ports to schedule field.
Number of video floater ports in the system.
Video-conferencing floater ports differ from audio floater ports and are described in About Configuring the Number of Video Floater Ports.
This number cannot be zero. It is the total of the following:
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In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then click Server Configuration, then scroll down in the panel on the right to Video floater ports.
Number of video overbook ports in the system.
Overbook ports are described in (Optional) Configuring the Number of Overbook Ports.
By default, this value is 0.
If you want to adjust the number of overbook ports, we recommend using the formula in (Optional) Configuring the Number of Overbook Ports in order to optimize your resources.
In MeetingTime, click the Configure tab, then click Server Configuration, then scroll down in the panel on the right to Video overbook ports.
About Configuring Port Parameters
After Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration is up and running, configure the following before users begin to schedule meetings that include video conferencing:
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To determine the optimal number of floater and overbook ports for your system, use the information in the following subsections and the values in the preceding table.
About Configuring the Number of Video Floater Ports
Floater ports are ports that cannot be scheduled in advance. They are a configurable subset of the total number of ports available on the system. Video floater ports are used differently than audio floater ports.
When Cisco MeetingPlace seeks available video ports to establish the link between the Cisco MeetingPlace audio server and the Cisco IPVC MCU, or to accommodate unscheduled conferences or participants, or to extend a meeting, it first uses available video-conferencing ports that can be scheduled. If video-conferencing ports that can be scheduled are not available, or if additional ports are required, Cisco MeetingPlace uses available video floater ports, if there are any.
The total number of video floater ports that you configure includes:
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Configuring the Required Minimum Number of Video Floater Ports
Each video conference requires one dedicated video port to link the audio stream of the video conference to the Cisco MeetingPlace audio conference, and this port may be taken from the pool of video floater ports. Therefore, the number of floater ports you allocate cannot be zero. The minimum number of floater ports you allocate depends on the number of video conferences and ports available on your system.
If your system has fewer video conferences than ports, the required minimum number of floater ports is the lesser of the following values:
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For example, if your Cisco IPVC MCU provides 24 ports and 10 simultaneous conferences, then the required minimum number of floater ports is 24/3, which totals 8, which is smaller than the maximum number of video conferences, which is 10. Therefore, the required minimum number of ports is 8.
This calculation maximizes system flexibility while minimizing the chance that video conferencing will be unavailable in a particular meeting.
The floater ports resulting from this calculation are not available to video-conference participants; for standard floater-port functionality, add additional floater ports.
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Adding Optional Video Floater Ports
In addition to the required minimum number of video floater ports, you can include floater ports that are available on a first-come, first-served basis to participants in conferences that are in session. These video floater ports are analogous to floater ports in audio conferencing.
Add the number of floater ports you need to the minimum required number of floater ports. The total number of video floater ports cannot be more than the total number of video ports available.
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(Optional) Configuring the Number of Overbook Ports
Overbook ports allow users to schedule more participants for a meeting than the number of ports that are actually available. Overbook ports are useful because typically not all invitees attend meetings, and reserved ports would otherwise go to waste. Video overbook ports are analogous to but separate from audio overbook ports. Determining the optimal number of video overbook ports requires a different calculation than determining the optimal number of audio ports.
We recommend setting the number of video overbook ports to about 20% of the total number of video conferencing ports available. To make optimal use of video conferences and ports that are available on your system, determine the number of overbook ports according to the following formula:
Mod [(Total number of video ports available on the Cisco IPVC MCU - Total number of video floater ports + Number of video overbook ports) /Total number of video conferences available on the Cisco IPVC MCU]= 0
In other words, the total number of video ports available on the Cisco IPVC MCU, minus the total number of floater ports you have specified, plus the number of overbook ports you choose, altogether must be evenly divisible by the total number of conferences available on the Cisco IPVC MCU. If you perform this calculation and the result is not a whole number, increase or decrease the number of overbook ports until your result has no remainder.
For example, suppose your values are as indicated in Table 4-3:
The result of your calculation using the values in Example 1 would be (24-8+6)/10, or 2.2, so 6 is not an optimal number of overbook ports. If you decrease the estimated number of overbook ports by 2, as in Example 2, your result is 2, a whole number. Therefore, one optimal number of overbook ports is 6-2, or 4. If you prefer more overbook ports, increase the estimated number of overbook ports by 8, as in Example 3, so that your optimal number of overbook ports is 6+8, or 14. You can also modify the number of floater ports, then try this calculation again.
If you change the number of floater ports, and you have set the number of overbook ports to maximize video-conferencing resources as described in this section, recalculate the optimal number of overbook ports.
If you specify more than zero video overbook ports, the system cannot guarantee that video ports will be available at the time of the meeting, even if the meeting was successfully scheduled. However, this situation is unlikely if you set the number of overbook ports using the formula in this section.
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About Managing User Profiles for Video Use
Use profile settings for users and groups to manage video-conferencing resources and simplify video conferencing for users.
Users can be assigned to groups to simplify assigning privileges and parameters. Enter settings in the MeetingTime application using the table in this section
Manage the use of video resources by doing the following:
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By default, video conferencing is not enabled in user profiles, and video endpoint bandwidth is set to the maximum, 384 kbps.
Table 4-4 shows settings for groups; Table 4-5 shows settings for individual profiled users.
Table 4-4 Available Settings For Each Group
Allow Video Scheduling?
No
Yes
In the specific User Group profile, in the Restrictions section.
Endpoint Bandwidth
This value is the default bandwidth for the group to which a user has been assigned.
For more information about bandwidth use, see About Video-Conferencing Bandwidth.
128K
256K
384K (Default)
In the specific User Group profile, in the Video Meetings section.
Table 4-5 Configure For Each User
Allow video scheduling?
Users who are allowed to schedule meetings will see the video scheduling option when they schedule a meeting. Otherwise, the video scheduling option will not appear on the scheduling form.
No
Yes
Group Dflt (Group Default)
In the profile of the user, in the Restrictions section
Endpoint Bandwidth
The default video endpoint bandwidth of this user.
For more information about bandwidth use, see About Video-Conferencing Bandwidth.
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The default bandwidth is 384kbps.
In the profile of the user, in the Video Meetings section.
Endpoint Address
Default video endpoint address that Cisco MeetingPlace outdials to bring the user into the video conference.
Entering a value for this parameter simplifies for users the process of attending video conferences.
For H.323 or SCCP endpoints:
Enter the E.164 phone number of the endpoint of the user.
For ISDN endpoints:
Precede the E.164 phone number of the video endpoint with the service code of the Cisco IPVC PRI Gateway. For example, if the phone number of the ISDN video endpoint is 1-800-555-0101, and the service prefix for the type of call that is appropriate for that endpoint is 89, enter 8918005550101. For information, see the documentation for your Cisco IPVC PRI Gateway.
In the profile of the user, in the Video Meetings section.
Important Information About DMZ Configurations and Video Conferencing
When users schedule immediate or reservationless meetings, their profile settings determine whether or not the meeting allows Internet access to the web conference. Because video conferences must be held on the server on which Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration is installed, this profile setting therefore also determines whether a user's immediate or reservationless meetings can include video conferencing and who can attend the video and web conferences.
Use the following table to determine the appropriate setting for the Allow Internet Access profile parameter for users who are allowed to schedule video conferences:
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About Video-Conferencing Bandwidth
The default bandwidth for video conferencing when users outdial to their video endpoint from Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing is set in the profile for each user, or for the group that each user is assigned to.
Users can change their bandwidth setting at any time. Changes take effect if they rejoin the web conference, or the next time they join a web conference. When participants dial in, the endpoint and the Cisco IPVC MCU negotiate to determine the minimum usable bandwidth.
Users can change their video connection bandwidth via the Account Basics page in Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing, or in MeetingTime.
If the endpoint does not support the specified bandwidth, participants will have only voice capability. If the Cisco IPVC MCU has an MP card, viewing multiple participants (continuous presence mode) requires more bandwidth than viewing only the active speaker. For details, see the Cisco IP/VC 3511 MCU and Cisco IP/VC 3540 MCU Module Administrator Guide, Version 3.2.
Specifying User and Group Profile Information
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About Video-Conferencing Statistics
Use the tools described in this section to monitor video-conferencing usage. The reports indicated in the table include nonvideo statistics in addition to video-conferencing statistics. Reports in MeetingTime that are not listed in the table do not include video-conferencing statistics.
Complete information about reporting in MeetingTime is available in the Administrator's Guide for Cisco MeetingPlace Audio Server.
Viewing Video-Conferencing Statistics
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