Level 2 Development Training. Level 2 Development Training. Level 2 Development Training. Universal Video Collaboration

Transcription

1 Level 2 Develpment Training Level 2 Develpment Training Level 2 Develpment Training Universal Vide Cllabratin

2 Cntents 1 Intrductin... 3 Overview Overview... 4 Level 1 Recap... 4 Level 2 Overview Key Features... 5 Meet The Family... 5 Transcding... 6 Meeting Rms... 6 Cnference Prfiles... 6 Entry Queue... 6 Dynamic Resurce Allcatin... 6 Vide Clarity... 7 Cascading... 7 Plycm Cnferencing fr Outlk (PCO) Architecture... 8 Media Prcessing... 8 Chassis Cmpnents... 9 Sftware Cnclusin... 10

3 1 Intrductin Overview This dcument is intended t be a self-study guide t be used t prepare the reader fr the subsequent Level 2 Instructr-Led Training (ILT) curses n the RealPresence Platfrm. Level 1 intrduced three distinct learning paths which all cnverge when discussing the RealPresence Platfrm. They are Plycm terminlgy fr features and functins, technical vide terminlgy which is used t detail hw thse features and functins wrk, and als the actual slutins themselves. We will develp each f these three paths further thrugh each training level, but first we will cver sme mre cmmnly used terms t assist with the ther Level 2 Develpment mdules and help lay a fundatin mving frward int Level 2 and beynd. Available Resurces There are several references t nline dcumentatin and ther resurces. Therefre, it will be beneficial if yu have access t the Internet as yu wrk yur way thrugh this self-paced material. Befre yu begin, please take a mment t familiarize yurself with the fllwing: Slutin brchures llabratin/index.html White papers Custmer success stries Prduct dcuments & dwnlads RMX Quick Installatin Guide RMX Getting Started Guide RMX Hardware Guide RMX Administratr s Guide Vide slutin matrix (registratin t the Partner Resurce Center required) Frm the Partner Resurce Center (PRC) Hme page > Sales & Marketing Tlkit > Sales Tls > Prduct Reference Matrices Select NA (Nrth America) r ROW (Rest f the Wrld) versin, depending upn yur lcatin

4 2 - Overview Level 1 intrduced three distinct learning paths which all cnverge when discussing telepresence slutins. They are Plycm terminlgy fr features and functins, technical netwrk terminlgy which is used t detail hw thse features and functins wrk, and als the actual slutins themselves. We will develp each f these three paths further thrugh each training level, but first we will recap the key pints cvered s far which specifically apply t resurce management and take a lk at what is cming up. Level 1 Recap Plycm terminlgy H.264 High Prfile unprecedented bandwidth efficiency f up t 50% less bandwidth utilizatin Dynamic resurce allcatin best per-call value with up t 3.5 times mre capacity than cmpetitive slutins by nly using the resurces required fr each cnnectin Plycm Resurce Managment slutins Real Media Experience (RMX) a netwrk-based vide cnferencing bridging slutin that can supprt the fllwing functinality with n requirement fr additinal gateways: H.323 SIP ISDN RTV (Micrsft Lync/OCS 2007 R2). Level 2 Overview Cisc Telepresence Interperability Prtcl (TIP) We will nw begin lking specifically at the RMX family, hw it is built and hw the entire range fits tgether in terms f value prpsitin and psitining. We will als take a deeper lk at sme f the features and benefits and intrduce sme mre cncepts which are ften part f discussins invlving recrding and streaming slutins.

5 3 Key Features Plycm has a lng histry f success in cnferencing and cllabratin. Its grundbreaking MGC series f MCUs set the standard fr multipint cnferencing when they were intrduced in The RMX series was intrduced a decade later t supprt higher reslutin cnferencing and has nw expanded t include a full line f RMX prducts and cmplementary slutins t help custmers maximize grup cmmunicatin with utstanding audi, vide, and cntent sharing. Plycm cnference platfrms are designed t increase user adptin f vide cllabratin tls and maximize return n investment by delivering unmatched perfrmance, flexible resurce ptimizatin, and high-quality user experiences t all parts f the rganizatin. Meet The Family There are three different chassis in the RMX family, all using the same sftware but n different platfrms t enable the mst flexible slutin fr any given situatin. Each can bast all the features and benefits listed abve but with distinctive features f their wn. The RMX 4000, shwn t the right, allws up t 120 cncurrent cnnectins in HD. It als allws AC r DC pwer cnnectivity fr use in a service prvider envirnment, and with the additin f ptinal ISDN cards can supprt up t 1440 audi calls. The RMX 2000, shwn t the left, allws up t 60 cncurrent cnnectins in HD. Adding ISDN cards means that the RMX 2000 can supprt up t 720 audi calls. The RMX 1500, shwn t the right, allws up t 30 cncurrent cnnectins in HD. It als has an ISDN ptin, supprting up t 360 audi calls.

6 Transcding Transcding is the pwerful inner wrking f the RMX receiving and delivering audi and vide traffic in multiple prtcls, and allwing everyne t see and hear each ther regardless f their cmmunicatins prtcl. The DSPs mentined earlier are required t transcde, which translates between the many prtcls transmitting H.323, SIP and ISDN audi and vide. Transcding als allws each participant t cnnect at their wn reslutin and receive the same reslutin back frm the RMX. S a participant n the lcal netwrk cnnects at 1080p and sees a 1080p picture. But a participant cnnecting via a laptp at 256k as they are n a hme internet cnnectin receives a picture in SD. Meeting Rms A meeting rm (smetimes referred t as virtual meeting rm r VMR when integrating with a DMA) is cnfigured n the RMX with an ID allwing direct entry int a cnference - the first t call the Meeting Rm ID initiates the sessin. An RMX can supprt many meeting rms, s depending n custmer wrkflw these culd be a few individually bkable rms, r yu culd generate a rm per user t allw an adhc cnference space fr each user, r ne might create a mix f generic and individually assigned rms. Meeting Rms are ne place where an RMX might hst multipint cnferences. They are precnfigured with Cnference Prfile and ID, s that all ne has t d is dial the number, and if resurces are available, ff yu g int a cnference. Cnference Prfiles A cnference prfile is basically a template which is used t define a number f settings within the cnference. The heart and sul fr multipint cnferencing n an RMX is the Cnference Prfile. Yu will be wrking with them extensively in the ILT, s we ll keep it brief here. In the RMX Management pane within yur Web interface under Rarely Used, is where yu ll see the Cnference Prfiles ptin. By clicking it, the List Pane will shw yu all existing prfiles n the RMX and alng the tp f the List Pane, yu ll be able t add, mdify, and delete prfiles t yur heart s cntent. Cnference Prfiles are applied t Meeting Rms and cnferences, and set the cnference envirnment. Entry Queue Yu ve prbably called the main number f a cmpany and when the receptinist (r aut-attendant) answers, yu are asked fr an extensin r name fr the party yu wish t reach. Well, Entry Queues are used in multipint, multi-cnference envirnments in a similar fashin. When yu dial an RMX using an ID t ne f its Entry Queues, yu will hear an Interactive Vice Recrding (IVR) prmpt asking yu fr yur Cnference ID r passcde (depending upn whether it s a general Entry Queue with ad hc cnferencing enabled r a Specific Queue fr a cnference requiring a passwrd). Yu learn the details f Entry Queues and experience them first-hand in yur SE Level 2 class. S, in the meantime, yu might say the Entry Queue is the RMX s lbby and serves as an entry pint int a cnference. Dynamic Resurce Allcatin As mentined abve, dynamic resurce allcatin is a key part f the value prpsitin fr the RMX. By nly utilizing the resurces required fr each cnnected endpint, the RMX wrks extremely efficiently t manage the maximum number f endpints pssible, maximizing the custmer investment.

7 Vide Clarity Vide Clarity is a pwerful feature f RMX systems that was tuched upn briefly in Level 1, and is ideal fr custmers with mixed endpint envirnments supprting all reslutins. It upscales QCIF t CIF, CIF t SD and SD t HD 720p in mixed cnferences withut using any additinal resurces. Fr example, if a CIF endpint is sending vide streams, the RMX wuld send thse streams ut as SD streams t SD-capable endpints, withut taking any mre RMX prcessing resurces. This will be especially apparent in asymmetric layuts (ne big screen with lts f little screens n the side) r 1x1 layuts. If all CIF endpints are in a call, there will still be a quality imprvement with Vide Clarity turned n, as sharpness filters will be applied t the vide streams, despite the fact they wn t be upscaled. Custmers als have several high definitin ptins t chse frm. These ptins include 720p30, 720p60, and 1080p. When seeing clearly can save smene s life vide quality becmes very imprtant. Cascading Imagine hlding a call n multiple RMXs where participants jin by calling int a meeting rm (lgical spt n an RMX where multipint cnferences are hsted) in their respective gegraphic lcatin and then calls are placed between meeting rms t tie them all tgether int ne multi-bridge cnference. This is referred t as cascading and is supprted between all members f the RMX series. RSS 4000 Recrding Links The RMX can als be integrated with the RSS 4000 t prvide recrding and streaming capability fr cnferences. Many cmpanies use this functin t allw peple wh miss meetings t hear and see what went n, r t purpsefully keep recrdings fr reference and histrical reasns. It is ften used in educatin fr teachers t deliver real-time lessns and simultaneusly recrd them fr future delivery. A church with satellite campuses and hmebund members can participate in services frm a variety f venues, and then the recrding wuld be available t distribute ver the Internet and n PDAs. There are many reasns fr simultaneusly recrding and streaming a cnference. Plycm Cnferencing fr Outlk (PCO) The RMX is the key ingredient f PCO. By implementing PCO, calls can be scheduled thrugh Outlk with a single click. This wrks by assigning a randm meeting rm number which is attached t the meeting invitatin; this can then be used by the meeting rm participants. This slutin wrks in cnjunctin with Active Directry and enables nt nly resurce (ie endpint) bking but als rm bking when crrectly implemented.

8 4 - Architecture One way t achieve scalability in a cnference bridge is thrugh deplying scalable hardware architecture fllwing industry-recgnized Advanced Telecm Cmputing Architecture (AdvancedTCA) specificatins. These are used in the RMX cnference platfrms. AdvancedTCA blade and chassis architecture standards define hw best t design the high-speed external interfaces with even higher speed internal cnnectins and prcessrs (t avid bttlenecks), recmmend hw blades shuld be implemented (with ample space fr cntinuing innvatin), and determine hw t calculate and prvide redundant electrical pwer and cling capacity (t accmmdate current and future requirements). With this mdular design scheme, right-sizing, integrating with a variety f cmmunicatins prtcls, and upscaling slutins becmes as easy as ht-swapping r adding a blade t the cnference bridge. The backplane f the RMX is referred t as a shelf, and each RMX has dedicated shelf management t facilitate autmated remte hardware mnitring and health even when the device is pwered OFF (cmpnent by cmpnent). The shelf can be cnfigured with an IP address n the management VLAN withut taking away any paylad bandwidth. Administratrs can retrieve inventry infrmatin and perfrm basic recvery peratins, such as remtely pwer cycle the chassis r reset blades. And, field maintenance (bth planned and upn failure) becmes a simple task with easy-t-access, ht-swappable cmpnents. As the RMX 1500 is an integrated chassis with internal (inaccessible) cmpnents nt all f which are field-replaceable. Sftware As previusly mentined, all the RMX mdels cvered here use the same sftware versin. We wuld always recmmend a custmer install the mst recent sftware suitable fr their RMX hardware, but the custmer make sure the release ntes have been checked t ensure which versin shuld be used. As much as hardware and netwrk stability determine functin, perfrmance and capacity, sftware versins als play a part, s using the crrect sftware is crucial. Media Prcessing The cnnecting factr between the different chassis is the architecture with which they are built. At the heart f each is the Media Prcessing Mdule, r MPM card. These cards cntain digital signal prcessrs (cmmnly knwn as DSPs) which are the literally the prcessing pwer that generates the vide and audi streams. The RMX 1500 has ne card, the RMX 2000 has up t tw in blade frm, and the RMX 4000 has up t fur, als in blade frm. The MPM cards have been develped ver time and have gne thrugh a number f iteratins. It is imprtant t be aware f these iteratins t successfully deal with custmers wh have existing RMX hardware; each card has its wn sftware limitatins and requirements. The riginal MPM cards were available in MPM-F r MPM-H capacities. The F (full) card was capable f up t 80 resurces r 20 cncurrent HD cnnectins, and the H (half) card was capable f up t 40 resurces r 10 cncurrent HD cnnectins. It was hardware restricted, meaning that there were literally half the DSPs n the card. Fllwing this, MPM+ cards were released in MPM+80 and MPM+40 capacities. These fllwed the capacities f the riginal cards, giving a full and half card. The MPM+ card was required t supprt ISDN and asymmetric 1080p reslutin (meaning that dialling int it at 1080p wuld nly receive a 720p picture). The current cards are MPMx, which are available in three capacities; MPMx-Q, MPMx-S and MPMx- D. These three are again hardware differences, which limit the capacity f the cards t 15, 45 and 90 resurces respectively. The MPMx hardware revisin intrduced symmetric 1080p supprt, full Micrsft supprt and H.264 High Prfile supprt, amngst thers features.

9 The resurce figures differ because the dynamic resurce allcatin calculatins are nw mre efficient (using fewer resurces t achieve higher reslutin). Using MPMx, the fllwing table shws the resurce calculatin: Reslutin Resurces CIF 1 4CIF (SD) p 30fps 3 720p 60fps p 30fps 6 It is als wrth mentining that althugh we are discussing hardware restrictins here, when architecting a slutin we als need t include licences fr the crrect number f resurces; these licences unlck the hardware required. Fr example, it wuld be pssible t sell a 90 resurce / 30HD RMX with a licence fr nly 5HD calls. Until further licences were added, nly 5HD cncurrent cnnectins wuld be achievable. One final pint with regards t the different cards; in a situatin where a custmer has existing hardware and wishes t add additinal resurces, different MPM cards are nt interchangeable. If the existing RMX is MPM r MPM+, it will either require upgrading t MPMx thrughut, r the additinal card wuld need t match the existing MPM r MPM+ hardware. This wuld be a less preferable ptin as all the benefits f the MPMx card culd nt be achieved. Chassis Cmpnents Other than at least ne media prcessing mdule, the chassis cmprises the shelf, pwer supply, fan unit, management (cntrl) unit and IP card. It might als have an ISDN card if implemented. The RMX 4000 als has a switching fabric mdule which prvides a high-speed netwrk link between the MPMx cards, and additinal pwer supplies. In additin, each RMX has at least ne USB prt and is supplied with a USB drive. This drive cntains dcumentatin and sme cnfiguratin, including the cnfiguratin file (lan.cfg) mentined in Level 1. lan.cfg may be manipulated in a text editr, but this shuld be avided as it is very easy t alter the layut, rendering the file unusable. Instead, use the utility prvided n the USB drive called LanCnfigUtility if the IP addresses need t be changed using the USB prt.

10 5 Cnclusin This guide has prvided a further fundatin t the fundamentals cvered in the Level 1 Infrastructure Overview Curse. It will be f assistance when wrking thrugh the Level 2 Develpment curses and ILT. Level 2 Develpment Training 2011 Plycm, Inc. All rights reserved. POLYCOM, the Plycm Triangles lg and the names and marks assciated with Plycm s prducts are trademarks and/r service marks f Plycm, Inc. and are registered and/r cmmn law marks in the United States and varius ther cuntries. All ther trademarks are prperty f their respective wners. N prtin heref may be reprduced r transmitted in any frm r by any means, fr any purpse ther than the recipient s persnal use, withut the express written permissin f Plycm. 3222_0611