ViDe // Vide Development Initiative

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ViDe Microsoft Working Group

Microsoft Conferencing Server Testing and Integration

The purpose of this document is to briefly describe the background of Video Conferencing, the efforts done by ViDeNet and identify the issues of integrating Microsoft 2000 Conferencing Server with the existing ViDeNet architecture.

Background:

ViDeNet was formed by ViDe, the Video Development Initiative, to be a testbed and model network in which to develop and promote ViDe's goals for multi-organizational, multi-location highly scalable and robust networked video technologies.

ViDeNet is the world's largest international H.323 network for voice and video conferencing between universities and research organizations. The universities and research organizations that formed ViDe had IP videoconferencing infrastructure within their organizations, but they were only able to conference within their LAN's. Conferencing between universities was difficult and required extensive pre-arrangement because each zone had its own dialing plan, which was generally incompatible with other zones.

To solve the above-mentioned issue of having a single dialing plan, network administrators from these universities, together with private vendors like RADVISION, created a common dialing plan that would link the universities over the Internet. Each university under this arrangement became a zone under ViDeNet with a gatekeeper for each zone. Under this architecture members within a zone could now call each other and could call members in other zone using a dialing plan.

Today there are more than 73 zones around the world connected via H.323 network. But until, now vendors like RADVISION have provided most of the gatekeepers, with the dialing plan developed by RADVISION and ViDeNet.
ViDeNet has focused on the network and strived to make the gatekeepers intelligent to control, send, receive and direct calls to the right endpoints in the right zones. With the intelligence residing in the gatekeepers the network becomes more flexible. New features or changes in the dialing plans can be implemented at the gatekeeper level, so they take effect for all endpoints throughout the zone.

According to RADVISION their gatekeepers prove valuable when dealing with endpoints that have not integrated the H.323 standard in its entirety. As the gatekeepers are capable to adapt and implement policies that will work with non-compliant endpoints, accommodating them while still efficiently running the network.

Current Industry Requirements:

The present requirements for a large-scale project like ViDeNet to be truly efficient are:

º Universality: The primary requirement for a large-scale network application like this is to be inexpensive, convenient and easily accessible from any part of the globe thus allowing everyone access the facilities at their desktops, at home or at work.

º Scalability: For Network Video service like ViDeNet it is imperative that they be highly scalable to achieve the goal of universality. And to accomplish this it is a must to identify and enforce standards that create certain necessary uniformities in parts and equipments so that anyone anywhere with any endpoint can connect to the services.

º Integration: The success of a project like this depends on integration of parts, services and related software's from different vendors to make it an integrated whole within a multi vendor environment, where various companies, individuals and their products and services work together to make video networking easier and efficient.

Our Interest as part of ViDe project:

Looking at the size of Microsoft's market and low cost NetMeeting solution and keeping in mind the current industry requirements we intend to test Microsoft's Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server. Our interest in this project lies in testing the Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server for:

º Ease of integration with the existing architecture.

º Performance analysis.

º Adherence to standards (H.323 and multicast).

º Interoperability with existing infrastructure.

Tasks On hand:

To test Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server, the current task list includes:

º Installing Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server

º Bring up pilot Exchange 2k and Conferencing Server as sub domain of an existing pilot Active Directory

º ASAP (we hope in January) tie the Conferencing Server to the UAB Enterprise Active Directory test lab.

º Identify the campus policies, which can be a potential problem for successful integration and availability of all features

º Establishing Video conferencing sessions with other campuses which involves the integration of:

º Polycom and VCON endpoints with MS Server

º MS Server with MS Server (AD Permissions)

º Netmeeting Endpoint with ViDeNet's MCU

º MS Gatekeeper with Radvision Gatekeeper integration

Members

Chyril Sparks, Vermont
Bhupal De, UAB
David Green, UAB
Ken Nelson, UAB
Markus Buchhorn, Australian National University
Mary Fran Yafchak, SURA
Nadim El-Khoury, UNC-Chapel Hill
Patricia Jackson, Virginia Tech
Rodger Will, Ford Motor Company
Roland Staring, SURFnet
Sean Brennan, Georgia Tech
William Rhodes, UTK
Philippe Galvez, CalTech/CERN
Jill Gemmill, UAB

Interested? Please join this effort

The working group is just now forming. We will collaborate using a newsgroup for discussion and occasional multi-point videoconferencing sessions (bridging in by voice is possible if you don't have an H.323 system).

For more information or to find out how to participate, please contact working group chair Jill Gemmill.

º Microsoft Working Group

º Papers & Publications

º Resources


ViDe Microsoft Working Group Microsoft Conferencing Server Testing and Integration The purpose of this document is to briefly describe the background of Video Conferencing, the efforts done by ViDeNet and identify the issues of integrating Microsoft 2000 Conferencing Server with the existing ViDeNet architecture. Background: ViDeNet was formed by ViDe, the Video Development Initiative, to be a testbed and model network in which to develop and promote ViDe's goals for multi-organizational, multi-location highly scalable and robust networked video technologies. ViDeNet is the world's largest international H.323 network for voice and video conferencing between universities and research organizations. The universities and research organizations that formed ViDe had IP videoconferencing infrastructure within their organizations, but they were only able to conference within their LAN's. Conferencing between universities was difficult and required extensive pre-arrangement because each zone had its own dialing plan, which was generally incompatible with other zones. To solve the above-mentioned issue of having a single dialing plan, network administrators from these universities, together with private vendors like RADVISION, created a common dialing plan that would link the universities over the Internet. Each university under this arrangement became a zone under ViDeNet with a gatekeeper for each zone. Under this architecture members within a zone could now call each other and could call members in other zone using a dialing plan. Today there are more than 73 zones around the world connected via H.323 network. But until, now vendors like RADVISION have provided most of the gatekeepers, with the dialing plan developed by RADVISION and ViDeNet. ViDeNet has focused on the network and strived to make the gatekeepers intelligent to control, send, receive and direct calls to the right endpoints in the right zones. With the intelligence residing in the gatekeepers the network becomes more flexible. New features or changes in the dialing plans can be implemented at the gatekeeper level, so they take effect for all endpoints throughout the zone. According to RADVISION their gatekeepers prove valuable when dealing with endpoints that have not integrated the H.323 standard in its entirety. As the gatekeepers are capable to adapt and implement policies that will work with non-compliant endpoints, accommodating them while still efficiently running the network. Current Industry Requirements: The present requirements for a large-scale project like ViDeNet to be truly efficient are: º Universality: The primary requirement for a large-scale network application like this is to be inexpensive, convenient and easily accessible from any part of the globe thus allowing everyone access the facilities at their desktops, at home or at work. º Scalability: For Network Video service like ViDeNet it is imperative that they be highly scalable to achieve the goal of universality. And to accomplish this it is a must to identify and enforce standards that create certain necessary uniformities in parts and equipments so that anyone anywhere with any endpoint can connect to the services. º Integration: The success of a project like this depends on integration of parts, services and related software's from different vendors to make it an integrated whole within a multi vendor environment, where various companies, individuals and their products and services work together to make video networking easier and efficient. Our Interest as part of ViDe project: Looking at the size of Microsoft's market and low cost NetMeeting solution and keeping in mind the current industry requirements we intend to test Microsoft's Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server. Our interest in this project lies in testing the Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server for: º Ease of integration with the existing architecture. º Performance analysis. º Adherence to standards (H.323 and multicast). º Interoperability with existing infrastructure. Tasks On hand: To test Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server, the current task list includes: º Installing Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server º Bring up pilot Exchange 2k and Conferencing Server as sub domain of an existing pilot Active Directory º ASAP (we hope in January) tie the Conferencing Server to the UAB Enterprise Active Directory test lab. º Identify the campus policies, which can be a potential problem for successful integration and availability of all features º Establishing Video conferencing sessions with other campuses which involves the integration of: º Polycom and VCON endpoints with MS Server º MS Server with MS Server (AD Permissions) º Netmeeting Endpoint with ViDeNet's MCU º MS Gatekeeper with Radvision Gatekeeper integration Members Chyril Sparks, Vermont Bhupal De, UAB David Green, UAB Ken Nelson, UAB Markus Buchhorn, Australian National University Mary Fran Yafchak, SURA Nadim El-Khoury, UNC-Chapel Hill Patricia Jackson, Virginia Tech Rodger Will, Ford Motor Company Roland Staring, SURFnet Sean Brennan, Georgia Tech William Rhodes, UTK Philippe Galvez, CalTech/CERN Jill Gemmill, UAB Interested? Please join this effort The working group is just now forming. We will collaborate using a newsgroup for discussion and occasional multi-point videoconferencing sessions (bridging in by voice is possible if you don't have an H.323 system). For more information or to find out how to participate, please contact working group chair Jill Gemmill.
	º Microsoft Working Group º Papers & Publications º Resources