Transcript TechEd Israel

Exchange 2000
Conferencing Server
Yoav Land
VP Technologies – Unitech
Microsoft Regional Director
State of Conferencing Today
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User-to-user solutions are limited
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Difficult to schedule conferences and
locate other users
Meeting scheduler can’t leave meeting
Only 2 video clients at a time
No bandwidth management
Server solutions fall short
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Users have to know network topology
No bandwidth management, load
balancing, or failover
H.323 video software doesn’t scale well
Components
CMS – Conference Management Service
coordinates and manages conferencing technologies and
resources, and tracks and controls access to conferences.
Conference Technology Provider
Data Conferencing ProviderData Conferencing Provider is a conferencing technology based
on the T.120 protocol stack that provides collaboration tools such
as those found in Microsoft NetMeeting®. Data Conferencing
Provider provides a T.120 multipoint control unit for data
conferencing clients.
Video Conferencing Provider
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Video Conferencing Provider is a conferencing technology that provides
video and audio conferences over multicast-enabled IP networks. Video
Conferencing Provider also provides an H.323 bridge that allows H.323
conferencing clients to participate in audio and video conferences.
T.120 multipoint control unit (MCU) –
The T.120 MCU service runs as a component of Data Conferencing
Provider and provides network connections between participants in
a data conference.
Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol
(MADCAP) –
Configure the DHCP server to provide Multicast
addresses.
Conference calendar mailbox –
A conference calendar mailbox is an Exchange 2000
mailbox that stores the definitions and structure of all
conferences
Conference resources –
Conference resources are Exchange 2000 mailboxes that
conferencing clients invite when scheduling an online
meeting. The conference properties, including the resource
used, are stored in the conference calendar mailbox.
H.323 bridge –
The H.323 bridge permits NetMeeting clients that are
unable to connect directly to multicast conferences to
connect through a H.323 unicast session.
Codec –
A codec (coder/decoder) is any technology for
encoding and decoding data.
Voice, Data, Video Conferencing
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Outlook 2000 integration for easy
scheduling
Data conferencing server (T.120 protocol)
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IP-Multicast audio-video conferencing
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Application sharing, whiteboarding, chat
Support for any T.120 client
Support for H.323 clients
Conference Management Service
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Coordinates conferencing resources
Efficient network utilization
 Make virtual meetings easy & reduce travel
Conferencing Server
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Conference Management Service
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Data Conferencing
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End users can easily schedule meetings from
Outlook and join with a single click
Administrators can manage network with
tools for load balancing, failover, and network
bandwidth restriction
Managed T.120-based server for
“NetMeetings” with multiple T.120 clients
Audio/Video Conferencing
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Multiple simultaneous video users via IPMulticast (using TAPI 3.0 in Windows 2000)
Windows 2000 SP1 adds support for
Exchange Conferencing bridge to H.323
clients
ECS Components
Exchange 2000 Conference Sever
Conference
Resource
Conference
Resource
Conference
Resource
Data
Conference
Service (DCS)
Conference
Management Service (CMS)
Conference
Calendar
Mailbox
T.120 MCU
T.120MCU
MCU
H.323
T.120MCU
MCU
H.323
Bridge
H.323
MCU
Bridge
Bridge
Video
Conference
Service
Conference Client
Outlook 2000
Web Browser
Active X
T.120
Conference Mgmnt Service
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Unified conferencing client
experience
Platform for conference management
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Control meeting lifetime
Support Conference Technology
Providers (data, telephone,
audio/video)
Integrated reservation and calendaring
Management of Meeting Resources
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Scheduling - Publish free/busy
Refer client to conferences
Data Conferencing
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Integrated into Conference
Management Service
T.120 multi-point control unit (MCU)
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Application sharing, whiteboarding,
chat
Server broadcast data to clients
Conference persistence
Additional services
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Topology creation, bridging firewalls
Automatic MCU load-balance/fail-over
Access control, security, encryption
Audio/Video Conferencing
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Integrated with Conference
Management Service
Multi-party audio-video conferencing
Participants choose to broadcast
their audio and video
Participants receive, mix and render
all other participants
Meeting size limited by client
ECS Scalability
Multiple MCUs / Site (Multipoint Control Units)
 Conference Management Service
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Central, Per Site, or Hybrid
Site 2
Site 1
CMS
MCUs
MCUs
CMS
CMS
Site 3
1,500
DCS uses dynamic
intelligent topology creation
for every data conference.
Based on complex
algorithm.
MCUs
CMS
2,000
1,000
1 MCU = 500 data
users (approx)
More ECS Scalability
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Uses Multicast IP Technology
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What is multicast?
 Many hosts sharing single IP to act
as one host
 Unicast data is sent based on
number of participants
 Multicast data is sent ONCE
Greatly enhances Video/Audio
performance while reducing
bandwidth usage
MADCAP - Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol
NetMeeting & Exchange
Server 5.5
User1
User2
Identical
Data
User3
User0
User4
User5
ECS 2000
Data Conferencing
Server
User0
IP Multicast Conferencing
User1
User2
Router 2
Router 1
Router 4
Router 3
User3
User4
Router 5
User5
User6
ECS Resiliency
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Multiple MCUs
Automatic MCU Fail-Over
Backup Inactive CMS
Backup
CMS
MCUs
CMS
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Exchange 2000 Integration
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Place conferencing objects in separate
storage group
Active/Active clustering
Scheduling Conferences
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Scheduling a meeting (Outlook 2000)
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Open Outlook 2000 and select “this is an
online meeting using”…drop down to
Exchange Conferencing Server
Check free/busy for the virtual meeting room
(“conference resource”)
If available, Exchange adds conference
resource to invitation
When user sends invitation, resource is
reserved and URL for conference is included
in invitations
Joining a meeting
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When meeting reminder pops up, click on
“join meeting” button
Browser pulls up Web page with conf info,
embedded NM control, and multi-party video
Recap client experience
What if no Outlook 2000?
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Scheduling a meeting
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Applications such as Outlook Web Access,
previous versions of Outlook, Exchange 5.0
client, send meeting request to conference
resource
If conference resource is available, Exchange
sends email acknowledgement accepting
reservation and providing conference URL
Joining a meeting
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When meeting reminder pops up, click on
“join meeting” button
Browser pulls up best possible client interface
(depends on browser, OS, and version of NM)
If no meeting reminder, click on URL from
email and browser will pull up best possible
client
Conferencing Components
Exchange Conference
Manager
MMC
Snap-ins
Data
MAD
-CAP
Video
Client PCs
Resources &
Configuration
Other
Cert.
Server
Other
Services
T.120
MCUs
Active Directory
Conf.
Calendar
Free
Busy
Conf.
Rooms
Exchange
IIS
Other
clients
T.120 client
Schedule
“Join”
NetMeeting Conference Conference
Client Access
Pages
Client
Components
Deployment Considerations
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Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server
requires one Windows 2000 and
Exchange 2000 Server
Customers can run a mixed
NT4/Exchange 5.5 and
Win2K/Exchange 2K environment
CMS server can support thousands
of users and should be centralized
Data MCUs and H.323 bridges should
be deployed based on conferencing
demand
CMS Placing
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Only 1 active CMS per Windows 2000 site
May or may not have CMS on each site
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How many users conferencing on each site?
What is the purpose of the site?
Do you have multicast connectivity between
sites?
Should setup separate site for Internet
conferencing
Place CMS on separate box than
Exchange and DHCP server
Tip: The Video Conferencing Service will not function properly if
installed on same box as your active DHCP server. Therefore,
place CMS on separate box if you plan on video conferencing.
MCU Placement
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Wherever you have lots of users
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On subnets
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Users usually connect to closest MCU
How much traffic is acceptable?
On sites
At both ends of a slow link
Setup Internet focused MCU
Data MCU Deployment
Sample
Conference
Manager
NET-A or
NET-B
focused
T.120 MCUs
Public focused
T.120 MCU
‘External’ client
connection
Internet
Backbone
NET-B
NET-C focused
T.120 MCU
NET-A
NET-C
Clients connections are load-balanced across MCU farm
Single Site – Backbone Topology
MCU
MCU
MCU
MCU
Clients
Router
Router
CMS
& IIS
CMS &
IIS
LAN
Router
Subnet B
Router
Clients
Clients
Subnet C
Subnet A
Single Site – Hub & Spoke
MCUs
Clients
Router
Clients
Router
CMS &
IIS
LAN
Router
Subnet 2
Router
Clients
MCUs
MCUs
Clients
Clients
Clients
Subnet 3
Subnet 1
Multi Site Topology
Site 1
Site 2
MCU
MCU
CMS &
IIS
MCU
Router
MCU
Router
WAN/Internet
CMS &
IIS
Router
MCU
MCU
CMS &
IIS
Site 3
Fully Functional Conferencing:
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Windows 2000 on all ECS Servers (CMS
and MCUs)
Network multicast capable
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Windows 2000 on clients
Multicast enabled routers
Exchange 2000 in domain
Certificate Server
Clients must have:
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Windows 2000
Outlook 2000
ActiveX® and Java™ capable browsers
NetMeeting® 3.1
Audio/Video equipped
Or, Configure Down
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For non-Outlook 2000 users
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For non-Windows 2000 clients
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Multicast not available
Must enable H.323 bridge = reduced
video
For Exchange 5.5 users
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Scheduling conf. takes a few more
steps
2-way AD connector to replicate to 5.5
To check your routers
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Use multicast diagnostics tool in
Windows 2000 ResKit
CMS Service
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Have a backup CMS server in the site
Create your Calendar Mailbox and
resources in a separate MDB for fast
backup/restore
Make sure your Calendar Mailbox
server has fast connection with CMS
Create a separate conferencing site
accessible from the Internet
T.120 MCU Servers
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Always have MCUs on both sides of
a slow link
Putting MCUs in specific subnets
and assigning visibility restrictions
is a tradeoff between performance
and reliability
MADCAP Servers
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Have backup MADCAP servers
Split scopes between two or more
servers
Configure video resources to
request addresses from all the
MADCAPs with the same class of
scope
Conference Resources
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Naming:
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Distinguish from physical rooms, e.g.
“Virtual Meeting Room (10)”
Indicate site, e.g. “Redmond Virtual
Videoconference (5)”
Create several resources of each type
with different sizes
You may name resources according to
scenarios, e.g. “Corporate broadcast
resource”
Create audio-only resource if video is
not important and bandwidth is limited
Priorities for “next” ECS
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Conference recording
Unified client for ad-hoc and
scheduled conferences
Integration of Presence/Instant
Messaging (groups of IM users)
Broader B-to-B conferencing
capabilities
Better integration with Windows
Media Technology
Resource Slide
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http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/
productinfo/conferencing.htm
ConceptsPlanning.chm on the ECS
CD
Exchange 2000 SDK
http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc2365.html
ECS Summary
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Exchange 2000 Conferencing Server
(ECS) is a vast improvement over
today’s point-to-point conferencing
and competitive server solutions
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ECS is optimized both for knowledge
workers and IT managers:
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Knowledge workers can easily set up
scheduled or ad-hoc meetings across their
teams and enterprises
IT managers can easily manage conferencing
resources and enable reliable, scalable
conferencing for their whole company