Video Conferencing

Global Dialing Scheme (GDS)

Zeeshan Aamir

What is video-conferencing?

Transmission of image and speech back and forth between two or more separate locations.

Similar to making a phone call

An opportunity to talk to and see others in real time

Zeeshan Aamir

What are the benefits of video-conferencing?

The visual interaction can enhance communication

Increases connections with the world

It can save time and other valuable resources

It can heighten motivation

Zeeshan Aamir

How is video-conferencing being used?

Meetings

Education

Telemedicine

Courts and judicial system

Telecommuting

Security

Zeeshan Aamir

What is a gatekeeper? Physically it is a server that can be located anywhere on the network

Functionally very similar to a DNS server that does Address lookup

Adds some control functionality

Creates an “H.323 zone”

H.323 Zone Definition

– A single gatekeeper and all of the end points (clients, MCUs, and gateways) that register with the gatekeeper.

• Typically is a community– E.g. University or organization

Zeeshan Aamir

Gatekeepers Provide:

Admission Control

Call Authorization

Address Translations

Bandwidth Management

Zone Management

Call Signal Routing

Management Functions

Zeeshan Aamir

Basic Operation

Endpoints register with gatekeeper-This is a one time administrative task

Endpoint asks gatekeeper for permission to place call to another endpoint

Endpoint signals call with other endpoint

Endpoints exchange media directly

Endpoints disconnect, notify gatekeeper

Zeeshan Aamir

Technical descriptionUses TCP port 1720, UDP Port 1719, 1718

1720 for Q.931 call control1719 H.225 Registration, Admission, and Status messages (RAS)1718 GK discovery

Deals with H.225, H.245, Q.931H.225: RAS as above but also call control and call setup messagesH.245: Media control and Transport signaling

Zeeshan Aamir

Gatekeeper Functionality

Services: Gives access to multipoint conferences and gateways

Neighbor Gatekeepers: Provides inter-zone communication

Network Topology: Allow administrator to employ traffic shaping

Zeeshan Aamir

Internet2 Commons specific settingsAdopted GDS

Only need two neighbors

North American Root main: 192.148.244.130

GDS serves as Dial Plan

Open registration mode

“Direct” routing mode

Services are 001189 + XXX + YYYY

XXX digits to identify MCU and conference

YYYY digits for a specific users conference

Have not adopted LDAP or H.350

Currently is a Radvision ECS

500 concurrent calls, 3000 concurrent registrations

Zeeshan Aamir

Global Dialing Scheme (GDS)

A structure for peering between gatekeepers, such that any endpoint associated with a ViDeNet zone may dial an endpoint in any other ViDeNet zone

ViDeNet Version 3 Dial Plan

A numbering plan for global video and voice over IP

Video Development Initiative (ViDe)Founded by representatives from universities and

education networks

Zeeshan Aamir

Four parts of a GDS Number1. International Access Code (IAC) always 00

2. A Country Code (CC)– Follows the ITU international access code system

3. An Organizational Prefix (OP)– In North America, ViDeNet lets you chose between E164

space and Super Space (more later)– Some countries use area code/exchange prefix

4. An Endpoint Number (EN)– A unique number assigned to each endpoint following

organization practices

GDS numbers are dialed: IAC CC OP EN (without the spaces)

Zeeshan Aamir

Benefits of GDS

Provides a static address in a dynamic world

If you have a DHCP IP address, your GDS number can stay the same

If you travel, your GDS number can travel with you

All Internet2 Commons Conferences have GDS Dial Strings

Zeeshan Aamir

Making a GDS Call00

World GK

001North American

GK

0044United Kingdom

GK

0092Pakistan

GK

0011189Internet2 Commons

GK

0011896142928443Megan Troyer

0092519040HEC GK

0092519040429Endpoint

Zeeshan Aamir

Gatekeepers Available on the MarketStandalone Gatekeeper

(e.g., RADVISION ECS)

System Blade(e.g., RADVISION ECS on a blade of a ViaIP)

Embedded in an Endpoint(e.g., A gatekeeper embedded in a RADVISION OnLAN MCU or gateway)

Backup Gatekeeper(e.g., RADVISION Alternate Gatekeeper)

Other Gatekeepers:Polycom PathNavigator

Tandberg Gatekeeper

GNU Gatekeeper (Based on Open323)

Cisco (RADVISION code running on Cisco IOS)

VCON Media Exchange Manager, MXM

Zeeshan Aamir

Registering with a Gatekeeper1. Register with a GDS Gatekeeper, if you

need to borrow space go here: http://commons.internet2.edu/reggate

2. Make sure you are connecting at 384 kbps

3. Dial 001189 700 1234 (no spaces)

4. Call 614-292-xxxx for technical support• Many new users have never done this• Typically an administrative chore and requires administrative access to the

endpoint’s settings• This does take a few minutes and can require some rebooting, so be prepared• If your campus is already GDS, make a note of that on the cheat sheet in VC

room

Zeeshan Aamir

How to register with the Commons Gatekeeper1. In your videoconferencing endpoint unit, navigate to the H.323

settings menu2. Enter your email address as your endpoint’s H.323 Name

This gives administrators some idea of who is registering and from where

3. Assign yourself an E.164 number in this format 001189 + your 10 digit phone number If your phone number is (111) 555-0000, your GDS number would

be 0011891115550000 Your endpoint's system may need to be rebooted.

4. Navigate back to the H.323/Gatekeeper setting5. Enter the following IP address: 192.148.244.115

Again, your endpoint may need to be rebooted6. Congratulations! You should now be registered with the Internet2

Commons Gatekeeper

Zeeshan Aamir

Global Dialing SchemeThe Global Dialing Scheme (GDS) provides

a structure for peering between gatekeepers, such that any endpoint associated with a ViDeNet zone may dial an endpoint in any other ViDeNet zone.

http://commons.internet2.edu/sitecoordinators.html

http://commons.internet2.edu/reggate

http://commons.internet2.edu/gds.html

See www.vide.net

Zeeshan Aamir

• Special Thanks Some information on the slides used from the

presentation of Megan Troyer

Technology Coordinator

The Ohio State University

Zeeshan Aamir

Site Coordinator Training:VC by VC