3com IP Conferencing Module Administration Guide

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IP Conferencing Module Administration Guide

3Com® Convergence Applications Suite VCX System Release 7.2

http://www.3com.com/

Part Number 900-0409-01 Published October 2006

3Com Corporation 350 Campus Drive Marlborough, MA 01752-3064

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2.101(a) and as

CONTENTS

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Conventions 7

Notices 7

Text 8 Related Documentation 8 Comments 9

1 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

Overview 11 Conference Types 12 Conference Feature Matrix 13 Conference Names (IDs) 14 Access Controls 15

Public Conferences 15

Restricted Conferences 15

Scheduled and Meet Me 15 Instant and Emergency 15

Licensing 16

Maximum Server Capacity 16

G.729 Codec Assignment 16

Media Type 16 Port Type Assignment 17

Total Number of Ports Available 18

Port Usage per Conference 18

Overbook Ports for Scheduled Conferences 18 Distributed Conferencing 18

Conference Distribution Mechanism 19

Conference Server Roles (Routing and Hosting) 19

Database Redundancy 19

High Availability 20

Hostname Usage 20

System Upgrades 20 Configuration Options 20

Configuration Option 1: Single Server 20 Configuration Option 2: Dual Server 20 Configuration Option 3: Four to Twelve Servers 21 Distributed Conferencing example (multiple servers) 22

Distributed Presence 22

Mapping Table for Presence and Conference Provisioning 23

Global Directory of VCX Users 23 Audio CODECs 24 Video CODECs 24

2 ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

Logging in through the Web Console 25

Regular User Privileges 25

Administrative Privileges 26

Logging in as an Administrator 26

Logging in as a Regular User 27

Logging out 28 Managing User Accounts 28

Assigning Administrative Privileges 28

Changing the Super User’s Password 29

Adding an E-mail Address 29

Adding Another User’s E-mail Address 29

3 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Configuring the Global Parameters 31 Configuring the Conference Server Parameters 32 Configuring the Conferencing Parameters 34

Configuring the Digit Map for DTMF Dialout 37

Programming the Digit Map 38

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters 39

Multi-office Configuration 40 Managing the Local Domain Configuration 40

4 PRESENCE SERVER

What is the Presence Server? 43 Configuring the Presence Server 44 Configuring Distributed Presence 46

Conference Provisioning 47 Global Directory of Users 47 Adding Distributed Presence/Conference Provisioning Entries 48 Editing Distributed Presence/Conference Provisioning Entries 49

Starting and Stopping the Presence Server 50

5 MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Power Cycling 53 Managing the Status of Key Processes 53 Managing the Status of the Conference Servers 55 Database Backup and Restore 57

Backing up the Database 57 Restoring the Database 58 Restoring the Database on the Master (primary) Server 59

Manual Database Switchover 60

Manual Switchover to Master Database 61 Manual Switchover to Slave Database 61

Managing the Error and Debug Log Files 61

Log File Size Limits 62

Maximum Log File Size 62

Maximum Disk Space Usage 62 Viewing the Log Files 63 Changing the Log File Threshold for an Application 63

Changing or upgrading the License Key 65

6 OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Register Your Product 67 Purchase Value-Added Services 67 Troubleshoot Online 68 Access Software Downloads 68 Telephone Technical Support and Repair 68 Contact Us 69

7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE

Supplementary Copyright Information 71

Net-SNMP License 71 Xerces License 72

GLOSSARY

INDEX

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide describes how to set up, maintain, and provision the 3Com® IP Conferencing Module of the 3Com Convergence Applications Suite.

This guide is for network operations, internal support, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems planning personnel. Users of this document should have a thorough knowledge of telecommunications, IP telephony technology, and networks.

Release Notes are issued with some products. If the information in the release notes differs from the information in this guide, follow the instructions in the release notes.

Conventions This section describes notice, text, and figure conventions.

Notices Tab le 1 lists notice icons.

Ta bl e 1 Notice Icon Descriptions

Icon Notice Type Description

Information note Information that describes important features or

Caution Information that alerts you to potential loss of

Warning

instructions

data or potential damage to an application, system, or device

Information that alerts you to potential personal injury

8 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Te xt Ta bl e 2 lists text conventions.

Ta bl e 2 Text Convention Descriptions

Convention Description

Screen displays This typeface represents information as it appears on the

screen.

Commands The word “command” means that you must enter the

command exactly as shown and then press Return or Enter. Commands appear in bold. Example:

To remove the IP address, enter the following command:

SETDefault !0 -IP NETaddr = 0.0.0.0

Words in italics Italics are used to:

n Emphasize a point.

n Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in

the text.

n Identify menu names, menu commands, and software

button names. Examples:

From the Help menu, select Contents.

Click OK.

Comments 9

The following documents are a part of the IP Messaging Module:

n IP Messaging Module Product Overview

n IP Messaging Module Quick Reference Guide - 3Com Native Interface

n IP Messaging Module User Guide - 3Com Native Interface

n IP Messaging Module Quick Reference Guide - Traditional Interface

n IP Messaging Module User Guide - Traditional Interface

n IP Messaging Module Operations and System Administration Guide

n E-Mail Reader Application Quick Start Guide

The following documents are a part of the IP Conferencing Module:

n IP Conferencing Module Installation Guide

n IP Conferencing Module User Guide

n IP Conferencing Module Administration Guide

n Convergence Center Client User and Administration Guide

The following documents provide information on products that support this release:

n Enterprise Management Suite User Guide

n Enterprise Management Suite Getting Started Guide

n V7111 Analog Media Gateway Fast Track Installation Guide

n V7111 Analog Media Gateway User Guide

n V6000 Analog Media Gateway Fast Track Installation Guide

n V6000 Analog Media Gateway User Guide

n V7122 Digital Media Gateway Fast Track Installation Guide

n V6100 Digital Media Gateway Fast Track Installation Guide

n V7122 and V6100 Digital Media Gateway User Guide

Comments Send e-mail comments about this guide or about any Voice product

documentation to:

VOICE_Techcomm_comments@3com.com

Include the following information with your comments:

n Document title

10 ABOUT THIS GUIDE

n Document part number (found on the front page)

n Page number

n Your name and organization (optional)

Example:

IP Conferencing Module User Guide System Release 7.1

Part Number 900-0350-01 Page 25

Please address all questions regarding 3Com software to your authorized 3Com representative.

3COM IP CONFERENCING

MODULE OVERVIEW

This chapter provides an overview of the principal features of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module conferences or presence services.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Overview

n Conference Types

n Conference Feature Matrix

n Conference Names (IDs)

n Access Controls

n Licensing

n Port Ty pe Assignment

n Distributed Conferencing

n Distributed Presence

™

. Study it before attempting to configure

n Audio CODECs

n Video CODECs

Overview The 3Com IP Conferencing Module is a multi-party conference

management program that supports a variety of communication modes and conference types. Users can participate in conferences that include voice, video, desktop sharing services, and instant messaging.

The 3Com IP Conferencing Module supports a variety of communication modes:

n Voice for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) devices and analog phones

n Video for the 3Com Convergence Center Client

12 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

n Desktop sharing for the 3Com Convergence Center Client

n Instant messaging for the 3Com Convergence Center Client.

The 3Com Convergence Center Client includes the Presence Server, which collects and distributes the online status information of users.

Conference Types The following conference types are supported:

Scheduled — When a user sets up a scheduled conference, the required system resources are reserved for a defined period of time. After the conference ends, the resources become available again. User access can be restricted (password-protected) or public (accessible to anyone who knows the conference name). Scheduled conferences are configured on the web console.

Meet Me — Meet Me conferences are “always on,” without a scheduled start and end time. They are intended for informal meetings organized by regular users, and can be started only if sufficient resources are available on the system. User access can be restricted or public. Meet Me conferences are configured on the web console.

Ad Hoc — An Ad Hoc conference starts when the first user joins it. No configuration is required on the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. To activate the conference, the user simply dials a special prefix that has been set up by the administrator. Other users can join the conference by dialing the same prefix; no password is required. Ad Hoc conferences offer the same features as Meet-Me conferences for a maximum of six participants.

Instant — An instant conference starts as soon as the first participant calls it and dials the Conference Start PIN. The system then calls all other conference participants, who can join immediately or call the conference at a later time. If calling at a later time, users will be required to enter a password if the conference is restricted. Instant conferences can be configured by regular users on the web console.

Emergency — Emergency conferences are the same as instant conferences with the following exceptions:

n The system can be programmed to alert users that an emergency

conference is in progress by continuously ringing an alarm, flashing light, or other notification device.

Conference Feature Matrix 13

n Individual user extensions can be programmed with a line monitoring

feature that causes a lamp to flash whenever an emergency conference is in progress. The user connects to the conference by pressing the button located beside the lamp.

n Emergency conferences can be configured only by administrators.

Conference Feature Matrix

Ta bl e 3 lists the features that are available with each type of

conference—scheduled, Meet Me, Ad Hoc, Instant, and Emergency. For detailed feature descriptions, refer to the conference programming instructions in the IP Conferencing Module User Guide.

Ta bl e 3 Conference feature matrix

Conference Type

Feature

Set up on web console Yes Yes Yes Yes

Set up by dialing a special prefix Yes

Defined start and end time Yes

Recurrence option Yes

Number of ports allocated for conference users (default)

Maximum number of participants per conference (global limit)

Maximum duration of conference defined by conference creator/moderator

Supported media types (subject to licensing):

Audio Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Instant Messaging Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Video Yes Yes Yes

Desktop Sharing Yes Yes Yes

Conference types:

Public - No authentication. Yes Yes

Restricted - Password authentication. Yes Yes Yes Yes

Web console controls available to moderators:

Participant access control lock Yes Yes Yes Yes

Extend conference Yes

Scheduled Meet-me Ad Hoc Instant Emergency

25 + 5

floater ports

Set by

administrator

8 hrs

shared between Meet-me/Ad hoc/Instant/Emergency

Set by

administrator

Always Public

3 to 30

Set by

administrator

Yes Yes

100

14 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

Table 3 Conference feature matrix (continued)

Audio control: Open mode, Moderator Lecture mode, Isolate Participant mode

Video control: Open mode, Moderator Lecture mode, Isolate Participant mode

Disconnect participants Yes Yes Yes Yes

Touch tone controls available to moderators:

Terminate conference Yes Yes Yes Yes

Dial out and add participants to conference Yes Yes Yes Yes

Participant access control lock Yes Yes Yes Yes

Extend conference Yes

Mute and un-mute all participant voices Yes Yes Yes Yes

Mute and un-mute own voice Yes Yes Yes Yes

Hear a private roll call of all participants Yes Yes Yes Yes

Touch tone controls available to all participants:

Mute and un-mute own voice Yes Yes Yes Yes

Hear a private roll call of all participants Yes Yes Yes Yes

Automated conference announcements:

First in conference Yes Yes Yes Yes

Next in conference Yes Yes Yes Yes

Leave conference Yes Yes Yes Yes

End of conference first warning Yes

End of conference final warning Yes

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes Yes

Conference Names (IDs)

Every conference is identified by a unique SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (SIP URI) that is assigned when the conference is created. The SIP URI has a name portion and a server host portion. For example:

sip:7000@10.1.0.238

name server host

Only the name portion is required to connect the conference. Internal callers (callers within the enterprise) can simply dial the name and be connected directly. External callers (callers on the PSTN) must first dial the

Access Controls 15

Conference Attendant and then dial the name when prompted. Optionally, callers can dial the full SIP URI to reach the conference.

Conference names are always numeric (e.g. 7000). When users create a new conference, they can select a name from a block of numbers made available by the administrator (for example, any number between 7200 and 7299), or they can leave the conference name field blank, in which case the system will automatically assign a name from the available block of numbers.

In a multi-server configuration, the servers share a common range of numeric conference names (IDs). It is not possible to assign separate ranges to the individual servers in the pool.

Access Controls Conferences can be created with or without access controls.

Public Conferences Public conferences are unrestricted and open to anyone without the need

to authenticate or enter a passcode. The caller is only required to know the numeric conference ID.

Restricted

Conferences

Users access a restricted conference by authenticating themselves to the system. The authentication method varies depending on the conference type.

Scheduled and Meet Me

To access a restricted Scheduled or Meet Me conference, users are required to dial the numeric conference name and then enter a passcode to authenticate themselves and be added to the Participant Control List for the conference.

Instant and Emergency

When a restricted Instant or Emergency starts, the system calls a list of users and invites them to participate. Users who answer this call and press the # key are automatically authenticated and connected to the conference. Users who call the conference after it has started will be prompted to authenticate themselves by entering the Join PIN.

Users can call a conference after it has started by dialing the numeric conference name, or, if their extension has been programmed to support

16 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

Emergency Conference Notification, by pressing the appropriate line key on their telephone.

Licensing The 3Com IP Conferencing Module is activated by a set of license keys

that you must acquire from 3Com. There is a separate license key for each application:

n conference server

n conference attendant server

n presence server

The following feature levels are also controlled by the license keys:

Maximum Server

Capacity

G.729 Codec

Assignment

Media Type Defines which media types are supported by the conferences hosted on

For the conference server, this feature controls how many users can participate in conferences simultaneously. For example, if you purchase a license for 100 users, then a maximum of 100 ports are available on the server at any one time for conference participants.

For the conference attendant, this feature controls how many users can connect to the attendant IVR simultaneously.

For the conference server, this feature controls the number of ports that are available for G.729 connections. For example, if you assign 30 ports from a 100-port license to G.729, then these ports can use G.729 or any other supported codec (G.711, etc). The remaining ports cannot use G.729.

For the conference attendant, this feature controls how many users can connect to the attendant IVR simultaneously with G.729.

The number of ports you make available to G.729 depends on the processing capacity of your server. If you have a high-capacity server, you can allocate more ports to G.729.

the server. You can purchase support for audio, video and desktop sharing. This feature applies only to the conference server.

All licensing parameters are defined on a per-server basis.

Port Type Assignment 17

Port Type Assignment

The 3Com IP Conferencing Module connects to the network via ports. When you configure the ports in your system, you can subdivide them by type in order to optimize resource usage. For example, if your users hold a large number of impromptu meetings, then you should allocate most of your available ports to Meet-me and Ad Hoc conferences.

Available port types are illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Distribution of Port Types

Announcement

Floater

Conference

ports

1 Announcement ports — Used to deliver messages to users who are too

early or late to connect to a conference, or who attempt to join a conference that is locked or full. Announcement ports are available to deliver messages for all conference types (scheduled, meet-me, ad hoc, instant and emergency). By default, five ports are designated as announcement ports.

Scheduled

Non-Scheduled

2 Floater ports — Enables users to join conferences that are full, and

allows conferences to start when the system is near its maximum capacity. In the first example, if a conference has reached its provisioned limit of ten users and another wants to join, the extra user can be accommodated with a floater port. In the second example, if there are three conference servers, each of which is hosting a conference, and a user attempts to start another conference, the extra conference can be accommodated with floater ports. Depending on the total number of ports available, the system may support fewer users than actually provisioned for the extra conference.

3 Scheduled ports — Ports reserved for scheduled conference users. By

default, there are 25 scheduled ports.

18 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

4 Non-Scheduled ports — Ports reserved for Meet-Me, Ad Hoc, Instant

and Emergency conference users. By default, 25 ports are reserved for these types of conferences.

Total Number of Ports

Available

Port Usage per

Conference

Overbook Ports for

Scheduled

Conferences

The total number ports that you configure should equal the maximum server capacity (total number of licensed users). This can be expressed as:

Announcement ports Floater ports Scheduled ports Non-Scheduled ports maximum server capacity

When a conference starts, three ports are automatically allocated to it. Additional ports are allocated as more users join the conference. If any users fail to join, their ports remain available for use. For example, if you configure a scheduled conference for 10 users but only six participate, four ports will remain available for use by other scheduled conferences.

Overbooking allows you to reserve more ports for conferences than are actually available. Suppose you have 100 scheduled conference ports and that these are entirely booked for meetings. If the “overbook” parameter is set to 25, you can still schedule conferences for another 25 users.

Overbooking assumes that all users who are scheduled to attend often do not attend, which usually leaves unused ports available. In the rare case that all ports are scheduled and all people attend the meeting—including those who are overbooked—the last people to call into any meeting would not be able to get through.

Distributed Conferencing

In its standard configuration, the 3Com IP Conferencing Module concentrates all applications and processes on a single server. This limits the system to supporting a maximum of 300 conference participants at any one time.

In a distributed configuration, the applications and processes are assigned to multiple servers. A fully equipped system with twelve servers in a pool (ten for conferencing; two for provisioning, presence and database redundancy) can support up to 3,000 concurrent conference participants. Smaller systems with fewer servers can also be implemented.

Distributed Conferencing 19

Users employ a single web console to set up and manage their conferences, regardless of how many servers are installed.

To achieve maximum system capacity, the IBM xSeries 346 platform is required. Capacity is reduced with the IBM xSeries 306 platform.

Conference

Distribution

Mechanism

Conference Server

Roles (Routing and

Hosting)

When a new conference starts, the system uses the “best fit” distribution mechanism to assign it to the server in the pool that has the least available capacity (assuming that G.711 will be used for all connections, and that the conference will host the maximum possible number of users). If a server cannot be found with sufficient capacity, the conference is refused.

Conferences in a distributed system are handled by a pool of up to ten servers. The individual servers in the pool can host conferences, route callers to conferences, or perform both functions. A server in the routing role completes the following steps when a caller dials a conference:

n Receives the initial SIP INVITE message from the caller to the

conference.

n Uses the “best fit” distribution method to determine which server

should host the conference, or discovers which server is already hosting the conference.

n Redirects the caller to the conference.

Routing can be performed by any conference server in the pool. Simply configure the VCX dial plan so that calls are forwarded to the appropriate destination. If you have only one conference server (an “all-in-one” implementation), then only one route is required. If you have two or more conference servers, then at least two routes are required to provide redundancy. You can optimize system efficiency by assigning the routing role to all servers in the pool, or by restricting the number of ports available for conferencing on the “routing” conference servers.

Database

Redundancy

Database redundancy is provided to ensure that the system remains available in the event that a server fails. A single database pair (master and slave) is supported. The slave maintains a copy of the master using MySQL database replication. In the event that the slave cannot communicate with the master for ten minutes, switchover occurs. Manual switchover is also possible. Manual switchover is required whenever one of the application servers attempts to connect to the

20 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

wrong database server. (Note that this set-up only provides redundancy for server failure, not network failure.)

High Availability High availability is not provided as part of the solution. Each conference

runs on a single server, and if that server fails, then the conference participants are required to re-dial the conference and connect to a different server through the distribution mechanism described above.

Hostname Usage The servers in a distributed conferencing system will have distinct host

names. However, the domain name portion of conference addresses (@domain) will be the same for all conferences.

System Upgrades Following the initial implementation, the system can be upgraded in

order to increase system capacity or provide database redundancy. For example, adding a second server to a single-server implementation will provide database redundancy.

Upgrades can be performed at any time on fully operational systems. There is no need to disable any applications that are currently running when you add a new server.

Configuration

Options

Three basic configurations are possible. The type you select depends on the number of servers that are available, plus their processing capacity.

Configuration Option 1: Single Server

If you only have one server, then all components must be installed on it. Distributed conferencing is not a feature of this “all-in-one” solution.

Components installed on single server:

n conference server/conference attendant server

n presence server (if purchased)

n VCX user database

n conferencing and presence database

n web console server.

Configuration Option 2: Dual Server

If you have two servers, then both can host conferences. Implement database redundancy by installing the master database on one server and

Distributed Conferencing 21

the slave database on the other. Implement routing redundancy by configuring the SIP server to forward SIP INVITEs to both servers.

Components installed on the primary server:

n conference server/conference attendant server

n presence server (if purchased)

n VCX user database

n conferencing and presence database (initial master)

n web console server.

Components installed on second server:

n conference server/conference attendant server

n conferencing and presence database (initial slave).

Configuration Option 3: Four to Twelve Servers

If you have between four and twelve servers, configure the first server as a “provisioning” server by installing the web console server, presence server, VCX user database, and master database on it. Configure the second server with the slave database and, optionally, the conference server. Configure all other servers in the pool with the conference server. To ensure routing redundancy, configure the SIP server to forward SIP INVITEs to at least two servers in the pool.

Components installed on primary server:

n presence server (if purchased)

n VCX user database

n conferencing and presence database (initial master)

n web console server.

Components installed on secondary server:

n conferencing and presence database (initial slave).

Components installed on all other servers:

n conference server/conference attendant server.

22 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

Distributed Conferencing example (multiple servers)

Figure 2 Distributed conferencing example configuration - Seven servers

Conference installation

conferencing conferencing conferencing conferencing

- master db

- user db

- web console

- presence (optional)

Primary

- slave db

- routing

SIP server

IP-PBX

- conferencing

- routing

Secondary

Distributed Presence

User 1

User 2

1 A dial plan is used to redirect the initial call to a routing conference server.

2 The routing conference server uses the “best fit” distribution mechanism

to redirect the call to the conference server with the least available capacity (assuming that G.711 will be used for all connections, and that the conference will host the maximum possible number of users).

3 The user device calls the conference server specified by the routing

conference server and the conference is set up.

By default, presence information is concentrated on a single server—the primary server of the installation. However, you can distribute presence information across the enterprise by adding more installations of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. Each installation has a single Presence server that is associated with one or more VCX systems.

Distributed Presence 23

For example, if you have two Presence servers and six VCX systems, then you can associate each Presence server with three VCXs. illustrates this example.

Figure 3 Distributed Presence example - six VCXs and two Presence servers

Figure 3

Mapping Table for

Presence and

Conference

Provisioning

Chicago

VCX

systems

IP Conferencing Module installations

Detroit

Installation A

Primary server

includes presence

conferencing

server

New York

Secondary server

conferencing

server

Houston

Primary server

includes presence

conferencing

Dallas

Installation B

Secondary server

server

conferencing

Phoenix

server

The link between Presence servers and VCX systems is made with mapping table entries. In a distributed environment with multiple Presence servers and VCXs, identical mapping table entries must be added to each installation of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. In a non-distributed environment with one Presence server and one VCX, only one mapping table entry is required, which defaults to the values specified during the initial software installation.

Global Directory of

VCX Users

For each entry on the mapping table, you must specify whether Conference Provisioning is either allowed or denied. Selecting “allowed” enables users on other installations to provision conferences on the 3Com IP Conferencing Module that is associated with the local Presence Server. Selecting “denied” prevents non-local users from provisioning conferences.

For details, see Adding Distributed Presence/Conference Provisioning

Entries.

In addition to adding the mapping table entries, you must also add the Global Directory of VCX users to each installation of the 3Com IP

24 CHAPTER 1: 3COM IP CONFERENCING MODULE OVERVIEW

Conferencing Module. A properly configured Global Directory that includes entries for all regional offices (Chicago, Detroit, New York, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix in the above example) enables users to track the presence status of their buddies located throughout the network. For details, see

Audio CODECs The 3Com IP Conferencing Module supports conference participants using

any combination of the supported CODECs (the audio conferencing

trans-codes as required). Currently, the following CODECs are supported:

n G.711 A-law (pcma)

n G.711 Mu–law (pcmu)

n G.729

n G.721

n DVI ADPCM

n GSM.

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters.

server

Video CODECs The 3Com IP Conferencing Module distributes H.261 and H.263 video

from each conference participant to all other conference participants.

ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

This chapter describes how to log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module and maintain administrative accounts.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Logging in through the Web Console

n Managing User Accounts

Logging in through the Web Console

Regular User

Privileges

You can log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module web console using Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. The 3Com IP Conferencing Module can be used by administrators to manage the system and user accounts.

For more information on presence, see Presence Server.

Account information for regular users is imported into the 3Com IP Conferencing Module from the VCX system. If user information (name, SIP address, etc.) for a regular user requires updating, this must be done on the VCX system, not the 3Com IP Conferencing Module.

A regular user has the authority to do the following in the 3Com IP Conferencing Module:

n Manage their Presence Access Control List

n Add their personal e-mail address

n Add Scheduled and Meet-me conferences

n View all Scheduled conferences*

n View their own Meet-me conferences*.

* For which the user is the conference owner or moderator.

26 CHAPTER 2: ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

Administrative

Privileges

On installation, a single super user is created. This super user cannot create other users. Users are imported from the VCX system. The super user is purely local to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module, cannot be deleted, and has administrative privileges that cannot be removed. The super user can assign administrative privileges to other users that have been imported from the VCX system. All users with administrative privileges can assign or remove administrative privileges from all users except the super user.

Administrators can access the following options through the Admin menu of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module:

n System Configuration — Contains parameters which control the

operation of the entire system. Includes global configuration, conference server configuration, local domains, presence settings, XML database import settings, and licensing information.

n User List — The complete list of user accounts. Administrators can

select accounts from the list and review them in detail. They can also perform limited updates (change passwords, add e-mail addresses) to the accounts. The addition or deletion of users must be done on the VCX system.

n Monitor Servers — The Monitor Servers screen, where

administrators can check, start, and stop system processes.

Logging in as an

Administrator

The super user has a user name root and a default password of root. All administrators have the same authority as the super user. They can add and update administrative accounts, and they can change the password or e-mail address for regular user accounts. Note, however, that passwords will be re-set after the next VCX database import. They also have the authority to monitor and update the system settings.

To log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module:

1 Enter this web address in the browser: http://hostname/presconf/

and press Enter.

Where <hostname> is your server’s domain name as configured during the software installation process.

The Login screen appears. See Figure 4.

Logging in through the Web Console 27

Figure 4 3Com IP Conferencing Module login screen

2 Log in as the super user:

n Enter User name root n Enter Password root

The user name and password are case-sensitive. The first time you log in, change the root administrator’s password (select Profile > Change Password) to prevent unauthorized personnel from accessing critical operating parameters.

Logging in as a

Regular User

3 Click Login.

4 The Conference List screen appears. This screen provides access to the full

functionality of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module.

Regular users log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module by entering the user name and password that has been provided to them by the administrator. Unless they have administrative privileges, regular users will not have access to the Admin menu. As such, they cannot administer the system, view the list of user accounts, or monitor the server processes.

To access the 3Com IP Conferencing Module and log in as a regular user:

1 Enter this web address in the browser: http://hostname/presconf/

and press Enter. Where hostname is the domain name or IP address of the host running

the 3Com IP Conferencing Module.

The Login screen appears.

2 Enter the user name and password assigned to you by the administrator.

28 CHAPTER 2: ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

An example of a user name is 270

3 Click Login. The Conference List screen appears.

Logging out To sign out from the 3Com IP Conferencing Module:

From the upper right-hand corner of the screen, select LOGOUT. See

Figure 5.

Figure 5 LOGOUT button

Managing User Accounts

Assigning

Administrative

Privileges

This section includes the following topics:

n Assigning Administrative Privileges

n Changing the Super User’s Password

n Adding an E-mail Address

Administrators can assign administrative-level privileges to regular users. Regular user accounts are added in the VCX system.

To assign administrative privileges to a user:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > User List.

The User List screen appears.

3 Locate a user in the User ID column. Use the Search field if necessary.

Users are identified by the name portion of their SIP ID. For example, a user with a SIP ID of sip:270@10.1.0.238 will display as 270 on the User List.

4 Click the user’s ID.

The User Information screen appears.

5 Select Profile > Access Control.

The Access Control screen appears.

6 Click Yes to assign administrative privileges to the user.

7 Click Submit.

Managing User Accounts 29

The user has been assigned administrative privileges.

Administrative users are identified in the User List by the word admin appearing next to their name in the Groups column.

Changing the Super

User’s Password

Adding an E-mail

Address

The super user’s password should be changed immediately after logging in for the first time.

The instructions in this section are meant for the super user only. Regular users and administrators cannot change their passwords using the 3Com IP Conferencing Module.

To change the super user’s password:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as the super user.

2 Select Profile > Change Password.

The Change Password screen appears.

3 Enter the new password.

4 Re-enter the password in the Re-enter password for verification field.

5 Click Submit.

If your e-mail notification preference for presence is enabled (by default it is enabled) and your email address is set up, you will be notified by e-mail when other users add you to their Buddy List requesting permission to view your online status. An administrator can add an e-mail address for any user. Regular users can add their own e-mail address.

Adding Another User’s E-mail Address

This procedure requires administrative authority.

To add an e-mail address for another user:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrator.

2 Select Admin > User List.

The User List screen appears.

3 Locate a user in the User Name column. Use the Search field if necessary.

4 Click the user’s ID.

The User Information screen appears

30 CHAPTER 2: ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

5 Enter the Email address.

6 Click Submit.

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

This chapter describes how a system administrator configures the 3Com IP Conferencing Module operating parameters.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Configuring the Global Parameters

n Configuring the Conference Server Parameters

n Configuring the Conferencing Parameters

n Configuring the User Database Import Parameters

n Managing the Local Domain Configuration

Configuring the Global Parameters

You should review the default values of the tables in this chapter to ensure that they will work with your network.

To configure the global parameters:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

The System Configuration screen appears.

3 From quick links, select Global Configuration.

The Global Configuration screen appears.

4 Fill out the fields according to the descriptions in Tab le 4.

Ta bl e 4 Global Configuration fields

Field Description

The HTTP server, for this server e.g., www.example.com:

The HTTP (web) server address is set during installation and should normally be left unchanged.

32 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Table 4 Global Configuration fields (continued)

Configuring the Conference Server Parameters

The realm used in SIP prompts for authentication requests:

The email address of the administrator:

5 Click Submit.

To configure the parameters governing the setup and operation of the conference server:

In a distributed environment, these settings apply only to an individual conference server in the server pool.

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

The System Configuration screen appears.

This parameter is set by default to match the domain name provided during installation. It should not be changed.

The administrator’s email address is set during installation. Update this parameter only when the administrator’s email address changes. Web page and server failure information is sent to this address.

Note: Changes to the email address will not take effect until the conferencing engine (sipconf), and the presence server (sippeng) are restarted. For more information, see

Managing the Status of Key Processes.

3 From quick links, select Conference Servers.

The Conference Server screen appears.

4 From the Server Host column, select a conference server.

The Conference Server Configuration screen appears.

5 Fill out the fields according to the descriptions in Tab le 5.

Ta bl e 5 Conference server configuration fields

Field Description

Host name for running SIP conference server:

IP address for running the SIP conference server:

The domain name for the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. This parameter is set during installation and should not normally need to be changed.

The IP address of the interface you want the 3Com IP Conferencing Module to use. The IP address must be valid and be assigned to your server. If left blank, the first available interface will be used.

Configuring the Conference Server Parameters 33

Table 5 Conference server configuration fields (continued)

Port number for running SIP conference server:

Non-Scheduled Ports Number (NSPN):

Scheduled Ports Number (SPN):

Announcement Ports Number (APN):

Floater Ports Number (FPN):

Scheduled Ports Overbooking (SPO):

Directory to store all conference files:

The port number to be used by the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. This parameter is set during installation to the default port number 5060 and should not normally need to be changed.

The NSPN is the number of ports reserved for Meet-me, Ad Hoc, Instant, and Emergency conference users. By default, 25 ports are reserved for NSPN.

The SPN is the number of ports reserved for scheduled conference users. By default, 25 ports are reserved for SPN.

The APN is the number of ports reserved for conference announcements. By default, 5 ports are reserved for announcements.

The FPN enables users to join conferences that are full, and allows conferences to start when the system is near its maximum capacity. In the first example, if a conference has reached its provisioned limit of ten users and another wants to join, the extra user can be accommodated with a floater port. In the second example, if there are three conference servers, each of which is hosting a conference, and a user attempts to start another conference, the extra conference can be accommodated with floater ports. Depending on the total number of ports available, the system may support fewer users than actually provisioned for the extra conference.

Note: NSPN + SPN + APN + FPN = maximum server capacity.

The SPO is the number of ports reserved for ports to be reserved for scheduled conferences in excess of the SPN. For example, if the SPN is 100 and the SPO is 25, then scheduled conferences for a maximum or 125 users can be provisioned. Bear in mind, however, that the SPN limit is still in force, so only the first 100 callers will be allowed to join the conferences when they take place. The default value for the SBO is 5. Change it to a real number only if you determine that scheduled conferences in your network are regularly overbooked.

This is the directory used to store files uploaded for conferences. This parameter is set during installation and should normally be left unchanged. If this parameter is changed, then files previously uploaded to be shared amongst conference participants will no longer be available.

34 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Table 5 Conference server configuration fields (continued)

Conference server minimum audio port number (>10000):

Conference server maximum audio port number (<65535):

Conference server minimum video port number (>10000):

Conference server maximum video port number (<65535):

Conference server application sharing port number:

IP address for running the SIP conference attendant:

Port number for running SIP conference attendant:

3Com recommends that this setting not be changed. The numeric range of audio ports that the firewall integrated with the 3Com IP Conferencing Module will allow is between 26000 and 26999. Any value outside this range will cause audio problems.

3Com recommends that this setting not be changed. The numeric range of video ports that the firewall integrated with the 3Com IP Conferencing Module will allow is between 27000 and 27999. Any value outside this range will cause video problems.

3Com recommends that this setting not be changed. However, if the port on your firewall is changed, you must change it in this field also.

The IP address of the server running the conference attendant.

The IP port the conference attendant will bind to. If not specified, port 5092 will be used. Make sure the port you choose is not used by any other application on the system.

Configuring the Conferencing Parameters

6 Click Submit.

Changes to these parameters will not take effect until you restart the sipconf process using the commands in the Admin > Monitor Servers Screen.

To configure the parameters governing the setup and operation of conferences:

Configuring the Conferencing Parameters 35

In a distributed environment, these settings apply to all servers in the conference server pool.

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

The System Configuration screen appears.

3 From quick links, select Conferencing Configuration.

The Conferencing Configuration screen appears.

4 Fill out the fields according to the descriptions in Tab le 6.

Ta bl e 6 Conferencing Configuration fields

Field Description

Maximum participants per Scheduled/Meet-me conference created by non-administrative users:

Maximum duration per Scheduled/Meet-me conference created by non-administrative users (hours):

Maximum number of participants per instant conference:

Restrict conference names to be within a numeric range:

Enter the maximum number of users able to participate in a single Scheduled or Meet-me conference at any one time, when the conference is configured by a regular (non-administrative) user. The actual maximum may be less for scheduled conferences depending on the resources available at the scheduled time. This number is limited by the system license key and the port type designations. For details, see

Enter the maximum time in hours for the duration of a Scheduled/Meet-me conference. A conference cannot be extended past this maximum time. The default setting is 2 hours. You can chose from a range of 1 to 8 hours.

Enter the maximum number of users that can participate in instant conferences at any one time. The default is 10; the range is 3 to 30. This number is limited by the system license key and the port type designations. For details, see

Since conference names are required to be numeric, this field is read-only and displays true.

Licensing.

Conference name minimum numeric value:

Enter the lowest number available for the name of Scheduled, Meet-me, Instant, and Emergency conferences. This values maps to the VCX system’s dial plan. For example, if 7500 to 7599 has been reserved for conferences in the dial plan, enter 7500 as the minimum numeric value.

36 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Table 6 Conferencing Configuration fields (continued)

Conference name maximum numeric value:

Ad-hoc conference user name prefix:

Ad-hoc conference user name suffix:

Conference server sends instant message to all other participants when users join/leave:

Conference server will avoid g729 codec if client proposes other codecs in sdp:

Dtmf Roll Call messages will have an English participant count:

Standard users will be able to create instant conferences:

Scheduled Conferences: Early Meeting Start Time (EMST) (minutes):

Scheduled Conferences: Meeting Extension Time (EXMT) (minutes):

Enter the highest number available for the name of Scheduled, Meet-me, Instant, and Emergency conferences. This values maps to the VCX system’s dial plan. For example, if 7500 to 7599 has been reserved for conferences in the dial plan, enter 7599 as the maximum numeric value.

For Ad-hoc conferences, users can enter this prefix as the first part of the user name portion of the conference SIP URI. For example, with the prefix 96, users in a system with 4-digit extensions can initiate an ad hoc conference by dialing any number between 9600 and 9699. Up to five other users can access the conference by dialing the same number.

For Ad-hoc conferences, users can call conferences by entering this suffix as the last part of the user name portion of the conference SIP URI. Note that the suffix should contain one non-numeric character. For example, with the suffix .adhoc, users can call conferences with names like sales.adhoc or marketing.adhoc.

The Conferencing Server will send instant messages to participants of a conference notifying them when users join or leave. The default setting is disable.

The default setting is enable, which causes the Conferencing Server and Conference Attendant to select some other codec besides G.729, if the client proposes them.

By default, an English voice will sound during a conference Roll Call. For non-English speaking environments, this setting should be set to disable.

By default, regular users can create instant conferences. To limit the creation of instant conferences to administrative users, this setting should be set to disable.

Specifies the number of minutes prior to the start time of scheduled conferences that users will be allowed to connect if ports are available. The default is 15 minutes; the range is 15 to 30 minutes.

Specifies the number of minutes the system will automatically attempt to extend a scheduled conference that is nearing completion. The default is 15 minutes; the range is 15 to 30 minutes.

Configuring the Conferencing Parameters 37

Table 6 Conferencing Configuration fields (continued)

Primary Proxy Server for dialing out:

Secondary Proxy Server for dialing out:

Digit Map for DTMF dial out:

5 Click Submit.

Changes to these parameters will not take effect until you restart the sipconf process using the commands in the Admin > Monitor Servers screen.

Enter the hostname (IP address or domain name) of the primary proxy server. The system will add an @ followed by the hostname to dial-out addresses of instant and emergency conferences. The default value is the address of the VCX system from which the user database is imported.

Note: This parameter must be programmed to enable emergency and instant conferences to dial out to users.

Optionally, enter the hostname (IP address or domain name) of the secondary proxy server. This hostname is used for emergency and instant conferences if the primary proxy is not available.

Enter the digit map that defines the dial plan that is used by the DTMF dialout feature.

For example, [2-9]11|0T|011xxx.T|91[2-9]xxxxxxxxx|[1-8]xx

For details on how to program the digit map, see

Configuring the Digit Map for DTMF Dialout.

Configuring the Digit

Map for DTMF

Dialout

The DTMF Dialout feature enables the conference administrator or moderator to add a user to an ongoing conference by pressing *3 and then dialing the user’s extension, PSTN or mobile phone number. After answering this call, the user is prompted to join the conference by pressing #.

To facilitate the operation of DTMF Dialout, it is necessary to configure a digit map that defines the dial plan on the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. If the dial plan is correct for your enterprise and geographical location, the system will be able to recognize when the dialed number is complete and then immediately initiate a call. If the dial plan is incorrect, the system will fail to recognize the dialed number and the call will fail or be initiated prematurely.

38 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Programming the Digit Map

The digit map is defined during the initial software installation process. Thereafter, it can be updated on the Conferencing Configuration screen (see above).

Default digit map:

[1-7]XX|9XXXXXXXXXX|91XXXXXXXXX|9011.XT

n [1-7]XX - Internal extension rule (8 and 9 are excluded as prefixes).

n 9XXXXXXXXXX - Local rule with prefix.

n 91XXXXXXXXX - Long distance rule with prefix.

n 9011.XT - International rule with prefix.

Example of a more complex digit map:

[2-9]XX|0T|100|101|011xxx.T|9011xxx.T|1[2-9]xxxxxxxxx|91[2-9 ]xxxxxxxxx|9[2-9]xxxxxx|*xx|[8]xxx|[2-7]xx

n [2-9]XX - Emergency number rule.

n 0T - Local operator rule. After dialing zero the phone waits T seconds

and then initiates the call.

n 100 - Auto attendant default extension.

n 101 - Voicemail default extension.

n 011xxx.T - International rule without prefix.

n 9011xxx.T - International rule with prefix.

n 1[2-9]xxxxxxxxx - Long distance rule without prefix.

n 91[2-9]xxxxxxxxx - Long distance rule with prefix.

n 9[2-9]xxxxxx - Local rule with prefix.

n *xx - Two-digit star codes.

n [8]xxx - A three-digit extension prefixed with an 8 routes the call to

the voicemail of extension xxx.

n [2-7]xxx - A regular three-digit extension that does not start with 1,

8 or 9 is dialed immediately.

For a complete definition of the digit map syntax, refer to section 2.1.5 of RFC 3435, Media Gateway Control Protocol. The document is available at http://ietf.org/rfc/rfc3435.txt.

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters 39

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters

The 3Com IP Conferencing Module uses the user database file located on the VCX system to track user account information.

Depending on your system configuration, the user database file can contain users for a single office or for multiple offices. A multi-office file (or “Global Directory”) enables users located in different regional offices and branches to monitor each other’s presence status and hold inter-office multimedia conferences.

To configure the database import settings:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

3 From quick links, select XML User Database Import.

The XML User Database Import screen appears.

4 Fill out the fields according to the descriptions in Tab le 7.

Ta bl e 7 XML User Database Import fields

Field Description

Host name or IP address: The host name or IP address of the Primary VCX

Password: The password of the Primary VCX system. This value is

Full path to XML User info file on the call processor:

Daily user database import time (time zone):

system.

the Primary VCX system. This value is set during IP Conferencing Module installation. 3Com recommends that this setting not be changed.

set during the 3Com IP Conferencing Module installation. 3Com recommends that this setting not be changed.

The location of the user file on the VCX system. Use the exact path and file name used on the VCX.

For example:

/opt/3com/VCX/vcxdata/globaldir/output/masterDirectory.xml

3Com recommends that this setting not be changed.

The hour of the day that the system imports the latest user file from the VCX system. The 3Com IP Conferencing Module uses the file to obtain new user account information, and to update existing user account information. 3Com recommends that this setting not be changed.

40 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

5 Click Submit.

The Import the database now button allows you to override the synchronization interval by immediately updating user accounts.

If a user is added to and shortly thereafter deleted from the VCX system,

the deleted user may still appear in the imported user database file. This is because the VCX system generates an updated user database file every 10 minutes. The deleted user will be removed during the next synchronization.

Multi-office

Configuration

Managing the Local Domain Configuration

To enable users to interact with each other regardless of their location, it is important to program the VCX system in each regional office with appropriate dial plan routes and trusted endpoints. On the primary VCX system in each regional office, add routes leading to the following servers, plus define them as trusted endpoints:

n Local conference server(s)

n Local conference attendant server(s)

n Local Presence server

n Primary VCX server in each of the other regional offices.

For information on how to program the VCX dial plan and trusted endpoints, see the 3Com VCX Administration Guide.

The domain configuration screen lists the domain names and IP addresses for the local domain. The local domain requires one primary domain. It can also have one or more secondary domains that map into the primary domain. SIP messages addressed to the primary and secondary domains are handled locally.

Primary and secondary domains are automatically added during initial system installation. At that time, the administrator is required to enter the organization’s domain name — this becomes the primary domain. Secondary domains are derived from the server’s IP address and host name. For example, if the administrator configures a domain of “company.com” on a system with an IP address of “10.1.0.3” and a host name of “sipserver,” then the following local domain entries will be created:

n 10.1.0.3

Managing the Local Domain Configuration 41

n sipserver.company.com

n company.com.

Typically, there is no need for you to add extra domains or IP addresses. You should simply check that the default values created during initial system installation are correct. For installations where the host name is different from the domain name, there will be one primary domain and two secondary domains. For installations where the host name is the same as the domain name, there will be one primary domain and one secondary domain.

If the 3Com IP Conferencing Module IP address is changed, then a corresponding change must be made to the local domain’s configuration. The same holds true if the domain name is changed.

To add a domain or IP address:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

The System Configuration screen appears.

3 From quick links, select Local Domain Configuration.

The Local Domain Configuration screen appears. See Figure 6.

Figure 6 Local Domain Configuration

The Local Domain Configuration screen does not differentiate between the primary and secondary domains. To determine your primary domain, select Admin > System Configuration. Then select Global Configuration under quick links. The primary domain displays in the title of the Global Configuration screen.

4 In the text box, enter a domain name or IP address.

5 Click Add.

42 CHAPTER 3: SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

PRESENCE SERVER

This chapter introduces the Presence Server and describes how it is set up, administered, and used.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n What is the Presence Server?

n Configuring the Presence Server

n Configuring Distributed Presence

n Starting and Stopping the Presence Server

What is the Presence Server?

The Presence Server is an application that collects and distributes the online status information of users. Working with the 3Com Convergence Center Client and 3Com phones, the Presence Server informs users when their buddies are online and available, or are offline. The server instantaneously sends update information to the 3Com Convergence Center Client to reflect any change in user status. For example, if you are eating lunch at your desk and want to let your buddies know that you won’t be taking calls, you can change your online status to “meal”. A meal icon will automatically appear next to your name in your buddies’ Buddy List. The Presence Server handles the transmission of this information.

When using the Presence Server, administrators can:

n Configure the Presence Server

n Start, stop, and monitor the Presence Server

n Perform normal user tasks on behalf of users.

44 CHAPTER 4: PRESENCE SERVER

Configuring the Presence Server

The Presence Server must be set up by an administrator before it can be used.

To set up the Presence Server:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

The System Configuration screen appears.

3 From the quick links list, select Presence Server Configuration.

The Presence Server Configuration screen appears. See Figure 7.

Figure 7 Presence Server Configuration screen

Fill out the fields for this screen according to the descriptions in Tab le 8.

Ta bl e 8 Presence configuration fields

Field Description

Host name for running SIP Presence Server:

Port number for running SIP Presence Server:

The host name or IP address of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module hosting the Presence Server. This parameter is set during installation and should not normally need to be changed.

The port number where the Presence Server is running. Default is 5063. This parameter is set during installation and should not normally need to be changed.

Configuring the Presence Server 45

Table 8 Presence configuration fields (continued)

Registrar Address: The host name or IP address of the local SIP registrar.

Minimum accepted presence subscription duration (sec):

Maximum accepted presence subscription duration (sec):

4 When you have finished with the configuration, click Submit.

Changes to the parameters on this screen will not take effect until you restart the sippeng process using the commands in the Servers Monitoring screen.

This must be set to the IP address of the primary VCX system.

The minimum amount of time, in seconds, that a user can subscribe to presence information for another user (that is, “watch” another user). If a shorter period of time is specified, the Presence Server will refuse the subscription. 3Com recommends that these settings not be changed.

The maximum amount of time, in seconds, that a user can subscribe to presence information for another user (that is, “watch” another user). If a longer period of time is specified, the Presence Server will refuse the subscription. 3Com recommends that these settings not be changed.

46 CHAPTER 4: PRESENCE SERVER

Configuring Distributed Presence

Presence information can be processed by a single Presence server or, if your system has two or more installations of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module, across multiple Presence servers in a distributed environment.

To configure distributed presence, you must add mapping table entries that link the VCX systems to the Presence servers in your network. For example, if you have three VCX systems and a single Presence server, then you will require three mapping table entries. example.

Figure 8 Distributed Presence example - three VCX s and one Presence server

Figure 8 illustrates this

Chicago Detroit New York

VCX

systems

Installation A

Primary server

IP Conferencing Module

installation

Distributed Presence Mapping Table Entries

Primary Registrar Secondary Registrar Presence Server

Chicago 1 Chicago 2 Installation A Detroit 1 Detroit 2 Installation A New York 1 New York 2 Installation A

In another example, if you have six VCXs and two Presence servers, then you will require six mapping table entries, which you must add to both installations of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. Note that the entries must be identical.

Figure 9 illustrates this example.

includes presence

conferencing

server

Secondary server

conferencing

server

Configuring Distributed Presence 47

Figure 9 Distributed Presence example - six VCXs and two Presence servers

Chicago

VCX

systems

IP Conferencing Module installations

Distributed Presence Mapping Table Entries (added to both installations)

Detroit

New York

Houston

Installation A

Primary server

includes presence

conferencing

server

Primary Registrar Secondary Registrar Presence Server

Chicago 1 Chicago 2 Installation A Detroit 1 Detroit 2 Installation A New York 1 New York 2 Installation A

Houston 1 Houston 2 Installation B Dallas 1 Dallas 2 Installation B Phoenix 1 Phoenix 2 Installation B

Secondary server

conferencing

server

Primary server

includes presence

conferencing

Dallas

Installation B

Secondary server

server

conferencing

server

Phoenix

Conference

Provisioning

Global Directory of

Users

For each entry on the mapping table, you must specify whether conference provisioning is either allowed or denied. Selecting “allowed” enables users configured on the primary registrar of the VCX system to provision conferences on the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. Selecting “denied” prevents these users from provisioning conferences.

In addition to adding the mapping table entries, you must also add the Global Directory of users to each installation of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. This enables users to monitor the presence status of their buddies located throughout the network. For details, see

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters.

48 CHAPTER 4: PRESENCE SERVER

Adding Distributed

Presence/Conference

Provisioning Entries

Following the initial software installation, a single entry appears on the mapping table. It links the local Presence server to a single VCX. Add more entries to the mapping table if:

n the implementation includes more than one VCX system

n the implementation includes more than one Presence server

If the implementation includes more than one Presence server, then identical mapping table entries must be added to each installation of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module.

For each entry, you must also specify whether conference provisioning is either “allowed” or “denied” to users who are configured on the primary registrar of the VCX system.

To add a mapping table entry for distributed presence/conference provisioning:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

3 From the quick links list, select Distributed Presence and Conference

Provisioning.

The Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning screen appears:

Figure 10 Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning screen

The fields for this screen are described below:

Ta bl e 9 Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning fields

Field Description

Primary Registrar The host name or IP address of the primary VCX call

processor.

Secondary Registrar The host name or IP address of the secondary VCX call

processor (if it exists).

Configuring Distributed Presence 49

Table 9 Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning fields (continued)

Editing Distributed

Presence/Conference

Provisioning Entries

Presence Server URI The URI address of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module

Change Conference )Provisioning

In order to monitor presence and provision conferences, users must be contained in the Global Directory of Users downloaded to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. For details, see Configuring the

Import Parameters.

4 Add an entry for each VCX server pair in your network that is served by a

3Com IP Conferencing Module.

5 When you have finished with the configuration, click Add.

Changes to the parameters on this screen will not take effect until you restart the sippeng process using the commands in the Servers Monitoring screen.

hosting the Presence Server.

Selecting “allowed” enables users configured on the primary registrar of the VCX system to provision conferences on the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. Selecting “denied” prevents these users from provisioning conferences.

User Database

To edit a mapping table entry for distributed presence/conference provisioning:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Configuration.

3 From the quick links list, select Distributed Presence and Conference

Provisioning.

The Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning screen appears.

4 Select the Primary Registrar for the mapping table entry you want to

edit.

The Distributed Presence/Conference Provisioning screen appears.

50 CHAPTER 4: PRESENCE SERVER

Figure 11 Distributed Presence/Conference Provisioning screen

The fields for this screen are described below:

Ta bl e 10 Distributed Presence and Conference Provisioning fields

Field Description

Primary Registrar The host name or IP address of the primary VCX call

Secondary Registrar The host name or IP address of the secondary VCX call

Presence Server URI The URI address of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module

Change Conference )Provisioning

processor.

processor (if it exists).

hosting the Presence Server.

Starting and Stopping the Presence Server

5 When you have finished editing the entry, click Submit.

Once the Presence Server has been configured, it must be restarted before it can be used. An administrator can start or stop the Presence Server through the controls on the Monitor Servers screen.

To start or stop the Presence Server:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears. This screen lists the system processes, indicating their current state. The Presence Server is identified as sippeng in the Application column.

Starting and Stopping the Presence Server 51

3 Depending on the process you wish to perform, click on the following

controls:

n probe — determines the current state of the server

n stop — stops the server

n start — starts the server.

Taking the Presence Server through a power cycle (turning it off and on again), causes presence information to be unavailable for approximately one hour.

52 CHAPTER 4: PRESENCE SERVER

MAINTENANCE AND

TROUBLESHOOTING

This chapter contains information on how the 3Com IP Conferencing Module responds to unexpected events such as power outages, and how to perform recommended maintenance procedures such as database backups.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Power Cycling

n Managing the Status of Key Processes

n Managing the Status of the Conference Servers

n Database Backup and Restore

n Manual Database Switchover

n Managing the Error and Debug Log Files

n Changing or upgrading the License Key

Power Cycling When the 3Com IP Conferencing Module is unavailable due to

power-cycling or a reboot, users will not be able to connect to conferences. Existing calls will be affected by power cycling.

If you need to power-cycle the 3Com IP Conferencing Module, you should try to do so in an off-peak period to minimize loss of service.

Managing the Status of Key Processes

A functioning 3Com IP Conferencing Module has a set of core processes which must run in order for the conferencing and presence applications to work. Other applications require additional services to function.

54 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

To check the status of key processes, or to start or stop the processes:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears. See Figure 12. This screen lists the system processes, indicating their current state.

Figure 12 Monitor Servers screen

3 Check to see that the core processes and other applications are started:

Conferencing Server processes:

n confbridge — the conference attendant

n mysqld — the conference user information database

n sipconf — the conferencing server engine

n sippeng — the presence server

n vcxdb — acquires user information from the user database.

Managing the Status of the Conference Servers 55

In a distributed environment, some processes will be hosted on multiple 3Com IP Conferencing Modules. For example, in the example above, confbridge and sipconf are hosted on two different machines.

4 As required, enter the following process commands:

n probe — determines the current state of the process

n stop — stops a process

n start — starts a process.

When sippeng is stopped, all presence information is lost. New presence information will be collected when the sippeng process is restarted. This process can take up to one hour.

Managing the Status of the Conference Servers

The conference application can run on multiple 3Com IP Conferencing Modules. For example, an “all-in-one” implementation has a single conference server, while a fully equipped distributed implementation has ten conference servers (with two more servers reserved for provisioning and database redundancy).

To check the status of the conference servers:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Conferences > Conference Servers.

The Conference Servers screen appears. See Figure 13.

Figure 13 Conference Servers

3 View & edit the fields according to the descriptions in Ta bl e 11.

Ta bl e 11 Conference server configuration fields

Field Description

56 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Table 11 Conference server configuration fields (continued)

Server host: The domain name for the 3Com IP Conferencing

Active? Indicates whether or not the server is running. Start,

Server state Indicates whether the server is unlocked and can host

Service control Use the Service Control list box to control the

Server capacity The maximum number of concurrent conference

Non-Scheduled conference connected/maximum participant counts

Total Non-Scheduled conference connected/maximum participant counts

Non-Scheduled server capacity (NSPN)

Scheduled conference connected/maximum participant counts

Module. Select this field to go to the Conference Server Configuration screen for a particular server. For details, see,

Configuring the Conference Server Parameters

stop, and probe the server on the Monitor Servers screen. For details, see

Processes.

Note: There is a delay of approximately two minutes before changes made on the Monitor Servers screen are reflected on the Conference Servers screen.

new conferences, or is locked and cannot host new conferences.

conference server’s availability:

n To take the server out of service, select lock. The

server will allow current conferences to finish, but will not host any new conferences that are distributed to it.

n To bring the server into service, select unlock. The

server will host new conferences that are distributed to it.

connections that the server can support, as defined by the license key.

The current number of participants, and the configured maximum number of participants, for each Meet-me, Ad hoc, Instant, and Emergency conference hosted on the server. Click on a conference ID to go to its associated Conference screen.

The current number of participants, and the configured maximum number of participants, for all Meet-me, Ad hoc, Instant, and Emergency conferences hosted on the server.

The NSPN is the number of ports reserved for Meet-me, Ad Hoc, Instant, and Emergency conference users. NSPN + SPN + APN + FPN = maximum server capacity.

The current number of participants, and the configured maximum number of participants, for each Scheduled conference hosted on the server. Click on a conference ID to go to its associated Conference screen.

Managing the Status of Key

Database Backup and Restore 57

Table 11 Conference server configuration fields (continued)

Database Backup and Restore

Total scheduled conference connected/maximum participant counts

Scheduled Server Capacity (SPN + FPN)

Delete inactive server record

3Com applications make use of the MySQL database to store configuration and user information. It is good practice to back up this database periodically, preferably to an off-site location or removable media for safekeeping.

In the current release, the web interface does not have backup and restore functions, so this task must be done using the command line interface.

In a dual-database system, MySQL database replication is used to ensure that the server hosting the slave database has an up-to-date copy of the master database. Although a dual-server system reduces the need for backups, they should still be performed to guard against the possibility of database corruption or catastrophic site failure. If a database restore is required, it only needs to be performed on the master server, not the slave.

The current number of participants, and the configured maximum number of participants, for all Scheduled conferences hosted on the server.

The number of ports reserved for scheduled conference users, plus the number of floater ports available for conferences that have reached their provisioned limit.

Select in order to delete an inactive conference server from the 3Com IP Conferencing Module. The server must be stopped before this field can be selected. To stop the server, see

Processes.

Managing the Status of Key

Backing up the

Database

To obtain the most accurate backup of the current state of your system, you must shut down the 3Com IP Conferencing Module first, then perform the database backup while it’s idle. Service disruption can be minimized by scheduling backups or restores for off-peak hours such as the evening.

This takes about 2 minutes, depending on the performance of your server. It creates a backup file that you can copy to an off-site location removable media.

58 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

To back up the database:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

3 Use the Stop command to stop all processes that are running.

When sippeng is stopped, all presence information is lost. New presence information will be collected when the sippeng process is restarted. This process can take up to one hour.

4 Open a Linux window.

5 Change to the backup directory. This can be any directory on the server,

such as /opt.

6 From the command line, type

mysqldump --opt --all-databases >backup.sql

7 Copy the backup file from the backup directory to an off-site location or

removable media.

8 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

Restoring the

Database

9 Use the Start command to re-start all processes.

This takes about 2 minutes, depending on the performance of your server. You will need to copy the backup file to the server before you perform the restore.

Shared files for conferences are not backed up and restored with this procedure.

To restore the database:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

3 Use the Stop command to stop all processes that are running.

When sippeng is stopped, all presence information is lost. New presence information will be collected when the sippeng process is restarted. This process can take up to one hour.

Database Backup and Restore 59

4 Open a Linux window.

5 Change to the backup directory. This can be any directory on the server,

such as /opt.

6 Copy the backup file from the off-site location/removable media to the

backup directory.

7 From the command line, type

mysql <backup.sql mysqladmin flush-privileges

8 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

9 Use the Start command to re-start all processes.

Restoring the

Database on the

Master (primary)

Server

Use the following procedure to restore the database in a dual-database environment. You will need to copy the backup file to the master (primary) server before you perform the restore.

In a dual-database environment, perform the restore procedure only on the master server, not the slave. The slave database is created automatically from a “snapshot” of the master database.

To restore the database on the master (primary) server:

1 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

3 Use the Stop command to stop all processes that are running.

When sippeng is stopped, all presence information is lost. New presence information will be collected when the sippeng process is restarted. This process can take up to one hour.

4 Open a Linux window on the master server.

5 Change to the backup file directory. This can be any directory on the

master server, such as /opt.

6 Copy the backup file from the off-site location/removable media to the

backup directory.

7 From the command line, type

60 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

mysql <backup.sql mysqladmin flush-privileges

The restore MUST be made on the current MySQL master; to find out which machine is the current master, run:

mysql -e "SELECT * FROM sip.dbservers"

The output will look like this:

In this example, the restore must be performed on dbserver1.

8 After completing the restore, rebuild the slave database by running

"scripts/make_slave.sh" on the slave server. See

Slave Database.

9 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

Manual Switchover to

Manual Database Switchover

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

10 Use the Start command to re-start all processes.

For distributed systems, a single database pair (master and slave) is provided to ensure no single point of failure. Automatic switchover occurs if the slave cannot communicate with the master for ten minutes. Manual switchover is also possible using an SQL command.

The administrator may be required to perform a manual switchover if one or more of the application servers cannot access the database following a network failure.

To perform a manual database switchover, it is necessary to manually change the role of both servers. First change the slave to a master (both servers will be running master databases). Then change the original master to a slave. Stop all services prior to performing a manual database switchover.

Managing the Error and Debug Log Files 61

Manual Switchover

to Master Database

Manual Switchover

to Slave Database

To designate the local database as the master database:

1 Open a Linux command prompt.

2 Go to the install directory (/opt/3Com/VCX/presconf).

3 Typ e

./scripts/make_master.tcl

Make_master takes several seconds to complete for most installations.

To designate the local database as the slave database:

1 Open a Linux command prompt.

2 Go to the install directory (/opt/3Com/VCX/presconf).

3 Typ e

./scripts/make_slave.sh

For most installations, make_slave completes almost immediately. It may take a few extra seconds if the database is large.

Never designate both databases as slaves.

Managing the Error and Debug Log Files

During operation of the 3Com IP Conferencing Module, each application writes to two log files:

n Error log file — Contains error messages related to the application.

n Debug log file — Contains debugging information. Depending on the

application, this information can include:

n SIP activity

n SQL activity (reading and writing information to the database)

n Network activity

n Instant messaging activity (IMPP)

n Miscellaneous other activity for the application.

As soon as you start the server application processes, messages start being written to the active error and debug log files.

62 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

In addition to an active file, the system retains seven backup files — one for each day of the week — for each error and debug log. The backup process occurs nightly at 11:58 pm when the active file overwrites the backup file for the current day of the week. Debug log files are always backed up. Error log files are only backed up if new error messages have been recorded that day.

Ta bl e 12 Applications and associated log files

Application Application name Debug log file Error log file*

confbridge Conference bridge confbridge_errlog10_<day> error.txt_<day>

sipconf Conferencing server sipconf_errlog10_<day> error.txt_<day>

sippeng Presence server sippeng_errlog10_<day> error.txt_<day>

userDataImport (database import file) vcxdb_errlog10_<day> error.txt_<day>

* Where <day> is Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, or Sun.

Log File Size Limits On a busy system, the log files may grow quite large. For this reason,

there is a limit to the maximum size of the log files and to the total space they may use on the hard drive.

Maximum Log File Size

A single log file can cannot exceed 2 GB for an application. If a log file exceeds this limit, the system will write a message to the error log file (“Maximum log file size reached ...”) and stop writing debug and error messages for the application. No new messages will be written to the debug and error log files until the next night at 11:58 pm, when new files are started for the application.

Maximum Disk Space Usage

By default, an application can use no more than 80 percent of the disk partition where the 3Com IP Conferencing Module is installed (/opt). If this limit is exceeded, the system will write a warning message to the error log file (“Disk utilization has reached or is close to 80 percent ...”) and stop writing debug and error messages for the application. Logging stops for other applications with an 80 percent threshold as soon the system checks their resource status. (The system checks each application’s resource level every six minutes.) No new messages will be written to the debug and error log files until you free up resources by removing some logs from the disk.

Managing the Error and Debug Log Files 63

You can change the default level at which the system stops writing log files for an application. For example, you can set a low threshold of 50 percent for one application, a high threshold of 90 percent for another application, and leave all other applications at the default threshold of 80 percent. For details, see

Application.

Viewing the Log Files You can view (and if necessary edit) the log files with any text editor.

To view the log files:

1 ssh to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module and log in. 2 CD to /opt/logs

3 Change to an application directory. Options are:

n confbridge — the conference attendant

n sipconf — the conferencing engine

n sippeng — the presence server

n userDataImport — acquires user information from the user

database.

Changing the Log File Threshold for an

4 List the log files available in the application directory.

Changing the Log File

Threshold for an

Application

5 Use the less command to view or edit a log file.

For example, to view the current debug log file for the Conference Server, type:

less sipconf_errlog10

To view Thursday’s debug log file for the Conference Server, type:

less sipconf_errlog10_Thu

By default, all applications are configured to stop logging when the 3Com IP Conferencing Module disk partition (/opt) is 80 percent full. Optionally, you can set different log file thresholds for the applications. For example, you can configure one application to stop logging at 60 percent, another application to stop logging at 70 percent, and all other applications to stop logging at 80 percent (the default).

To update the log file threshold for an application, you need to edit the run-monitor script that manages the operation of the server applications.

64 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

The run-monitor contains a number other parameters in addition to the log file threshold parameter. 3Com recommends that you do not change the default values for these parameters.

To change the log file threshold for an application:

1 ssh to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module and log in. 2 CD to /opt/3com/VCX/presconf

3 Use vi to edit the run-monitor script:

vi run-monitor

4 Go to application configuration section of the script. Applications

available:

n confbridge — the conference attendant

n sipconf — the conferencing engine

n sippeng — the presence server

n userDataImport — acquires user information from the user

database.

5 To update the logging threshold for an application, enter a value between

0 and 100 for the -T parameter. For example, to change the threshold to 70 percent, enter -T 70. See

Figure 14.

Figure 14 Seting the Logging Threshold

6 Save the updated run-monitor script.

7 Log in to the 3Com IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

8 Select Admin > Monitor Servers.

The Monitor Servers screen appears.

9 For the application you have updated, click stop and start.

This causes the application to be restarted and the configuration updates to take effect.

Changing or upgrading the License Key 65

Changing or upgrading the License Key

If you have purchased new applications, or need to increase the number of users on your system, then you may need to upgrade your license key.

To change or upgrade the license key:

1 Log in to the IP Conferencing Module as an administrative user.

2 Select Admin > System Administration from the menu bar.

3 From quick links, select Licensing Information.

The License Information screen appears. See Figure 15.

Figure 15 Licensing Information

1 2

300 - 200 indicates that the conference server supports 300 concurrent connections, of which 200 are G.729-enabled.

1 - 1- 1 indicates that the conference server supports audio, video and desktop sharing media types.

10 - 10 indicates that the conference attendant supports 10 concurrent connections, of which all 10 are G.729-enabled.

4 You can add a new license string, or delete the old license from this

screen.

3Com creates and distributes the license keys. Each key must contain (in addition to other elements) a host name that is resolvable and accessible by the host that is running the web console server. Otherwise, the license key addition will fail and the web console will display an error message.

66 CHAPTER 5: MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING

OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Register Your Product

Purchase Value-Added Services

Warranty and other service benefits start from the date of purchase, so it is important to register your product quickly to ensure you get full use of the warranty and other service benefits available to you.

Warranty and other service benefits are enabled through product registration. Register your product at 3Com eSupport services are based on accounts that you create or have authorization to access. First time users must apply for a user name and password that provides access to a number of eSupport features including Product Registration, Repair Services, and Service Request. If you have trouble registering your product, please contact 3Com Global Services for assistance.

To enhance response times or extend warranty benefits, contact 3Com or your authorized 3Com reseller. Value-added services like 3Com Express and Guardian upgrades, onsite assistance or advance hardware replacement. Experienced engineers are available to manage your installation with minimal disruption to your network. Expert assessment and implementation services are offered to fill resource gaps and ensure the success of your networking projects. More information on 3Com maintenance and Professional Services is available at

http://www.3com.com/

can include 24x7 telephone technical support, software

http://eSupport.3com.com/.

Contact your authorized 3Com reseller or 3Com for a complete list of the value-added services available in your area.

68 APPENDIX 6: OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Troubleshoot Online

Access Software Downloads

You will find support tools posted on the 3Com web site at

http://www.3com.com/

3Com Knowledgebase helps you troubleshoot 3Com products. This query-based interactive tool is located at

http://knowledgebase.3com.com and contains thousands of technical

solutions written by 3Com support engineers.

Software Updates are the bug fix / maintenance releases for the version of software initially purchased with the product. In order to access these Software Updates you must first register your product on the 3Com web

http://eSupport.3com.com/

site at

First time users will need to apply for a user name and password. A link to software downloads can be found at under the Product Support heading at

http://eSupport.3com.com/, or

http://www.3com.com/

Software Upgrades are the software releases that follow the software version included with your original product. In order to access upgrades and related documentation you must first purchase a service contract from 3Com or your reseller.

Telephone Technical Support and Repair

To enable telephone support and other service benefits, you must first register your product at

http://eSupport.3com.com/

When you contact 3Com for assistance, please have the following information ready:

n Product model name, part number, and serial number

n Proof of purchase, if you have not pre-registered your product

n A list of system hardware and software, including revision level

n Diagnostic error messages

n Details about recent configuration changes, if applicable

Contact Us 69

To send a product directly to 3Com for repair, you must first obtain a return authorization number (RMA). Products sent to 3Com, without authorization numbers clearly marked on the outside of the package, will be returned to the sender unopened, at the sender’s expense. If your product is registered and under warranty, you can obtain an RMA number online at

http://eSupport.3com.com/. First time users will

need to apply for a user name and password.

and repair services. To access these services for your region, use the appropriate telephone number, URL or e-mail address from the list below.

Telephone numbers are correct at the time of publication. Find a current directory of contact information posted on the 3Com web site at

http://csoweb4.3com.com/contactus/

Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number

Asia, Pacific Rim Telephone Technical Support and Repair

Australia Hong Kong India

Indonesia Japan

Malaysia New Zealand Pakistan

You can also obtain support in this region using the following e-mail: apr_technical_support@3com.com

Or request a repair authorization number (RMA) by fax using this number: + 65 543 6348

Europe, Middle East, and Africa Telephone Technical Support and Repair

From anywhere in these regions, call:

From the following countries, you may use the numbers shown:

1 800 678 515 800 933 486 +61 2 9424 5179 or 000800 650 1111 001 803 61009 00531 616 439 or 03 3507 5984 1800 801 777 0800 446 398 +61 2 9937 5083

+44 (0)1442 435529

Philippines

P. R . o f C hi n a Singapore S. Korea Ta iw a n Thailand

1235 61 266 2602 or 1800 1 888 9469 800 810 3033 800 6161 463 080 333 3308 00801 611 261 001 800 611 2000

70 APPENDIX 6: OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Country Telephone Number Country Telephone Number

Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Hungary Ireland Israel Italy

You can also obtain support in this region using the following URL:

http://emea.3com.com/support/email.html

Latin America Telephone Technical Support and Repair

Antigua Argentina Aruba Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Bonaire Brazil Cayman Chile Colombia Costa Rica Curacao Ecuador Dominican Republic

You can also obtain support in this region using the following:

Spanish speakers, enter the URL:

http://lat.3com.com/lat/support/form.html

Portuguese speakers, enter the URL:

http://lat.3com.com/br/support/form.html

English speakers in Latin America should send e-mail to:

lat_support_anc@3com.com

01 7956 7124 070 700 770 7010 7289 01080 2783 0825 809 622 01805 404 747 06800 12813 1407 3387 1800 945 3794 199 161346

1 800 988 2112 0 810 444 3COM 1 800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 52 5 201 0010 1 800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 0800 13 3COM 1 800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112

Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland U.K.

Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Martinique Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Puerto Rico Salvador Trinidad and Tobago Uruguay Venezuela Virgin Islands

342 0808128 0900 777 7737 815 33 047 00800 441 1357 707 200 123 0800 995 014 9 021 60455 07711 14453 08488 50112 0870 909 3266

AT&T +800 998 2112 57 1 657 0888 AT&T +800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 571 657 0888 01 800 849CARE AT&T +800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 54 11 4894 1888 AT&T +800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 1 800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 AT&T +800 998 2112 57 1 657 0888

US and Canada Telephone Technical Support and Repair

1 800 876 3266

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF

Supplementary Copyright

THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE

3Com server software applications contain integrated third–party software. This chapter acknowledges this third–party software.

This chapter includes the following topics:

n Supplementary Copyright Information

3Com server software applications contain integrated third–party software which is covered under the following license agreements:

Information

Net-SNMP License Part 1: CMU/UCD copyright notice:

Derivative Work - 1996, 1998-2000

Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose and without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice appears in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation, and that the name of CMU and The Regents of the University of California not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific written permission.

CMU AND THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL CMU OR THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM THE LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.

Part 2: Networks Associates Technology, Inc. copyright notice (BSD)

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

72 CHAPTER 7: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE

Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

Neither the name of the Networks Associates Technology, Inc. nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Part 3: Cambridge Broadband Ltd. copyright notice (BSD)

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

The name of Cambridge Broadband Ltd. may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Xerces License The Apache Software License, Version 1.1

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

1 Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following

disclaimer.

2 Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the

following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

3 The end-user documentation included with the redistribution, if any, must include the following

acknowledgment:

“This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/).”

Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself, if and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.

4 The names “Xerces” and “Apache Software Foundation” must not be used to endorse or promote products

derived from this software without prior written permission. For written permission, please contact apache@apache.org.

5 Products derived from this software may not be called “Apache,” nor may “Apache” appear in their name,

without prior written permission of the Apache Software Foundation.

Supplementary Copyright Information 73

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE APACHE SOFTWARE FOUNDATION OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many individuals on behalf of the Apache Software Foundation and was originally based on software copyright © 1999, International Business Machines, Inc., http://www.ibm.com. For more information on the Apache Software Foundation, please see <http://www.apache.org/>.

74 CHAPTER 7: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE

GLOSSARY

Ad-hoc conference Preconfigured by an administrator, this conference is joined when a

user dials a special SIP URI. A maximum of 6 users can participate in an Ad-hoc conference.

CODEC Coder-Decoder. Transforms analog voice into digital bit stream and

vice-versa.

DHCP Dynamic Host Control Protocol. Dynamically assigns IP addresses to

network devices such as workstations IP phones and gateways. DHCP allows you to move network devices from one subnet to another without administrative attention.

DTMF Dual Tone Multi Frequency. The paired, high- and low-frequency tones

which make up touch tone dialing.

Emergency

Conference

ENUM E.164 Number Mapping. A protocol that maps telephone numbers

Gateway The server that connects the VoIP network with analog phones, PBXs

H.323 An ITU standard for transmitting audio, video and data conferencing

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. The protocol used by Web browsers and

Emergency conferences provide methods to notify users that their participation is required. Emergency confernces can be configured only by administrators.

(E.164 numbers) to URLs, making it possible to converge the PSTN and the Internet.

and PSTN trunks.

over IP-based networks. The H.323 standard recognizes the following endpoints in the network: H.323 terminals, gatekeepers, MCUs, and gateways.

Web servers to transfer files, such as text and graphic files.

76 GLOSSARY

Instant Conference An instant conference starts as soon as the first participant calls it and

dials the Conference Start PIN. The system then calls all other conference participants, who can join immediately or call the conference at a later time.

IP Address An identifier for a computer or device on a TCP/IP network. An IP

address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four numbers separated by periods. Each number can be zero to 255.

IVR Interactive Voice Response (IVR).

MAC address Media Access Control address. A hardware address that uniquely

identifies each node of a network.

MIB Management Information Base. A database of objects that can be

monitored by an SNMP network manager.

Meet-me conference Intended for informal meetings with no start or end time. Always

available provided that sufficient system resources are available.

MySQL Database used to store and access provisioning system and subscriber

feature data.

NAT Network Address Translation.

PBX Private Branch Exchange. Privately-owned central switching office.

Proxy Server An intermediate device that receives SIP requests from a client and then

initiates requests on the client's behalf.

PSTN Public Switched Telephone Network.

RTP/RTCP An Internet Protocol for transmitting real-time data such as audio and

video. RTP itself does not guarantee real-time delivery of data, but it does provide mechanisms for the sending and receiving applications to support streaming data.

Scheduled

conference

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol. A set of protocols for managing

Intended for formal meetings with a predetermined participant list and a scheduled start and end time.

networks. SNMP works by sending messages to different parts of a network. SNMP-compliant devices, called agents, store data about themselves in Management Information Bases (MIBs) and return this data to the SNMP requesters.

GLOSSARY 77

STUN Simple Traversal of UDP Through Network Address Translation.

TCP Transmission Control Protocol. One of the main protocols in TCP/IP

networks. TCP guarantees delivery of data and also guarantees that packets will be delivered in the same order in which they were sent.

78 GLOSSARY

UDP User Datagram Protocol. A connectionless protocol that, like TCP, runs

on top of IP networks. Unlike TCP, UDP provides very few error recovery services, offering instead a direct way to send and receive datagrams over an IP network. It is used primarily for broadcasting messages over a network.

URI Uniform Resource Identifier. A character string used to identify a

resource (such as a file) from anywhere on the Internet by type and location.

INDEX

access controls 15 ad hoc conferences 12 administrative privileges 26 Announcement Ports Number 17, 33 audio CODECs 24

Conference Names (IDs) 14 conference server parameters

APN 33 application sharing port 34 audio ports 34 conference attendant 34 file storage directory 33 FPN 33 host name 32 NSPN 33 port number 33 SPN 33 SPO 33 video ports 34

conferences

ad hoc 12 emergency 12 instant 12 Meet Me 12 public 15 restricted 15 scheduled 12

conferencing parameters

ad-hoc prefix 36 ad-hoc suffix 36 avoid G.729 36 DTMF roll call 36 EMST 36 instant message 36 maximum duration 35 maximum number of participants 35 maximum participants 35 meeting extension time 36 numeric conference name 35

proxy server for dialout 37

database backup 57 database import parameters

host name 39 login ID 39 password 39

path to user file 39 database restore 57 database switchover 60 debug log 61 distributed conferencing

conference server roles 19

configuration options 20

database redundancy 19

distribution mechanism 19

hostname usage 20

system upgrades 20 Distributed Presence

configuring 48

editing 49

overview 46

e-mail addresses 29 emergency conferences 12 error log 61

feature matrix 13 Floater Ports Number 17, 33

global parameters

admin e-mail address 32

HTTP server 31

realm 32

80 INDEX

instant conferences 12

license key

changing or upgrading 65

local domain

adding 41 managing 40 secondary domains 40

log file

changing threshold 63 maximum disk usage 62 maximum size 62 viewing 63

logging in 25

as a regular user 27 as an administrator 26

logging out 28

maintenance

changing log file threshold 63 checking processes 53, 55 database backup 57 database restore 57 database switchover 60 debug log 61 error log 61 log file size limits 62 power cycling 53 viewing log files 63

Meet Me conferences 12

passwords

changing 29 port type assignment 17 power cycling 53 Presence Server

configuring 44

overview 43

starting and stopping 44, 46, 50 public conferences 15

scheduled conferences 12 Scheduled Ports Number 17, 33 Scheduled Ports Overbooking Number 18, 33 server status 53, 55 starting processes 53, 55 stopping processes 53, 55 system administration

license key 65 system configuration

conference server parameters 32

conferencing parameters 34

database import parameters 39

global parameters 31

local domain settings 40

user accounts

adding e-mail addresses 29

changing passwords 29

managing 28 user privileges 25

administrative 26

regular 25

Net-SNMP license 71 Non-Scheduled Ports Number 18, 33

overview

application 11 maintenance 53 Presence Server 43 public conferences 15 restricted conferences 15

video CODECs 24

web console

adding e-mail addresses 29

changing passwords 29

logging in 26

logging out 28

managing accounts 28

requirements 25

Xerces license 72

X 81

82 INDEX

3com IP Conferencing Module Administration Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Conventions This section describes notice, text, and figure conventions.

Notices Tab le 1 lists notice icons.

Te xt Ta bl e 2 lists text conventions.

Related Documentation

Comments 9

n Overview

Conference Types The following conference types are supported:

Conference Feature Matrix

Conference Names (IDs)

Access Controls 15

Public Conferences Public conferences are unrestricted and open to anyone without the need

Licensing The 3Com IP Conferencing Module is activated by a set of license keys

Media Type Defines which media types are supported by the conferences hosted on

Port Type Assignment

Distributed Conferencing

High Availability High availability is not provided as part of the solution. Each conference

Hostname Usage The servers in a distributed conferencing system will have distinct host

System Upgrades Following the initial implementation, the system can be upgraded in

Distributed Presence

Audio CODECs The 3Com IP Conferencing Module supports conference participants using

Video CODECs The 3Com IP Conferencing Module distributes H.261 and H.263 video

ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP

Logging in through the Web Console

Logging out To sign out from the 3Com IP Conferencing Module:

Managing User Accounts

n Assigning Administrative Privileges

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Configuring the Global Parameters

Configuring the Conference Server Parameters

Configuring the Conferencing Parameters

Configuring the Digit Map for DTMF Dialout.

Configuring the User Database Import Parameters

Managing the Local Domain Configuration

PRESENCE SERVER

What is the Presence Server?

Configuring the Presence Server

Configuring Distributed Presence

Starting and Stopping the Presence Server

n Power Cycling

Managing the Status of Key Processes

Managing the Status of the Conference Servers

Database Backup and Restore

Manual Database Switchover

Managing the Error and Debug Log Files

Log File Size Limits On a busy system, the log files may grow quite large. For this reason,

Viewing the Log Files You can view (and if necessary edit) the log files with any text editor.

Changing or upgrading the License Key

OBTAINING SUPPORT FOR YOUR PRODUCT

Register Your Product

Purchase Value-Added Services

Troubleshoot Online

Access Software Downloads

Telephone Technical Support and Repair

Contact Us 69

n Supplementary Copyright Information

Net-SNMP License Part 1: CMU/UCD copyright notice:

Xerces License The Apache Software License, Version 1.1

GLOSSARY

INDEX