Polycom DOC2066F User Manual

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MGC Manager

User’s Guide

VoicePlus Edition, Version 7.5

Catalog No. DOC2066F Version 7.5

Proprietary and Confidential

The information contained herein is the sole intellectual property of Polycom, Inc. No distribution, reproduction or unauthorized use of these materials is permitted without the expressed written consent of Polycom, Inc. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment of any type on the part of Polycom, Inc. Polycom and Accord are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc.

Notice

While reasonable effort was made to ensure that the information in this document was complete and accurate at the time of printing, Polycom, Inc., cannot assume responsibility for any errors. Changes and/or corrections to the information contained in this document may be incorporated into future issues.

Canadian Department of Communications (EC) Declaration of Conformity

Polycom Inc., declares that the Polycom VoicePlus with NET-2/4/8 card is in conformity with the following relevant harmonized standards: EN 60950: 1992 Including Amendments 1,2,3 & 4 EN 55022: 1994 EN 50082: 1997

Complies with the provisions of the Council Directive 1999/EC on radio and telecommunication terminal equipment and the recognition of its conformity.

Notice: The Industry Canada label identifies certified equipment. This certification means that the equipment meets telecommunication network protective, operational and safety requirements as prescribed in the appropriate Terminal Equipment Technical Requirements document(s). The Department does not guarantee the equipment will operate to the user's satisfaction.

Before installing this equipment, users should ensure that it is permissible to be connected to the facilities of the local telecommunications company. The equipment must also be installed using an acceptable method of connection. The customer should be aware that compliance with the above conditions may not prevent degradation of service in some situations.

Repairs to certified equipment malfunctions may give the telecommunications company cause to request the user to disconnect the equipment.

Users should ensure for their own protection that the power utility, telephone lines and internal metallic water pipe system, if present, are properly grounded. This precaution may be particularly important in rural areas.

Caution: Users should not attempt to make such connections themselves, but should contact the appropriate electric inspection authority, or electrician, as appropriate.

VoicePlus Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

About the MGC Manager User’s Guide VoicePlus Edition ................1-2

VoicePlus Main Features ..................................................................... 1-3

System Requirements ...................................................................1-5

Prerequisites .................................................................................1-6

VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys ...........................................1-6

User’s Guide Conventions ............................................................1 -9

Audio Look & Feel ............................................................................1-11

Audio Only Conferences ....................................................................1-12

Reservation Templates ...............................................................1-12

Default Reservation Templates ..................................................1-12

Connecting to an On Going Conference ............................................1-16

Dial-in SIP Participants .......................................................1-17

Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and

Reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

About Conferences ...............................................................................2-1

Conference Scheduling Methods ..................................................2 -1

Scheduled Conferences ..........................................................2 -1

On Demand Conferencing .....................................................2-1

Attended and Unattended Conferences ........................................2-2

Unattended Conference ..........................................................2-3

Attended Conference ..................................... .... ... .... .............2-3

Conference Types .........................................................................2-4

IVR and Entry Queue Services ....................................................2-5

MCU Configuration and Audio Only Conferences ......................2-6

Participant Roles ..................................................................................2-7

Participant Connection to Conference ..........................................2 -8

Participant Connection Types ................................................2-8

Conference Access for Dial-in Participants ...........................2-8

IVR Access ..........................................................................2-12

MGC Manager User’s Guide - Volume I

Table of Contents

Conference Access for Dial-out Participants .............................2-13

Defining New On Going Audio Conferences ................................... 2-14

General Properties ..................................................................... 2-16

Settings Parameters .................................................................... 2-21

Participants ................................................................................ 2-28

Recording ................................................................................... 2-35

Completing the Conference Definition ...................................... 2-36

Resolving Scheduling Conflicts ................................................ 2-37

Listing On Going Conferences ......................................................... 2-40

Scheduling a New Reservation .............................................. ... .... ..... 2-41

Defining Recurrent Reservations ............................................... 2-44

Listing Reservations ..................................................................2-47

End of Conference Reminder ............................................................ 2-48

Defining Participant Properties .........................................................2-49

ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Participant Definition ...................... 2-51

IP (H.323 and SIP) Participant Definition .......................... 2-59

Dialing-in from an H.323 Endpoint ........................................... 2-67

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Address ......................... 2-67

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Alias .............................. 2-67

H.323 Advanced Dial-in ............................................ .... .... .2-68

Listing Participants ............................................................................2-70

Monitoring On Going Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

General Monitoring ............................................................................. 3-2

Listing On Going Conferences in the Status Pane ....................... 3-3

General Conference and Participant Monitoring ......................... 3-5

Monitoring the Conference and Participant Status ............... 3-5

Additional Participant Statuses ........................................... 3-15

Participant’s Audio Status ...................................................3-16

Monitor Filter ............................................................................. 3-17

Automatic Monitoring of Conferences ...................................... 3-19

Secure Conference Mode ........................................................... 3-19

Audio Tones ............................................................................... 3-21

Noisy Line Detection Mechanism and Automatic Muting ........ 3-22

MGC Manager User’s Guide - Volume I

Participants Queue ......................................................................3-23

Conference Level Monitoring ............................................................3-24

Participant Level Monitoring .............................................................3-28

Monitoring ISDN/Telephone Participants ..................................3-29

Checking the Status of VoIP Participants ..................................3-39

Operations Performed During On Going Conferences . . . . 4-1

Management Functions Overview .......................................................4-2

Participant and Conference Level Operations ..............................4-3

Participant Level Operations ................................................................4-5

Making Dial-Out Connections .....................................................4-5

Changing Participant Connection Types (Dial-In/Dial-Out) .......4-6

Disconnecting Participants from Conferences .............................4-7

Naming Undefined Dial-in Participants .......................................4-8

Changing the Disconnected Participant’s Properties .................4-10

Moving a Participant from one Conference to Another .............4-11

Designating an Exclusive Speaker .............................................4-12

Changing Participant’s Status to Conference Chairperson ........4-13

Designating a VIP Participant ....................................................4-15

Adjusting Participant’s Broadcasting and Listening Volume ....4-16

Muting and Unmuting Participant’s Audio ................................4-17

Enabling/Disabling Auto Gain Control (AGC) ..........................4-20

Modifying the Participant’s User Defined Properties ................4-21

Conference Level Operations ............................................................4-22

Adding New Participants to a Conference .................................4-22

Muting Dial-In Participants Upon Connection ..........................4-28

Adding Remarks During an On Going Conference ...................4-30

Locking and Unlocking a Conference ........................................4-31

Managing Question-and-Answer Sessions .................................4-35

Controlling Q&A Queues with the Toolbar ........................4-35

Adding Questioners to the Q&A Queues .............................4-36

Changing Participant’s Position in Q&A Queue .................4-39

Allowing Participant Questions ...........................................4-39

Ending Participant Questions ...............................................4-40

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Table of Contents

Removing Participants from the Q&A Queue ....................4-41

Clearing Q&A Queues ........................................................ 4-41

Managing Voting Sessions ........................................................ 4-42

Conducting a Voting Session ..............................................4-43

Viewing and Saving Voting Results ................................... 4-47

Placing a Conference On Hold .................................................. 4-49

Modifying Conference General Parameters .............................. 4-52

Changing the Conference Duration ........................................... 4-53

Ending a Conference before its Scheduled Termination Time .. 4-54

Rescheduling Conference Reservations ....................................4-55

Deleting Recurring Reservations ............................................... 4-56

Printing Conference Data .............................................. ............ 4-58

Managing Conferences Using DTMF Codes .................................... 4-62

DTMF Guidelines ......................................................................4-62

Using DTMF Codes in Cascading Conferences ........................ 4-68

Modifying Conference and Chairperson Passwords .................. 4-68

Request DTMF Help Menu ....................................................... 4-70

Dialing Out to Invite Participants (Invite Session) .................... 4-70

Chairperson Initiated Blast Dial-out .......................................... 4-71

Managing Secure Mode Conferences ........................................ 4-72

Roll Call ..................................................................................... 4-72

Meeting Rooms and Entry Queues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Meeting Rooms ............................................................................5-1

Entry Queues ...............................................................................5-2

Defining a New Audio Only Meeting Room ..................................... 5-4

Manually Assigning Phone Numbe r s to the Conference ...... 5-8

Manually Assigning the H.323 Service Prefix to the

Conference .......................................................................... 5-10

Completing the Meeting Room Definition .......................... 5-11

Listing Meeting Rooms .............................................................5-11

Defining a New Audio Only Entry Queue ........................................ 5-13

Enabling Encryption for Entry Queues ............................... 5-17

Listing Entry Queues ................................................................. 5-19

MGC Manager User’s Guide - Volume I

Dialing in to an Entry Queue ......................................................5-19

IVR and Entry Queue Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Conference Access .......................................................................6-2

Directly ..................................................................................6-2

IVR Queue Access .................................................................6-2

Entry Queue Access ...............................................................6-2

IVR/Entry Queue Stages ........................................................6-3

Operations Performed Using IVR Services ..................................6-3

Using Roll Call .................................................................... .... .... .6-5

Using SilenceIT ................................................................... .... .....6-6

IVR Requirements ...............................................................................6-8

Hardware ......................................................................................6-8

Audio File Conversion .................................................................6-8

Defining IVR Software Module Properties .........................................6-9

Setting IVR Message Services ...........................................................6-16

Defining a New IVR Message Service ......................................6-16

Listing IVR Message Services ...................................................6-36

Setting an IVR Message Service as Default ...............................6-37

Modifying IVR Message Service Properties ..............................6-38

Assigning IVR Services to Conferences ....................................6-39

Defining a New Entry Queue Message Service .................................6-40

Assigning Entry Queue Services to an Entry Queue ..................6-47

Connecting to a Conference from an Entry Queue ....................6-48

Viewing the Audio Messages Status ..................................................6-49

Printing IVR/DTMF Codes ................................................................6-51

Default IVR Prompts and Messages ..................................................6-53

Attended Conferencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

Requirements for an Attended Conference ..........................................7-3

Defining an Operator Conference ........................................................7-5

Setting the Participants Connection to th e Conference to Attended

Mode ....................................................................................................7-9

Setting the Entry Queue to Attended Mode ................................. 7-9

Setting the Conference Connection to Attended Mode ..............7-10

Table of Contents

VoicePlus Overview

VoicePlus is the conferencing system of the Polycom MCU that enables Audio Only conferencing. The VoicePlus system includes special features such as the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) functionality, chairperson blast dial-out to multiple pre-defined participants, chairperso n and participant DTMF code control of conferences, voting and Question & Answer management, Ad Hoc Auto Cascading, VTX 1000 Resource allocation and more.

T ouch-tone commands, MGC Manager and Web controls are the tools that are used to manage both Audio Only c onfere nces an d parti cipan ts and t he part of the video bridge that handles Audio Only and IVR functionality in both Audio Only and Video conferencing.

The VoicePlus system uses voice prompts to guide participants to their appropriate conferences. These prompts can be customized to enable mult ilingual support. In Audio Only conference setup, only the functions, operations and icons relevant to this type of conference are displayed in the MGC Manager, while functions and operations relevant to video conferences, such as ATM network connection or video options, are hidden and disabled.

The Polycom VoicePlus conferencing system provides a way to hold meetings with participants at multiple remote sites. It enables end-users to conduct all types of meetings from the office or from the road using a telephone, whether they require a high-level, scheduled, operator-assisted conference or the convenience of on-demand or reservationless meeting.

Audio Only conferences include only Audio participants. In an Audio Only conference, participants can connect to the conference using different network connections: PSTN/ISDN or T1-CAS lines, cellular phones, or VoIP (H.323 or SIP). These conferences allow the use of VoicePlus capabilities.

When the Audio Look and Feel mode is set for the MGC Manager, the video parameters are hidden, but you can still monitor video conferences if they are run on any of the connected MCUs.

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

About the MGC Manager User’ s Guide VoicePlus Edition

The VoicePlus Edition includes information required to set up and monitor On Going Audio Only Conferences, Audio Only reservations, define Audio Only participants and configure the IVR modules. In addi tion, it includes dire ctions for using the Polycom ReadiRecorder audio recording system

If you are new to the Polycom MCU and MGC Manager, we recommend that you read the appropriate Getting Started Guide that accompanies your unit.

The other volumes of the MGC Manager User Guides documentation set describe setting up and monitoring multipoint video conferences and combined audio/video conferencing. They describe performing system configuration activities for the MGC Multipoint Control Units (MCUs) to which it connects. This user’s guide provides references to related topics in other volumes of our documentation as relates to each topic.

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VoicePlus Main Features

The Polycom VoicePlus conferencing system offers a comprehensive range of capabilities for audio conferencing:

Scheduling methods

Conferences can be started immediately or scheduled in advance on the Polycom MCU by means of the following applications:

• Windows-based MGC Manager

• Browser-based WebCommander

• Microsoft Outlook using the MGC Personal Scheduler add-on

• Polycom ReadiManager application

Conference scheduling options

• Ad Hoc conferencing

• On-demand conferencing (On Going)

• “Meet Me” reservationless conferences (Meeting Rooms)

• Scheduled conferences (Reservations)

• Recurrent conferences

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Conference modes

• Attended (Operator Assisted) conference; reserved and reservationless

• Unattended conference; reserved and reservationless

Conference access

• VoIP (H.323 and SIP), T1-CAS, and ISDN participants in a single

conference

• Dial-in (Toll-free dial-in and caller-paid dial-in)

• Automated (blast) dial-out

• Operator initiated dial-out

• Participant dial-out inviting new participants

• Combination of dial-in and dial-out

• One dial-in number for all conferences (Entry Queue)

Conference features and options

• Automatic password and identification number generation at time of

conference booking

• Two allocated passwords: conference and chairperson password

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

• Single telephone number can be associated with all conferences

• Reservation of resources at the conference setup stage

• User defined fields for additional conference and participant information

• Chairperson features and control

• Presentation (operator guidance)

• Conference locking

• Access to external recording devices

• Use of Roll Call and conference greetings

• Mute-on access (Mute all incoming parties)

• Self Mute

• SilenceIT - automatic muting of noisy lines

• Automatic termination of conference

• Conference On Hold (with background music)

• E-mail notification (with Web scheduling only)

• Access to a Reservations database

Security features

• Conference-specific and Chairperson-specific entry password

• Conference locking mechanism

• Roll Call for joining participants’ identification

• Data encryption at MCU, conference and participant level

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Conference control options

• Touch -tone (DTMF codes)

• MGC Manager (Windows interface)

• WebCommander (Web Browser)

• Polycom ReadiManager application

On Going Conference management and monitoring

• Active or exclusive speaker indication

• DTMF detection for any participant

• Connect and disconnect individual participants

• Add participants during an On Going Conference

• Dial-out to a participant during an On Going Conference (Invite)

• Identify connected participants

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

• Mute and unmute participants

• Control individual broadcasting and listening audio volume

• Manually and automatically extend the conference duration

• Lock and unlock the conference to dial-in and all other participants

• Move a participant from the main conference to a side area for one-to-

one conversation with the Operator

• Terminate the conference before its scheduled end time

• Manage Question-and-Answer queues

• Control voting (polling) sessions

• Configure and enable an audio reminder of impending end of conference,

with automatic disconnection at scheduled end of conference

• Secure the conference from unauthorized connection and monitoring

• Operator assistance on demand

• Enhanced operator tools for attended participant conferences

• Monitor conference and participant status

• Monitor all On Going and reserved conferences for multiple MCUs

Application features

• Customizable voice messages

• Configurable new feature event alerts

• Software development kit

• Access and SQL databases can be used to store participant and

conference information

• Easily accessible Call Detail Records

• Local or remote operators

• Active display of system resources, individual participant statuses and

conference properties

• Recording to an external device

System Requirements

The MGC Manager application can be installed in an environment th at meets the following minimum requirements:

• IBM PC compatible computer Pentium II, 400 MHz CPU or higher

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

• Minimum 64 MB RAM (recommended 128 MB)

• Windows 98

Windows 2000

• Modem (optional)

• Network capabilities - TCP/IP

For detailed information about how to install the MGC Manager application, how to connect to the MGC unit and how to use its main window, menus and toolbar buttons, refer to the MGC Manager User’s Guide, Volume I, Chapter 3, “MGC Manager Basics.”

Prerequisites

This manual assumes the user has the following knowledge:

• Familiarity with Windows 98

Windows XP

• Basic knowledge of audio conferencing concepts and terminology

• Familiarity with the Polycom Quick Start Guide for your MCU

• Familiarity with the MGC Manager User’s Guide - Volume I, Chapter 3

, Windows ME®, Windows NT®,

or Windows XP®operating system

, Windows NT®, Windows 2000® or

environment and interface

VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys

In MGC Manager, you can quickly ac complish frequ ently performed tasks by using shortcut keys. For example, pressing <CTRL> + <R> connects or

reconnects a participant to an On Going Conference.

• The predefined shortcut keys can be modified using the Configure Shortcut

function from the Options menu. For more details, see the MGC Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 5, “Configurable Shortcut Keys” on page 5-

144.

• When upgrading the MGC Manager from version 6.0 or earlier, click

Configure Shortcuts on the Options menu, and then click Restore Defaults to update the default shortcut keys.

The following default shortcut keys are used in VoicePlus MGC Manager:

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MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 1-1: VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys

Command Shortcut Key Function

New <Ctrl> + <N> Used to create a new User T emplates file or a

new Reservation Templates file.

Open <Ctrl> + <O> Opens the User Templates directory or the

Reservation Templates directory. Used to view and open the contained files.

Copy/Paste/ Paste As

Cut <Ctrl> + <X> Copies the conference or participant

Delete <Del> Used to terminate a selected On Going

Save <Ctrl> + <S> Saves a User or Reservation Template file, or

Help <F1> Opens the relevant Help topic.

-in

Dial Dial Out

Copies the properties of a selected OnGoing conference, Reservation, Entry Queue, Meeting Room or participant, to the clipboard.

Note: To select several items to copy/Paste, use the standard Windows conventions. If you want to modify the selected items’ name or properties, click Paste As.

properties to the clipboard while deleting the original item. Used when copying participants from one conference to another.

Conference, Reservation, participant, operator or template. Opens a dialog box to confirm the selection.

Note: To select several items to delete, use the standard Windows conventions.

saves the changes to the database.

Sets the participant’s Connection Type to

Dial

-in.

Sets the participant’s Connection Type to

Dial out

New Participant

<F8> Adds a new participant to the On Going

Conference, reservation or Meeting Room.

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

Table 1-1: VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys (Continued)

Command Shortcut Key Function

Connect Participant/ Disconnect Participant

Connects or reconnects a participant to an On Going Conference.

Disconnects a participant from the On Going Conference.

Note: To select several participants, use the standard Windows conventions.

Mute Audio/ UnMute

Mutes the participant’s audio channel. Unmutes the participant’s audio channel.

Audio Refresh

<F9> Refreshes the database.

Database Next

Questioner

<Alt> + <N> During a Q&A session, allows the operator to

let the next participant in the Q&A queue ask the question.

Paste Entry Queue As

<Ctrl> + <E> Used to modify Entry Queue properties or

name when pasting the selected entry queue from the clipboard to the Meeting Rooms &

Entry Queues list. Opens the Entry Queue Properties dialog box.

Attend <F2> Moves the participant to the Operator

Conference for assistance.

To Home Conference

<F3> Moves the participant from the Operator to

the destination (Home) conferen ce.

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Hold <F4> Enables the operator to place the attended

participant on hold.

Clear Q&A Queue

Move (in attended queue dialog)

Next (in attended queue dialog)

<Alt> + <C> Clears the selected participants listed in the

Q&A queue.

<F5> Enables the operator to move the attended

participant to a selected conference (Attended Participant dialog box).

<F6> Enables the operator to attend to the next

participant in line (Attended Participant dialog box).

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 1-1: VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys (Continued)

Command Shortcut Key Function

Join to Conference

End Join Operation

Attend Next Party

Context Help <Shift> + <F1> Opens the relevant Help topic.

<F10> Enables the operator to temporarily join an

<F11> Enables the operator to return to the

<F12> Moves the next participant in line from the

User’s Guide Conventions

The following terms and conventions are used in this Guide:

• “Open” or “Double-click” is used to open files and applications.

“Double-click” can also expand a tree or open a dialog box.

• “Select” or “Click” is used to highlight a part of the window, dialog box

or menu that you want to be changed with your next action. “Click” can also select a menu option or activate a toolbar button.

• “Right-click” is used when you press and release the right mouse button

to open a pop-up menu.

• “Click OK” means that you can either cli ck the OK button with the

mouse, or press the <Enter> key on the keyboard.

• Keyboard keys appear in capital letters, between these two symbols < >.

For example, the Shift key appears as <Shift>.

• The plus sign (+) between two key names indicates that you must press

and hold down one key while pressing down the second key. For example, “press <Alt> + <P>” means that you press and hold down the Alt key while you press the P key.

• Bold type indicates the word or the chara cter that you should type into a

text box or the name of the menu or command that you should select.

• Italic type indicates the name of a menu, a dialog box or a field to or

from which to select or enter an option.

On Going Conference, for example for short announcements or assistance.

Operator Conference.

Participants Queue to the Operator Conference, for assistance.

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

• “Expand a tree” means to click on the plus sign (+) next to it or double-

click the icon to display the dependent branches.

• Tips and notes are ind icated by an icon and appea r in a specia l format on

a gray background. For example:

This is an example of the type of note that you encounter in this User Guide.

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Audio Look & Feel

The MGC Manager application that is used for Audio Only conferencing can be set to the Audio Look & Feel mode to hide all video associated functions and display only Audio Only parameters.

To set the MGC Manager to Audio Look & Feel:

1. On the Options menu, click Audio Look & Feel.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

A check mark appears next to Audio Look & Feel, indicating that this mode is active. All video related functions and dialog boxes are hidden.

2. Click this feature again to cancel the Audio Look & Feel mode.

3. Restart the MGC Manager application.

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

Audio Only Conferences

The MGC Manager provides various methods to set up and schedule conferences. Each method is represented in the MCU tree by a name and an icon.

After the scheduling method is determined, you must select a conference type, and determine how the participants connect to the conference:.

Participants can connect to the conference by an accessing method such as Entry Queue, conference IVR Queue, or directly and by th e conferencing service level, i.e. operator attended or unattended conferencing.

When user’s move from one conference to another, they maintain the resources as allocated to them. A VTX 1000 user who moves from a VTX enabled conference to a VTX disabled conference is able to move back to the VTX enabled conference and maintain the wide band connection as initially allocated.

Reservation Templates

A Reservation template contains a partial or complete definition of a single conference. It is used to run a series of conferences that use the same parameters, such as participants, transmission rate and phone connections.

You can use a Reservation template to schedule a conference to start immediately (On Going Conference), or to start au tomati cally a t a predefined date and time (Reservation).

For information on defining a reservation template, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 7.

Default Reservation Templates

Five default Reservation templates are installed with the MGC Manager:

• Default-Audio: is the only Reservation template designed for Audio

Only conferencing. It includes the default IVR Service.

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MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

When you first start the MGC Manager application, the Reservations in Database window automatically opens listing the Default group in the Root

tree.

Figure 1-1: Reservations in Database Window

You can push or drag the Main window sizing handle to resize the window and display the Reservations in Database window beside or beneath the Main window.

The MGC Manager automatically displays the Reservations in Database window when starting the MGC Manager application every time the application opens, unless you close Reservations Database window. If you close it, it will not automatically reopen unless you manually open it and leave it open. You can access the Reservations Database window by clicking Reservations in AccordDB from the Window menu.

Using the default Reservation templates, you can schedule a conference to start immediately (On Going Conference), or to start automatically at a predefined date and time (Reservation).

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

To start an On Going Conference from a default Reservation template:

1. Display the Reservations Database window.

a. If the Reservations Database window is closed, open it. For a

detailed description of the Reservations Database window, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide, Volume I, Chapter 3, “Default Reservation Templates”.

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b. If the Reservations in Database window is hidden behind other

windows, display it on top of the MGC M anager Main window: On the Window menu, click Reservations in <database name>.

2. Expand the Default templates tree until you locate the desired Reservation template.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

3. T o start an On Going Audio Only Conference, right-click the icon of the

Default-Audio template and then click Start Immediately.

— If you are connected to more than one MCU, an arrow appears next

to Start Immediately option. Click the arrow to display the list of MCUs and then click the name of the MCU to use for running the conference.

4. Alternatively, click Start to schedule a conference to start now, while

modifying its properties (such as name, durati on or passwords) or to schedule the conference to start later (Reservations).

The conference is started and is added to the On Going Conference list. If you have scheduled the conference to start later, it will appear in the

Reservations list.

If the MCU does not have enough resources to run the conference, an appropriate error message is displayed.

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Chapter 1 - VoicePlus Overview

Connecting to an On Going Conference

You can add dial-out participants to the conference either by selecting the participants from the Participant database, from a User Template file or by defining them directly during the On Going Conference. For a discussion on adding participants directly to the conference, see Chapter 4, “Adding New Participants to a Conference” on page 4-22.

Dial-in participants can connect directly to the conference using its dial-in number (PSTN/ISDN/T1-CAS participants) dialing string composed of the IP Network Service Prefix and conference Numeric ID (H.323 participant) or the conference URI (SIP participant).

Undefined participants connect to a conference by using the conference dialin number (ISDN/T1-CAS/PSTN), dialing string (H.323) or SIP URI (SIP).

The ISDN/T1-CAS dial-in number, the H.323 Network Service Prefix and conference numeric ID are displayed in the Status pane of the MGC Manager main window.

To view the list of On Going Conferences and their dial-in numbers:

• Expand the MCU tree, and then click the On Going Conferences icon.

The list of On Going Conferences with their H.323 Network Service Prefixes, Numeric IDs and dial-in numbers are displayed in the Status pane.

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ISDN/T1-CAS/PSTN

For a description of the Status and Monitor pane columns, see MGC Manager User’s Guide, Volume I, Chapter 5.

Undefined Dial-in ISDN Participants

Undefined ISDN participants dial-in to a conference di rectly using the dial -in number provided by the conference organizer or the MGC Manager operator. If necessary, add the country code and area code.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Undefined Dial-in H.323 Participants

Undefined participants connect to the conference by en tering the IP Network Service Prefix and the Entry Queue conference Numeric ID or name in the following format: [IP Network Service Prefix][Numeric ID/Name].

For conferences defined as Meet Me per Conference or Meeting Rooms, the Network Service prefix is displayed in the Status pane of the MGC Manager.

Dial-in SIP Participants

SIP participants can connect directly to a conference by entering the conference URI in the format: name@domain name

The SIP address is displayed in the Network Service Properties di alogue bo x, DNS Settings tab, Local Domain Name field.

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Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and Reservations

About Conferences

The MGC unit enables you to run different types of conferences, use different scheduling methods and provide different methods of connectin g to the conference.

Conference Scheduling Methods

The MCU system supports both scheduled and on-demand conferences. Scheduled conferences are arranged ahead of time or just before the conference starts. On demand conferencing enables participants to immediately start and connect to an On Going Conference from their endpoint, with no advanced scheduling.

Scheduled Conferences

Scheduled conferences are arranged ahead of time or just before the conference starts. The schedu ling can be done by means of the MGC Manager application, by using the browser based WebCommander application or by means of Microsoft Outlook using the MGC Personal Scheduler Add-On. These confer ences are deleted from the MCU when they end.

On Demand Conferencing

The MGC environment offers two methods for on demand conferencing:

• Ad Hoc Conferencing

• Meeting Rooms

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Chapter 2 - Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and Reservations

In Ad Hoc conferencing, participants connect to an Ad Hoc-enabled Entry Queue. Meeting Rooms are conferences that have no allocated resources on the MCU or a starting date and time. They are created once but remain on the MCU in Passive mode and can be activated as many times as required. When the conference ends, the conference reverts to the passive Meeting Room mode until the next activation. It remains in the MCU memory (configuration) and in the Meeting Rooms list. For a detailed description of Ad Hoc Conferencing, see, MGC Manager User's Guide, Volume II, Chapter 3, “Ad Hoc Conferencing and External Database Authentication”.

The Meeting Room is activated when the first participant connects to it. The conference connection information is given to all other participants by the Meeting Room owner. The Meeting Room is terminated when the last participant disconnects from the conference or when the chairperson leaves the conference, depending on the conference settings. However, Meeting Rooms can be manually terminated at any time by the MGC Manager operator, or by the conference chairperson via the WebCommander or by using the appropriate DTMF code.

On Going Conferences

An On Going Conference is a conference that has already started. An On Going Conference is created to start immediately or was pre-set previously and the scheduled time to start has arrived.

Reservations

Reservations are conferences scheduled to start at some time in the future. Reservations are defined using the same parameters a s On Going Conferences with the addition of the conference start date and time.

When defining a Reservation, you can also schedule a recurrent conference. Each occurrence is deleted from the MCU when it ends.

Attended and Unattended Conferences

Audio Only conferences can be managed by an Operator who takes an active part in the conference, or they can run unattended while the participants manage the conference themselves with the meeting organizer who optionally has additional privileges.

All conferences can be set as Unattended or Attended mode. All conferences are set as Unattended unless the Attended mode is selected in the IVR Service or Entry Queue Service when selecting the On Hold for Operator

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Assistance option. When selected, callers must wait for the operator to connect them to the conference.

In IVR-enabled conferences, in both Attended and Unattended modes, the participants or meeting organizer can control certain aspects of the conference. Operator assistance is available upon request.

Unattended Conference

An unattended conference is usually a reservationless conference that is started by the first participant who connects to the conference. This type of conference is set up once, to be activated by the participants when required. Although an operator is not needed for this conference, one can be on hand. In an unattended conference, it is the conference chairperson who con tro ls all features and functions of the conference either by means of the touch-tone telephone, another DTMF input device or through the Internet using the WebCommander application. Conference participants can perform simple operations (such as muting or unmuting their lines or modifying their volumes) from their touch-tone telephone or DTMF input device. Actions that can be performed by the participants or the chairperson, are defined in the IVR Service that is assigned to that conference.

Attended Conference

An attended conference is an Operator Assisted conference. It is a service designed usually for large conferences that require the personal touch. In the attended conference, the connection to the conference is controlled by the operator and, in many instances, the operator also takes part in the On Going Conference. In many attended conferences, the name and the telephone numbers of each dial-out participant are given to the operator at the time the reservation is made. This information is used to define the participants prior to the conference start in the MGC Manager or the WebCommander applications. Using the enhanced tools for attended participants, the operator or coordinator organizes the conference call, makes sure all invited participants are on hand, calls the participants then sees to it that the conference proceeds according to plan. If the Entry Queue Service assigned to the Entry Queue used for conference access is set to Attended mode (On Hold for Operator Assistance), when the participants connect to the Entry Queue, they are automatically moved to the Participants Queue where they wait for the operator to connect them to the conference.

In the same way, an IVR Service can be configured to Attended mode. Then all participants connecting to the conference are automatically moved to the

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Participants Queue, where they wait for the operator to connect them to the conference. Usually, the Attended mode is configured either at the Entry Queue level or the conference level but not for both

The On Going Conference can also be managed by the conference participants or the chairperson without the operator’s assistance. The operations that can be performed by the participants and chairperson are configured in the IVR Service assigned to the conference.

Participants Queue

In the Participants Queue, the system lists participants who require the operator’s assistance to connect to the conference, during the conf erence or were placed on hold - in any conference, regardless of the conference they belong to. The Participants Queue is intended for Attended conferences. Using special toolbars, command buttons and options provided in the Participants Queue window, the operator can easily connect participants to their destination (Home) conference.

Conference Types

There are three types of conferences:

• Standard - is a conference that is started once, and when the conference

ends, it is deleted from the MCU. You can schedule a series of recurring reservations with the same parameters for each reservation in the series. Once defined, each of the reservations is treated as a single, unique reservation that can be modified (except for its name) or deleted from the MCU. For detailed description of Reservations and recurring Reservations, see “Scheduling a New Reservation” on page 2-41.

• Meeting Room - is a conference that has no allocated resources on the

MCU or a starting date and time. It is defined once but can be activated many times. For more details, see see Chapter 5, “Meeting Rooms” on page 5-1.

• Operator - a private, one-on-one conference that enables the Operator to

assist participants without disturbing the On Going Conferences, or without being heard by other conference participants. An Operator Conference can have up to two participants only: the operator and a participant. For more details, see Chapter 7, “Defining an Operator Conference” on page 7-5.

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Both Standard and Meeting Room conferences have the same conference parameters. The difference between them is the method by which they are scheduled and started, and what happens to the conference once it ends.

IVR and Entry Queue Services

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an applica tio n th at all ows pa rticipants to communicate with the conferencing system ov er the telephone or through their endpoint’s input device (such as a remote control). IVR automates the connection to the conference process and enables the participant to perform various operations during the On Going Conference. By combining the input of the caller with the menu-driven scripts, partic ipants can call the co nference dial-in number and use a touch-tone telephone or the endpoint’s remote control to interact with the conferencing system. The IVR Services are assigned at the conference level, and different conferences may use different IVR Services, or the same IVR Service may be used for all conferences.

The Entry Queue Service is a subset of the IVR Service and behaves in the same way. An Entry Queue is a special routing lobby to which one or several dial-in numbers are assigned. Participants connect to this lob by and are routed to their destination conferences according to the conference Numeric ID or password that they enter using touch-tone signals (DTMF codes). Different Entry Queues can be defined for video and Audio Only participants, or the same video Entry Queue can be used by audio and video participants provided that the audio algorithm is set to G.711 (telephone standard). Entry Queues remain in a passive state when there are no participants in the queue and they are automatically activated when a participant dials the Entry Queue number.

For more information on Entry Queue definition, see Chapter 5, “Meeting Rooms and Entry Queues”.

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Chapter 2 - Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and Reservations

MCU Configuration and Audio Only Conferences

The functional modules (cards) installed in the MCU determine what kind of conference can run on the MCU.

The Audio+ card is required to run IVR-enabled conferences and Entry Queue and Audio Only conferences. If no such card is availabl e, an error message is displayed when defining any of these conferences.

T1-CAS participants are supported only wi th the Audio +12/24 , Audio+2 4/48 and Audio+48/96 cards.

It is not possible to mix an ISDN Network Service and a T1-CAS Network Service on the same Net-2/Net-4/Net-8 Network Interface module. Therefore, to run both ISDN and T1-CAS conferences simultane ously, you must install two separate the Net-2/Net-4/Net-8 cards. IP or IP+ cards are required to run conferences that include VoIP participants.

IP+ cards from version 4.23 or higher are required for conferences that include SIP participants. IP (12 or 24) cards are sufficient for H.323-only conferences.

The VTX 1000 connection is supported with the Audio+12/24, Audio+24/48 and Audio+48/96 cards and the MGC-25.

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Participant Roles

Conference participants can have different functions: a standard participant, a chairperson, or an operator.

• Standard participant - takes part in the conference, performing basic

operations via the telephone using the touch-tone signals (DTMF codes). Participants can control their broadcasting and liste ning volume, mute o r unmute their line, request operator’s assistance, invite new participants to the conference, vote and ask questio ns. The fun ctions th at partic ipants can perform are defined in the IVR Service. In some cases, a standard participant can have the same privileges as the chairperson.

• Chairperson - takes part in the conference but is also the meeting’s

organizer. The chairperson interacts with other participants in the same conference, and can control the conference using a Web browser or the DTMF codes. Chairpersons perform all the functions of the standard participant but have additional privileges. They can start a voting session, grant the floor to participants who wi sh to ask qu esti ons, mute and unmute participants, connect and disconnect participants, define themselves participant as the conference speaker while muting all other participants and place participants on hold. Some chairperson functions can be performed only via the Web browser. Functions that can be performed using the DTMF codes, are determined in the IVR Service.

• Operator - can perform all the chairperson’s functions and additional

operator-specific functions. The operator can control and monitor all On Going Conferences simultaneously as well as perform general configuration and maintenance operations, but does not have to participate in a conference in order to control it. During On Going Conferences, the operator can move participants from one conference to another, assist participants who need help, terminate the conference before its scheduled time and join the conference. In addition, operators can identify participants as VIPs, move them up or down in the Q&A queue, and give them special attention. Operators perform all activities via the MGC Manager or the MGC WebCommander.

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Chapter 2 - Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and Reservations

Participant Connection to Conference

Participant connection to a conference is determined by the connection type (dial-in or dial-out), conference type (Attended, Unattended) and service (IVR, Entry Queue, Meet-Me Per Conference).

Participant Connection Types

Conference participants can connect to the conference by calling the conference (dial-in) or when the conference initiates the call to the participant (dial-out) at the beginning of or during the On Going Conference.

Conferences can include only dial-in participants, onl y dial-out participants or both kinds of participants.

Dial-in Participant

In a conference that includes dial-in participants, the participants may be defined in advance and identified by their Calling Line Identifier (CLI) number, IP address or alias once they connect to the conference. The conference can include anonymous, undefined participants, who were not defined by the operator or meeting organizer prior to the conference start. They connect to the conference if they dial the conference dial-in number and have entered the appropriate password (if one was assigned to the conference), or by means of an Entry Queue. Conferences that include undefined dial-in participants must be defined as Standard - Meet Me Per Conference or Meeting Room conferences.

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Dial-out Participant

In a conference that includes dial-out participants, part ici pan ts can be calle d individually by the meeting organizer or by the operator or automatically by the system. In the automatic (blast dial-out) mode, the system tr eats the participants as a group and calls them a ll to co nn ect them to the conference. Dial-out participants must be defined by the meeting organizer or operator, usually during the conference definition.

Conference Access for Dial-in Participants

A conference may be accessed directly by dial-in participants or through an Entry Queue or conference IVR queue.

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Direct Dial-In Access

Participants can dial directly into the co nference using the following methods:

• Using the MCU dial-in number and defining the participants prior to the

conference start. Participants are provided with the MCU dial-in number. When they connect to the MCU they are routed to their corresponding conference according to their Calling Line Identifier (CLI) number.

• Meet Me Per Conference - Assigning a dial-in number to each

conference and defining the conference as Meet Me, allowing undefined participants to connect to the conference.

MCU

Conference1 Numeric ID: 1222 Dial-in number: 9251222

Conference2 Numeric ID: 1223 Dial-in number: 925122

IP Endpoint

ISDN/PSTN

Endpoint

ISDN/PSTN

Endpoint

9251222

IP Network Service Prefix - 925

Network

Figure 2-1: Direct Conference Access

The meeting organizer or operator assigns a dial-in phone number to each conference designated as a Meet Me Per Conference or Meeting Room. The conference dial-in number is given to all the conference participants who use it to directly connect to the con fere nc e. Usin g this mode, any participant who dials the conference number can connect to the conference until all the MCU resources are utilized or the maximum number of participants is reached.

The Meet Me Per conference is the basis for the Meeting Rooms definition.

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H.323 participants dial the IP Network Service Prefix and the conference numeric ID. To simplify matters, the Network Service Prefix and the ISDN number prefix can be set to be the same number as the local phone exchange (e.g. 925) and the conference Numeric ID can be a four digit number matching the ISDN number allocated to the conference (e.g. 1222), so participants who dial 9251222 connect to conference1.

SIP participants connecting within the o r ganization , dial the conference name or numeric ID. For example, Conference1 or 1222.

Such a conference may be defined as:

• Standard with Meet Me per Conference and Allow Undefined

Participants selected (No Entry Queue Access or IVR)

• Meeting Room with Allow Undefined Participants selected (No Entry

Queue Access or IVR)

For more information about Meet-Me per Conference and Meeting Rooms, see Chapter 5, “Defining a New Audio Only Meeting Room”,

In all conferences with “undefined” dial-in participants, the conference or Entry Queue dial-in number may be automatically assigned by the MCU. The number is taken from the dial-in numbers defined in the ISDN/T1-CAS Network Service.

page 5-4.

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Entry Queue Access

Entry Queue is a call routing method in which all participants dial the same dial-in number. Participants are guided by voice prompts which are part of the Entry Queue Service. The Entry Queue makes it possible to use a limited number of PSTN/ISDN/T1-CAS dial-in numbers for all the conferences and to use toll-free numbers for conferences which are charged to the meeting organizers.

Entry Queues that were defined for video conferencing can also be used for Audio Only conferences, so there is no need to define separate Entry Queues for Audio Only conferences. When the Entry Queue Access option is designated for a conference, the participants connecting to that conference follow a two-stage process:

1. Participants connect to an Entry Queue, where they are routed to their conference in one of two wa ys:

— Automatically, according to the Numeric ID or conference

password, depending on the MCU configuration or

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Conference1

Numeric ID: 1234

Numeric ID: 1300

assword

356

— W ait for the Operator’s assistance. The Entry Queue Service is set to

Attended mode (on hold for Operator assistance).

2. Participants join the conference in one of the following ways:

— Directly, without any additional operation from the participant’s

endpoint.

— Through the conference IVR queue where they enter the conference

entry password, chairperson password or additional information.

— Wait for the Operator’s assistance. The IVR Se rv ic e assigned to the

conference is set to Attended mode (On Hold for Operator Assistance).

MCU

Password: 34567

: 71

IP Endpoint

ISDN/PSTN

Endpoint

ISDN/PSTN

Endpoint

9251222

IP Network Service Prefix - 925

Network

Numeric ID: 1222

Conference2 P

Figure 2-2: Dial-in connection via Entry Queue with Numeric ID

In the example in Figure 2-2, one or several dial-in numbers are allocated to an Entry Queue. In addition, a numeric ID is assigne d to each c onference and a conference password and chairperson password may be defined. Conference participants are provided with the dial -in number string (H.323) or URI (SIP) and the appropriate conference numeric ID and passwords. When partici pants dial-in using the number they were given, they connect to the Entry Queue where they are requested to enter the appropriate conference Numeric ID or password, depending on the MCU configuration. According to this numeric ID or passwords, participants are routed to the appropriate conference.

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Conference1

Numeric ID: 1222

Numeric ID: 1223

assword

356

When an IVR Service is assigned to the conference, participants are guided to the conference by voice prompts to use DTMF codes and are requested to enter the required (conference/chairperson) password. They can also be prompted for additional information such as their billing code.

IVR Access

The IVR Service and the Entry Queue Access can be used for Attended and Unattended conferences. The conference password is used to provide security for the conference.

In all Audio and Video conferences, the IVR Service must be assigned to the conference to enable DTMF code input by the participant and chairperson.

In IVR-enabled conferences, the caller enters the conference IVR queue as part of the connection process. Participants connect to the conference IVR queue by dialing the conference dial-in numbers. Using the telephone ke ypad, participants input the required information to menu driven scripts and voice prompts that are part of the IVR Service. Once the correct information is entered, the participants are connected to the conference.

MCU

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IP phone

ISDN/PSTN phone

IP phone

9251222

IP Network Service Prefix - 925

Network

Conference2 P

Password: 34567

: 71

Figure 2-3: Dial-in connection via IVR system

In the example in Figure 2-3, a dial-in number and a numeric ID are assigned to each conference. In addition, an IVR Service is also assigned to the conference. When the callers dial in either the conference dial-in number or

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

string, they are routed to the appropriate conference, and they enter the conference IVR queue. In the IVR Queue, they are prompted to enter the conference password and other information which they en ter using the telephone touch-tone keypads.

The callers are admitted to the conference when they have keyed in the appropriate conference password and/or chairperson password.

In the system, such a conference may be defined as:

• Standard with IV R Servic e

• Meeting Room with IVR Service

Conference Access for Dial-out Participants

In unattended Audio Only conferences with no IVR Service assigned to them, dial-out participants (operator dial-out or system dial-out) are connected directly to the conference without going through an Entry Queue or an IVR Queue.

In IVR-enabled Audio Only conferences or in conferences designated as Entry Queue Access, dial-out participants enter the IVR queue where they may be requested to enter the conference password or any digit to confirm the connection.

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Defining New On Going Audio Conferences

This section describes how to define a ne w Standard Audio Only conference.

An Audio+ card must be installed in your MGC unit in order to run an Audio Only conference that uses the IVR Service.

To define an On Going Audio Only Conference:

1. In the Browser pane, expand the MCU tree.

2. Right-click the On Going Conferences icon and then click New Conference.

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The Conference Properties dialog box opens, allowing you to define the various conference parameters.

When defining a Standard conference, the Properties dialog box shows four setup tabs. The Meet Me Per Conference tab is displayed when defining Meeting Rooms and Meet Me Per conferences.

All the properties of an On Going audio conference are logically grouped in these setup tabs:

— General – lets you define the basic conference parameters, such as

name, duration, password and type of conference access.

— Settings – lets you define the conference media options and

technical parameters, such as audio algorithm and encryption.

— Participants – lets you set options for participant connections, and

add participants from the Participants database/template file, or define new participants.

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— Meet Me per Conference – lets you defi ne the prop erties of Meeting

Rooms and Meet Me Per Conferences. This dialog box is enabled only when the Meet Me Per Conf option is selected in the General properties or when defining Meeting Rooms.

— Recording – lets you define recording options for the current

conference.

If you are defining a conference that is accessed through an Entry Queue, you do not need to define the Meet Me per Conference parameters.

General Properties

In the Conference Properties- General dialog box, you can define the general properties of an Audio Only conference, such as name, duration, conference type, supported networks and passwords.

3. Define the following General properties parameters:

Table 2-1: Conference Properties - General

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Field/Option Description

Name Enter a unique name using up to 80 characters. Naming the

conference is mandatory. Note: If the same name is already used by another conference, Meeting Room, Entry Queue, or Reservation in

the same or partially overlapping time frame, when you save the conference on the MCU, an error message is displayed requesting you to enter a different name.

Duration Define the duration of the conference usin g the format

HH:MM (default 2:00, maximum 99:59). For example, to define a duration of 30 minutes, enter 0:30. For duration of 90 minutes, enter 01:30.

Billing Enter the conference billing code if one is allocated to the

conference. Note: If a reservation system is used, it can allocate a billing

code. The Billing code can also be defined by the conference chairperson or by means of the DTMF codes for the conference while the conference is running.

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Table 2-1: Confe r ence Properties - General (Continued)

Field/Option Description

MCU Displays the name of the MCU to which you are currently

connected (read-only).

Conf. Entry Password

Enter a numeric password that participants will need to enter in order to access the conference. If left blank, the MCU automatically assigns the password to the conference once the conference definition is completed (provided the MCU is configured to automatically assign passwords). For more details about the MCU configuration, see the MGC Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 5, “Edit system.cfg”.

Note: This field is applicable only to IVR-enabled conferences that are configured to prompt for the entry password, or to conferences accessed from an Entry Queue using passwords as the routing method.

Web/ Chairperson Password

Enter a numeric password for participants to use to identify themselves as the conference chairperson. This password is only required in IVR-enabled conferences that are configured to prompt for the chairperson password.

Note: This password is also used to monitor the conference from the WebCommander application.

Numeric ID A unique Numeric ID (NID) is assigned to each conference

as a unique identification number. It is used for accessing the conference from the Entry Queue and as part of the dialing string when dialing into the conference from an H.323 endpoint. The Numeric ID can be assigned manually or automatically.

To manually assign the NID, enter a uni que number of digits defined in the “system.cfg” file. If you do not assign the Numeric ID, the MCU automatically assigns a number after the completion of the conference definition, when the conference is saved on the MCU. Note: If the MCU is configured to support only automatic assignment of Numeric IDs, then this field is disabled and the system automatically assigns a Numeric ID after you save the conference on the MCU.

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Table 2-1: Conference Properties - General (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Entry Queue Access

Meet Me Per Conf

Select this option when a single-dial Entry Queue is used for participant access to all conferences. Participants are routed from the Entry Queue to their “Home” conference using the conference Numeric ID or password, depending on the MCU configuration.

Select this option to enable undefined participants to connect to a conference by dialing the conference dial-in number. Undefined participants are those who were not defined prior to the conference start.

When this option is selected, a dial-in number (ISDN participant) or a string (H.323 participant) is assigned to the conference by the system or manually by the operator. If the Entry Queue Access option is selected for the conference, and you do not want to assign an additional ISDN dial-in number to the conference, do not select this option.

Selecting this option activates the Meet Me per Conference tab. To define the Meet Me per Conference properties, see “Defining a New Audio Only Meeting Room” on page 5-4. Note: If a conference is set as both Entry Queue Access and

Meet Me Per Conf to which a separate ISDN dial-in number is assigned, participants can connect to the conference by means of the Entry Queue and directly using this number. If you do not require the direct dialing to the conference or you want to conserve the number of dial-in numbers, select either the Meet Me Per Conf option or the Entry Queue Access option.

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Table 2-1: Confe r ence Properties - General (Continued)

Field/Option Description

User Defined

1-3

Enter general information for the conference, such as the company name, contact person’s name, email or telephone number, or any other required information.

Note:

• User Defined fields are displayed only if the Show User

Defined Fields in Conference Parameters option is selected in the Database Manager -> Defaults ->User

Defined Defaults.

• The titles of the User Defined fields can be modified in

the Database Manager -> Defaults -> User Defined Defaults and loaded to the MGC Manager application.

For a detailed description on how to load the user defined default titles, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide, Volume I, Chapter 3.

Conference Type Select the type of conference:

• Standard – Select this option to define a conference that

will be deleted from the MCU once it is terminated, and whose resources are allocated to its participants at the end of the definition process.

• Meeting Room – Select this option to define a

conference that remains permanently on the MCU. It exists inactive, without resource allocated to it and can be activated repeatedly, when the first participant connects to it. It is terminated when the last participant exits.

• Operator – Select this option to define an Operator

Conference. An Operator Conference enables Operator Assistance and managing participant connections to the conference in attended conferencing services.

Media Select Audio, to define an Aud io Only conference.

Note: In the Audio Look and Feel mode, Audio is automatically selected.

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Table 2-1: Conference Properties - General (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Supported Network

Select the type of network to be used by the conference participants.

• IP – Only SIP and H.323 participants can join this

conference.

Note: This option enables you to select an audio algorithm specially suited for IP networks.

• IP / ISDN / ATM / MPI / T1-CAS – Participants using all

types of network connections can join this conference.

Remarks Using up to 300 characters, you can enter any text regarding

the conference. This text will be included with the conference properties and is also saved to the CDR file as part of the conference record to be retrieved later.

To add a new remark, enter text in the Remarks box, and then click the Update Remark button. Note: If the text is too long, split it into several remarks, updating the text after each remark. At the scheduling stage, only one remark can be entered. Additional remarks can be entered during the On Going Conference.

Remarks History Displays all remarks that were entered or updated for this

conference by operators and were saved to the CDR file. This field can be read during the conference but not at the reservation stage. Entries are shown in ascending order (latest entry showing at top of list).

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Settings Parameters

4. Click the Settings tab to define the conference settings.

The Properties - Settings dialog box opens.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

The setup parameters in the Conference Properties - Settings dialog box are grouped in two main panes: General Settings and Media Settings. By default, only the Basic settings are di splayed whe n you first op en this dialog box. These are the parameters that you will usually need to modify.

5. If you want to change the system defaults for the advanced parameters,

click the Advanced >> button to view and modify additional settings for each of the main panes.

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The Advanced options remain on display until you click the <<Basic button again. The MGC Manager remembers the last dialog box setting.

In most conference definitions you do not need to modify the Advanced parameters.

All the fields in the Settings dial og box display the default values defined in the MGC Database Manager - Conference Defa ults according to the conference type selected in the Properties - General dialog box. For more details on the Conference Defaults definition, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide, Volume II, “Using a Database”.

6. Define the following basic settings:

Table 2-2: Conference Properties - Basic Settings

Field/Option Description

General Settings - Basic

Encryption If you are defining an IP Only conference, select this

option to enable data encryption on the conference level. In that case, all participants must be encrypted in order to connect to the conference.

Note: This option is enabled only in IP Only conferences. For a detailed description, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 1, “Advanced Conference Settings”.

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Table 2-2: Conference Pro perties - Basic Setting s (Conti nued)

Field/Option Description

Enable IVR Service

Message Service Name

Select this option to enable IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Services for the conference. IVR Services enable voice menus for guiding participants’ connections to conferences and interacting with the conference from the participant or chairperson telephone using touch-tone telephone codes (DTMF). When the IVR Service option is enabled, additional fields are activated.

When the IVR Service is disabled, the participants are unable to use DTMF codes to control the conference or perform any operation during the conference. If IVR Service is disabled and the Entry Queue Access is enabled, participants connect to the conference directly from the Entry Queue. If IVR Service and Entry Queue Access are disabled, only defined participants can connect to the conference. Undefined dial-in participants can connect only if the Meet Me Per Conf option is enabled for the conference. For detailed information about IVR Message services and setup, see Chapter 5, “IVR and Entry Queue Services”.

Select the IVR Service to be used during this conference from the list of currently defined IVR Message Services. The IVR Message Service includes voice messages to be played when participants wait in the IVR queue or during the conference. It also includes DTMF codes for operations participants can perform during the conference.

Note: If left blank, the default IVR Service is used (if one is set as default). For more details, see Chapter 5, “Setting an IVR Message Service as Default”.

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Table 2-2: Confer ence Properties - Basic Settings (Continued)

Field/Option Description

VTX 1000 Select this option if participants are using the VTX 1000

PSTN endpoint for the same wide band, high quality audio used by video participants. The connection between the VTX 1000 and the conference is established through a modem, and therefore it requires the allocation of wide band resources. These resources are allocated and maintained throughout the call, even if the call disconnects or drops to narrow band mid call. Note: VTX 1000 must be enabled at the MCU level in the system.cfg file. For a detailed description of the flag, see MGC Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 5, “Edit “system.cfg””.

General Settings - Advanced

On Hold Select this option to place the conference on hold.

While in the On Hold state, all the participants hear the background music.

Clear this check box to reinstate the conference. Note: A conference on hold can be released and placed on hold during an IVR-enabled On Going

Conference.

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Enable Invite Select this option to enable the Invite feature. When

selected, participants in the conference are able to invite new participants during the On Going Conference. In this mode, the participants are moved out of the conference temporarily and can dial-out to the invitee.

Note: This option can be enabled only during the conference definition stage of an IVR-enabled conference.

SilenceIT Enables automatic muting of noisy lines during

IVR-enabled conferences.

Conference Lock Select this option to lock the conference to undefin ed

(Meet Me) dial-in participants and prevent them from joining the conference once it has started. Note: A locked conference can be unlocked during an On Going Conference.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-2: Conference Pro perties - Basic Setting s (Conti nued)

Field/Option Description

Mute Meet Me Parties

Start Conf erence Requires Chairperson

Terminate Conference after Chairperson Exits

Select this option to automatically mute all undefined dial-in participants once they are connected to the conference. The participants can then be individually unmuted by the operator or the conference chairperson (through the WebCommander).

Note: Valid for Meet Me Per Conference, Meeting Rooms and Entry Queue Access conferences and

reservations. Select this option to indicate that the conference will

only start when the participant defined as a chairperson connects to the conference.

The amount of time the conference waits for the chairperson to connect (before it is automatically terminated) is defined by a flag in the system.cfg file. Participants who connect to the conference while waiting for the chairperson to connect are automatically placed on hold and hear background music. When the check box is cleared, the conference will start at its predefined time or when the first participant connects to it. Note: This option is enabled only when an IVR Service is assigned to the conference.

Select this option to automatically end the conference once the conference chairperson disconnects from the conference. After the chairperson exits the conference, the conference shuts down.

Note: This option is enabled only when an IVR Service is assigned to the conference.

Auto T ermination Select this option to automatically end the conference

as defined by the Before First Join and After Last Quit fields. Empty conferences still use resources that were reserved for them. By ending the conference, this option saves resources and billing costs.

Before First Join x Min

No participant has connected to the conference for a predetermined time, and the conference is idle. The period is defined in the Before First Join x Min field.

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Table 2-2: Confer ence Properties - Basic Settings (Continued)

Field/Option Description

After Last Quit x Min

Media Settings - Basic

Audio Alg This parameter determines the audio compression

All the participants have disconnected from the conference, and the conference is idle for a predetermined time. The period is defined in the After Last Quit x Min field.

ratio. The higher the ratio, the more processing resources are required. Select the preferred audio algorithm for the type of conference you define:

• 56(G711) 56(G711) – (default). In mixed network

conferences this is the only available option and therefore the field is read-only.

• 8(G729/G723.1) – Available only for VoIP (IP Only)

conferences.

Note: When the VTX 1000 check box is selected, the system automatically uses the G.722.7 algorithm for the connection between the endpoint and the conference.

Roll Call The Roll Call feature of the IVR Message Service is

used to record participants names and to play them back when participants enter or leave a conference. The chairperson can request the system to play the names of all connected conference participants at any time during the conference.

To enable this option, the Roll Call option and fields must be enabled in the IVR Service assigned to the conference.

Note: If the Roll Call option is disabled for the conference but enabled in the assigned IVR Service, the participant name is still recorded since the Roll Call can be enabled by the chairperson during the On Going Conference.

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Table 2-2: Conference Pro perties - Basic Setting s (Conti nued)

Field/Option Description

Entry T one / Roll Call Announcement

End Time Alert Tone x Min

Exit Tone / Roll Call Announcement

Select this option to play an audio tone to all connected participants when a new participant connects to the conference. (This tone is not heard by the connecting participant.) The tone is embedded in the MGC unit.

If the Roll Call option is enabled for the conference, the Entry Tone is replaced by a playback of the recorded participant name followed by a message “... has joined the conference”.

Select this option to play the end of conference reminder tone. This tone is played once, to all the connected participants, x minutes before the end of the conference. The tone is embedded in the MGC unit. At the same time that the tone is played, the Conference icon is replaced with the End of Conference icon.

Note: If Auto Extend (automatic extension of the conference) is enabled for the MCU in the “confer.cfg”, selecting this option also enables the automatic extension of conference duration for this conference. For more details see the MGC Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 5, “MCU Utilities.”

Select this option to play the exit tone to all the connected participants when a participant disconnects from the conference. The tone is embedded in the MGC unit.

If the Roll Call option is enabled for the conference, the Exit Tone is replaced by a playback of the recorded participant’s name and the voice message “... has left the conference”.

Audio Mix Depth Indicate how many of the loudest voices speaking at the

same time will be heard. The value 3 indicates that the three loudest participants speaking at the same time will be heard. Maximum number of participants that can be mixed is 5.

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Participants

Participants can be added to the On Goin g Conference either by selecting the participant templates from the Participant database or by defining them. When defining a participant during the definition of an On Going Conference, or after it has started, the participants default parameters are set according to the conference media and type. For example, when defining the participant during an On Going Audio Only conference, only Audio participants can be defined.

Dial-in participants can be defined or undefined. Undefined dial-in participants can connect to an Entry Queue Access conf erence, a Meeting Room or a Meet Me Per Conference, without prior scheduling as long as they know the conference dial-in number, the conference password or numeric ID (depending on the MCU configuration) and the conference start date and time. This mode is usually used in unattended, conferences.

New Participants can be defined in one of the following methods:

• From the Conference Properties dialog box when scheduling the

conference or during the On Going Conference.

• From the conference right-click menu or the Add Participant icon during

On Going Conference.

Participant template that is stored in the Participant Database or in the User Template file can be used to add participants to conferences without defining their parameters. The parameters are taken from the template. The defi nitions of the Participant Template in the User Template or in the Participants Database are described in the MGC Manager User’s Gu ide, Vol ume II.

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To add participants to a conference:

7. Click the Participants tab to add participants to the conference.

The Properties - Participants dialog box opens.

If the conference includes dial-out participants, they should be de fined here or assigned from a template. Y ou have to define whether the dial-out participants will be automatically called by the MCU at the conference start time or if they will be manually connected by the operator or conference chairperson.

If the Meet Me Per Conf option is selected in the Properties - General tab, you can allow undefined dial-in participants to connect to the conference by selecting the Allow Undefined Participants option. This

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option is automatically selected (and cannot be cleared) when defining Meeting Rooms or Entry Queue Access conferences.

T1-CAS participants can be connected to conferences if T1-CAS is enabled for the conference. The appropriate flag must be set in the system.cfg file and a T1-CAS Network Service must be defined in the system. For more information, see the Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 3, “Completing the T1CAS Network Service Definition” and "Assigning the T1-CAS Network Service to the Net-2/Net-4/Net-8 Card".

8. If required, add participants to the conference using the following options:

Table 2-3: Confer ence Properties - Participants

Field/Option Description

Pre-Defined Participants

Search Use this option when the list is very long, to display only

Lists the names of participants defined in the source file that contains predefined participants. The source can be a Participant database, User template file or an LDAP directory (when available). The list is empty if no source was selected in the Pre-Defined Participant file box, or if no participant was defined. To list participants in this box, select the appropriate source file in the Pre- defined Participants file box.

those participant names that match a particular character string. Type the string in the Search text box. As each character is typed, all participants starting with the specified character string are displayed in the Pre-Defined Participants list.

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Table 2-3: Conference Pro perties - Participants (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Pre-Defined Participants File

Conference Participants

Add Participant

Displays the full path and file name of the selected User Template file or database from which the Pre-Defined Participants list is read.

To select the appropriate participant template source:

• Click From Database to select another database

Group. The Open Parties in Database dialog box opens, letting you select the database and Group from which the Participant templates should be listed.

• Click Browse to load a different User Template file,

and use the standard Windows convention to locate the required file.

• Click Directory to list participants defined in an

LDAP-compatible directory.

Lists the names of the participants who are currently assigned to the conference.

T o add selected particip ants from the selected database Group, User Template file or LDAP directory to the conference:

• Click the name of the participant in the Pre-Defined

Participants list.

• Click the Add Participant (>>) button.

The participant's name appears in the Conference Participants list.

Delete Participant

To remove a participant from the conference:

• Click the name of the participant in the Conference

Participants list.

• Click the Delete Participant button.

The participant's name is removed from the Conference Participants list and from the conference but not from

the database or User Template file.

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Table 2-3: Confer ence Properties - Participants (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Allow Undefined Parties

Select this option to let undefined participants to connect to the conference. When enabled, undefined participants can connect to the conference until the maximum allowed number of participants (Max Participants) is reached, or until the MCU resources allocated to the conference are used up.

Note: This option is automatically selected when the Meet Me per Conf or Entry Queue Access options are selected in the Properties - General tab.

Min Participants Define the total number of participants for which the

system reserves resources. This number should include defined as well as undefined participants. For example, if the conference includes two defined participants (dial-in or dial-out) and you want the system to reserve resources for three additional undefined participants, enter 5 in the Min Participants box. If you enter 0, no resources will be reserved for the conference. Participants will be able to connect to the conference if there are available resources. Note: The total number of conference participants is limited by the value set in the Max Participants parameter, or by the maximum number of participants per conference supported by the MCU.

Max Participants Enter the maximum number of participants who can

connect to the conference at one time. The maximum number is calculated taking into account both the defined and undefined participants. Use this option to save resources for other conferences. When set to Auto, the maximum number of participants is determined by the maximum number of participants in a conference as supported by the MCU, or the by the availability of MCU resources.

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Dial-Out Manually

Select this option to designate an operator-controlled dial-out conference connection. When this option is checked, the participants remain in standby state until the operator manually connects each of the dial-out participants to the conference.

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Table 2-3: Conference Pro perties - Participants (Continued)

Field/Option Description

New Click this button to define a new participant and add to

the list of participants of this On Going Conference. You can save the new participant defined by this method (during the conference definition), in the

database or in the current User Template file that is listed in the Pre-Defined Participants File box.

If you do not save the new participant's definition in the database or in the User Template file, the participant’s properties will be deleted once the On Going Conference ends. For a detailed description of participant definition, see “Defining Participant Properties” on page 2-49.

9. Use one of the following methods to list participants in the Pr edefined

Participants list and add participants to the conference:

• Add participants from the database

• Add participants from the User Template file

To list participants from the database:

a. Click the From database... button to display the list of participants

stored in the database in the Pre-Defined Participants. If you are not logged into the database, the Database dialog box opens.

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b. Enter your Login Name and Password and click OK.

The Open Parties in Database dialog box opens.

c. If more than one database is configured in your system, select the

appropriate database from the Database Name list.

d. Filter the list of participants by clicking the Name and/or Label

check boxes, entering the appropriate character string in the Name field and/or selecting the appropriate label from the drop-down list.

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The Group option is enabled by default, displaying the highest group in the Groups hierarchy to which the logged in user has access. You may select another group from the Groups hierarchy list. Only groups to which you have access, are listed in the Groups list.

e. Click OK. The list of all the participants in the filtered category is

displayed in the Pre-Defined Participants list, and the name of the participant’ s Group is displayed in the Pr e-Defined Partic ipants File You can now add names from this list to the Conference Participants

f. In the Pre-defined Participants list, select the participants to add to

the conference and click the Add button.

To add participants from the User Template file:

a. Click the Browse button to list the User Template files stored on

your computer. The Browse dialog box opens letting you select the User Template file (.usr).

Recording

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

b. Using standard windows conventions, select the User Template file

and click Open. The participants in the User Template file are listed in the Pre- defined Participants list.

c. In the Pre-defined Participants list, select the participants to add to

the conference and click the Add button.

This dialog box is used to enable recording the audio channel of the conference. It is intended for use with the ReadiRecorder.

To enable recording for an On Going Conference:

10. Click the Recording tab.

The Recording dialog box opens.

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11. Define the following parameters to record the audio channel of the conference:

Table 2-4: Conference Properties - Recording

Field/Option Description

Enable Recording Select this option to enable recording. Recording Link

Name

Start Recording Select when to start recording the conference:

If you enabled recording, select the required Recording Link from the list of the defined links. If left blank, the default recording link will be used. The recording link defines the connection parameters between the conference and the recording system.

Note: To view the Recording Links defined for the MCU, double-click Recording Links under the MCU Configuration icon.

• Immediately - when the conference starts, even

if no participant is connected

• Upon Request - the recording starts when the

chairperson sends the appropriate request by DTMF codes or by the MGC Manager operator.

For more information about recording the audio channel of a conference, see chapter 8, "Recording".

Completing the Conference Definition

12. To complete the conference definition procedure, click OK from any of the Conference Properties tabs.

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The Properties dialog box closes. If all the properties are configured correctly, and if there are sufficient MCU resources to run the conference, the new conference is added to the On Going Conferences list in the Browser pane of the main window , and starts immediately. Yo u can click the conference icon to view the status data in the Status and Monitor pane of the MGC Manager main window.

Resolving Scheduling Conflicts

Upon completion of scheduling a Reservation or an On Going Conference, the system checks for scheduling conflicts for individual participants. A scheduling conflict for a par ticipant results when two or more conferences are set up to occur at the same time or at overlapping times and contain one of the following parameters:

• Participants with the same name

• Participants with the same ISDN or T1-CAS phone numbers

• Participants with the same IP address or Alias

Depending on the connection type that was defined for the participant, MGC Manager looks for specific conflict criteria to determine if the participant is double-booked. Table 2-5 lists these criteria:

Table 2-5: Schedulin g Conflict Criteria by Connection Type

Connection Type Conflict Criteria

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Dial-out (ISDN/ PSTN/T1-CAS

Dial-out IP Name and IP address or Alias.

Dial-in Name or phone number.

Name or phone number(s).

IP address and Alias (when both provided).

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If a conflict is detected in the reservation or in an On Going Conference, the Participants Scheduling Conflicts window opens, listing the found data.

The following information is displayed:

Table 2-6: Participants Scheduling Conflicts Table

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Field/Option Description

Requested Participants

Reserved Participants

Phone/IP Lists the phone numbers or IP addresses of all listed

Alias Lists the aliases of all listed participants. Conn. Type Indicates the participant’s connection type:

Lists the names of conflicting participants requested to join the conference currently being created.

Lists the names of participants already scheduled in previously created conferences whose data match those of the newly requested participant.

participants.

• Dial-in – participants call the conference

• Dial-out – the system calls the participant

For the description of connection types, see “Participant Connection to Conference” on page 2-8.

Conf. Name Lists the names of the conferences in which each participant

is defined.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-6: Participants Scheduling Conflicts Table

Field/Option Description

Conf. Type Indicates the conference type:

• Res. – Reservation

• Conf. – On Going Conference

Start Time Date and start time of each conference. End Time Date and termination time of each conference.

The MGC Manager application checks for conflicts on the MCU on which the reservation is being scheduled, while the WebCommander application checks for conflicts on multiple MCUs.

To resolve the scheduling conflicts for participants:

1. In the Participants Scheduling Conflicts table, select an action:

• Select the (check boxes of) non-conflicting participants in the Requested Participants column, to retain these participants in the currently scheduled conference.

• Clear the (check boxes of) conflicting participants in the Requested Participants column, to exclud e these partici pants from the currently scheduled conference.

2. Select the required solution, by clicking the appropriate button:

• Include selected participants and schedule - Select this option to allow the system to ignore the found conflict information and to schedule the conference.

• Back to reservation - Select this option to return to the current conference definition without scheduling the conference and to modify the required parameters or select other participants.

• Cancel scheduling - Select this option to cancel the current conference definition and exit the conference definition mode.

The window closes and the selected action is applied.

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Listing On Going Conferences

In the On Going Conferences list, you can view all conferences that are currently running.

To view the On Going Conferences:

1. Expand the MCU tree, and then expand the On Going Conferences tree.

The number of On Going Conferences appears between brackets next to the On Going Conferences icon and the conferences that are currently running are listed below. Each conference is identified by its name, and an icon indicating its type and general status.

On first entry, or if no conferences are running, the On Going Conferences list is empty. Additional information regarding the On Going Conferences can be viewed in the Status pane.

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Scheduling a New Reservation

A Reservation is a conference that is scheduled to start sometime in the future. It is saved on the MCU and is automatically started when the scheduled date and time arrives. At the end of the conference it is deleted from the MCU.

To schedule a new Reservation:

1. Expand the MCU tree.

2. Right-click the Reservations icon, and then click New Reservation.

The Conference Properties - General dialog box opens, allowing you to define the general parameters of the conference. These parameters are identical to the standard conference General parameters.

3. Define the conference general parameters, such as name, Numeric ID, passwords and duration. For detailed description of these parameters, refer to Table 2-1, "Conference Properties - General." on page 2-16.

4. Click the Scheduler tab to schedule the conference start date and time. The conference will automatically start at the defined date and time.

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The Properties - Scheduler dialog box opens. By default, the system displays the current time as the start time of the conference.

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If you do not change the default date and time (current), the defined Reservation becomes an On Going Conference and will start immediately.

5. Define the following parameters:

Table 2-7: Reserva ti on Properties - Scheduler

Field/Option Description

Calendar Select a date on which the conference should be

started; select the month and year on the calendar, and then click the date.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-7: Reservation Properties - Scheduler (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Starting Time To select a time at which the conference should be

started, set the starting time using either the 12H AM/ PM or the 24-hour format. (The time format is derived from the Operating System time format defined in the Regional Settings.) Highlight the hours or minutes in the box and either use the spin buttons to modify the displayed time, or type a time directly.

Reservation Recurrence

Click this button to define a reservation for a conference that will be repeated on a regular basis, using the same basic parameters. For more details, refer to “Defining Recurrent Reservations” on page 2-44.

6. Click the Settings tab. The Conference Properties - Settings dialog box appears.

7. Define the Settings parameters, as described for the On Going Conference, “Settings Parameters” on page 2-21.

8. Click the Participants tab to add defined participants (mainly dial-out) either from a template or to define a new participant. If Meet Me Per Conference is selected, access th is tab if you want to define the number of participants for which the system should save resources and the maximum number of participants allowed to connect to this conference. For details, see Table , “Defining Participant Properties,” on page 2-49.

9. If the Meet Me Per Conference option wa s selecte d in th e General tab, click the Meet Me Per Conf tab.

The Conference Properties - Meet Me Per Conf dialog box appears.

This tab appears only if the Meet Me Per Conference option is selected in the General tab.

10. Define the Meet Me Per Conf parameters as described in MGC Manager User Guide Vol I, Chapter 2.

11. Click OK to complete the Reservation definition. The new Reservation is added to the Reservations list.

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Defining Recurrent Reservations

You can set up conferences to occur repeatedly by defining the recurrence pattern (frequency and day) and range (number of recurrences or the date on which they will end). The number of duplicate reservations is derived from the number of occurrences defined for the reservation. Each duplicate includes the same parameters of the original conference, however, except for the Conference Name, you can modify these parameters for the individual conference. Defining the Reservation Recurrence parameters can be done in two ways:

• When setting up a New Reservation from the Reservations list.

• When setting up a New Reservation from a Reservation Template.

The recurrence parameters are defined in the Conference Properties - Scheduler dialog box.

To define the recurrence parameters for the reservation:

1. In the Conference Properties - Scheduler dialog box, select the month, year and day of the first conference, and the conference Starting Time, as described in Table 2-7, “Reservation Properties - Scheduler,” on page 2-42.

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2. Click the Reservation Recurrence bu tton. The Reservation Recurrence dialog box opens.

3. Define the following parameters:

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-8: Reservation Recurrence Settings

Field/Option Description

Recurrence Pattern

Recurrence Pattern (cont.)

Select the recurrence frequency:

• Daily – By default, all the days of the week are

selected. T o exclude a certain day of the week (for example, the weekend), clear the check box.

• Weekly – By default, the system selects the day

of the week as set in the Scheduler calendar for the first reservation. You can also define the recurrence interval in weeks. For example, if you want the reservation to occur every 2 weeks, enter the value 2 in the Week(s) on box. To define a reservation that recurs twice a week, select an additional day of the week at which the conference is to be repeated and set the interval to 1.

• Monthly – By default, the system sets the day

according to the day defined for the first conference. You can choose either the day of a month or a schedule sequence:

• Daily – By default, all the days of the week are

selected. T o exclude a certain day of the week (for example, the weekend), clear the check box.

• Weekly – By default, the system selects the day

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Table 2-8: Reserva tion Recurrence Settings (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Range of Recurrence

Define the range of reservation recurrences:

• End After [number of] Occurrences – Specify

after how many recurrences the reservation will end. The default value is 1; the range is 1-2000.

• End By [date] – Specify the date for the last

occurrence of the recurring reservation. I select the Range of Recurrence - End By option, the Reservation Recurrence dialog box expands to show the calendar in the Ending Date Of Recurrence pane. Click the required date in the displayed calendar month or select a different month using the scroll arrows.

Note: The MGC Manager calculates the number of occurrences according to the selected frequency and the date range.

f you

4. Click OK to apply the settings. The Reservation Recurr ence dialog box closes. The Scheduler setting s of the reservation are completed.

5. Define the remaining conference parameters, as described in Table 2-7, “Reservation Properties - Scheduler,” on page 2-42.

6. Click OK to complete the definition of the new reservation. Once the reservation has been defined, the system automatically creates the recurring reservations. The name of each of the recurring reservations is derived from the name of the first reservation, followed by sequential numbers, using the format <name>_X, where X is its sequential order. For example, if the first reservation is named “Demo”, and the number of occurrences is three, the system creates three reservations, naming the first “Demo_1”, the second “Demo_2” and the third “Demo_3”.

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Listing Reservations

The Reservations defined on the MCU are stored in the Reservations list.

To view the Reservations list in the Browser pane:

• Expand the MCU tree, then expand the Reservations tree.

The reserved conferences are listed in the Browser pane below the Reservations icon.

The number of currently defined reservations appears between brackets next to the Reservations icon. Each conference is identified by its name, and an icon indicating the Reservation type and status.

You can view Reservations in the Status pane to check additional information about the Reservation, such as its Numeric ID, passwords, dial-in numbers and H.323 Network Service Prefix.

Displaying the List of Reservations in the Status Pane

• Expand the MCU tree and in the Status pane and click the Reservations

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End of Conference Reminder

At a certain time during a conference, the End of Conference Reminder icon can appear in the Status or Monitor panes, reminding you (the operator)

that the conference is due to end. You can then extend the duration of the conference if necessary.

The time interval between the moment that the End of Conference Reminder is displayed and the scheduled end of the conference, is a predefined parameter that you can configure using the Conf Alert function of the MGC Manager Options menu.

To define the End of Conference Reminder:

1. On the Options menu, click Conf Alert. The Conference End Time Alert dialog box opens.

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2. In the End Conf Alert field, enter or select the value that defines how many minutes before the end of the conference the End of Conference

Reminder is activated. For example, if you enter 5, the End of Conference Reminder icon will be displayed five minutes before the end

of the conference. Entering 0 disables the appearance of the warning icon.

3. Click OK to apply the setting. From this point on, the system will display the End of Conference

Reminder icon x minutes (where x is the value entered in the End Conf Alert field) before the end of any On Going Conference. The icon

remains on display until the conference ends.

You can extend the duration of the On Going Conference, when needed. For details, see Chapter 4, “Changing the Conference Duration” on page 4-53.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Defining Participant Properties

New participants can be defined directly during the conference definition or during the On Going Conference. You can also define participant templa tes either in the Participant Templates Database or the User Template file

To define a new participant:

1. Use one of the following methods to open the Participan t Properties -

Identification dialog box opens.

a. In the On Going Conference Properties - Participants dialog box,

click the New button.

b. Expand the On Going Conferences list, right-click the icon of the

conference to which to add the participant, and then click New Participant.

c. Expand th e On Going Conferences list, click the icon of the

conference to which to add the participant, and then click the New Participant button on the Conference toolbar.

d. Expand the On Going Conferences list, click the icon of the

conference to which to add the participant, and then press the shortcut key (default key is <F8>)

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The Participant Properties - Identification dialog box opens.

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2. Define the following parameters:

Table 2-9: Participant Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Name Enter a unique name for the participant, using up to

80 characters.

Connection Type Select the connection type:

• Dial-in – Participants call the MCU at conference

time. You provide the participant with the MCU’s dial-in number. When selecting this type, the Meet Me Per options are enabled. This connection type is applicable to ISDN, ATM and MPI interfaces.

Note: Dial-in T1-CAS participants can only connect as undefined participants.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-9: Partic ipant Properties and Identification Dialog Box (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Connection Type (cont.)

Interface Type Select the network type used by the participant to

• Dial-out – At the predefined conference start

time, the MCU calls the participant. When defining the participant, you must enter the participant’s number.

Note: This is the only selection available for the T1-CAS participant. If the Dial-Out Manually option is disabled in the Conference Properties - Participant tab, the MCU automatically calls the participant at conference time. If this option is enabled, the operator must connect the participant.

connect to the conference:

• ISDN – for participants connecting via ISDN or

PSTN lines.

• H.323 – for participants using the H.323 protocol.

• SIP – for participants using a SIP Protocol.

• T1-CAS – for participants using a Channel

Associated Signaling (CAS) connection.

Participant definitions differ accordi ng to their selected Interface Types.

ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Participant Definition

3. Define the following parameters fo r IS D N /P STN /T1-CAS participants The definition of the Advanced parameters may be skipped for most

participants, but if you need to change the defaults or define additional settings, open the tab.

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Table 2-10: ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Participant Numbers

This parameter is enabled for the Dial-out connection type, or when the Dial-in Meet Me Per Conference - MCU option is selected. Type the participant’s number (including country and area codes when required) to be dialed by the MCU when connecting the participant to the conference.

If the Meet Me Per MCU option is enabled, the CLI number is used to identify the participant and route them to the appropriate conference. Enter the participant’s CLI number.

MCU Numbers This field is enabled only to Dial-in, Meet Me Per

MCU participants. Enter the MCU number as allocated to the MCU by the carrier. The dial-in numbers are defined in the ISDN Network Services - Span dialog box.

If left blank, when the conference starts the MCU automatically assigns a dial-in number from the list of numbers defined in the ISDN Network Service.

Note: During an On Going Conference, the MCU numbers are listed in the Network+Phone/IP column of the main window Status pane. The format (number of digits) depends on how the dial-in numbers are forwarded from the PBX switch to the MCU and whether the PBX truncates part of the number.

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MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-10: ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Extension/ Identifier String

Used with multi-step extension dialing and participants with PBX or IVR phone extensions. This field is used to enter the required data for the dialing.

The string listed in the Name field consists of the following format: (0...9)(Free text)([Ext: Extension)(p)(extension number)(p)(extension number)(p)(##]). For example, 9Sales[Ext:p345p222p].

Each section of the string is explained below:

• 0...9 - Any digit between 0 and 9, the digit being

any number that identifies the participant during a DTMF dial-out sequence. For example, when a chairperson activates a dial-out session by pressing *259, *25 is the DTMF command code that activates the dial-out session and 9 is the number that identifies a particular participant to be used in the session.

• Free text - Optional text field, and may be

omitted.

Note: In confer ences where the blast dia l-out feature is activated automatically using the DTMF code *25, the free text field must start with a digit as shown in the example: 9Duke[Ext:p345p222p].

• Brackets [ ] - Brackets indicating a dial string.

Bracket are context sensitive and only this type of format is to be used.

• Extension (Ext:, ext:, EXT: are permitted) text

prefix - Code indicating that a string consisting of a series of digits are to be used during dial-up.

Note: More than one extension number is optional, certain IVR systems request that you first dial a department and then extension number.

• p - Induces a pause of 1 second before

transmitting the next digit or DTMF code. There is no limit to the number of p’s in a dial string

Note: When using one second intermissions, it is important to note that each IVR system has different content and timing of dialog sequences. Correct timing for output of DTMF digits might determine whether a call can be successfully completed.

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Table 2-10: ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Meet Me Per This field is enabled only for Dial-in participants.

Select:

• Party – The participant dials a single number.

• MCU-Conference – Select this option when a

single dial-in number is used by all dial-in participants connecting to the MCU. The participants are routed to the appropriate conferences according to their CLI number defined in the Participant Numbers field. This option should be used only with PBXs supporting the CLI option.

User Defined fields 1-4

Broadcasting Volume/Listening Volume

In any or all of the four User Defined fields, enter general information for the participant, such as the participant’s email address, telephone number, company name, location, or any required information. The titles of the User Defined fields can be modified in the Database Manager -> Defaults -> User Defined Defaults and loaded to the MGC Manager application. Note: The User Defined fields are displayed only if the Show User Defined Fields in Participant

Parameters box is selected in the Database Manager -> Defaults ->User Defined Defaults.

You can control the volume of the audio transmitted from the participant to the conference (broadcasting volume), as well as the listening volume for the participant. To adjust the volume, move the slider. The volume scale is from 1 to 10, where 1 is the weakest and 10 the strongest volume. The volume of each endpoint’s audio at connection time is set to 5. One movement of the volume slider increases or decreases the volume by one unit, equivalent to 3db.

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Table 2-10: ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Audio Only When checked, indicates an Audio Only participant.

This option is automatically selected and cannot be cancelled:

• for T1-CAS participants

• in Audio Look & Feel mode

• when defining participants during Audio Only

conference definition in the Conference Properties - Participants dialog box.

VIP When checked, changes the participant’s status to

VIP to distinguish participants who require special attention.

Note: The VIP status can also be changed during the On Going Conference.

Save Participant (Optional) When checked, saves the participant

definition as a template in the User Defined template file or in the selected Database Group. Note: This check box appears only when defining a participant during conference or reservation definition.

Participant Linked This check box appears only when defining a

participant during the definition of a Reservation template in the database. Select this option to save the participant as a template in the database and link the participant to the Reservation template. The participant is assigned to the selected database Group. If this option is cleared, the participant is embedded in the Reservation template and his/her parameters are not saved in the database as a Participant template for future use.

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Table 2-10: ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Properties and Identification Dialog Box

Field/Option Description

Label (Optional) This field appears only when participant

definition is done directly in the database and displays the label assigned to the participant. The label is used for filtering the Participant T emplates list in the database. Non-administrative users can assign only the labels assigned to them. Users with administrator rights can assign any label created in the system. The labels are defined by administrators in the MGC Database Manager module. For detailed information on template types and use, refer to the MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 7, “Database Templates”.

4. Optional: Click the Advanced tab. The participant’s Properties - Advanced dialog box opens.

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5. If required, define the following parameters:

Table 2-11: ISDN/ATM/MPI/T1-CAS Participant - Advanced

Field/Option Description

Service Name Enter the name of the Network Service to be used to

connect the ISDN/AT M/MPI/T1-CAS participant to the conference exactly as it is defined in the Network Service list (the system is case sensitive). If left blank, the default Network Service is used, depending on the selected connection type. For example, if the selected connection type is ISDN, the default ISDN Network Service is used. For more information on Network Services, refer to the MGC Administrator’s Guide, Volume II, Chapter 3.

Sub-Service Name This field is applicable to ISDN participants only.

If a sub-service is used, enter the sub-s ervice name exactly as it appears in the selected Network Service definition. If left blank, the default sub-service defined in the selected Network service is used.

Num-type Select the type of program to be used when connecting to

ISDN/ATM/MPI participants. The available options are Unknown; National;

International; Network Specific; Subscriber; Abbreviated; Taken from Service. These options

represent programs provided by the carrier, and are defined in the Network Service. Select Taken from Service to indicate that the program should be retrieved from the Network Service definition.

Node Type Select the node type from the drop-down list. The available

options for ISDN/ATM/MPI participants are:

• MCU – Select this setting for a dial-out participant in a

DTMF Enabled Cascaded conference. For more details, see MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 1.

• Terminal (default) – Use this setting at all other times.

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Table 2-11: ISDN/ATM/MPI/T1-CAS Participant - Advanced (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Recording Designate the ISDN/T1-CAS participant as an audio

recording port connected to an external recording device: Select one of the following:

• None – The participant is not connected to an external

recording device.

• Dial up – The participant is used as the recording port

to an external device.

For more details, Chapter 8, “Recording”.

Encryption Media information can be encrypted using an AES 128

algorithm. The Encryption options are affected by the settings of the participant level flag in the system.cfg. For Audio Only participants connecting to an Audio Only conference with mixed networks, Auto is automatically selected. It implies the conference encryption setting (encrypted/non-encrypted) is applied to the participant. Audio Only ISDN/T1-CAS participants cannot be encrypted, because encryption is not part of the ISDN/T1CAS protocol, and therefore, in this mode the participant can only connect as a standard participant to nonencrypted conferences.

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AGC The Auto Gain Control (AGC) mechanism regulates audio

noise and volume by balancing the received signal to all participants. AGC can be applied to all incoming audio streams prior to mixing, thereby dynamically adjusting the amplification of the input signal.

AGC is automatically enabled for all participants. Clear this check box to disable this option for the participant.

Save Participant/ Participant Linked

These check boxes are the same as the check boxes that appear in the Properties Identification dialog box. For more information, see the description of the “Save Participant” parameter Table 2-10 on page 2-52.

6. Click OK to complete the participant definition. The participant is added to the On Going Conference, Reservation or the Reservation Template, depending on the conference/participant definition mode.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

IP (H.323 and SIP) Participant Definition

If you select H.323 or SIP in the Interface Type field, the fields change in the Participant Properties dialog bo x. Most of the parameters are common to

both H.323 and SIP participants.

H323 Participant Properties SIP Participant Properties

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7. Define the following parameters:

Table 2-12: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Identification

Field/Option Description

Participant IP Ente r the IP address of the participant’s endpoint.

• For H.323 participants: — In a Dial-out connection, enter the IP address

or alias of the endpoint to be called by the MCU. If you entered only an alias the gatekeeper can resolve the participant’s alias into an IP address.

— In a Dial-in connection, the participants IP

address or alias are entered. The IP address or alias is used to identify and route the participant to the appropriate conference.

• For SIP endpoints, Participant IP is optional as

these participants can be located by using their URI addresses.

Signaling Port Indicates the signaling port used for participant

connection. For H.323 the default port is 1720. For SIP, the default port is 5060.

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SIP Address

SIP Only

Enter the endpoint address in the format: [user name]@[domain]. Note: The SIP URI adheres to URI rules: no spaces or special characters such as commas, quotation

marks, inverted tags and so forth either in the user name or in the domain part.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-12: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Identification (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Address Type

SIP Only

Alias Name

H.323 Only

Alias Type

H.323 Only

Select the format in which the SIP address is written:

• SIP URI – Uses the format of an E-mail address,

typically containing a user name and a host name: sip:[user]@[host]. For example, sip:dan@polycom.com.

• TEL URI – Used when the endpoint does not

specify the domain that should interpret a telephone number that has been input by the user. Rather, each domain through which the request passes would be given that opportunity. As an example, a user in an airport might log in and send requests through an outbound proxy in the airport, not by the user's home domain.

If you are using the endpoint’s alias and not the IP address, first select the type of alias and then enter the endpoint’s alias as registered with the gatekeeper. Enter the alias name using the naming conventions appropriate to the selected Alias type.

Select the appropriate alias type before entering an alias name:

• H.323 ID (alphanumeric ID)

• E.164 (digits 0-9, *, #)

• URL ID (URL style address)

• Email ID (email address format)

• Transport ID (IP address: port number)

• Party Number (identical to the E.164 format)

Notes: Although all types are supported, the gatekeeper capabilities dictate the Alias Type to be used, mainly H.323 ID and E.164. Refer to your gatekeeper documentation for information on its supported alias types.

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Table 2-12: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Identification (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Extension/ Identifier String

User Defined fields 1-4

Broadcasting Volume/Listening Volume

This is the DTMF string sent to the recording or other DTMF activated system; an outgoing DTMF operation initiated by the MCU. This is useful for identifying extensions associated with SIP users. Each type of recording system has a specific DTMF string structure, for example, when using the Prairie recording services.

The titles of the User Defined fields can be modified in the Database Manager -> Defaults -> User Defined Defaults and loaded to the MGC Manager application. For details, see Chapter 3.

Note: The User Defined fields are displayed only if the Show User Defined Fields in Participant Parameters box is selected in the Database Manager

-> Defaults ->User Defined Defaults.

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Audio Only When checked, indicates an Audio Only participant.

This option is automatically selected and cannot be cancelled:

• For T1-CAS participants

• In Audio Look & Feel mode

• When defining participants during Audio Only

conference definition in the Conference Properties - Participants dialog box.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-12: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Identification (Continued)

Field/Option Description

VIP When checked, changes the participant’s status to

VIP, to distinguish participants who require special attention. Note: The VIP status can also be changed during the On Going Conference.

Save Participant (Optional) When checked, saves the participant

definition as a template in the User Defined template file or in the selected Database Group.

Note: This check box appears only when defining a participant during conference or reservation definition.

Participant Linked This check box appears only when defining a

participant during the definition of a Reservation template in the database. Selec t this option to save the participant as a template in the database and link the participant to the Reservation template. The participant is assigned to the selected database Group. If this option is cleared, the participant is embedded in the Reservation template and his/her parameters are not saved in the database as a Participant template for future use.

8. Optional: Click the Advanced tab.

The Advanced parameters definition may be skipped for most participants if the default settings are used.

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The IP Participant Properties - Advanced dialog box opens.

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9. Define the following parameters:

Table 2-13: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Advanced

Field/Option Description

Service Name Enter the name of the IP Network Service handling

the call. Note that the system is case sensitive. If left blank, the default IP Network Service (H.323 or SIP depending on the Interface Type) is used.

Recording Designate the IP participant as an audio recording

port connected to an external recording device.

• None – The participant is not connected to an

external recording device.

• Dial up – The participant is used as the recording

port to an external device.

For more details, see the MGC Manager User’s Guide, VoicePlus edition, Chapter 6.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

Table 2-13: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Advanced (Continued)

Field/Option Description

AGC The Auto Gain Control (AGC) mechanism regulates

audio noise and volume by balancing the received signal to all participants. AGC can be applied to all incoming audio streams prior to mixing, thereby dynamically adjusting the amplification of the input signal. AGC is automatically enabled for all participants. Clear this check box to disable this option for the participant.

Encryption Media information can be encrypted using an AES

128 algorithm. The Encryption options are affected by the settings of the participant level flag in the system.cfg. Select the appropriate encryption setting for the participant:

• Auto – The conference encryption setting

(encrypted/non-encrypted) is applied to the participant. In this mode, the participant connects as encrypted only if the conference is defined as encrypted.

• Off – The participant joins the Conference/Entry

Queue non-encrypted.

• On – The participant joins the Conference/Entry

Queue encrypted.

Note: SIP participants do not support this type of encryption, and therefore Auto should be selected.

For more details, about encryption see the MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 1.

Node Type Select the node type from the list:

• Terminal – The default. This setting is applicable

for all settings that are not DTMF enabled cascaded conferences.

• MCU – Select this setting for a dial-out participant

in a DTMF enabled cascaded conference. For more details, see MGC Manager User’s Guide Volume II, Chapter 1.

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Table 2-13: H.323 and SIP Participant Properties - Advanced (Continued)

Field/Option Description

Quality Of Service Click this button to configure QoS for this participant.

For details see MGC Manager User's Guide Volume I, Chapter 4, “Quality of Service for IP Participants, page 4-124.

Enable PSTN Dial-in

Save Participant (Optional) When checked, saves the participant

For internal use only.

definition as a template in the User Defined template file or in the selected Database Group.

Note: This check box appears only when defining a participant for a Reservation template in the User Template file or when defining a participant during a conference when Database Group is the source.

10. Click OK to complete the definition of the H.323 and SIP participant.

The participant is added to the On Going Conference, Reservation or to the Reservation Template, depending on the conference definition mode.

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Dialing-in from an H.323 Endpoint

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Address

In simple dial-in, the participant dials the IP address of the IP card installed in the MCU, so no gatekeeper is required. The participant is routed to the destination conference according to the participant’s IP address defined for the participant in the conference.

MGC Manager User’s Guide - VoicePlus Edition

MCU

IP:172.22.138.146

Conference1 IP Card (1)

Conference2 IP Card (2)

IP:172.22.138.148

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.129

IP:172.22.138.146 (1)

IP:172.22.138.148 (2)

LAN

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.146

IP:172.22.138.146

Endpoint IP:

196.123.12.89

Figure 2-4: H.323 Participant simple dial-in using the IP Card address

In this dial-in mode, the MGC Manager operator must manage the system resources by distributing the participant connections between the cards. This is done by giving the IP address of the appropriate H.323 card to each of the participants.

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Alias

Participants can use the alias of the IP card instal led in th e MCU to d ial-in. In this mode, a gatekeeper is required in order to provide address translation and routing to the IP module. When the participant enters the IP card alias, t he call is routed to the gatekeeper that forwards the call to the appropriate IP card according to its table of aliases and IP addresses.

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For Gatekeeper functionality and interoperability see the Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 3, Defining a H.323 Network Service.

The MGC Manager determines the conference to which the participant is assigned according to the participant’s alias or IP address defined for the participant in the conference.

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.129 Alias: 259

MCU

IP:172.22.138.146 Alias: 146

Conference1 IP Card (1)

Conference2 IP Card (2)

IP:172.22.138.148 Alias: 148

Dials 146

LAN

Dials 148

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.146 Alias: 256

Dials 146

Endpoint IP:

172.123.12.89 Alias: 268

Gatekeeper

146 148

Figure 2-5: H.323 Participant simple dial-in using the IP card alias

H.323 Advanced Dial-in

In this mode, the participant enters a dialing string that is the IP Network Service Prefix. Usually one IP Network Service is defined for all the IP cards installed in the MCU. The IP Network Service is registered with the gatekeeper using a prefix. (The prefix is defined using E.164 format, i.e. 0-9 digits, * and #.) This Network Service prefix is also entered in the IP Network Service Properties - H.323 dial og box. The Network Se rvice prefix is given to the participants as the dial-in number. When the participants dial in, the call arrives at the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper locates the MCU and tries to allocate a port from the first free IP card. If the resource is available, the participant is connected and routed to the appropriate conference according to the participant’s IP address/Alias as defined in the Participant Properties dialog box. If the resource is unavailable on the first IP card, the system looks for the port on any of the available IP cards, and allocate the resources

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automatically, according to their availability. If no port is available, the connection will be rejected.

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.146 Alias: 256

Endpoint dials 45

Endpoint IP:

172.123.12.89 Alias: 268

Gatekeeper

Network

Service

Prefix=45

Conference1

Participant 1 alias: 256 Participant 2 alias: 259 Participant 3 alias: 378

Conference2

Participant 1 alias: 268 Participant 2 alias: 281 Participant 3 alias: 224

Endpoint IP:

196.123.38.129 Alias: 259

MCU

Conference1 IP Card (1)

Conference2 IP Card (2)

Endpoint dials 45

LAN

Dials 45

Figure 2-6: H.323 Participant Advanced Dial-in

The Gatekeeper behavior is dependent on the type of Gatekeeper service chosen in the Service Mode field (IP Network Service Properties - H.323 dialog box). Currently, only Polycom, RadVision and VCON MXM Gatekeepers are known to support the Network Service Prefix option. Gatekeepers of other manufacturers may encounter problems while defining such a conference. For Gatekeeper functionality and interoperability in IP Network Services, see the MGC Manager Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 3.

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Listing Participants

You can view the updated list of participants in the On Go ing Conference list, in the Browser, Status and Monitor panes.

Disconnected participant Recording port

Connected participant

• If Dial-Out Manually was selected in the Conference Properties dialog

box, participants remain disconnected (Stand By state) until the operator initiates the connection from the MCU to the participant. Until all participants connect to conference, the conference shows the “Not Full” status.

• If Dial-out Manually was not selected for the conference, the system

automatically dials out to all listed participants and connects them to the conference.

• Defined, dial-in participants status is “Waiting for dial-in” until they

connect to the conference.

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Monitoring On Going Conferences

You can monitor On Going Conferen ces and perform various operations while conferences are running.

Three levels of monitoring are available with the MGC Manager:

• General Monitoring - You can monitor the general status of all On Going

Conferences and their participants in the MGC Manager main window.

• Conference Level Monitoring - You can view additional information

regarding a specific conference and modify its parameters if required, using the Conference Properties option.

• Participant Level Monitoring - You can view detailed information on the

participant's status, using the Participant Properties option. During attended conferences you can monitor the status of the participants waiting in the Participants Queue.

This chapter describes the available options and methods of monitoring Audio Only conferences in the MGC Audio Look and Feel mode, according to monitoring levels and according to the type of participant or the type of connection to the conference.

When the Audio Look and Feel mode is set for the system, the video parameters are hidden, but you can still monitor video conferences if they are run on any of the connected MCUs. The Audio Look and Feel mode the Options menu. For more details, refer to the MGC Administrator’s Guide, Chapter 5, “Audio Look and Feel”.

is set in

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Chapter 3 - Monitoring On Going Conferences

General Monitoring

Monitoring a conference enables you to keep track of its participants and its progress. When monitoring a conference, you can check whether all its participants are correctly connected and whether errors and faults have occurred.

The MGC Manager allows operators to monitor several On Going Conferences simultaneously . Conference chairpersons can monitor only the conference to which they are connected by using the WebCommander application.

You can use the MGC Manager to monitor both unattended and attended conferences. Participants in unattended conferences usually connect to a conference without the operator’s assistance. In an unattended conference with an assigned IVR Service, operations are performed using DTMF codes and/or are managed by the chairperson of the conference. Unattended participants can be in two states: Greeting and Conferencing.

In attended conferences, the connection to the conference is controlled by the Operator. In this mode, the participants are moved from one stage to another by the operator using one of the following methods:

• interactive drag-and-drop

• using the right-click pop-up menu

• using the Participants Queue window

For detailed description of attended Audio Only conferences, see Chapter 7, “Attended Conferencing”.

3-2

Polycom DOC2066F User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

VoicePlus Overview

About the MGC Manager User’ s Guide VoicePlus Edition

VoicePlus Main Features

System Requirements

Prerequisites

VoicePlus Commands Shortcut Keys

User’s Guide Conventions

Audio Look & Feel

Audio Only Conferences

Reservation Templates

Default Reservation Templates

Connecting to an On Going Conference

Dial-in SIP Participants

Defining Standard Audio Only Conferences and Reservations

About Conferences

Conference Scheduling Methods

Scheduled Conferences

On Demand Conferencing

Attended and Unattended Conferences

Unattended Conference

Attended Conference

Conference Types

IVR and Entry Queue Services

MCU Configuration and Audio Only Conferences

Participant Roles

Participant Connection to Conference

Participant Connection Types

Conference Access for Dial-in Participants

IVR Access

Conference Access for Dial-out Participants

Defining New On Going Audio Conferences

General Properties

Settings Parameters

Participants

Recording

Completing the Conference Definition

Resolving Scheduling Conflicts

Listing On Going Conferences

Scheduling a New Reservation

Defining Recurrent Reservations

Listing Reservations

End of Conference Reminder

Defining Participant Properties

ISDN/PSTN/T1-CAS Participant Definition

IP (H.323 and SIP) Participant Definition

Dialing-in from an H.323 Endpoint

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Address

Simple Dial-in Using the IP Card Alias

H.323 Advanced Dial-in

Listing Participants

Monitoring On Going Conferences

General Monitoring