Polycom IPOWER 600, IPOWER 960, IPOWER 9000, IPOWER 685, IPOWER 9800 User Manual

iPower System Software
Release Bulletin and
Installation Instructions

Version 6.2.0

Last Updated: 12/16/2004

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Copyright © 2004: Polycom, Inc.
Polycom, Inc., 4750 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588
www.polycom.com
Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks of Polycom, Inc. Concorde,

Global Management System, ImageShare, iPower, LiveManager, Montage,
NetConference, PathNavigator, People+Content, PVX, SureConnect, PowerMic, Pro­Motion, Siren, System 4000, Venue, ViaVideo, ViewStation, Visual Concert and VSX
are trademarks of Polycom, Inc.

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iP ower System Software

R elease Bulletin and

Installation Instructions

Version 6.2.0

®

This Polycom
bulletin provides information about software Version 6.2.0. This document
includes the following topics:

iPower™ multimedia conferencing system software release

Product Description



Enhancements in This Release



Compatible Communications Products



Restrictions and Recommendations



Additional Information



Installing Version 6.2 Software on the iPower Systems



Product Description

The iPower system is a state-of-the-art multimedia conferencing system
incorporating the Polycom iPower architecture. This architecture offers
unique capabilities that simplify the inclusion of information in a meeting
and make it easier to manage both the system and the network it runs on.
The iPower system performs as a multi-purpose conferencing system that
can be used both on and off a call. For more information, go to

www.polycom.com.

Enhancements in Version 6.2

Version 6.2 enhancements include:
 H.264 Video Error Concealment enhances your video experience by

diminishing freezing video. The encoder enhancements implemented on
the iPower systems:

– Minimize the chance that the display wil freeze
– Conceal errors
– Reduce full-frame refreshes

 IP calls dialed from a Global Address Book on a Global Management

System will now select the E.164 address of the far site system.

 A call rate of 1152 kbps is now available for IP calls.
 The maximum number of digits allowed for ISDN dialing has been

increased to 30 to ensure compatibility with all international dialing
requirements.

 Far-end camera control is now available on calls through a RADVISION

L2W-323 Gateway.

 Internal Multipoint calls can now be placed when the system is behind

certain NAT environments.

Enhancements also include Closed Captioning capabilit ies:
 The iPower system can now display captions sent from another iPower

or Viewstation site as part of a video conference. Users can specify
whether to display captions for a video conference, and they can also
specify which monitor to use for displaying the captions. The Closed
Captioning feature is compatible with the ITU-T T.140 standard.

 The Closed Captioning option lets you receive captions from a captioning

service provider and send captions to other sites in a conference. For
more information about this option, go to:

http://www.polycom.com/products_services/0,,pw-35-6032,00%2Ben­USS_01DBC.html.

 Viewers of streamed video via the People+Content Streaming feature

are now able to view captions.

Enhancements in Version 6.0

Version 6.0 enhancements include:

 Standards-based H.264 and Polycom H.264* are now available on all

iPower platforms. Support for H.264 meets the ITU-T specification. The
iPower systems interoperate over IP and ISDN with ViewStationFX,
ViewStationEX, Viewstation4000, VSX, and with other H.264 standard
compliant systems.



Optional standards-based AES encryption is now available for point-to­point calls over IP networks. iPower provides AES encryption as

specified in H.235v3. Activating encryption does not affect the call
speeds that iPower systems support — encrypted calls work at all the
rates that unencrypted calls do. AES encryption is not supported for
internal multipoint calls or ISDN calls. If you acquired your syst em
before January 1, 2004, you must purchase a license key in order to use
the AES Encryption option. See below for more information.



People video can now be displayed at resolutions of 4CIF/4SIF. You see
crisper images with resolutions equivalent to PAL/NTSC, though frame
rates are lower.

 Content video can now be displayed with H.264 compression up to XGA

resolution. In point-to-point calls between iPower systems, you can
display Content with crisp resolution more quickly and with a higher
frame rate than is possible when using H.263. This feature includes
patent-pending technology.

 You can now choose to transmit VCR and Document Camera inputs as

People video. Use AdminTools to configure these sources.

AES Encryption

In IP calls that do not use the internal multipoint option, iPower supports
AES encryption as specified in H.235v3. AES encryption is not supported
for internal multipoint calls or ISDN calls.

When configured for encryption, iPower will encrypt audio, People video,
Content video and H.224 data (used for far end camera control), provided
that the far end supports this. iPower does not encrypt T.120 data or
streamed media.

iPower offers three modes for encryption:
 Disabled: The system will not encrypt calls, even if the far end

supports encryption.

 When Available: The system will encrypt calls if the far-end system

supports encryption; unencrypted calls will still connect successfully.
Note that integrated T.120 data sharing is disabled when you choose
this setting.

When you chose this setting, iPower will allow internal multipoint and
ISDN calls, but will first warn the user that these calls are not
encrypted. The system will also allow streaming, but it will warn the
user that the streamed media is not encrypted.

 Required: The system does not complete unencrypted calls. If you

make a call and the far-end system does not support encryption, the
call does not connect. Note that integrated T.120 data sharing and
internal multipoint calls are disabled when you choose this setting.

When you chose this setting, iPower will allow ISDN calls, but will first
warn the user that these calls are not encrypted. T he system will also
allow streaming but it will warn the user that the streamed media is not
encrypted.

iPower considers a call successfully encrypted if all transmit and receive
audio, video and H.224 channels are encrypted. In any of these channels

are not encrypted, iPower does not consider the overall call encrypted. In
a successfully encrypted call, iPower displays a lock icon on the status bar;
if the call did not fully encrypt (or if encryp tion was not configured) iPower
will not display any encryption-related icons. In all calls, Conference
Statistics and Operating Statistics will report the overall encryption status
and the encryption status of each audio, video and H.224 channel.

When troubleshooting encryption related problems, keep in mind that
equipment between the two endpoints of the call such as gatekeepers that
use “routed signaling”, gateways and MCUs also need to support
encryption.

The iPower system's encryption messages refer only to the encryption
provided by the iPower system. The system cannot detect external
encryption.

Compatible Communications Products

The iPower multimedia conferencing system is tested extensively with a
wide range of products. The following list is not a complete inventory of
compatible equipment; it simply indicates the products that have been
tested for compatibility with this release.

Note: Visual collaboration systems use a variety of algorithms to

compress audio and video. In a call between two systems, each
end transmits audio and video using algorithms supported by the
other end. In some cases, a system may transmit a different
algorithm than it receives. This process occurs because each
system independently selects the algorithms it considers best for
a particular call. At times, different products make different
(though reasonable) choices. This process should not affect the
quality of the call.

Compatible Conferencing Equipment

 Aethra Vegastar Gold 4.01.0016

™

 Intel TeamStation
 iPower 600/900/9000 Collaboration System Version 5.3.0, 6.0, 6.1
 Microsoft NetMeeting Version 3.01

– Under most circumstances, the system will negotiate to QCIF for

calls to NetMeeting systems.

 Polycom PathNavigator Versions 5.1.0, 5.2.0
 Polycom MGC-25™ version 5.5
 Polycom MGC-25™, MGC-50™ and MGC-100™ Multipoint Conferencing

Unit (MCU) Versions 6.02.4
– Do not configure MGC conferences that include iPower endpoints for

Version 5.0a

"dynamic FECC".

– The Polycom Version 4.0 MGC-50 and MGC-100 MCUs do not

support far-end camera control or browsing.

– DO NOT attempt to run versions of the Polycom MGC-100 MCU lower

than 2.2 with iPower Multimedia conferencing systems.

– You may experience poor quality when sending Con tent in a LAN call

using a Polycom MGC-50 or MGC-100 MCU running Version 4.00 or
lower. To address this issue, use version 4.01 of the Polycom MGC­50 or MGC-100 MCU.

– You may experience problems with application sharing in a

conference using a Polycom MGC-50 or MGC-100 MCU running
Version 4.00 or lower. To address this issue, use version 4.01 of the
Polycom MGC-50 or MGC-100 MCU.

– When you use

iPower Control Protocol to make calls from a LAN

system to an ISDN system:

o All prefixes and suffixes required by the gateway must be

configured through AdminTools

o The iCP Command must set the Calltype to Gateway

 Polycom PVX Version 6.0.1
 Polycom V500 Version 7.0.1
 Polycom ViaVideo™ Version 5.1, 6.0.1
 Polycom ViewStation 4000/EX/FX Version 6.0
 Polycom ViewStation MP/SP Version 7.5.2
 Polycom VSX 3000 Version 7.0.1
 Polycom VSX 7000 Version 5.1.1, 7.0.1
 Polycom VSX 8000 Version 7.0.1
 RADVISION ViaIP ECS Gatekeeper Version 3.2

– RADVISION gatekeepers configured for H.245 gatekeeper-routed

signaling do not support calls from iPower systems. The gatekeeper
must be configured for direct signaling or for gatekeeper-routed
Q.931 signaling.

 RADVISION BRI/PRI On-LAN L2W-323 Gateway Revision 2.2.3.25

– Calls through a RADVISION gateway at 2x64 kbps must include an

asterisk (

*) suffix to the number dialed. Without this suffix, the call

connects to the far end at 1x64 kbps.

 RADVISION MCU-323/20 Version 2.2.1.0
 Sony 6000 5.01

 T120 does not work in H.320 calls with Sony PCS 6000.

 Sony PCS1 2.01

 iPower may received poor quality video in H.323 calls with Sony

PCS-1 that use H.263+. To work around this issue, configure the
Sony system for H.263 or H.264.

 Tandberg 880 Versions E3.0 and E3.1

 Tandberg supports H.264 at CIF resolution. Calls with Tandberg that

use H.264 will down-scale Content sources (such as the Windows
desktop) to CIF resolution, with a resulting loss of video quality and
sharpness. To work around this issue, configure the iPower system
to use H.263+ video.

 Tandberg 6000 Version E3.0
 Vcon Media Connect 8000 4.6
 Vtel Galaxy version 2.2.0.70

Internal Multipoint Option Compatible Products

Internal Multipoint compatibility has been tested and fou nd to be
interoperable with the following products:

 iPower 600/900/9000 Collaboration System Version 5.3.0, 6.1.0
 Polycom PathNavigator Version 5.1.0, 5.2.0
 Polycom PVX Version 6.0.1
 Polycom ViaVideo™ Version 5.1, 6.0.1
 Polycom ViewStation 512 Version 7.2
 Polycom ViewStation 4000/EX/FX Version 6.0
 Polycom ViewStation MP/SP Version 7.5.2
 Polycom VSX 3000 Version 7.0.1
 Polycom VSX 7000 Version 5.1.1, 7.0.1
 Polycom VSX 8000 Version 7.0.1
 RADVISION ViaIP ECS Gatekeeper Version 3.2

Compatible Network Interface Equipment

This section contains information on terminal adapter compat ibility. The
following products are compatible with this release of the iPower
multimedia conferencing system:

 Lucent/Ascend VSX Version +4.5Cp15+
 Promptus/DICA Hotlink Version 1.50V4
 Madge 20™ Version 5.20.1.17

Restrictions and Recommendations

This section lists the current restrictions in the f ollowing areas:

General


 Security

Global Management System



PathNavigator Call Processing Server



Software Configuration


 Logging On and Logging Off
 Audio

Video


 Recording

Calling



Internal Multipoint Option



WebRemote



Hardware



iPower Applications



Third-Party Applications



Localization



Data Collaboration



General

 iPower cannot receive a snapshot (still image graphic) in a call that

supports People and Content.

 The iPower 9000 system does not support Windows

though it is listed as an option in the Windows Shutdown menu.

 Use the Shutdown menu to power off the iPower 9000 system. Do not

press the front panel power button to perform a shutdown.

 If you set a password for accessing a streamed conference and then

click the Set button to view or alter conference settings, the password is
deleted. Users can then access the stream without supplying a
password. To avoid this, be sure to reset the password after you open
the Stream to Web dialog box.

 Names for streamed conferences cannot include special characters other

than @, ! or _ (underscore). If you use special characters in a streamed
conference’s name, remote users who use a web browser to view the
conference see the embedded media player with no video.

 Recorded streams can quickly take up large amounts of hard disk space.

When you record streams to the system’s C drive, monitor the available
hard disk space to ensure that the system has adequate free disk space
for proper operation.

Standby mode, even

 If you change the screen resolution while the iPow er application is

running, the system experiences a “blue screen” crash.

Security

 Starting in version 5.0, only Integrated Windows Authentication is

enabled on the WebRemote web server by default. Basic Authentication
is not enabled in the default configuration. Note that this is a change
from previous software versions, which enabled both Basic
Authentication and Integrated Authentication security levels by default.

Using Windows Integrated
greater security, but it also
Explorer from using WebRemote. Using Integrated Windows
Authentication alone also causes problems in environments that do not
fully support it. For more information on configuring WebRemote's
security options, see Configuring Web Remote Security, available in the
Security Center at

 You should ensure the security of your system by taking the following

precautions:
– Make sure that all accounts use effective passwords, especially those

with administrative privileges.
– Install, update, and use anti-virus software.
– Install the latest security updates for Windows and for any

applications you install.
– Activate auditing for Windows events and monitor the audit log.
– Restrict anonymous logins.
– Conduct periodic reviews of your system. The Microsoft Baseline

Security Analyzer (available free at

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/Security/tools/default.mspx) can

aid you in this review.
– Check with your network administrator for security procedures.

www.polycom.com.

Windows Authentication alone provides

prevents browsers other than Internet

 Based on the Windows 2000 features used by the iPower software,

Polycom strongly recommends that you install the following service
packs

– Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 3
– Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 or Internet Explorer 5.5 Service

Pack 2