Polycom NETWORK ADWARE User Manual

Polycom®Network Aware Scheduler

™

Ensure the success of your video conferences

Management benefits

More efficient users

• Users schedule through a browser,
Microsoft

®

Outlook®or IBM

®

Lotus Notes®; no new applications
to learn

• Users can receive calendar events
directly in their own calendars

• Less experienced users are provided
with a wizard interface that leads them
through the scheduling process

Efficient use of video communication
assets

• Video communications can be
scheduled to ensure resources are
available when needed

• Compatible with major equipment
vendors

• Optimizes resources with automated
cascading and least cost routing of
ISDN calls

Reduces support costs

• Users can easily schedule their own
meetings or permit a conferencing
manager to do it

• Manages endpoints, MCUs, routers,
switches, and nonvideo room equipment

IT benefits

Higher call success rates

• With Network Aware Scheduler, when
conferences are scheduled they won’t
be prevented/adversely impacted by
unscheduled calls

• Equipment is monitored 24/7 so
any problems can be resolved before
conferences fail

Highest compatibility with Polycom
equipment

One support organization to call

Single application for multiple video
equipment manufacturers

• Manages mixed video equipment from
major manufacturers

Connect. Any Way You Want.

The Polycom Network
Aware Scheduler makes it easy
to schedule conferences.

Polycom makes it easy by providing users with the power to invite guests, book rooms, select necessary

equipment and reserve network bandwidth, all from within Microsoft

®

Outlook®, IBM®Lotus Notes®or

through a simple wizard-like Web interface.

More importantly, the Polycom Network Aware Scheduler provides the highest level of assurance that any

conferences scheduled will take place as planned. It does this by utilizing defined limits to predict future band-

width availability for scheduled conferences within zones and WAN pipe or virtual bandwidth capability

between zones for the scheduled event time. This enables users to effectively control the efficiency of the net-

work bandwidth and take advantage of network resources.

To optimize network resources, the Polycom Network Aware Scheduler can automatically launch point-to-point

calls directly. If there are more than two video endpoints in the conference, the Network Aware Scheduler will

use any endpoint embedded MCU scheduled in the call. Otherwise it will automatically select the best avail-

able stand-alone MCU on the network.

Your scheduling solution of choice to access the power of Polycom unified collaborative

communications solutions.

With the greatest breadth and depth of integrated video, voice, and Web solutions, only Polycom delivers

the ultimate communications experience. Our market-leading conferencing and collaboration technologies,

supported by world-class service, enable people and organizations to maximize their effectiveness and

productivity. Add to that the most experience and proven best-practices in the industry, and it’s clear why

Polycom has become the smart choice for organizations seeking a strategic advantage in a real-time world.

Network

Aware

Scheduler

Multipoint

Optimization

Catering

IP

Bandwidth

Control

Reports

Network

Routing

Outlook/Web

Scheduling

Network Aware Scheduler Specifications

Part No. 3726-07676-001 Rev 10/04

www.polycom.com

Polycom Headquarters: 4750 Willow Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (T) 1.800.POLYCOM (765.9266) for North America only.

For North America, Latin America and Caribbean (T) +1.925.924.6000, (F) +1.925.924.6100

Polycom EMEA: 270 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 4DX, (T) [phone], (F) [phone]

Polycom Asia Pacific: Polycom Hong Kong Ltd., Rm 1101 MassMutual Tower, 38 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, (T) +852.2861.3113, (F)+852.2866.8028

Feature highlights

Outlook/Lotus Notes/Web interface

Choose between a fully integrated Outlook, Lotus Notes
or wizard-like Web interface. Conferences can be modi­fied, adjusted, or deleted through all interfaces

Network bandwidth reservation

Ensures bandwidth needed for scheduled conferences is
available regardless of ad-hoc calls that may be launched

Resources

Provides expandable hierarchical access to conferencing
resources for easy access while scheduling conferences

Automatic call launch

Automatically launches calls at scheduled time.
Create both dial-out and dial-in conferences with
passcode/pin numbers

Filters

Provides an easy search of available conference room
resources based on specific room requirements, i.e.,
date, equipment types, room size and type, and
other capabilities

Cascade MCU and Least Cost Routing

Optimize network resources by automatically creating cas­caded MCU calls and using IP backbone connections to
long distance ISDN locations

Automatic MCU selection

Application will automatically determine if an MCU is
required and whether it can be an embedded MP endpoint
or stand-alone MCU

Calendar

Provides meeting scheduling. Scheduling conflicts are
quickly identified and easily resolved

Distributed scheduling

Multiple servers can be deployed worldwide to ensure
scheduled conferences are successful regardless of failed
WAN links

Call failure options

Technicians are alerted immediately with ISDN back-up
options should an IP call fail for any reason

Conference management tools

Provides tools to control scheduled events impacted by
unforeseen circumstances

Extend/restart/end conference

Provides flexibility for users to control a conference

Add/remove locations

Add or remove locations to an active conference without
disrupting the current conference

Connect/disconnect

Provides for easy disconnection and reconnection of
conference participants without removing them from
the conference

Direct connect

Support Direct Connect (non-dialed) and RS-366 (dialed)
modes for dial-out through the MGC Multi­Protocol Interface (MPI)

Private/public/hidden rooms for scheduling

Viewable images, pictures, and floor plans

Scheduling Templates

Administrators can create templates for users to simplify
or force selecting certain conference features

Time zone adjustment

Users schedule events based on their local time and all
time zones are matched

Trouble ticket viewing

The scheduler may view existing trouble tickets for
selected rooms at any time

View equipment availability

View room equipment anywhere, anytime

Catering and services

Arrange for food services or other equipment and materi­als to be brought in to meetings

Integrated LDAP/AD

Integrates with enterprise LDAP or Active Directory for
automated user maintenance

Remote alerts

Notifies administrators on unreachable endpoints and
conference failures

Jitter/latency

Enables diagnostic information on the performance of the
video equipment

Pre-defined Reports

Over 20 different pre-defined reports available

Call Detail Records

Includes all parameters necessary for billing

Diagnostic Reports

Includes call failures, video utilization, event logs and
trouble tickets

Resource Management Reports

Provides inventory information of video network devices
and equipment

Customized Reports

Available with hundreds of different parameters to
select from and save report templates to rerun them
regularly

System requirements

Server hardware (Minimum)

• Dedicated server

• Intel

®

Pentium®III, 550 MHz with 512 KB Cache

• 256 MB RAM

• 9 GB Hard Drive

Server software

• Either OS below

- Microsoft Windows

®

2000 Server, Service Pack 2

- Microsoft Windows 2003 Server

• Optional: SQL 7 or 2000

Network client hardware

• Intel Pentium processor, 200 MHz

• 64 MB RAM

Network client software

• Windows 98/NT/2000/XP

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher with Active X

®

control permission enabled

• If using Microsoft Outlook, must be Outlook 2000 SR-1
or later or Microsoft Outlook XP

• If using IBM®Lotus Notes®, must be Lotus Notes version

6.x or greater

Supported device/equipment

Most major vendors for video devices, MCUs,
and gateways, gatekeepers, network equipment, room
equipment and power devices. See www.polycom.com
for detailed models and revisions

Redundant server support available optionally

Polycom Network Aware Scheduler comes with a 90-day maintenance support program
providing for Software Update (Bug Fixes) and Upgrade (New Features) Releases as
part of the product purchase. To continue to receive support and new product releases
beyond 90 days, purchasing a maintenance contract is the most economical solution.
Contact your Polycom Reseller or a Polycom Sales Representative for more details.

©2004 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.
Polycom and the Polycom logo are registered trademarks and The Polycom Office is a trademark of Polycom, Inc. in the U.S. and various countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Specifications subject to change without notice.
Consult your Polycom representative for detailed specifications and other information