H.323 Video Bridging Guidelines

Last Updated: 1 May 00

PURPOSE:

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide the colleges of the Virginia Community College System with the information they need to implement multipoint H.323 video bridging services.

SCOPE:

These guidelines cover the strategy and components used to deliver H.323 video bridging services in the VCCS IP network environment.

This document will be updated to adapt to changes in technology, as they occur.

APPLICABILITY:

These guidelines are applicable to all colleges and campuses within the VCCS.

GUIDELINES:

These guidelines provide a new VCCS Intranet service, H.323 video bridging. The colleges may use it to leverage their investment in the existing VCCS Intranet by conducting videoconferences among H.323 capable devices (desktop systems, room systems, etc.).

Strategy:

The H.323 video bridging strategy is to use a shared H.323 video bridge, that is accessed via the VCCS Intranet, to conduct multipoint H.323 videoconferences. It provides video bridging services to users of any H.323 video compliant devices.

H.323 Video Bridging Components:

The video bridging service includes an H.323 hardware bridge, the existing campus infrastructures, and the existing VCCS Intranet.

H.323 Video Bridge:

The bridge is capable of supporting a fixed number of concurrent end point connections and a variable number of concurrent conferences, depending on the number of participants in each conference. It is a shared network resource that is operated by the VCC Utility.

Campus Infrastructures:

There is no one standard configuration for all campus infrastructures. However, they all have a gateway router that provides IP access to the VCCS Intranet. The campus gateway router is connected to the campus infrastructure, providing access for campus IP hosts. It is also connected to the campus ATM switch to provide IP access to all of the other VCCS campus gateway routers and the Internet. Colleges are encouraged to follow the VCCS Campus Infrastructure Guidelines when implementing changes in the local network infrastructure.

VCCS Intranet:

The VCCS Intranet consists of the campus DS-3 ATM circuit, a gateway router, a full mesh IP WAN design connecting all of the campuses directly to one another, and Domain Name Server support. The VCCS Intranet provides the virtual IP backbone network.

H.323 Video Bridging Operation:

Any authorized VCCS customer may call the VCC NOC to schedule a videoconference for a particular time and date. The caller will be given confirmation that the conference has been scheduled. The person requesting the reservation will then inform all conference participants of the conference time and date.

At the scheduled time and date, the bridge will start the conference. End points may then call in to the bridge to enter the conference.

The bridge will terminate the conference at the scheduled time.

Security:

All H.323 video resources are to be protected, by their owners, in accordance with the Virginia Community College System security policy. See the “Distributed Security” model on the System Office Web server for more information.

The colleges are responsible for providing physical security and access authorization services for their H.323 devices.

Support:

The Utility and the colleges should maintain service contracts on all of their equipment, to facilitate repair and replacement of defective devices.

Technical support is organized into three levels:

Level 1, the college:

College support staff provides the point of contact for their customers. They are expected to resolve routine problems related to IP networking in general and H.323 conferencing in particular.

Level 2, the Utility Call Desk:

Call Desk staff provides the point of contact for college support staff and college customers. They are expected to resolve routine problems related to IP networking and H.323 video conferencing.

Utility product specialists will work with college support staff and vendors to research solutions to non-routine IP and H.323 videoconferencing problems, and to obtain appropriate solutions such as product patches, new releases, etc.

Level 3, the vendors:

The vendors are responsible for maintaining their products by providing product patches, information, new releases, etc.