Cisco Systems MeetingPlace Video Integration How Video Conference Participants Join Meetings

Chapter 2 Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration Components and Process

About the Cisco MeetingPlace Video-Conferencing Process

After the link is established, all further communication between the Cisco IPVC MCU and the Cisco MeetingPlace audio server is handled through the Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration component, which communicates with the Cisco MeetingPlace audio server through MPAgent. MPAgent is a component of Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing, which is a prerequisite to installation of Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration. Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration communicates with the Cisco IPVC MCU using proprietary XML messaging.

If the link between Cisco MeetingPlace and the Cisco IPVC MCU is disconnected,

Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration attempts to reestablish it three times, checking every minute, or when another participant joins the conference.

How Video Conference Participants Join Meetings

There are several ways additional participants can join the video conference. The process of adding participants to the conference depends on how they enter the meeting.

If a Participant Joins a Scheduled Video Conference by Outdialing From the Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing Meeting Room

When a participant clicks Connect from within Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing, or in a calendar entry in Cisco MeetingPlace for Lotus Notes, or in the MeetingPlace tab of a meeting notification in Cisco MeetingPlace for Outlook, Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration sends a message to the Cisco IPVC MCU to outdial to the endpoint of the participant. When the participant has successfully joined the video conference, the Cisco IPVC MCU notifies Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration, and the status of the participant is recorded in the participant list that is displayed in the meeting room of Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing.

If a Participant Joins a Scheduled Video Conference by Dialing in to the Cisco IPVC MCU

Participants dial in to the conference from their video endpoint by using the number provided in the Connect dialog box in the Cisco MeetingPlace web-conferencing meeting room. This number is the service prefix on the Cisco IPVC MCU that identifies Cisco MeetingPlace conferences, plus the Cisco MeetingPlace Meeting ID. Cisco CallManager or the gatekeeper routes all incoming H.323 calls that begin with the specified service prefix to the Cisco IPVC MCU, which routes each call to the correct video conference based on the Cisco MeetingPlace meeting ID number portion of the number that was dialed.

When participants attempt to join the video conference by dialing in from their video endpoint, the Cisco IPVC MCU accepts the call only if the conference is not restricted to profiled or invited users and does not require a password. (This is because the Cisco IPVC MCU cannot authenticate dial-in participants.) If the participant is granted access, the Cisco IPVC MCU checks with

Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration to see if the meeting is in session and within the guard times. If so, the Cisco IPVC MCU admits the participant to the video conference and notifies

Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration that the participant has joined the conference.

Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration notifies Cisco MeetingPlace Web Conferencing and the Cisco MeetingPlace audio server of the status of the participant.

If a Participant Joins a Video Conference on an Ad-Hoc Basis

If all scheduled video-conferencing ports for a meeting that is already in progress are already in use and an additional participant attempts to join the video conference, the user may be able to join on an ad-hoc basis. In this case, the Cisco IPVC MCU polls Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration to see if video-conferencing ports are available, and if they are, the Cisco IPVC MCU allows the participant to join the conference.

Administrator’s Guide for Cisco MeetingPlace Video Integration Release 5.3

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