Cisco Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Audio Server Installation Guide

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Cisco MeetingServer 5.1 Installation Planning Guide  
 
44 
 
Cisco Systems 
                                  
March 2003 
Country 
LAN Requirements 
a 7.5-meter CAT-5e cable (#3300-0029-02) with Ferrite 
snap-on bead on one end. If the cable is changed, the snap-on 
bead must be moved.  
Note: Set your switch to auto-negotiate. If your switch does 
not support auto-negotiation, it is recommended that it be set 
to 100 BaseT Full Duplex 
LAN Workstation Minimum Configuration 
You will need to install additional MeetingTime software on Windows-based 
desktops that are intended for use by MeetingPlace end users, contacts, or 
attendants. 
Sensitivity to Network Traffic 
As a consequence of being connected to the LAN network, MeetingPlace 
operations can be affected by traffic on the local LAN segment. In particular, 
the phenomenon called a “broadcast storm” can bring a MeetingPlace system 
down for the duration of the storm. A broadcast storm occurs when one or 
more systems on a network segment continuously send message packets to 
the local broadcast address. The system manager should consider partially 
isolating the MeetingPlace server from the rest of the network unless there is 
a high confidence that broadcast storms would not occur. 
An Ethernet router or switch can be used to provide isolation. An Ethernet 
switch is usually much simpler and less expensive than a router. Many 
switches include filtering mechanisms for the purpose of controlling 
broadcasts. For example, the 3COM LinkSwitch 1000 will temporarily shut 
down any port that generates an abnormal number of broadcast messages. A 
MeetingPlace system connected directly to a filtering switch should be 
immune to broadcast storms. 
A MeetingPlace server placed on its own router segment should also be 
immune to broadcast storms. A moderately expensive solution is to place a 
two-Ethernet-port router in between the MeetingPlace system and the main 
network. An example of such a device is the Cisco 2514. 
 
Note: A router-based solution implies creation of a new LAN segment with 
its own IP address range.