Cisco Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express 2.0 White Paper
Cisco Systems
Network Provisioning and Configuration
Page 6
The aggregate quantity varies considerably due to several factors. In a steady state with
no presenters or no screen updates, traffic will average well under 1Kbs per client. In the
worst case, with complex, rapidly presented materials, it is possible for Cisco
MeetingPlace Express to sustain output in excess of 1Mbs per client, or well over
100Mbs on aggregate in a 120 port system. Since this can severely overload many
networks, this traffic needs to be carefully managed.
Factors contributing to traffic characteristics include the following:
•
The meeting room bandwidth and resolution settings, which affects how much
data is generated by the presenter.
•
Individual client bandwidth settings, which affects how much data is sent to the
client.
•
Per-client bandwidth availability. Back pressure on client links causes data to be
discarded.
•
Complexity of presentation materials. Complex, high resolution, high color
images generate considerably more bandwidth than simple images.
•
Number of presenters. Each presenter adds to the traffic for the meeting.
•
Rapidity of presenter screen changes. The faster the presenter flips the slides, the
more traffic that is generated. You can sustain the maximum traffic by flipping
slides at the same rate that the system is capable of transmitting them.
slides at the same rate that the system is capable of transmitting them.
•
Size of meeting. If all clients are in the same meeting, output is synchronized for
all of them, which yields big traffic bursts. Conversely, if you have lots of small
meetings, the traffic is statistically distributed, with smaller peaks and valleys.
meetings, the traffic is statistically distributed, with smaller peaks and valleys.
2.2.1 B a n d w i d t h Se t t i n g s
The maximum amount of data generated by Cisco MeetingPlace Express web
conferencing can be controlled by the meeting room and client connection settings. As a
moderator, you can control the meeting room settings and clients control their own
bandwidth settings. These are set by pulling down the Meeting menu while attending a
web meeting. Note that these are manual settings and the system does not attempt to
automatically determine optimum values.
Bandwidth setting options are LAN, DSL, or Modem. For each client, the system uses
the lesser of the client’s connection setting or the meeting room setting. Settings are:
conferencing can be controlled by the meeting room and client connection settings. As a
moderator, you can control the meeting room settings and clients control their own
bandwidth settings. These are set by pulling down the Meeting menu while attending a
web meeting. Note that these are manual settings and the system does not attempt to
automatically determine optimum values.
Bandwidth setting options are LAN, DSL, or Modem. For each client, the system uses
the lesser of the client’s connection setting or the meeting room setting. Settings are:
Setting
To Server
From Server
LAN
Unlimited
Unlimited
DSL
1
250Kbs
600Kbs
Modem
28Kbs
40Kbs
Each presenter limits the amount they send to the server to approximately the lesser of
that presenter’s client connection setting or the meeting room setting. Likewise, the
1
The system default setting is “DSL”.