Cisco Cisco TelePresence MCU 4510 Document
Background
Cisco TelePresence MCU Deployment Guide
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Rendezvous conferences
Rendezvous conferences on an MCU are those that a participant can join at any time. These
conferences can be configured for individual use, or for communal first-come, first-served
conferences.
conferences can be configured for individual use, or for communal first-come, first-served
conferences.
Rendezvous conferences can be statically configured on an MCU by defining a conference room on
the device. It is also possible to dynamically create a conference room so that no pre-configuration is
required. Statically configured conferences allow unique settings to be set per conference, whilst
dynamic conferences must follow a single template.
the device. It is also possible to dynamically create a conference room so that no pre-configuration is
required. Statically configured conferences allow unique settings to be set per conference, whilst
dynamic conferences must follow a single template.
When using the MCU with VCS but not Conductor, static conferences must be defined on individual
MCUs and therefore are vulnerable to a single point of failure.
MCUs and therefore are vulnerable to a single point of failure.
When using Conductor, Rendezvous conferences are configured on the Conductor; therefore the
conference is never statically defined on a single MCU. This increases conference resilience while
maintaining the ability to have unique conference settings.
conference is never statically defined on a single MCU. This increases conference resilience while
maintaining the ability to have unique conference settings.
When an MCU is registered to Unified CM, it is also possible to make Rendezvous conferences. The
administrator defines a range of numbers that can be used for Rendezvous conferences, and when
users require
administrator defines a range of numbers that can be used for Rendezvous conferences, and when
users require
a conference they press a “Meet Me” button and choose a conference number to start a
conference.
Network topology
An MCU causes a concentration of video traffic at its location because each port can have a video call
connected to it at up to 4Mbit/s (plus 20% overhead). Therefore, MCUs should be placed at a network
location that has enough bandwidth to host these calls.
connected to it at up to 4Mbit/s (plus 20% overhead). Therefore, MCUs should be placed at a network
location that has enough bandwidth to host these calls.
Cisco recommends that MCUs be placed on the internal network with firewall protection from outside
access. For external calling, a Cisco TelePresence VCS Expressway should be used in conjunction
with a VCS Control in order to allow video calls to traverse the firewall.
access. For external calling, a Cisco TelePresence VCS Expressway should be used in conjunction
with a VCS Control in order to allow video calls to traverse the firewall.
If the second Ethernet port is activated (on the MCU 4500 and 5300 series this requires the Video
Firewall Option key), Cisco recommends that this port is also on the internal network and used for
purposes such as separating MCU management traffic from MCU video traffic.
Firewall Option key), Cisco recommends that this port is also on the internal network and used for
purposes such as separating MCU management traffic from MCU video traffic.
For a broader discussion of centralized and distributed architectures see the Cisco TelePresence
Multipoint Conferencing Design Guidance document.
Multipoint Conferencing Design Guidance document.
Baseline configuration
Some MCU settings are independent of the MCU deployment but can affect the quality experienced.
The table below lists the most important of these and the value assumed for the deployments in this
guide:
The table below lists the most important of these and the value assumed for the deployments in this
guide:
Table 2: Recommended Baseline MCU settings
MCU Setting
Recommended
Maximum video size
Receive Max, transmit Max
Motion / sharpness tradeoff
Balanced (unless 60fps is required, in which case Motion)
Transmitted video resolutions
Allow all resolutions
Default bandwidth from MCU
4.00 Mbit/s
Default bandwidth to MCU
<same as transmit>
Use full screen view for two
participants
participants
Enabled
Media port reservation
Disabled (Unless deploying using Unified CM, in which case