Cisco EnergyWise Making Unified Network Energy …Electronics and Telecom. He has multiple certifications e.g. CCIE in Collaboration and Security, CEH, ITIL, TOGAF, PMP, VCP, MCP etc.

Akhil Behl Pre-Sales Solutions Architect, OBS Author of Cisco Press Books - CCIE Collaboration Quick Reference http://goo.gl/N1VGNq - Securing Cisco IP Telephony Networks http://goo.gl/yO23pV

Mar 19th 2015

Introduction to Collaborative Technologies

Cisco’s Collaborative Architecture Overview

Introduction to Cisco and Microsoft Interoperability

Insight to UC Interop

Insight to Video Interop

Summary

Akhil Behl is an IT Professional with more than 11 years of experience. During his tenure, he has played various roles from leadership, to solution architecture to consulting to pre-sales and so on. He has masters in Business Administration and bachelors in Electronics and Telecom. He has multiple certifications e.g. CCIE in Collaboration and Security, CEH, ITIL, TOGAF, PMP, VCP, MCP etc. He has been a prominent speaker and presenter at multiple industry forums such as Interop (India), IT Expo, Enterprise Connect, Cisco SecCon, Cisco Networkers, Cloud Summit, Cloud Connect and so on. He is the author of two Cisco Press books. He has contributed to as author/coauthor and technical editing of books, research papers, blogs, articles and white papers.

Introduction to Collaborative Technologies

The Collaborative Technology Stack Defining Collaborative Technology: Software and hardware that enable multi-user, real-time communications and content sharing across multiple media channels and devices.

• Collaborative technologies refer to any and all means to enable people/businesses/machines/resources interact – more often than not in real time.

• The Collaborative Technology market is going through substantial transformation, and aligning to a single vendor may not be a practical approach.

• Many organizations have significant existing investments with both Cisco and Microsoft, and doing a wholesale migration to a single vendor may simply not be cost effective or practical.

Cisco’s Collaboration Architecture Overview

Introduction to Cisco Microsoft Interoperability

• Easy-to-use and seamless to connect

• Consistent User Experience across all platforms/endpoints

• Secure - Supported by leading encryption standards: AES-128, AES- 256, H.235 V3, SRTP

• Screen sharing / Content sharing

• Real-time reporting – call quality, bandwidth

• Audio and Video codecs supported from both schools of thought

• Can be made Easy-to-use however, not so seamless

• Providing consistent User Experience across all platforms/endpoints is challenging

• Screen sharing / Content sharing requires mediator hardware/software

• Audio and Video codecs need transcoding

Signaling Endpoints and Infrastructure Media

Cisco and Microsoft leverage different implementation of SIP

Cisco supports SCCP, H.323, MGCP, and SIP whereas Microsoft is majorly all SIP

Need a Translator to convert / translate incompatible signaling streams

RT audio protocol needs translation / mediation for interaction with other voice protocols

For video, Cisco and Microsoft Lync can communicate with H.264AVC/SVC with help of VCSs

Cisco user endpoints support SCCP and SIP, Microsoft endpoints only support SIP

Infrastructure being heterogeneous can lead to multiple interop challenges

Insight to Unified Communications Interop

• With no Media Bypass, RT audio to G.711 is supported without any transcoder (with Mediation Server as a broker)

• With no Media Bypass and transcoding i.e. RT audio to G.729 an MTP/Transcoder is required (again with Mediation Server as a broker)

• With Media Bypass the Lync client can initiate direct G.711 not requiring media to be transcoded in the Mediation Server.

• Signaling still goes through Mediation server to CUCM.

• The UC Integration provides a Cisco UC client with controls exposed with the Microsoft client interface

• Provides phone presence to Lync

• Provides soft phone audio and video and desk phone control using UC manager call control

• Visual voicemail with Cisco Unity Connection

• Desktop collaboration using Cisco Meeting Place and WebEx

• Calling from Microsoft Office, Internet explorer and other applications

Insight to Video Interoperability

• Cisco VCS acts as a Back to Back User Agent (B2BUA) for interop between Cisco Video endpoints/CUCM/CTS and Microsoft Lync.

• It runs the service “Lync-OCS Gateway” to support the integration.

• Keeps standard based and Lync signaling separate.

• Publishes VCS Presence into Lync for a consistent User Experience.

• Allows interoperability with Lync Clients connected from Internet through Microsoft Edge Server.

• Advanced Media Gateway (AMG) transcodes RTV to HD/VGA standard format (and supports Call Transfer, Hold and Multi-way).

• Supports End to End encryption for Media and Signaling

• Point to Point video call uses the RTVideo codec as default. VCS and AMG help convert to standard protocols.

• Multi-Point video call using Internal A/V MCU Support RTVideo codec only with support for CIF and VGA as resolutions (No HD). VCS and AMG enable interoperability with conversion to HD/VGA format

• Microsoft CCCP is used as protocol to create, extend and manage the Multi-party Video Conference. VCS acts as broker for standards based protocols.

• Content Sharing uses Microsoft specific solution both for Point to Point and Multi-Point calls with no BFCP support. VCS enables BFCP support.

• The UC Video Integration offers calls in both Softphone and Desk phone Mode.

• High quality, standards-based H.264 video with support for CIF, VGA and HD resolution.

• Point to Point and Multi point calls.

Summary

Organizations are looking for solutions where interoperability can help diversify the range of collaboration solutions with minimal to no impact on user experience and IT budget

Cisco Microsoft interop offers a new paradigm to support IT functions and offers economies of scale

UC interoperability with various methods offers a wide range of solution with Cisco Jabber, Microsoft Lync, WebEx and so on

Cisco VCS offers end-to-end interop for video

• Cisco VCS – Lync 2013 integration documentation http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/telepresence/infrastructure/vcs/config_guide/X8-1/Cisco-VCS-Microsoft-Lync-Deployment-Guide-X8-1.pdf

• Cisco UC and Video basics and advance concepts – CCIE Collaboration Quick Reference http://goo.gl/N1VGNq

• Securing Cisco IP Telephony Networks http://goo.gl/yO23pV

• Cisco Documentation www.cisco.com

Thank you