Features added in previous versions

Pexip's conference layouts have been enhanced:

• The multiscreen participant display feature, which allows SIP and H.323 endpoints with dual screens to display conference participants across both screens, is now generally available. It was a technology preview feature in previous releases. Enhancements in this release include support for the Adaptive Composition layout, H.323 endpoints, and calls into Google Meet conferences.
• Pexip's Adaptive Composition layout is now fully supported (generally available) for Google Meet calls (previously this was a technology preview feature).
• Streaming participants can now view the presentation stream as part of the layout mix with the video stream of the active speaker shown alongside the presentation, if the main conference is using Adaptive composition layout. This option is enabled by default and can be configured using the ac_presentation_in_mix parameter in the transform_layout function of Pexip client REST API or PexRTC JavaScript client API.

Controlling the layout during a conference

Conference layout

Pexip client REST API

PexRTC JavaScript client API

Google Meet is transitioning to a new method of authenticating third-party systems that join a Google Meet conference via Pexip's interoperability gateway.

The new method uses the JWT (JSON Web Token) standard. To use JWT as your authentication method you need to upload to your Pexip Infinity system a token that has been signed by Pexip. This token then provides the authentication between your Pexip Infinity system and Google Meet whenever a third-party device uses Pexip's interoperability gateway to join a Google Meet conference.

If you do not upload a gateway token you will still be able to use Pexip's interoperability gateway in the short term, but we expect Google Meet to enforce JWT authentication in the near future. You must obtain and install your gateway token as soon as practicable after upgrading to version 31 or later.

Configuring Exchange on-premises for scheduling

Configuring Exchange on-premises for One-Touch Join

Using a web proxy

Disable web proxy

Using a web proxy

Disable web proxy

Connect web app branding and customizations are now applied using unique URL paths. For each path, you can configure which web app version and branding users are offered when accessing the web app via that path, and you can create and configure additional paths to offer users a variety of differently-branded web app experiences within your environment.

Note that this new feature will require you to change any existing branding packages. For more information, see Changes in functionality in version 31.

Content classification indicators can be displayed within a conference to, for example, display the current security classification level to meeting participants.

When content classifications are configured in a theme, the specified classification text is overlaid (similar to a watermark) onto the video layout and splash screens during a conference. It is displayed in white text on a dark background by default, but the colors can be customized. In classic layouts it is positioned at the top of the screen, and in Adaptive Composition it is placed in the bottom-right corner.

• Classification indicators are text only.
• They are not included in the base theme. You must create and upload your own theme that includes your classification text strings.
• You cannot configure the position, font or size of the message.

The classification indicator can be dynamically changed during the conference to display a different message. To change the classification level, you must use the new set_classification_level client API conference control function (/api/client/v2/conferences/<conference>/set_classification_level).

Rules and requirements for customized themes

Pexip client REST API

Pexip's Cloud Video Interop (CVI) integration with Microsoft Teams has been enhanced:

• The Teams-like layout has been improved:

  • A microphone muted icon is shown next to a participant's name if that person is muted.
  • If an off-screen video participant (shown as an audio avatar) starts speaking they are now promoted into the video layout.

  Note that this layout is still a technology preview feature, and is only recommended for use with Teams gateway calls.

• Other administrative changes to the installation/upgrade scripts and variables include new settings that optionally allow you to deploy the Teams Connector with dedicated hosting plans for Azure functions and with VNet integration.

Note that version 31 of the Teams Connector contains updates that necessitate an upgrade to your Pexip platform to ensure compatibility with the latest updates to the Microsoft Teams APIs and to the Teams Connector's latest features. We strongly recommend that you upgrade your Pexip deployment — both the Pexip Infinity platform and the Pexip Teams Connector — to version 31 as soon as practicable.

A new configuration item has been added to themes to support the new content classification features:

• A new classification object can be defined with a theme to specify the content classification messages and the default classification level. Note that this object is not included in the base theme. You must create and upload your own theme that includes this object.

New configuration items have been added to version 2 themes to support the new direct media features:

• Five new splash screens: "direct_media_welcome", "direct_media_waiting_for_host", "direct_media_other_participants_audio_only", "direct_media_escalate" and "direct_media_deescalate".
• Two new labels: "direct_media_escalate" and "direct_media_deescalate".

The option to enable media relay on TCP port 443 is now generally available. It was a technology preview feature in previous releases.

This setting (Platform > Global Settings > Enable media relay on TCP port 443) enables media relay on TCP port 443 on all Conferencing Nodes. It is intended as a fallback mechanism for use by WebRTC clients that are behind strict firewalls that block RTP media to Pexip's standard ports.

Pexip's direct media feature, which enables end-to-end encrypted calls, is now generally available. It was a technology preview feature in previous releases.

When enabled in a VMR, it provides non-transcoded, encrypted, point-to-point calls between any two WebRTC participants.

Enhancements in this release include:

• Welcome screen and notification messages can be customized via themes.
• Full configuration support in local and external policy, VMR provisioning via LDAP, and bulk CSV import/export of VMR data.
• Perceived call quality statistics are available in the Administrator interface.

Pexip's Voice Focus feature, which provides improved voice activity detection, is now generally available. It was a technology preview feature in previous releases.

When enabled (Platform > Global Settings > Enable Voice Focus), this feature applies to all Virtual Meeting Rooms and Virtual Auditoriums.

This release contains the following administrative improvements:

• When the Softmute* Technology preview only feature is enabled at the global level (Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Softmute), it can now be individually enabled or disabled at the VMR level (Services > Virtual Meeting Rooms > Advanced options > Softmute).

The directory structure of the ZIP file containing the branding customizations for the previous version of the Connect web app, "Webapp2", has changed.

Any existing custom branding applied to Webapp2 prior to upgrade will be automatically ported to the new structure (although you must associate it with a web app path in order to use it).

Any v30 or earlier Webapp2 branding packages generated by the Pexip Branding Portal, downloaded from a v30 or earlier deployment, or created manually, will need to be restructured before being uploaded to the Management Node. For full details, see Using a pre-v31 Webapp2 branding package.

Pexip's Cloud Video Interop (CVI) integration with Microsoft Teams has been enhanced:

• Management of the Teams Connector certificate has been improved:

  • The certificate is now stored in the Azure key vault and can be updated without having to redeploy the Teams Connector.
  • New alarms are raised on Pexip Infinity when the Teams Connector certificate is due to expire within the next 30 days, and if it has expired.

• There is a new Teams-like layout for VTC systems that looks and operates in a similar manner to the meeting experience seen by native Teams clients. In this layout, spotlighting, use of avatars for audio-only participants, active speaker indication and raised hand indicators all have a similar look and feel to the native Teams layout. Note that:

  • The layout cannot be customized via themes.
  • It has the same hardware resource usage requirements as the Adaptive Composition layout.
  • This layout is a technology preview feature, and is only recommended for use with Teams gateway calls.

• Content presentation is now stopped if a CVI participant's role is changed to Attendee while it is currently presenting to the conference.

• Other administrative changes are:

  • You must be using Az module version 7.0.0 or later (previously the minimum was 5.1.0).
  • The procedure for uploading Teams Connector logs to Pexportal has changed.

Note that version 30 of the Teams Connector contains updates that necessitate an upgrade to your Pexip platform to ensure compatibility with the latest updates to the Microsoft Teams APIs and to the Teams Connector's latest features. We strongly recommend that you upgrade your Pexip deployment — both the Pexip Infinity platform and the Pexip Teams Connector — to version 30 as soon as practicable.

When a participant raises their hand, an indicator slides out on the left side of the layout, and remains in view while the hand is raised. This applies to classic layouts only (i.e. not supported in Adaptive Composition layouts), and is typically only used by default in Virtual Auditoriums.

There is an associated, new themes graphic icon_raise_hand.svg.

A new release of the Connect web app, "Connect Webapp3", is now available. This release includes:

• an updated user interface
• revised join flows — one for regular users, and one for less experienced or "guest" users that guides them through their pre-call setup
• background replacement
• native support for over 20 languages; additional languages can be added by an Administrator
• simplified branding
• noise suppression
• improved troubleshooting

• WCAG 2.0 compliance (for accessibility)

• integrated support for upcoming new Pexip Infinity features.

Administrators can choose which version of the Connect web app is offered to users by default via the Global Settings page. Note that this has resulted in a change in functionality around the how the default web app is determined, and the preconfigured URLs used to access the web app.

Additionally, users themselves can elect to use a specific web app version by appending /webapp1/, /webapp2/ or /webapp3/ to the IP address or domain name of a Conferencing Node (or reverse proxy), for example:
https://meet.pexample.com/webapp3/

About Connect web app versions

Using Webapp3

The Connect web apps now support sharing audio when you share your screen in a conference.

When you select Share my screen, there is a new option to Share system audio (if you share your entire screen), or Share tab audio (if you share a browser tab).

Supported on Chrome and Edge browsers only. On Mac and Linux, you can only share audio from a browser tab. On Windows you can share either system audio or browser tab audio.

Pexip's Google Meet integration has been enhanced:

• Background noise is now removed from the audio streams. This feature is enabled by default but can be configured via a new Denoise audio setting when configuring the Call Routing Rule for Google Meet integrations. There is also an associated new built_in_denoising object in the vendordata.json theme customization file where you can identify any endpoints that perform their own built-in denoising.
• If a Google Meet conference is transcribed, relevant audio prompts indicating that transcribing has been started/stopped are played to callers who are gatewayed via Pexip Infinity into the conference, and a transcribing indicator is displayed.
• VTC participants can now use DTMF/keypad controls to control the meeting layout during an ongoing conference.

End-to-end encrypted calls between two WebRTC participants now supports the following additional features:

• A conference can now be escalated beyond the two WebRTC participants (using any call protocol such as WebRTC or SIP for the additional participants, including via dial-out from the conference) but this means the call is no longer a Direct Media call and instead is a standard, transcoded call with media sent via Conferencing Nodes. In conference history, the original participants are shown as being transferred to a new call. If the call de-escalates back to two WebRTC participants then it becomes a Direct Media call again.
• Support is now provided for chat, Connect app clients that are registered to Pexip Infinity, and joining as audio-only, and presentation and control-only connections.
• When defining (in a system location) the Client TURN servers that will be provisioned to Connect app WebRTC clients, there is a new Enforce media routing via a client TURN server option that, when selected, forces the WebRTC client to route its media through one of the specified client TURN servers.
• Media stream details and a Direct Media status flag are available when viewing participant status/history via the Administrator interface, and calls can now be monitored via Live View.

This is still a technology preview feature and can be enabled via Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Direct Media, and then by enabling Direct Media on each required VMR (in the Advanced options section).

Tech preview features

Configuring Virtual Meeting Rooms (VMRs)

Using TURN servers with Pexip Infinity

Softmute is advanced speech-aware audio gating which helps to minimize noise coming from a participant who has their microphone turned on in a conference, but is not speaking. If non-voice noise is detected, this feature softens the gain from that participant. It does not entirely suppress noise from an audio signal.

This is a technology preview feature and can be enabled via Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Softmute.

Tech preview features

Live captions are now supported on VMRs. Participants using the web app can now enable live captions where the live meeting audio is converted to a readable text (live transcription). Live Captions will be offered as an optional feature at an additional cost.

There are also two associated, new theme audio files: conf-live_captions_started_48kHz_mono.wav and conf-live_captions_started_48kHz_mono.wav.

This is a technology preview feature and can be enabled via Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Live Captions. Please contact your Pexip authorized support representative or your Pexip Solution Architect for guidance on enabling this feature specific to your environment.

Tech preview features

Trusted CA certificate management

For CA certificates uploaded by the Administrator, only root CA certificates are now included in Pexip Infinity's list of trusted CA certificates used for verification purposes (previously, uploaded intermediate certificates were also included). This means that when Pexip Infinity needs to verify a far end connection, that far end system must present an entire chain of intermediate certificates in addition to its own leaf certificate. This means that:

• By default, Pexip Infinity will not use any intermediate CA certificates that have been uploaded to the Management Node for the purposes of verifying certificates for external services.
• Under normal circumstances this should not require any changes as those far end systems should already be presenting their entire certificate chain.
• If required, you can override this behavior for specific intermediate certificates by using a new Certificates > Intermediate CA certificates > Advanced > Trusted intermediate option which instructs Pexip Infinity to use that certificate in the TLS verification chain.

Hardware resource allocation rules have been updated to improve the accuracy of the Conferencing Node media load statistics:

• Gateway calls that use the Adaptive Composition layout now consume additional Conferencing Node resources (the actual amount depends on many factors, but as a guide, it uses an additional 0.5 HD of resource for each video participant that is on stage). This brings it into line with existing resource usage counting for VMRs that use Adaptive Composition.
• Connections to a Media Playback Service now use 1.2 times as much hardware resource as a connection to a VMR.

Hardware resource allocation rules

Configuring a Media Playback Service

The previous Do not default to the legacy Web App option (Platform > Global settings > Connectivity) has been replaced with a new Default web app option.

• For new installations from v30 or later, Default web app is set to Always use latest at upgrade which results in Webapp3 being offered to users by default.

• For older, existing installations, after upgrading to v30 or later:

  • if Do not default to the legacy Web App was previously enabled (the previous default), the new Default web app option will be set to Webapp2.
  • if Do not default to the legacy Web App was previously disabled, the new Default web app option will be set to Webapp1.

Preconfigured URLs used to access Connect Webapp2 are supported by the new Connect Webapp3, with the following exceptions:

• role=guest will result in the participant being offered an alternative join flow that takes them through the setup of their camera, microphone and speakers before they are able to Join the meeting.
• callType is no longer supported as the new join flow does not require it.

When a Connect app / WebRTC client sends or receives presentation content (files or screen sharing), it is now sent via the existing call connection used for audio and video media. This means:

• Improved presentation set-up times as it is no longer necessary to establish a second call.
• Improved hardware resource allocation.
• Incoming presentation content is now viewed by Connect app clients in full motion HD video by default.

Note that the internal PexRTC behavior has changed to support this feature. Any custom PexRTC developments that have not followed our documented API may no longer work correctly. See Changes in functionality in version 29 for more information.

Pexip's Cloud Video Interop (CVI) integration with Microsoft Teams has been enhanced:

• If your organization participates in Microsoft's Azure Hybrid Benefit scheme, you can now use these licenses for your Teams Connector installations in Azure instead of purchasing separate licenses. This can be enabled by configuring the new (and mandatory) $PxUseAzureHybridBenefit installation variable.
• If a CVI participant is an Attendee and attempts to share content from their endpoint, the sharing request is now denied and the attendee is informed via a message on their endpoint such as "Sharing failed" (the exact message depends on the endpoint, and some endpoints may not display a message at all).

• It now has full support for when a Teams client uses the "Disable mic" or "Disable mic for attendees" options on a VTC participant — the VTC's indicated mute status is now always in sync with Teams.

• The Teams Connector now requires the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module (you must install it as part of the installation or upgrade process).

Note that version 29 of the Teams Connector contains updates that necessitate an upgrade to your Pexip platform to ensure compatibility with the latest updates to the Microsoft Teams APIs and to the Teams Connector's latest features. We strongly recommend that you upgrade your Pexip deployment — both the Pexip Infinity platform and the Pexip Teams Connector — to version 29 as soon as practicable.

When using the Adaptive Composition layout:

• When viewing presentation content as part of the layout mix, up to 12 other video participants are now displayed in addition to the presenter and the presentation itself. If the "presenter" is a group of people then up to 8 other participants are shown, plus the presenter.
• The conference indicators at the top of the layout now use different colors for different notification messages: audio speaker indicators have a green border, and messages such as locked and recording have a red border. The messages also include the associated icon along with the message text.

Pexip Infinity administrators can configure two new settings in Platform > Global settings > Management web interface configuration:

• Show conferences and backplanes in Live View: controls whether conferences and backplanes are shown in the Live View graph. If you have a very busy deployment, it may be useful to disable conferences and backplanes from the Live View for an improved viewing experience.
• Management start page: controls the first page you are directed to after logging into the Administrator interface.

When configuring TURN servers for use with Pexip Infinity:

• You can now select an authentication type of either Username & Password (previous behavior), or Time-limited credentials (new option to support the new Direct Media / end-to-end encryption feature) that requires the configuration of a shared secret.
• You must now configure the transport type for each TURN server (UDP, TLS or TCP).
• When defining system locations you can now specify one or more Client TURN servers that will be provisioned to WebRTC clients that connect to a Conferencing Node in that location.

We have improved the way in which voice activity is detected by better distinguishing between actual speech and background noise. This reduces the probability that people who are not speaking but have audible background noise will be switched into the main speaker position. Note that this does not remove any noise from the audio.

When enabled it applies to all call types and all layouts.

This is a technology preview feature and can be enabled via Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Voice Focus.

VMRs can now support non-transcoded, encrypted, point-to-point calls between two WebRTC participants.

This is a technology preview feature and can be enabled via Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features > Enable Direct Media, and then by enabling Direct Media on each required VMR (in the Advanced options section).

Tech preview features

Configuring Virtual Meeting Rooms (VMRs)

A technology preview of the next release of the Connect web app, Webapp3, is available. This release includes a completely new user interface and revised join flows, along with support for upcoming new Pexip Infinity features.

Webapp3 can be accessed by appending /webapp3/ to the IP address or domain name of a Conferencing Node (or reverse proxy) in a v29 Pexip Infinity deployment, for example:

https://nightly.pexample.com/webapp3/

In the Administrator Log and Support Log results, a value is enclosed by double quotes and sometimes there is an additional set of double quotes within the value which causes issues if you are manually parsing the logs.

The occurrence of double quotes within double quotes is now escaped using a backslash. For example:

Instance="Type=\"vmr\"" Detail="Expiration-date=\"2-Jun-2022\""

Additionally, there are general updates to the log formatting which affect the casing of certain alphanumeric keys. Keys are now Kebab-Case by default. For example, Call-id is now Call-Id. If you currently parse the logs you may need to do case-insensitive matching on keys.

About the administrator log

About the support log

Pexip's Media Playback Service allows you to play prerecorded video content (such as adverts and informational videos) to consumers. When the media finishes playing, the user can be transferred to another service, such as a VMR conference, or they can be disconnected.

Third-party integrators with sophisticated Pexip Infinity integrations who use external policy servers, event sinks, and the Pexip Infinity management API can extend this base functionality. For example they could play content in response to events within other systems, such as consumers who are being held in a queuing system, before transferring them into a VMR. Alternatively, consumers could be transferred from a VMR conference into a playback service.

Pexip's Cloud Video Interop (CVI) integration with Microsoft Teams has been enhanced:

• Synchronized mute/unmute control and status for VTCs: a VTC can now be administratively muted from the Teams conference, and the VTC can unmute itself by sending a DTMF command (*6) to the conference. Previously, VTC endpoints could not be muted by Teams clients.
• On-screen muted indicator: you can enable a new theme-based graphic that is displayed to an individual participant as a conference overlay when the endpoint has been administratively muted. Note that this feature has to be enabled by configuring a new disable_watermark_mute_icon setting in the themeconfig.json file to false.

• Raised hand indicators: a notification is now shown to any VTC participants if a Teams participant raises their hand (except when using an Adaptive Composition layout).

  

• Spotlighting: if a participant in a Teams meeting is spotlighted by a Teams client, that participant is also spotlighted in the layout presented to any gatewayed VTC system (except when using an Adaptive Composition layout).

Other changes and improvements to the Teams Connector include:

• Adaptive Composition layout is now fully supported for Teams calls (previously this was a technology preview feature).
• When using scheduled scaling, if the same Teams Connector is being used by multiple Teams tenants, then the minimum number of instances running in the scale set is now set to the highest of all of the individual Minimum number of instances settings for each tenant (previously it was the sum of the individual settings).
• Version 28 of the Teams Connector contains updates that necessitate an upgrade to your Pexip platform to ensure compatibility with the latest updates to the Microsoft Teams APIs and to the Teams Connector's latest features.

We strongly recommend that you upgrade your Pexip deployment — both the Pexip Infinity platform and the Pexip Teams Connector — to version 28 as soon as practicable.

The following new elements and controls have been added to the default themeconfig.json file:

• There are 2 new dtmf_conference_control_commands:

  • toggle_self_mute (*6): toggles the mute status of the participant.
  • toggle_multiscreen (*9): toggles multiscreen participant display.

• New disable_watermark_mute_icon setting (defaults to true).

There is also a new watermark_mute_icon.png graphic that is associated with the new disable_watermark_mute_icon setting.

The new software bundles feature enables administrators to update individual components of the Pexip Infinity platform (for example the Connect apps), independently of the platform itself.

If you are using LDAP authentication, there is a new permission "May upload software bundle" that must be assigned to the account role to enable the administrator to upload software bundles.

This release contains the following administrative improvements:

• Local and external policy supports a new service_type of "media_playback" (Media Playback Service).