Features added in previous versions

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, "Pexip Connect for Web", 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 Pexip Connect for Web

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 Pexip Connect for Web 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 the previous web app are supported by the new web app, "Pexip Connect for Web", 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 app), 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).

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

• Scheduled scaling allows you to automatically scale up and down the capacity of your Teams Connector at different times of the day. This allows you, for example, to cater for increased demand during core working hours but just run a minimal capacity (and thus reduce running costs) at other times of the day.

• VTC participants can now use DTMF/keypad controls to control the meeting layout during an ongoing conference.

Other changes and improvements to the Teams Connector include:

• The Teams Connector deployment process has a new step to create an additional Azure app that is used to secure requests to the Teams Connector APIs. This new app is required for all new deployments and when upgrading existing deployments. Ensure that you follow the upgrade instructions as directed for this release.
• The Teams Connector now uses the Azure Standard Load Balancer (previously Basic). One of the benefits of the Standard Load Balancer is that it enables the use of Azure Availability Zones, which are now used by default if they are available in your selected region. There is no user-facing impact to these changes but they do provide greater scaling capacity, plus improved resilience and monitoring capabilities.
• You must be using Az module version 5.1.0 or later.
• If the Teams Connector is deployed with RDP access disabled (no addresses were originally specified in the $PxMgmtSrcAddrPrefixes installation variable) then if you want to subsequently enable RDP access you now need to perform a full redeploy.
• Version 27 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 27 as soon as practicable.

Pexip Smart Scale now supports Proxying Edge Nodes, in addition to Transcoding Conferencing Nodes.

As a result of this new feature, PSS locations have been renamed to PSS regions.

There is a range of new layout-related features:

• A set of new conference layouts are available:

  • 9 main speakers (3 x 3 layout)
  • 16 main speakers (4 x 4 layout)
  • 25 main speakers (5 x 5 layout)
  • Small main speaker and up to 33 other participants (1 + 33 layout — this was a technical preview feature in v26)
  • Extended Adaptive Composition * Technology preview only (displays up to 23 video participants); this is a technical preview feature and it can only be enabled via the transforms functions in the Pexip client APIs

• Host participants on video endpoints can change the layout currently being used by the conference by sending DTMF commands to the conference. The layouts that are available, and the DTMF keypad controls used to change the layout, are all customizable via themes.

• When using Adaptive Composition, single-screen endpoints now receive any presentation content as part of the layout mix (replacing some of the other video participants). If required, they can use DTMF commands to switch to receiving the presentation as a separate stream.
• There is a new theme customization file vendordata.json that contains information about videoconferencing endpoints from different manufacturers. It is used to determine whether a specific endpoint is a single-screen or two-screen device, and thus if presentation content could be sent as part of the layout mix.
• The ability to show the name of the active speaker is now available in the following layouts: Adaptive Composition, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, 4 x 4, 5 x 5, and 1 + 33.

Conference layouts and speaker names

Controlling the layout during a conference

Using a DTMF keypad to control a conference

Rules and requirements for customized themes

transformLayout (PexRTC client API)

transform_layout (REST client API)

When using the installation wizard:

• Default values are now also offered for the hostname, domain name, DNS and NTP servers, if they are provided by DHCP.
• You can now use commas (as well as spaces) to separate the list of DNS and NTP servers.

All TLS ciphersuites using SHA1 are now disabled (unless TLS 1.0/1.1 has been enabled via the security wizard).

In addition, the security wizard contains the following new options:

• Enable AES_CM_128_HMAC_SHA1_* SRTP ciphersuites: this allows you to disable SHA1 SRTP cryptosuites if required. It defaults to enabled, which is the existing/previous behavior.
• Enable TLSv1.2 CBC-mode ciphersuites: this allows you to disable CBC for TLS 1.2 ciphersuites if required. It defaults to enabled, which is the existing/previous behavior.
• Enable 2048-bit DH groups for H323: this allows you to enable 2048-bit Diffie-Hellmann groups for H.323 interoperability. It defaults to disabled, which is the existing/previous behavior.

This release contains the following administrative improvements:

• There is a new watermark_footer_icon.png file in the Base theme. This new watermark graphic is used only in the 1 + 33 layout (it appears at the bottom of the layout).

• The Conferencing Node status summary page (Status > Conferencing Nodes contains some extra fields: Number of vCPUs, System memory and Config sync status. The Deployment status field has been removed.

• A Conferencing Node's static NAT address (if configured) is now included in the list view shown at Platform > Conference Nodes.

• The Status > Registrations page now includes the device's remote IP address that is used for signaling.

• You can now include the local_display_name field in the response to any local or external policy service configuration request i.e. for any service_type. Previously it was only supported in "gateway" service type responses.

Support for ESXi 7.0 has been added, and support for 6.0 has been removed.

Version 27 now supports VMware vSphere ESXi 6.5, 6.7 and 7.0.

This release contains the following administrative modifications:

• When deploying a Conferencing Node you are now only asked to provide the number of virtual CPUs and amount of RAM to assign for VMware and Hyper-V deployment types.

• When deploying a Conferencing Node to KVM or XEN, Pexip Infinity now generates a VMDK file instead of an OVA file.

• Very quiet or very loud audio announcements are no longer adapted to a standardized level when played out in a conference. Customers with custom .wav files in a custom theme should check that the audio levels of those recordings are still appropriate when heard during a conference.

• When configuring a Teams Connector the Enable enhanced status information field has been renamed to Enable Azure Event Hub.

• The tech preview option Enable 1 + 33 layout has been removed (Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features). This layout is no longer tech preview and is now available by default.

• The tech preview option Enable push notifications has been removed (Platform > Global settings > Tech preview features).

• There is an improved indication of any default values when viewing the management API resource schema. For example it now shows "None" instead of "default" if a field is nullable but has no default.
• Firewall connectivity to pexip.flexnetoperations.com is no longer required since 1 January 2022. (This is not a v27-specific change.)