Basic VCS configuration for integrating with Pexip Infinity

This section describes the basic configuration required for integrating one VCS (or VCS cluster) and one Pexip Infinity location, by creating a new zone and configuring a search rule.

Create a new zone

The Pexip Infinity solution is integrated with any standard H.323 gatekeeper or SIP proxy through a neighbor/trunk relationship. For calls to route appropriately to Pexip Infinity, the following configuration parameters must be set on the Cisco VCS:

  1. Create a new neighbor zone specifically for the Pexip Infinity location.
  2. Enable H.323 communication and configure port 1719 to allow H.323 calls to be routed natively to the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Node(s).
  3. Enable SIP communications over TLS and port 5061 for encrypted signaling (or TCP and port 5060 for unencrypted signaling), to allow SIP calls to flow natively to the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Node(s).
  4. Configure the Authentication policy appropriately, depending on the deployment architecture.

    If authentication is enabled within the network, we recommend using Treat As Authenticated. However, from version 6, Conferencing Nodes can provide authentication credentials for SIP (but not H.323). To configure the credentials used by Pexip Infinity for SIP authentication challenges, go to Call control > SIP credentials. The realm presented by the VCS is the <System host name>.<Domain name> of the VCS performing the challenge.

  5. In the Peer addresses fields, list the IP addresses or DNS names of the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Nodes in the location.

    If there is more than one Conferencing Node in the location, all Conferencing Node addresses should be included in the Peer addresses fields. The VCS will round-robin through these addresses when routing calls. DNS names can also be used here.

    Up to six Conferencing Nodes can be configured in this way. However, the Pexip Infinity platform can support many more Conferencing Nodes per location. If a Conferencing Node has insufficient resource available to handle media processing, this task will be seamlessly delegated to another Conferencing Node in the location (this does not necessarily need to be one of the Conferencing Nodes configured on the neighbor zone). Note, however, that for any one conference there can be a maximum of three Conferencing Nodes per location used to handle the media.

  6. Click Create zone to create the zone on the VCS. Validate that the relevant H.323 and SIP zone status becomes active.

More comprehensive documentation of advanced VCS configuration can be found in the Cisco VCS Administrator Guide. Steps necessary for VCS configuration will vary from version to version. Cisco maintains a comprehensive repository of VCS documentation for the current major software release as well as for older software releases on their website: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11337/products_installation_and_configuration_guides_list.html.

Create zone search rule(s)

After the zone is created, dialing rules must be configured to allow appropriate calls to route from the call control infrastructure to the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Nodes.

To do this, from the VCS Search rules page, create a new search rule routing to the newly-created Pexip Infinity zone, specific to the deployment’s dial plan. Because of the flexibility afforded in the VCS dialing plan, it is not possible to prescribe exact steps necessary for each installation. Some examples are provided below.

Numeric prefix dialing

If using a numeric prefix is a desired means of routing appropriate calls to Pexip Infinity (e.g. 9 + conference digits), the following parameters must be set:

Field Setting
Rule name <Name for the rule>
Description Route calls to Pexip Infinity
Priority <This will vary depending on existing dial plan; default = 100>
Protocol Any
Source Any
Request must be authenticated No
Mode Alias pattern match
Pattern type Prefix
Pattern string <Dial plan specific; e.g. “9”>
Pattern behavior <Leave or Strip, depending on desired behavior>
On successful match Stop
Target <Zone name for the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Node>
State Enabled

Regex pattern match

A regex pattern will offer an increased level of matching and control over the pattern being used within the dial plan.  Depending on the desired behavior, a regex string may be the most appropriate way to dictate the strings desired for the Pexip Conferencing Node. The following example will route any aliases beginning with meet. at the example.com domain to the newly configured neighbor zone.

Field Setting
Rule name <Name for the rule>
Description Route calls to Pexip Infinity
Priority <This will vary depending on existing dial plan; default = 100>
Protocol Any
Source Any
Request must be authenticated No
Mode Alias pattern match
Pattern type Regex
Pattern string <Dial plan specific; e.g. meet\..*@example.com.*>
Pattern behavior <Leave or Replace, depending on desired behavior>
On successful match Stop
Target <Zone name for the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Node>
State Enabled