Table of Contents

Introduction

UH H.323 Endpoint Directory

Multi-point Videoconference Information

Certifying your videoconference for MCU Service

Updating Your Certified Endpoint Information

Multi-point Videoconference Information

The Multi-point Control Unit (MCU) Service is available to all University of Hawaii (UH) departments and offices, system-wide, requesting a multi-site video conference for administrative activities such as meetings, job interviews or research collaborations. It is NOT intended for distance learning classes.

The MCU Service will NOT support point-to-point IP video conferences (H.323-to-H.323, or H.320-to-H.320) as these can be easily arranged directly between the respective endpoints.

UH Endpoints involved in a videoconference using the MCU Service should keep the following in mind:

Endpoint Reservations

The Requestor (the UH faculty or staff requesting the video conference) is responsible for contacting each Endpoint Technical Contact and Schedule Coordinator to reserve the Endpoint, conference room, and all other required equipment prior to scheduling the MCU Service with ITS. Requestors and the respective Endpoint Schedule Coordinators are responsible for ensuring that Endpoints and conference rooms are properly scheduled for their video conferences (e.g., not double-booked), and for resolving any and all scheduling conflicts that may affect their session. Technical/Room contact must supply the Requestor with the following information needed for the Requestor to complete the MCU Service Request Form:

1. Technical Contact Information (Name, Phone, Email Address)
2. Location (Building, Room #)
3. Endpoint GDS number (e.g. 00114690xxxxxx)
   • In your Polycom unit follow the path below to access your GDS number
   • Main Menu -> System Info -> Admin Setup -> LAN/H.323 -> H.323 -> Setup -> H.323/E.164 Number

Endpoint Certification and Registration

All Endpoints MUST be certified, and UH Endpoints must be registered before the Requestor submits the MCU Service Request Form to ITS. For those Endpoints not yet certified, the Requestor must arrange to have the Endpoint certified by working together with the Endpoint’s technical contact/coordinator to complete and submit the online Endpoint Certification Form at least two (2) weeks in advance of any MCU Service request.

Endpoint MCU Email Notification

Once the MCU Service is scheduled (by the Requestor) for a particular video conference, an automated e-mail notification is sent to all Endpoint Technical Contacts for all Endpoints that have been authorized to participate in the scheduled video conference session. This notification includes:

1. Videoconference Title
2. Date
3. Initiation Start Time
   • Initiation Start Time is the time at which the MCU Service will initiate the video conference session to begin to allow Endpoints to connect to the MCU Service video conference session. For security reasons, the MCU Service will NOT automatically connect to each Endpoint. Each endpoint will need to connect (i.e. “dial”) into the MCU Service
   • This is NOT the start time of the actual video conference. The Initiation Start Time will be fifteen (15) minutes prior to the actual video conference start time (i.e. if the actual video conference start time is 10:00 AM; the MCU Service Initiation Start Time will be set at 9:45 AM). This lead time will allow Endpoint Technical Contacts time to properly prepare their rooms and equipment for the video conference session, and to connect to the MCU Service video conference session in advance in order to verify the connection and operation of their Endpoint PRIOR to the actual video conference start time.
4. End time
5. Trouble-shooting Telephone Number
6. Conference ID Number
   • The Conference ID is the number that the Endpoint Technical Contacts need to use to connect to the correct MCU Service video conference session.

On the day of the video conference