PictureTel Multimedia Conference Server. Software Version 5.0F Release Bulletin

Transcription

1 PictureTel Multimedia Conference Server Software Version 5.0F Release Bulletin

2 Copyright 1997: PictureTel, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. The information contained in this document is based on software release 5.0F and is subject to change without notice. PictureTel, Inc., assumes no responsibility for technical or editorial errors or omissions that may appear in this document or for the use of this material; nor does PictureTel make any commitment to update the information contained in this document. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied or reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of PictureTel, Inc. Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless noted otherwise. All other brand or product names mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.

3 Software Version 5.0F Release Bulletin Read this software release bulletin for the latest information about software version 5.0F. Topics include New Features for Release 5.0 Problems Fixed Since 5.0E (page 3) Restrictions and Recommendations (page 5) Documentation Changes (page 8) Software Installation (page 17) New Features for Release 5.0 Continuous Presence conferencing With a Continuous Presence module (CPM) installed, you can now view from your conferencing system as many as four different sites in one conference simultaneously, rather than only seeing one site at a time. The four sites appear in tiled quadrants on your screen and provide a more realistic and interactive conference than traditional multipoint conferencing. You can also designate one site as lecturer, with all sites seeing the lecturer while the lecturer sees a mix of as many as four sites. H.320/T.120 conferencing An MCS running version 5.0 software can create and conduct T.120-data conferences. To enable data sharing, you must have one optional T.120 Conferencing module (TCM) installed and configured in your MCS. BRI connectivity With this release, an MCS with a BRI module configured to use the Network-Side protocol can connect directly to a conference endpoint, and a BRI module configured to use the User-Side protocol can connect to an endpoint through a switched BRI network. Audio conferencing With the new Audio Conferencing module (ACM) installed and configured in your MCS, you can include as many as 24 analog audio-only participants in conferences without using Bridge Processing unit (BPU) resources. 11/24/ A Page 1

4 Multirate ISDN T1/ISDN modules now support multirate ISDN. Multirate ISDN is a network service that eliminates the need for inverse multiplexers, thus reducing equipment costs. MCS Monitor The MCS monitor now provides a real-time display of MCS module and network line status information. The BPU, Audio Processing unit (APU), Inverse Multiplexer Processing unit (IMPU), and TCM and CPM modules can now report detailed information based on diagnostic tests. The E1/ISDN and T1/ISDN module can now report basic module health, diagnostic information, and network interface line error statistics. Channel Redial The Channel Redial feature provides two redial capabilities. It automatically redials 2B connections during the initial connection attempt, and it enables the manual redialing of the second B channel from the director control screen. Muting audio from a conference endpoint By making a menu selection through the Director Control Functions window, you can now mute audio received from a site. Intel MRV Video This release supports the Intel MRV video protocol for a conference consisting of only Intel Proshare endpoints. Improved software backup and restoration The MCS software backup and restoration procedures have been improved, making software backup and restoration easier and faster. See the Administration Guide for software backup and restoration procedures. Entry and exit tones and warning messages The MCS sends to each conference endpoint tones that indicate when a conference site joins or leaves a conference, as well as when a conference is about to end. Fixed Presenter mode video switching Using presentation mode, you can have video from one site broadcast continuously to all other sites in the conference. The fixed presenter site, in turn, receives video based on voice-activated switching from the other sites. This mode is similar to the Continuous Presence Lecturer mode, except that the Fixed Presenter sees only a single video image. Conference Management With this feature, you can display, print, and save conference information name, conference ID, and MCS and site phone numbers, as well as the conference notification after scheduling a conference. 11/24/ A Page 2

5 Enhanced Call-by-Call (CBC) capability With this software release, you can use call-by-call groups. With CBC you do not need separate circuits for separate service types services are selected on a call-by-call basis. Using CBC you need fewer phone numbers for the same functionality, thus reducing network complexity as well as usage rates. In addition, when CBC is combined with Non-Facility Associated Signaling (NFAS), you can define one pool of phone numbers that can be reached on any of the PRI interfaces in an NFAS group. Problems Fixed Since 5.0E The table below describes fixes that were identified and fixed since the initial release of 5.0E. SPR # Description 5062 Sites can no longer join a data conference without first entering a required H.320 password Video no longer freezes for sites supported by Aculab and Promptus E1 modules in conferences defined with transfer rates of 1288 kbits/s and higher Hardware diagnostics now gives detailed statistics for the Acculab E1 module When you modify the MLP rate in an existing conference definition, the change is now saved correctly BRI modules that get the clock from another BRI module now bring up D channels and connect calls correctly. 5855, 5872 The MCS now correctly handles large site name lists in cascaded conferences The MCS can now schedule eight rather than seven sites in a 768 kbits/s conference when an AIU card is configured. 5879, 5917, 5934, 5804, 5806, 5948, 5960 Erratic endpoint behavior no longer causes MCS buffer loss, a condition which sometimes resulted in system crashes Sites with multiple PRI lines now connect correctly Conferences defined with the PRI Network Type and the NTT Switch Type can now use all the configured NTT resources When a fourth site is added to a three-site, audio-only conference, the first site no longer loses audio Audio-only sites configured as EURO for User-Side BRI can now dial in to the MCS Voice-activated video switching now works correctly when the broadcast site is muted from Director Control You can now dial phone numbers with as many as 25 digits using the RS366 module. 11/24/ A Page 3

6 SPR # Description 6020 The first call initiated after the MCS is rebooted (while the LED on the BRI module is blinking) is now connected correctly An intermittent problem that interfered with frame alignment in 384K conferences after multiple IMUX dial-out calls (over 40) has been corrected IMUX sites now correctly connect to a 768K conference. 6054, Inbound IMUX calls with transfer rates above 384 kbits/s are now connected correctly when the calling party IDs are the same on all channels After a network line has been removed and then reconnected, outbound calls on the User-Side BRI interface that use the NTT switch type now connect correctly Sites in a cascaded conference now see sites names from both local and remote MCSs Simultaneous direct connect conferences no longer interfere with each other, a problem that sometimes caused video from a site in one conference to be transmitted to a site in another conference Sites now disconnect properly in a T.120 conference An Aculab E1 configured for CAS now loads properly when the MCS is booting up The HPU no longer traps when an on-demand debug message is issued before setup is complete You can now connect to an MCS with an old-style BT NT1, Alcatel E10 switch, or ATT switch used in France Video switching now works correctly when you change the switching mode to voice activation after the video broadcaster is disconnected An NTT Primary ISDN configuration now saves the Single MCS phone number information correctly The MCS no longer crashes when it receives multiple repeated requests for site name responses. 6127, 6128 Transfer rates are now saved correctly for T1 configurations. 6410, 6509 MCS no longer hangs (waits forever for call details to be validated) when dialing out to a site. 11/24/ A Page 4

7 Restrictions and Recommendations BRI Before you install this software release, read the following lists of known restrictions and recommendations associated with this software release. This section provides the following topics: BRI Continuous Presence MCS MCS Workstation (page 7) T.120 Data (page 7) Hardware diagnostics and internal loopback diagnostics are not supported for BRI modules. Phone numbers must have fewer than 20 digits for Network-Side BRI configurations. The MCS does not support Network-Side BRI on-demand connections through multirate ISDN services. Continuous Presence Do not run hardware diagnostics on CPM modules during conferences, even when they are not Continuous Presence conferences. MCS If Boot Disk 1 is set to SWAP, tape restoration fails. Follow these guidelines to avoid the problem: Be sure that Boot Disk 2 is not write-protected. Before you begin the restoration procedure in the Administration Guide, insert Boot Disk 1 into the diskette drive and type NOSWAP You must choose the correct tape drive when using the BackMaster tape utility to do a tape restore. Use the arrow key to view all the choices on the BMREST screen. You must remove (clear) the database when upgrading from Conference Initiator to the Advanced Scheduling option. Before upgrading to software version 5.0F from versions earlier than 3.2, you must stop active conferences and unschedule all scheduled conferences. 11/24/ A Page 5

8 All conferences must be stopped or unscheduled before using a different MCS configuration file. When you first want to restore the MCS base software (from tape), and then install a database that you previously backed up on diskettes using the Recovery command, do this: 1. Restore the MCS software from tape. 2. Delete its default database (QMDB) using Query Manager. 3. Install the previously backed-up database. The ACM is not supported in 2-Mbps BPU bus mode. Do not change the MCS time through the MCS console. Instead, use the MCS Date/Time function through the MCS workstation to set the MCS time. Use of both inbound and outbound H.221 CRCs is enabled for all conference transfer rates. If sites in a restricted-rate conference experience constant CRC errors, you can use the System Parameters to disable H.221 CRCs. The Revision E RS-232 module (half-size) must be configured on your MCS before installation. If you are upgrading to this RS-232 module, create an MCS configuration file that includes it before installing it. With Conference Initiator, if you wish to change a conference definition from a multiple-channel transfer rate to a single-channel transfer rate or a single-channel rate to a multiple-channel rate, you must create a new conference-definition record and re-add the conference sites. An MCS using a BPU I does not support the chair control VCS command for conferences using a transfer rate of greater than 768 kbps. If the MCS and MCS workstation are located in different time zones, you cannot use the Non Specific Date and Time scheduling method when scheduling conferences that cross MCS day boundaries. Instead, use the Specific Date and Time method. You cannot run a video loopback test during a conference that is running on a BPU I with no HSC module and with a transfer rate greater than 768 kbps. You cannot perform a T1 interface loopback test while there is an active conference on the same T1/ISDN module. The 33 MHz BPUs do not support transfer rates of greater than and including 768 kbps. Do not configure network types 4ESS and 5ESS on the same T1/ISDN module. The MCS creates daily accounting, event, and track files. You should periodically back up and/or delete or move these files. 11/24/ A Page 6

9 When a site uses T1 services and connects to the MCS through channels split across different T1/ISDN module interfaces, the site window displays the interface status for the first channel in a non-nfas group. You cannot use the same user name in more than one group. MCS Workstation When you minimize a conference site window to an icon and then select the conference window from the program group, you see the open window at 75% of its actual size with the site icons extending beyond the parent window. This occurs when your Windows display driver is set to a resolution of greater than 640 x 480. When you use Windows 95 software with a standard VGA monitor, the Windows Taskbar may interfere with the display of some MCS workstation dialog boxes. You should do one of the following: Change the settings for the Taskbar: a. Choose Settings Taskbar from the Start menu. b. Check Auto Hide or uncheck Always on Top. Use a screen display resolution of greater than 640 x 480. When you use a 1024-by-768 large-font display driver, you may see distortion of the workstation windows. You should use a 1024-by-768 small-font driver. Call Technical Support if you need to make changes to the default modem file, mcs_ws.mdm. Windows users in Japan must set the icon spacing in the Windows Control Panel Desktop to display the Workstation Functions window icons properly. T.120 Data The Query/Join and Invite functions for direct connect sites are controlled by a generic parameter. Call your Technical Support representative for assistance. 11/24/ A Page 7

10 Documentation Changes The following information replaces or supplements information in your user documentation. Topics include Restoring System Software Support for G.711/G.722 (page 9) Pentium CPU Jumper and Switch Settings (page 10) Pentium CPU Removal and Replacement Instructions (page 10) Information About the Model 2007 (page 15) Restoring System Software The BackMaster backup software is configured at the factory for the tape drive installed in your system. The backup procedure described in the Administration Guide selects the correct tape format automatically. Caution If you must do a full system restore from your own backup tape or from the MCS Base Tape you must select the correct tape drive in the BackMaster restore utility. Before you begin a full system restoration, check to see whether your MCS is equipped with a Colorado or a Connor tape drive. Look for a brand name on the face plate of the tape drive: Colorado tape drives are labeled as Colorado 250 or 350. Connor tape drives have no labels. To restore the MCS system: 1. Partition and format the MCS hard disk by referring to the Administration Guide. 2. Reboot the MCS when you see the prompt by pressing Reset. After a minute or two, you see the A: prompt. 3. Install the operating system: c. Insert the MCS Boot Disk 2 of 2 (Rev. C) into the diskette drive. d. Type the following command: BMREST You see the BackMaster window. e. Press Enter. f. You see the BackMaster Configuration window. 11/24/ A Page 8

11 g. Insert the backup tape into the tape drive. Note The metal bottom must face the POWER switch. h. Press Tab to highlight Restore from. i. Press and to scroll through the entire list you cannot see all items on the screen at the same time and select Colorado Jumbo 120, Colorado Jumbo 250, Colorado Jumbo 350, or Connor TapeStor 800 (depending on your tape drive), and press Enter. 4. Continue with the system restoration by selecting files to restore, as described in the Administration Guide. Caution If you have a Connor tape drive, you must reconfigure BackMaster after the restoration before you do a system backup. 1. Press Ctrl+Esc at the MCS monitor. You see the Task List menu. 2. Select the Workplace Shell by pressing or. You see a Workplace Shell window with the C:\ prompt. 3. Type backmast. 4. Select Configuration from the Options menu. Select the Device tab. 5. Select Connor TapeStor 800 from the drop-down list. 6. Select OK. BackMaster is now configured for the correct tape drive, and all subsequent backups are handled automatically. Support for G.711/G.722 Although it is not stated in the Administration Guide, this release supports the G.711/G.722 audio parameter setting. 11/24/ A Page 9

12 Pentium CPU Jumper and Switch Settings Use these jumper and switch settings for the Pentium CPU for 20-slot systems. JP7 JP10 JP17 JP21 JP26 JP24 JP11 JP19 JP8 Pentium CPU Removal and Replacement Instructions The Pentium CPU connects internally to the hard drive, diskette drive, COM ports, and RESET button. Because of these internal connections, removing a Pentium CPU involves special steps. To remove the Pentium CPU: 1. Back up your system software by referring to the procedure in the Administration Guide. 2. Power down the MCS by first typing SHUTDOWN in a Workplace Shell window, waiting for the process to complete, and then pressing the POWER switch to 0 (off). 3. Record the current BIOS settings by powering on the MCS and following these steps: a. Press the POWER switch to (on). b. Watch the display carefully until you see Delay with a countdown timer and this message: Press ESC for Setup Utility c. Press ESC. You see the BIOS menu. 11/24/ A Page 10

13 d. Record the current BIOS settings for the Fixed Disk. e. Power down the MCS again, as described in step 2. Note You reenter this information after you replace the CPU. If you have questions about the BIOS settings, contact your Technical Support representative. 4. Follow the steps under Preparing the MCS for Service in the Servicing Guide. Note You do not need to remove the front panels and front cover. 5. Remove the screw from the Pentium CPU mounting bracket, and set the screw aside. 6. Unplug the Reset cable, diskette-drive controller, hard-drive controller, and COM port ribbon cables, as shown in the next figure. Hard-drive controller (40 pin) Diskette drive (34 pin) J1 speaker (4 pin) JP1 reset (2 pin) J3 keyboard (5 pin) 7. Pull the Pentium CPU up and out from its slot, and place it on an antistatic surface or in an antistatic envelope. 11/24/ A Page 11

14 To replace the Pentium CPU: 1. Hold the Pentium CPU over the empty CPU slot, and reconnect the Reset (2-pin) cable extender to the top two pins (J13). Anchor the cable with a tie wrap to the nearest cable. 2. Align the Pentium CPU over the slot, slide it down into the slot, as shown in the next figure, and push it firmly into the backplane, using both hands and touching only the edges of the module. 3. Screw the Pentium CPU bracket to the chassis. 11/24/ A Page 12

15 4. Connect the COM cables and the 40-pin hard-drive controller and 34-pin diskette-drive ribbon cables, as shown in the next figure, with the marked edge (pin 1) on each cable facing the front of the chassis. Anchor the COM cables to the unused keyboard connector cable at the top of the chassis. Hard-drive controller (40 pin) Diskette drive (34 pin) Marked edge (pin 1) COM1 (9 pin) COM2 (25 pin) Marked edge (pin 1) Marked edge (pin 1) Marked edge (pin 1) Reset cable Chassis front 11/24/ A Page 13

16 5. Attach the keyboard cable to the adapter, and plug the cable into the top port, as shown in the next figure. 6. Plug the AC power cord first into the rear of the MCS and then into the wall outlet. 7. Power on the MCS by pressing the POWER switch to I (on). You see the POWER LED light. 8. Verify the fixed-disk BIOS settings on the Fixed menu as described in Appendix D of the Administration Guide. 9. Replace the panels, covers, and monitor cable. 11/24/ A Page 14

17 Information About the Model 2007 The Model 2007 is available in rackmount and tabletop versions. The next figure shows the front view of a tabletop version. The Model 2007 provides one or two BPUs to support either four or eight users, as shown in the table below. Four-user model 1 50 MHz BPU II A VGA module and up to six network interface or Eight-user model 2 50 MHz BPU IIs processing modules 11/24/ A Page 15

18 The next figure shows the rear view of the Model V The next figure shows the default jumper settings for the motherboard in the Model JP6 JP7 JP24 JP22 JP23 JP5, 4 JP14 JP3,1,2 JP12 Procedures for maintaining and servicing the Model 2007 are similar to those described for other chassis models in the Servicing Guide. For servicing information, refer to the appropriate procedures in Chapters 1 and 2 of the Servicing Guide. 11/24/ A Page 16

19 Software Installation This section provides procedures for updating your MCS and MCS workstation software. Topics include Software Media (page 17) Installing the Operating System (page 18) Installing Software Version 5.0F (page 18) Installing MCS Workstation Software (page 19) Caution Before you install software, make sure you back up the MCS software including your databases to tape, as described in the Administration Guide. Note If you need to recover the previous version of MCS software, use the original tape utilities and restore the MCS software from tape. Software Media The following MCS software media are shipped with all new and upgrade versions of this software release: MCS Application Software - 5.0F - Disks 1 through 6 Database Clear Caution Using Database Clear overwrites your existing database. Use this diskette only to overwrite a corrupted or unwanted database. MCS Workstation User Interface Disks - 5.0F - Disks 1 through 3 MCS Boot Disk - Rev. B2 - Disks 1 and 2 You use the boot disks when you install or reinstall the OS/2 operating system. The following additional media are provided for customers upgrading from 2.x or 3.x to 5.0F. MCS Base Operating System Tape - Rev. B2 Upgrade Tape Utilities Disk 11/24/ A Page 17

20 Installing the Operating System This procedure installs the new operating system and does not change the MCS databases. Perform this procedure under these conditions: When upgrading to 5.0F from Release 2.x or 3.x When reinstalling the MCS base operating system software Caution If version 4.1x or 5.0x software is already installed on the MCS, do not follow this procedure. Continue with the next section, Installing Software Version 5.0F. To upgrade or reinstall the MCS base operating system, follow these steps: 1. Insert the MCS Upgrade Tape Utilities Rev. B2 diskette into drive A. 2. Reboot the MCS by pressing Reset. 3. Read and follow the displayed instructions. 4. Remove the diskette and the tape. 5. Follow the instructions in the next section, Installing Software Version 5.0F. Caution Do not reboot the MCS. Installing Software Version 5.0F Perform this procedure under these conditions: After upgrading or reinstalling the MCS base operating system When upgrading from software release 4.x or 5.0x To install the software version 5.0F, follow these steps, always pressing Enter after typing a command: 1. Insert MCS Application Software - Disk 1 in the diskette drive. 2. Press Ctrl+Esc. You see the Task List menu. 3. Select the Workplace Shell by pressing or. You see a Workplace Shell window with the C:\ prompt. 4. Press Enter, and then type A: to get an A:\ prompt. 5. Maximize the window by pressing Alt, and then pressing x. 11/24/ A Page 18

21 6. Type the following command at the A:\ prompt in the Workplace Shell window: A:INSTALL You are prompted to insert the remaining diskettes. 7. Read and follow the displayed instructions. The MCS reboots and begins to bind the database and software. When the process completes which may take a few minutes the MCS software starts automatically. Installing MCS Workstation Software To install new MCS workstation application software, follow these steps from Program Manager on your MCS workstation. Caution Before you install the MCS workstation software, make sure you back up the configuration files, as described in the Administration Guide. 1. Make a copy of the Workstation User Interface diskettes, and then write-protect both the original diskettes and the copies. Store the original disks in a safe place. 2. Insert the copy of disk 1 into the diskette drive. 3. Do one of these steps: When using Windows 3.0 and 3.1, choose File Run. When using Windows 95, choose Start Run. You see the Run dialog box. 4. Type the following command: A:SETUP 5. Click OK. You see the Copying initialization files message in the Setup dialog box. 6. Read and follow the displayed instructions. Note Make sure that the date and time of the MCS workstation are accurate. See your Windows documentation for instructions. 11/24/ A Page 19