SX20 multisite - Losing my mind?

[Aaron Wilson]

I'm not sure if I'm having a total memory loss or what, but didn't the SX20 w/multisite support a total of 4 video sites (1+3) and 1 audio-only site?

Via CLI I confirmed that my SX20 can only do a max of 3 calls (SystemUnit State MaxNumberOfActiveCalls), where as the C40 and EX90 can do 4. Also, it appears the MX300G2 is saying a max of 3 calls as well.

I swear all MX/SX/C-Series were capable of dialing 3 video sites and 1 audio site with multisite enabled, except for SX10.

[Patrick Sparkman]

The following is possible with Multisite according to their data sheets:

• EX90 can support 4 calls up to 720p30
• C40 can support 4 calls up to w576p30
• SX20 and MX300 G2 can support either 3 calls up to 720p30, or 4 calls up to 576p30

I don't think the extra audio-only call is supported with Multisite, I believe it would subtract from the total calls capable.

[Aaron Wilson]

My understanding was all systems without multi-site can place 1 video and 1 audio call. Adding multi-site expands video calling to 3 endpoints (looks like 5 for SX80) while preserving the "+1" for audio.

The C40 and EX90 work this way, you can call 3 video sites and the 4th call is audio only. So this is 4-way video + 1 audio.

However I swear I have placed 3 video calls (total is 4-way) and 1 audio call from the SX20 in the past.

[Patrick Sparkman]

Correct, all TC and CE based endpoints should be able to connect 1 video + 1 audio participant with the need of the Multisite feature.  I just tested with a C40 that has Multisite, I was able to connect 3 video + 1 audio participants, testing with an SX80, I was able to connect 4 video + 1 audio participants.

It appears that the numbers listed in the data sheets are the maximum values, and doesn't represent all being video calls, as the last call in all of my tests were always an audio-only call.  For example, below is the conference capabilities for the SX80, note that the MaxActiveCalls is 5 which matches the datasheet values, however the MaxVideoCalls is 4.

• MaxActiveCalls 5
• MaxAudioCalls 5
• MaxCalls 7
• MaxVideoCalls 4

[Aaron Wilson]

Right, with multi-site it increases the video capability and maintains the +1 audio offset. Your SX80 can call 4 video sites (this makes 5-way video) and it can one more site as audio only. This is what I expect.

The SX20 is what I'm having an issue with, the off-set seems to be lost. MaxActiveCalls = MaxVideoCalls, rather than MaxActiveCalls = MaxVideoCalls+1AudioCall.

I swear I have done this many times on the SX20, call 3 video sites then a 4th audio only site. It's just been a while and TAC is saying this is working as intended. It doesnt make any sense though if the other products all have the +1 audio-only call. Do you have a SX20 to check?

[Patrick Sparkman]

I do not have an SX20, sorry.  It's just by chance I happen to have the single C40 and SX80 with Multisite enabled that I can test with, as it's a feature we don't use, this is because we rely on an MCU/TelePresence Server.

[Wayne DeNardi · Accepted solution]

I have done some testing for you here with one of my SX20s (tested with TC7.2.1 and CE8.0.0). Dialing performed from the web interface.

You can only place three video calls - you cannot add a 4th participant (wither audio or video - it just doesn't allow it).

If you make the audio call as the first call, you can then only add two additional video participants.

The "MaxNumberOfActiveCalls" value on the SX20 is 3.  Even though the data sheet says you should be able to make 4 calls at 576p30, I was unable to in my testing.

Wayne
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[Aaron Wilson]

Thanks for checking Wayne. It stinks that multisite removes an option on the SX20, but on the other systems it preserves it.

Regarding the datasheet, it says "4-way" video, which I read as 3 remote and the 4th being yourself (host)....so this part is working as expected.

[Randy Valverde Rojas]

Hello,

The audio add-in capability (at least for the SX20) only works for point-to-point calls and not multi-point (MS), I do know some documentation about multi-site was modified due to a bug (CSCuq12939) not too long ago but as far as how it works I don't remember it working differently, the reason it doesn't behave the same as other codecs is because it is a hardware limitation not a software one from my understanding.

http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/telepresence/endpoint/quick-set-sx20/tc7/administration-guide/sx20-quickset-administrator-guide-tc73.pdf

"A point-to-point video call (a call involving two parties only) can be expanded to include one more participant on audioonly"

If this was changed on later software versions it should still work with old ones though.