Telepresence using SIP without CUCM/VCS/TMS (Standalone Deployment)?

[Shams Rishad]

From what I have known from the community I have come to understand that for standalone deployment, H.323 is the only recommended way and that if I want to use SIP I would need a Session Border Controller, i.e- TMS/CUCM/VCS.

1. Is there any way that I can make SIP work without a session border controller?

2. If yes, then how? It would be best if you could refer me some configuration steps/guide.

Someone said earlier that there is a way if we have no other option but that way is not user friendly.

Thanks in advance.

Rishad

[R0g22]

What are you going to use the telepresence for ? What endpoints ? If they are 3rd party then they register to either Expressway-C. If they are Cisco, either Expressway or CUCM should be fine. Having an SBC or not depends on your deployment. TMS/CUCM/VCS are not Session Border Controllers.

[Shams Rishad]

Hi Nipun

Thanks for you reply.

The scenario is as such:

1. Our end customer has bought an SX20 TelePresence codec along with peripherals.

2. The end customer happens to be a garments factory and they have bought this TelePresence unit so that they can communicate with buyers who are abroad.

3. Client wants to make calls to these buyers abroad using SIP as the calling protocol.

4. Previously I discussed on this community and everyone suggested that if my codec is not registered to any call controller (VCS/TMS/CUCM), then H.323 should be used for point to point control. That is to say that the device to which the call will be placed should also have H.323.

To be honest, I am fairly new to the collaboration path, and many of these things are unclear to me. Could you please take the trouble to elaborate a little? Also you may please suggest some resource materials that might help me to understand the whole thing.

Thanks in advance.

Rishad

[R0g22]

That's correct. You can have SX20 in a standalone mode using H.323. I am not sure if there is a config guide but the config is pretty straight forward. Following steps should help. Ensure you configure these using the web interface for the SX -

1. Go to Setup > Configuration > Network Service > Default call control protocol needs to be H.323
2. Go to Setup > Configuration > H.323 > Call Setup mode = Direct, Port Allocation = Static
3. For the H.323 alias, add ID as the IP address for the SX.
4. If the SX is behind a firewall that is responsible for doing NAT, no need to do NAT on the SX itself.
5. If there is a requirement to set NAT on SX, you would need to add the public IP in NAT config and change the mode to ON.

Here is the admin guide for SX20. Read it for basic setup etc -
https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/telepresence/endpoint/quick-set-sx20/tc7/administration-guide/sx20-quickset-administrator-guide-tc73.pdf

[Shams Rishad]

Hi Nipun

Thanks so much for your reply. In fact, we have previously deployed standalone cases like this using H.323. But this time, this particular client wants us to configure SIP for the same standalone deployment. I was just wondering if this is possible/recommended or for SIP there is no recommended way for standalone deployment.

Rishad

[R0g22]

AFAIK using SIP without a call control will cause audio issues. If your customer needs to use SIP, they need to consider a call control.

[skilambi]

SIP needs a call control server i.e. cucm or expressway or vcs or 3rd party(but then support is the issue). If customer is bent on “SIP” but their main issue is not having an on premise server look at Cisco webex cloud device registration for a monthly fee so you can register to the Interner and have that call control from the cloud. Customers might want “standalone” but their main concern might be on premise infrastructure which this solves

[Oleksandr Yurchenko]

Hello Shams Rishad

You can use SIP and H323 whithout call control infrastructure device .

See example under link

This example for EX, but your SX20 have same configuration

We do not discuss security and convenience :-)

[Shams Rishad]

Will this work if the endpoint that I'm dialling to is not in direct mode
or not a Cisco device?

[Oleksandr Yurchenko]

If your customer already bought SX20 , you can try to make calls :-)

Don't forget about public IP for your SX20.

[Shams Rishad]

Hi Oleksandr

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes, customer has bought SX20 and we have just finished the physical installation. However, we are wondering if the other endpoint, to which the call is being placed is not a standalone deployment, and the SX20 at our end is on standalone deployment, will SIP standalone configuration work?

Because-

1. From the article that you have provided, it seems that the configuration is functional when both that caller and the receiver is on standalone configuration.

2. Also from the article it appears that this point-to-point (direct IP calling) is more of a test, not a day-to-day production practice. (I may be wrong, but that's what I understand).

3. If you see, I've inquired this before (this post and also other related post) where everyone basically says that using SIP for standalone deployment is not recommended but no one gave a clear answer to what the actual problem is. Everyone suggested to go for H.323.

Could you please help me? What is the issue here actually that I'm missing?

Thanks in advance!

Rishad 

[Oleksandr Yurchenko]

Hello,

Good thread for you.

i will tried to answer you later

[Shams Rishad]

Thanks so much for the thread link.

Rishad