how to setup a multicast conferencing through CME

[Majid Jalinousi]

Hi buddies,

I have a cisco 3925 router with DSP 16 channels and CME version 7.1 installed on it.

I want to setup a adhoc conference but in mulitcast mode, you know when I captured the conference packets on the router I found for each participant in the conference is made a separately same stream thourgh DSP module.

I want to know how to setup a multicast conference so after creating a unit stream through DSP, only one stream send to the multicast address of the conference participants?

Thanks in advance.

[Chris Deren]

There is no such thing as multicast vs. unicast conferencing. You might be confusing with multicast MOH. Conferencing is always unicast between the participating devices and conferencing bridge, whether the bridge is software based under telephony-service or DSP based farm registered to your CME.

[Majid Jalinousi]

Thanks for your reply,

Isn't weird? because if it was possible to send just a stream to a multicast address, then it would be cause to save lots of bandwidth.

I want to sure there is no way to do multicast conferencing with CME and if I want to do that what another device should I use?

BR,

[Chris Deren]

You have to consider what conferencing is, it is bridging of streams for which you need some processor i.e. DSP, so how would multicasting be of any help here? Each stream needs to be connected to the bridge individually so that it can be "mixed".

What is your requirement? Do you want to provide ad-hoc conferencing? If so, how many participants do you want to allow? If up to 3 all you need is software based conferencing, if more than 3 then you need DSPs (PVDMs).

[Majid Jalinousi]

Thanks again,

I though all the streams come to the DSP then get mixed and a unique stream consisting all the participant streams is created and sent to the participants.

if it's just bridging the streams, then it's ok and there is no way to multicast, right?

I want to know is it possible to do multicast conferencing, you know not just bridging the streams, at first step all the streams change to the single stream and this single stream send to the multicast address of participants?

Do I need to use other devices for doing that?

[Aseem Anand]

Hi,

There is no multicast conferencing. If the goal is to have a conference with the large group then you can use paging.

https://voiceonbits.com/2011/01/13/cme-paging/

When user will dial the paging number it will automatically turn on the speaker phone with the group of users associated with the paging dn.

The multicast term is relevant only for Music on hold in the CME world where router steams the moh to the multicast address. 

Go through the link below to understand Multicast MOH:

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucme/admin/configuration/guide/cmeadm/cmemoh.html

Aseem

[Chris Deren]

Respectfully conferencing and paging are quite different features, paging is simply one to many conversation one way only.