Post on 01-Apr-2015
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Copyright © 2003
H.323: Alive and Well
Paul E. JonesRapporteur for ITU-T Q.2/16
E-mail: paulej@packetizer.com
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Agenda
• What is H.323?
• Brief history of H.323
• “What’s New” in H.323 standardization
• H.323 in the marketplace today
• H.323 Forum
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What is H.323?
• Recommendation H.323 is a standard published by the International Telecommunications Union Telecommunications Sector (ITU-T)– Formerly known as CCITT– Refer to http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/– A permanent organ of the United Nations
System (refer to http://www.unsystem.org/)
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What is H.323? (cont.)
• H.323 is the international standard for multimedia communications over packet-based networks, including the convergence of voice, video, and data communications
• H.323 has made strong progress in terms of maturity and rate of adoption
• H.323 standardization work continues within ITU-T Study Group 16
• H.323 version 5 is scheduled for approval in May 2003
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H.323 Standardization
• The ITU-T is comprised of various “Study Groups”
• Study Group 16 (SG16), specifically “Question 2,” is responsible for standardization work related to H.323
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Study Group 16 Structure
WP1
Facsimile and Modems
WP2
MM Platform and Interworking
WP3
Media Coding
WP4
MM Framework
E - Media coding
6 - Advanced video coding
7 - Wideband speech coding
8 - Speech coding at 4 Kbit/s
9 - Variable bit-rate speech coding
10 - Software tools and maintenance of speech coding standards
15 - Distributed speech recognition/distributed speaker verification
D - Interoperability of MM Systems and Services
F - Quality of Service and End to End Performance
G - Security
1 - MM Systems, Terminals and Data Conferencing
2 - MM over Packet Networks (H.323)
3 - Infrastructure and Interoperability
4 – Video and Data Conferencing using Internet Supported Services
5 - Mobility for MM Systems and Services
H - Accessibility to MM Systems and Services
11 - Modems
12 - DCE-DCE protocols for the PSTN and ISDN
13 - DTE-DCE Interfaces and Protocols
14 - Facsimile terminals
A - MediaCom 2004
B - MM Architecture
C - MM Applications and Services
I – Emergency Telecommunications Services
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History of H.323
• H.323 version 1 was first approved in 1996, with a focus on enterprise voice, video, and data collaboration
• H.323 version 2 was approved in 1998, with a focus on “Internet Telephony”
• H.323 version 3 was approved in 1999 with incremental improvements
• H.323 version 4 was approved in 2000 with major enhancements focused on the requirements of service providers
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H.323 Core Documents
• H.323 – “Umbrella” document that describes the usage of H.225.0, H.245, and other related documents for delivery of packet-based multimedia conferencing services
• H.225.0 – Describes three signaling protocols (RAS, Call Signaling, and “Annex G”)
• H.245 – Multimedia control protocol (common to H.310, H.323, and H.324)
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Additional Documents
• H.235 – Security within H.245-based systems• H.246 – Interworking with the PSTN• H.450.x – Supplementary services• H.460.x – Various H.323 protocol extensions• H.501 – Protocol for mobility management and
inter/intra-domain communication• H.510 – User, terminal, and service mobility• H.530 – Security specification for H.510
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Elements of an H.323 System
• Terminals
• Multipoint Control Units (MCUs)
• Gateways
• Gatekeeper
• Border / Peer Elements
Referred to as “endpoints”
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Where We are Today…
• Voice, video, and data conferencing capability• T.38 fax support• Modem over IP support• Many supplementary services defined• Strong interoperability with other H.32x systems,
including H.320 (ISDN) and H.323M (3GPP mobile wireless)
• Specification of media gateway decomposition (via H.248)• Support for signaling and media security• User, terminal, and service terminal mobility• Support for emergency services signaling
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Where we are today… (cont.)
• Extremely wide deployment
• Billions of minutes of traffic per month worldwide (counting public networks only)
• More than 90% of all VoIP traffic today is H.323, with H.323 video traffic on the rise
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More Recent Enhancements
• Modem over IP support• Local number portability• Circuit map status reporting• Call priority designation• Extended Fast Connect• Digit maps• Querying for alternate routes• QoS monitoring / reporting
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A Cry for Stability… Heard
• Enterprise and service providers have requested “stability”, citing a real need for a mature protocol that is not a “moving target”
• H.323 version 4 introduced a new extension mechanism, referred to as the “Generic Extensibility Framework” (GEF) that facilitates the addition of new features without making changes to the core standards
• All new features that are not considered horizontally useful are being added as separate, optional extensions via the GEF mechanism
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Ongoing Standards Work
• LDAP schema specifications• Definition of usage of the H.323 URL, allowing
the use of DNS and ENUM with H.323• Enhanced third-party call control• Quality of Service• Scalability enhancements• Short message service• H.323 version 5
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Notable Events
• January 2002: IMTC approves the formation of the H.323 Forum as a part of its organization
• May 2002: H.323 Forum “kick-off” in Geneva and a web site
• June 2002: H.323 Forum at Collaborative East
• August 2002: Certification levels 1a/1b defined
• September 2002: First worldwide H.323 Forum video conference was held
• October 2002: H.323 Forum at VON
• October 2002: ETSI and OSP users group support H.323 Forum
• November 2002: H.323 Forum at Collaborative West
• November 2002: First H.323 Forum industry conference
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Where is H.323 Used?
• Wholesale transit• Calling Card• Voice Conferencing• Voice VPNs• Unified
Communications• IP-PBX• PC-to-phone• Video conferencing• Distance Learning
• Call center
• IP-Centrex
• Mobility services
• Custom news / info
• Voice/Data/Video Collaboration
• Broadband residential
• More…
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H.323 Forum Web site
• Products / Services
• Standards
• White papers
• General industry links
• FAQs
• H.323 Forum mailing list
• Meeting minutes and presentations
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H.323 Activities
• Live conferences (two or three per year)
• Video conferences (three or four per year)
• Equipment certification requirements
• Strategic press releases
• Organized presentations at other conferences
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Getting Involved
• Join the mailing list!
• Participate in planning sessions
• Become a member of the H.323 Forum
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Informative H.323 Sites
• Packetizer http://www.packetizer.com/
• H.323 Forum http://www.h323forum.org/
• OpenH323 http://www.openh323.org/
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