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A resource for packet-switched conversational protocols

PacketizerTM

Copyright © 2003

H.323: Alive and Well

Paul E. JonesRapporteur for ITU-T Q.2/16

E-mail: [email protected]

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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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