Expressway X8.9.2 as H323 gatekeeper

[Phuong Pham]

Hi all,

My customer have a large system with H323 standalone endpoint and CMS 2.2.9.

I was configure H323_gateway on CMS for H323 call. but i know that H323_gateway will soon not be supported any more. So, i want to use Expressway-C X.8.9.2 as H323 gatekeeper. 

Please guide for me to configue this case.

Thanks,

[Elias Sevilla Duarte · Accepted solution]

Hello,

VCS/Expressway servers are SIP Proxy/Registrar, and H323 Gatekeepers natively, and all it needs is the H323 Protocol to be "On" globally, which is "On" by default. The incoming calls will come in port TCP 1720, and for media capability the port range TCP 15000-19999 needs to be open, plus media RTP port range UDP 36000-59999. Also, to be able to route the calls, you need to configure a dial plan, which is based on Search Rules and Transforms.

The good thing about VCS/Expressway servers is that they support Interworking (via the Interworking Option Key) so calls coming as H323 can be interworked to SIP, or vice versa.

HTH.

/Elias

[Phuong Pham]

Hi Elias,

Do i need configure anymore such as: zone? zone rule?

[Patrick Sparkman]

Endpoints will register to the Default Subzone, unless you configure Subzones. You'll need to configure search rules that target the Local Zone (Default Subzone), DNS zone, etc. Everything is outlined in the deployment guide I linked to in my other reply.

[Patrick Sparkman]

Take a look at Expressway Registrar Deployment Guide (X8.9).

[Ammar Saood]

if you have VCS C and E pair, usually VCS E does the ip dialing.

if you want VCS C to dial ip addresses over the WAN or LAN, you must create a subzone with subnet address used in your environment. in this way VCSC will also make ip calls if IP falls in the range that is already defined.

then create a search rule with IP dialing on VCSC and point it to local zone. now your VCSC&E pair will dial local as well as public IP addresses.

HTH

AMMAR

please rate and mark answered if helpful.

[Patrick Sparkman]

Subzone isn't needed for IP dialing, just need a search rule set to "Any IP address" that targets the Local Zone (Default Subzone where endpoints are registered to).

[Ammar Saood]

Thanks Patrick, thats interesting i will test and see if it works without adding a subzone for IP dialing to unregistered endpoints. sometimes customer has polycom devices that they want to dial to from cisco devices registered on VCS.

[Patrick Sparkman]

We ran a single VCS-C for years, before putting in an -E.  It's the same process on the -C as it is the -E if you want to configure unknown IP dialing, take a look at Task 14 in the VCS Control and Expressway Basic Deployment Guide.  If you run a -C and -E, recommend to only configure it on the -E.

[Phuong Pham]

Thanks all

I have one more question. If i want to call out from CMS to Endpoint register to EXP-C, do i need concurrent traversal license?

And on CMS, i configured as follow:

- Domain: domain of H323 Endpoint

- SIP proxy to use: IP of EXP-C

- Trunk type: Standard SIP

- Behavior: Stop

That is correct?

[Ammar Saood]

rule of thumb is , if expressway handles media as well as signaling of the call then it consumes traversal license.

whenever interworking is involved sip to h323 then traversal license is consumed.

if call is sip without media encryption then it usually consumes non-traversal license. but it depends if media encryption on that ZONE is set to best effort or Auto.

 if you have SIP zone with CMS and vCS receives h323 call then it surely is an interworking call and traversal lic is consumed.

HTH

AMMAR

rate and mark answered if helpful. 

[Phuong Pham]

Thank Ammar

I read other topic comment that: RMS license will be consumed traversal and non-traversal call. So i can buy RMS license for this case?

https://supportforums.cisco.com/t5/telepresence/expressway-lic-exp-rms-rich-media-session-license-requirements/td-p/2539835