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Polycom Visual Communications Architecture and Design Guide May 2010
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Polycom Visual Communications Architecture and Design Guide
May 2010
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Trademark Information
Polycom®, the Polycom “Triangles” logo, and the names and marks associated with Polycom’s products are trademarks and/or service marks of Polycom, Inc., and are registered and/or common-law marks in the United States and various other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Patent Information
The accompanying product is protected by one or more U.S. and foreign patents and/or pending patent applications held by Polycom, Inc.
3725-00000-002A
© 2010 Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.
Polycom, Inc.
4750 Willow Road
Pleasanton, CA 94588-2708
USA
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Polycom, Inc. Under the law, reproducing includes translating into another language or format.
As between the parties, Polycom, Inc. retains title to and ownership of all proprietary rights with respect to the software contained within its products. The software is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provision. Therefore, you must treat the software like any other copyrighted material (e.g., a book or sound recording).
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this manual is accurate. Polycom, Inc. is not responsible for printing or clerical errors. Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
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Contents
Polycom Integration with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office Communications Server Overview . 5
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5
End User Benefits ............................................................................................................................... 5
IT Administrator Benefits ................................................................................................................... 5
Polycom Implementation and Maintenance Services ......................................................................... 5
Components ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Polycom Products that Enable Polycom Conferencing for Outlook ...................................................... 6
Microsoft Products that Enable Polycom Conferencing for Outlook ..................................................... 7
Configuration Deployments .................................................................................................................... 7
Standalone ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Standalone+ ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Full .................................................................................................................................................... 11
Full+ .................................................................................................................................................. 13
Detailed Comparison of the Deployment Configurations‟ User Experience .................................... 14
Detailed Comparison of the Deployment Configurations‟ Infrastructure Capabilities .................... 16
Solution Technologies Details .............................................................................................................. 17
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook ..................................................................................... 17
Calendaring vs. Scheduling .............................................................................................................. 18
Virtual Meeting Rooms..................................................................................................................... 18
Video Meeting Gathering Phase ....................................................................................................... 19
Polycom HDX Video Endpoints ....................................................................................................... 19
Polycom CMA Desktop .................................................................................................................... 20
Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 ........................................................................................ 20
Remote Endpoints using Polycom VBP ........................................................................................... 21
Recording and Streaming .................................................................................................................. 21
Configuration Considerations ............................................................................................................... 21
Client Configuration Considerations ................................................................................................ 21
Microsoft Interoperability Considerations ........................................................................................ 23
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 ......................................................................... 26
Microsoft Client Configuration ......................................................................................................... 28
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Scenarios ............................................................................................................................................... 30
Set up a Video Meeting with Polycom RMX but no Polycom DMA System .................................. 30
Set up a Video Meeting with a Polycom DMA System ................................................................... 31
Join a Meeting Using Polycom HDX System as the First User with a Polycom DMA System ...... 32
Join a Meeting Using Polycom CMA Desktop from Microsoft Outlook 2007 ................................ 33
Join a Meeting through Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 from Microsoft Outlook 2007 . 34
Join a Meeting Using a non-Polycom Conferencing for Outlook Endpoint ..................................... 34
User Dials in Using Audio-Only Endpoint ....................................................................................... 35
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Polycom Integration with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office Communications Server Overview
Introduction
One of the biggest hindrances to the use of video collaboration tools is the time and energy it takes to
organize and participate in video meetings. When the meeting organizer sets up the meeting, he must
deal with the issue of finding the number for the meeting and determining whether there are resources to
hold the meeting. Then he must send this number to all meeting participants. When the time of the
meeting arrives, the participants must extract the number from their meeting invitation and use that
number to dial their video endpoint. Once connected to the meeting, participants must determine
whether they have dialed into the correct meeting and the meeting organizer must wait until everyone
who was invited to the meeting arrives. The goal of Polycom Conferencing for Outlook Design is to
leverage Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and the Outlook 2007 client to solve these problems and to
make organizing and participating in a video meeting easier and more productive.
Additional functionality can be added by integrating a Polycom infrastructure with Microsoft Office
Communications Server 2007 R2 users can use Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 as an endpoint
to participate in scheduled or ad hoc video meetings using a Polycom DMA or Polycom RMX system.
End User Benefits
Creating a rich communication meeting is simple and intuitive
Smart conference rooms enhance productivity
Makes video more approachable
Enable recording and streaming with one click
IT Administrator Benefits
Enhances room experience and drives adoption
Reduces end user assistance needs
Simplifies administration
(self-service, ad hoc)
Delivers complete ROI
Polycom Implementation and Maintenance Services
Polycom Implementation and Maintenance services provide support for Polycom solution components
only. Additional services for supported third-party Unified Communications (UC) environments
integrated with Polycom solutions are available from Polycom Global Services, and its certified
Partners, to help customers successfully design, deploy, optimize and manage Polycom visual
communication within their third-party UC environments. UC Professional Services for Microsoft
Integration is mandatory for Polycom Conferencing for Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office
Communications Server integrations. For additional information and details please see
http://www.polycom.com/services/professional_services/index.html or contact your local Polycom
representative for more information.
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Components
Polycom Products that Enable Polycom Conferencing for Outlook
System Version Description
Polycom HDX systems v2.6 Monitors the Microsoft Exchange calendar of the configured account and display on-screen notifications of meetings. Users can join meetings via these notifications.
Polycom RMX 2000 or 4000 systems
v6.0 Monitors the Exchange mailbox for the Polycom Conferencing service and hosts Polycom Conferencing for Outlook conferences. Displays meeting information at the start of a meeting, called the Gathering Phase.
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook
v1.0 Allows Outlook users to schedule meetings that include video, audio, and recording.
Allows invitees to join a video-enabled meeting by clicking a link.
Polycom CMA 4000 or 5000 system
v5.0 Provisions Polycom HDX systems for Polycom Conferencing for Outlook functionality and routes H.323 calls to the appropriate Polycom RMX or DMA system.
Polycom CMA Desktop v5.0 Allows users to join video-enabled meetings by clicking a link in a meeting invitation.
Polycom DMA 7000 system v2.0 Monitors the Exchange mailbox for the Polycom Conferencing service and determines the appropriate Polycom RMX system to host a given Polycom Conferencing for Outlook conference.
Polycom RSS 4000 system v6.0 Via a connection from the Polycom RMX system, records Polycom Conferencing for Outlook conferences in H.323 format when selected in the Polycom Conferencing Add-in.
Polycom VBP-S/T system v9.1.5.1 Enables H.323 Polycom HDX systems to support Polycom Conferencing for Outlook in a remote small office/home office (SOHO) network.
Version numbers are correct at time of publication. Please see the Release Notes for updated version
numbers.
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Microsoft Products that Enable Polycom Conferencing for Outlook
System Version Description
Microsoft Active Directory 2003 or 2008 Enables account logins and integrates with Microsoft Exchange.
Note that Polycom products currently support only a single-forest Active Directory deployment.
Microsoft Exchange 2007 w/SP1 Hosts mailboxes and calendars. SP1 is required for the ‘Manage Full Access Permissions’ function.
Microsoft Office Communications Server
2007 R2 Provides login and instant message functionality for Microsoft Office Communicator clients.
Microsoft Office Communicator
2007 R2 Can join meetings by clicking a link in a meeting invitation.
DNS N/A Permits call routing to Polycom RMX and DMA systems and DMA subscription to Exchange for mail notifications.
Microsoft Office 2007 Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word® 2007 are required for sending Polycom Conferencing for Outlook invitations. Users of older versions of Microsoft Office can receive invitations.
Version numbers are correct at time of publication. Please see the Release Notes for updated version
numbers.
Configuration Deployments
There are four primary deployment configurations for a Polycom Conferencing for Outlook Solution:
Standalone, Standalone+, Full and Full+.
All deployment configurations use a minimum of one Polycom RMX. Polycom HDX endpoints are
required for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on endpoints. Additional features and
capabilities can be added on to a Microsoft Active Directory infrastructure to handle user identity and
authentication, as well as Microsoft Exchange 2007 to handle calendars. Clients use Microsoft Outlook
2007 to create and manage their calendars using the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook. Both
Standard and Enterprise versions of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 are supported.
Note that even though an Office Communications Server Mediation server is generally required to
connect with other SIP environments, Polycom infrastructure devices can communicate directly and do
not require the use of a Mediation server.
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Components for Configuration Deployments
Configuration Deployment
Required Polycom Systems
Optional Polycom Systems
Required Microsoft Systems
Optional Microsoft Systems
Additional Required Systems
Standalone RMX
HDX*
RSS,
VBP-E, VBP-ST
Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook / Word 2007
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator 2007 R2
Third party H.323 Gatekeeper
Standalone+ RMX
CMA
HDX*
RSS,
VBP-E, VBP-ST
Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook / Word 2007
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator 2007 R2
Full DMA
RMX (Multiple)
HDX*
RSS,
VBP-E, VBP-ST
Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook / Word 2007
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator 2007 R2
Third party H.323 Gatekeeper
Full+ DMA
RMX (Multiple)
CMA
HDX*
RSS,
VBP-E, VBP-ST
Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook / Word 2007
Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator 2007 R2
Polycom HDX endpoints are required for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on endpoints
Standalone
For a Standalone Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution the only hardware requirement is a
Polycom RMX system to synchronize with Exchange 2007 as well as manage the virtual meeting rooms
and endpoints to use them. Polycom HDX endpoints are required for Microsoft Exchange 2007
calendar integration on endpoints. A Standalone deployment configuration is ideal for a client with an
existing third-party H.323 gatekeeper where scalability and high availability are not high concerns.
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Example Standalone Diagram
Components
In this situation you already have an existing H.323 gatekeeper that is not a Polycom CMA system.
Legacy and third-party endpoints may be present with varying capabilities.
Required Polycom Systems – RMX, HDX (for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on
endpoints)
Required Microsoft Systems – Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook/Word 2007 for clients
Optional Polycom Systems – Record/Stream (RSS), External (VBP-E/VBP-ST)
Optional Microsoft Systems - Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator
2007 R2
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Capabilities
Allows users to easily create video enabled meetings via an Outlook integrated add-in that
automatically generates an invitation to meeting members containing details of the meeting.
Meetings are integrated with Microsoft Exchange allowing access from user and endpoint
calendars.
Allows pre-configured room endpoints to view its calendar from an on-screen menu.
Allows a user or room endpoint to connect to a meeting by selecting the meeting from an on-
screen menu or clicking a link in Outlook. This allows the user to connect to a meeting without
having to know meeting ID or bridge identification.
Standalone+
A more complete Standalone+ solution is available that includes a Polycom CMA system in addition to
the RMX. Polycom HDX endpoints are required for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on
endpoints. A Polycom CMA system allows automatic provisioning as well as management and
monitoring of the video conferencing infrastructure. It can also act as an H.323 gatekeeper. This
deployment configuration is ideal for companies that do not have an existing H.323 gatekeeper where
scalability and high availability are not high concerns.
Example Standalone+ Diagram
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Components
Legacy and third-party endpoints may be present with varying capabilities.
Required Polycom Systems – RMX, CMA, HDX (for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar
integration on endpoints)
Required Microsoft Systems – Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook/Word 2007 for clients
Optional Polycom Systems – Record/Stream (RSS), External (VBP-E/VBP-ST),
Software Client (CMA Desktop)
Optional Microsoft Systems - Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator
2007 R2
Capabilities
A Standalone+ deployment has all of the capabilities of Standalone as well as:
Dynamic provisioning of Polycom HDX and CMA Desktop endpoints
Centralized management and monitoring of Polycom endpoints
Mange call flow and bandwidth
H.323 gatekeeper
Access to Polycom CMA Desktop, a software based video endpoint
Full
A Full deployment configuration builds upon a Standalone deployment by introducing a Polycom DMA
system, providing scalability and high availability. A Polycom DMA system distributes calls across
multiple Polycom RMX systems and acts as a single go-to location for virtual meeting rooms. If one
Polycom RMX system becomes unavailable for any reason meetings are reassigned to an available
MCU through the Polycom DMA system. It also allows for easy expansion by adding a new Polycom
RMX system to an existing pool without downtime. Polycom HDX endpoints are required for
Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on endpoints. A Full deployment configuration is ideal
for clients with an existing third-party H.323 gatekeeper that want to be able to easily scale up their
video infrastructure or want high availability.
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Example Full Diagram
Components
In this situation you already have an existing H.323 gatekeeper that is not a Polycom CMA system.
Legacy and third-party endpoints may be present with varying capabilities.
Required Polycom Systems – RMX (Multiple), DMA, HDX (for Microsoft Exchange 2007
calendar integration on endpoints)
Required Microsoft Systems – Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook/Word 2007 for clients
Optional Polycom Systems – Record/Stream (RSS), External (VBP-E/VBP-ST)
Optional Microsoft Systems - Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator
2007 R2
Capabilities
A Full deployment has all of the capabilities of Standalone as well as:
A Polycom DMA system provides an easily scalable MCU infrastructure by providing a pool of
Polycom RMX systems to endpoints. New Polycom RMX platforms can be easily added without
downtime.
A Polycom DMA system provides high availability by allowing failover to other available
Polycom RMX platform in the pool in the event of a failure.
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Full+
A Full+ deployment configuration takes the scalability and high availability of a Full deployment and
adds a Polycom CMA system granting the ability for automatic provisioning, dynamic management and
monitoring of the infrastructure. It can also act as an H.323 gatekeeper. Polycom HDX endpoints are
required for Microsoft Exchange 2007 calendar integration on endpoints. A Full+ deployment
configuration is ideal for clients that do not currently have a third-party H.323 gatekeeper and want to be
able to scale up easily or want high availability.
Example Full+ Diagram
Components
Legacy and third-party endpoints may be present with varying capabilities.
Required Polycom Systems– RMX (Multiple), DMA, CMA, HDX (for Microsoft Exchange
2007 calendar integration on endpoints)
Required Microsoft Systems– Active Directory, Exchange 2007, Outlook/Word 2007 for clients
Optional Polycom Systems– Record/Stream (RSS), External (VBP-E/VBP-ST),
Software Client (CMA Desktop)
Optional Microsoft Systems - Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Office Communicator
2007 R2
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Capabilities
A Full+ deployment has all of the capabilities of Standalone+ and Full:
Allows users to easily create video enabled meetings via an Outlook integrated add-in that
automatically generates an invitation to meeting members containing details of the meeting.
Meetings are integrated with various user and endpoint calendars in Microsoft Exchange.
Allows pre-configured room endpoints to view its calendar from an on-screen menu.
Allows a user or room endpoint to connect to a meeting by selecting the meeting from their on-
screen menu or clicking a link in Outlook. This allows the user to connect to a meeting without
having to know the meeting ID or bridge identification.
Polycom DMA provides an easily scalable MCU infrastructure by providing a pool of Polycom
RMX MCU to endpoints. New Polycom RMX MCUs can be easily added without downtime.
Polycom DMA provides high availability by allowing failover to other available Polycom RMX
MCUs in the pool in the event of a MCU failure.
Dynamic provisioning of Polycom HDX and CMA Desktop endpoints
Centralized management and monitoring of Polycom endpoints
Mange call flow and bandwidth
H.323 gatekeeper
Access to Polycom CMA Desktop, a software based video endpoint
Detailed Comparison of the Deployment Configurations’ User Experience
All the solutions will deliver a consistent user solution, while the IT features (provisioning, installing
and monitoring) will be enhanced in the “enterprise solutions” as shown in the following table:
Deployment Configurations
Product Calendaring Capability (User Experience) Standalone (HDX & RMX)
Standalone+ (HDX, RMX & CMA)
Full (HDX, RMX & DMA)
Full+ (HDX, RMX, DMA, CMA)
Polycom HDX Systems
User can join a video meeting by selecting the meeting from the Calendar screen
User can view meeting details for an upcoming meeting from the Calendar screen
Displays user's daily Outlook calendar
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Deployment Configurations
Product Calendaring Capability (User Experience) Standalone (HDX & RMX)
Standalone+ (HDX, RMX & CMA)
Full (HDX, RMX & DMA)
Full+ (HDX, RMX, DMA, CMA)
Prompts user to join a video Outlook meeting
Calendaring capability can be provisioned by Polycom CMA system
Polycom CMA Desktop (H.323 environments)
User can join a video meeting by clicking a link in the Outlook invitation
Microsoft Office Communicator (Microsoft Office Communications Server deployments only)
User can join a video meeting by clicking a link in the Outlook invitation
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Microsoft Office Outlook
Organizer is able to video enable meetings
Organizer is able to choose to record a video meeting
Video / audio dial-in information is automatically added to the meeting invitation.
Add-in labels are displayed in default Microsoft Office language
Add-in is automatically deployable via standard Microsoft mechanisms
User is able to manually configure add-in
Organizer is able to choose to protect a video meeting with a password, including a conference password and chairperson password
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Detailed Comparison of the Deployment Configurations’ Infrastructure Capabilities
Deployment Configurations
Product Calendaring Capability (User and IT Experience)
Standalone (HDX & RMX)
Standalone+ (HDX, RMX & CMA)
Full (HDX, RMX & DMA)
Full+ (HDX, RMX, DMA, CMA)
Polycom RMX 2000 Systems
Displays the "Gathering Phase" UI to all meeting participants
Starts meeting recording when required
Displays a recording on/off icon
Polycom DMA Systems
Provides reports on calendaring usage
Provides scalability by allowing addition of new Polycom RMX MCU to pool without downtime
Provides high availability by allowing failover if an Polycom RMX MCU in the pool fails
Polycom CMA System
Aggregates SNMP data from Polycom HDX and RMX systems
Provisions Polycom HDX systems
Provisions Polycom CMA Desktop
Polycom RSS
Allows meeting organizers to easily record and stream meetings (including content) on a per-meeting basis
Polycom VBP E-Series
Allows calling outside of the enterprise network
Allows the connection of two Polycom infrastructures to federate to one another
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Deployment Configurations
Product Calendaring Capability (User and IT Experience)
Standalone (HDX & RMX)
Standalone+ (HDX, RMX & CMA)
Full (HDX, RMX & DMA)
Full+ (HDX, RMX, DMA, CMA)
Polycom VBP ST-Series
Allows remote Polycom HDX users to register to a local Polycom CMA system through a firewall without a VPN
Allows remote Polycom CMA Desktop users to register to a local Polycom CMA system through a firewall without a VPN
Solution Technologies Details
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook
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A primary component to the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution is the Polycom Conferencing
Add-in for Outlook. It allows users to create meetings with a video component using a simple interface
fully integrated with Outlook. Options such as passwords, recording and streaming (if available) can
easily be configured on a per conference basis. Meeting requests are dynamically generated in this way
and include information on all methods that can be used to enter into the conference such as phone
numbers and hyperlinks. For example, if a user creates a meeting and decides to have it recorded, the
meeting request will include text and a link in the body saying that afterwards it can be streamed and a
link giving the location. In this case the recording will be automatically created and handled behind the
scenes. The meeting creator will not have to take any action to begin the recording once the conference
begins.
This Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook requires Outlook 2007 connected to an Exchange 2007
SP2 infrastructure and Word 2007 to operate correctly.
The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook can be automatically deployed onto client machines via
Active Directory Group Policy, scripting or some other software management infrastructure. It can also
be installed manually using an account with administrator rights on the machine in question.
The types of callto links in meeting invitations generated by the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for
Outlook can change depending on the infrastructure. See page 22 for more information on the different
types of callto links.
Calendaring vs. Scheduling
An important note to make is the difference between scheduling and calendaring. In a scheduling
environment resources are tightly controlled. Generally only a few people are permitted to schedule a
video meeting and other users must contact one of those few in order to create a meeting. Those with
permission confirm that resources are available for that time slot and then create the meeting. The
resources allocated are then set aside to be used for that meeting. Those resources will not be listed as
available when users check resources for future meetings. Unless there is a hardware failure or some
other unforeseen event, those resources are guaranteed for that meeting. Once all available resources are
allocated to meetings no more can be created in the system.
Because anybody who wants to create a video meeting must go through a scheduler, delays in
scheduling can occur if those people are busy. It requires complex administration on the part of both
schedulers and IT. Users also typically require additional IT support. This and the extra numbers to
remember for the conference bridge and ID make the concept of videoconferencing complex and
intimidating to end users which can hurt utilization.
In contrast, in a calendaring environment everybody has the freedom to create video meetings in an ad-
hoc fashion. This gives users a much better experience by giving them the control over their meetings by
making them easy to create, modify and join without support from a scheduler or the IT department.
Virtual Meeting Rooms
When a meeting request is created the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook randomly generates a
long string of characters that identifies the Virtual Meeting Room (VMR) of the meeting. These VMRs
are valid from the time the Polycom infrastructure accepts them until midnight after the end of the
meeting. Polycom RMX MCUs will allow test calls within 24 hours of the meeting‟s start date while
Polycom DMA systems allow test calls during the life of the VMR.
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Though possible, it is unlikely that a Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook will randomly generate
a VMR that matches an existing valid one and submit it to a Polycom RMX or DMA. If this occurs, the
Polycom RMX or DMA will send a rejection notice to the meeting organizer. The meeting organizer
must then cancel the meeting and send a new invitation. For details on other scenarios that may cause
the DMA or RMX products to reject meeting invitations, please see the Administrator Guides for those
products.
Video Meeting Gathering Phase
The first few minutes of meetings hosted by a Polycom RMX system is called the „Gathering Phase‟ and
displays certain information to users in the meeting.
The Gathering Phase displays the meeting organizer and duration as well as the names of currently
connected users and connection information. This information is pulled from the meeting details in
Microsoft Exchange 2007.
Polycom HDX Video Endpoints
Polycom HDX systems are an integral part of the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution. They
connect to Microsoft Exchange 2007‟s Client Access Server using Exchange Web Services (EWS) as an
individual user or connect to view an Exchange user‟s calendar. Once connected the logged in account‟s
calendar can be displayed on the HDX Calendar screen which has a listing of the day‟s meetings. The
user can then highlight a meeting and press a single button to dial and connect to it.
In the Standalone+ and Full+ configuration deployments a Polycom CMA system can automatically
provision Polycom HDX endpoints. Otherwise administrators will need to manually provision and
configure each Polycom HDX endpoint.
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Polycom HDX endpoints can operate in H.323 mode or SIP mode. By default they operate in H.323
mode and should be registered to an H.323 gatekeeper, either a Polycom CMA system (in Standalone+
and Full+ deployment scenarios) or a third party gatekeeper.
Polycom HDX endpoints operate in SIP mode when set up to connect to Office Communications Server.
In this configuration they do not use H.323 and thus do not require an H.323 gatekeeper.
Polycom CMA Desktop
The Polycom CMA Desktop is a software communications client that allows users to easily connect to a
meeting by clicking a link in their invitation inside of Microsoft Outlook 2007. It allows users to use a
standard webcam and microphone connected to their computer to participate in the meeting regardless of
what types of endpoints the other participants are using.
It should be noted that the link that users click in the Outlook invitation is a „callto:‟ link. Installing or
running other multimedia call programs such as Microsoft Office Communicator will change the
operating system‟s priority list for callto commands. This may interfere with the one-click dial
functionality of a Polycom CMA Desktop client. When some of these programs are run they take control
of callto commands. There is a setting in the Polycom CMA Desktop options that allows it to check
whether it is the default handler of callto links.
Polycom CMA Desktop can be automatically deployed onto client machines via Active Directory Group
Policy, scripting or some other software management infrastructure. It can also be installed manually
using an account with administrator rights on the machine in question.
In deployments that include Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 it is assumed that
Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 is used instead of the Polycom CMA Desktop.
Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2
Microsoft Office Communicator is a software communications client that allows users to easily connect
to a video meeting by clicking a link in their invitation inside of Microsoft Outlook 2007. It allows users
to use a standard webcam and microphone connected to their computer to participate in the meeting
regardless of what types of endpoints the other participants are using. For more information see
Microsoft‟s documentation of Office Communicator.
Office Communicator can be automatically deployed onto client machines via Active Directory Group
Policy, scripting or some other software management infrastructure. It can also be installed manually
using an account with administrator rights on the machine in question. See Microsoft‟s deployment
guide for Office Communicator for details.
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It should be noted that the link that users click in the Outlook invitation is a „callto:‟ link. Installing or
running other multimedia call programs such as the Polycom CMA Desktop will change the operating
system‟s priority list for callto commands. This may interfere with the one-click dial functionality of
Office Communicator. When some of these programs are run they take control of callto commands. If
this occurs users can still manually dial in to the conference ID or launch Office Communicator which
will retake callto priority for itself.
Remote Endpoints using Polycom VBP
There are two different flavors of VBP devices (the VBP-E and VBP-ST). Though they are both called
VBP their functions are fundamentally different.
A VBP-E has a number of functions. It can act as a federation endpoint as well as a H.323 and SIP
aware firewall for allowing calls in from the outside.
A VBP-ST has one primary function: to act as a gateway for external users. They register to it and it
then registers with an internal CMA on behalf of the external users. This allows external Polycom HDX
and Polycom CMA Desktop endpoints to connect in without the need of a VPN. It should be noted that a
VBP-ST is not designed to act as a federation endpoint or a data firewall.
For more information on the VBP devices please see their guides.
Recording and Streaming
An optional component of the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution is recording and streaming.
This is provided by a Polycom RSS recording and streaming server.
Configuration Considerations
Client Configuration Considerations
Provisioning, configuration and maintenance of Polycom HDX endpoints will need to be done manually
if there is no Polycom CMA system deployed.
Configuration and maintenance of the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook can be done manually
or automatically through Group Policy, or some other software management infrastructure.
Although Polycom HDX systems can make point-to-point calls without the aid of an H.323 gatekeeper,
it is highly recommended to use one to manage bandwidth management, dialing rules and other
advantages that gatekeepers provide. The Standalone+ and Full+ deployment configurations incorporate
the use of a Polycom CMA system that can act as a gatekeeper for the Polycom HDX systems. It also
provides access to the Polycom CMA Desktop client that lets users connect to meetings created through
the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution without the need of a Polycom HDX system. The
Standalone and Full deployment configurations assume a third party gatekeeper is deployed.
Polycom Conferencing for Outlook – tel: vs sip: URI Links
When a meeting is created using the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook Add-in links are generated that
allow users to join the meeting by clicking them. These can be configured to be tel, callto or sip links.
The type of link used will vary depending on the signaling protocols used by endpoints in the
environment.
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Environment Supported
Scheme CMAD URI MOC URI HDX behavior
SIP Only
Office Communications Server
SIP n/a Callto:sip:[email protected]
SIP-HDX dials full SIP URI.
There are no H323-HDXs present.
SIP Only with numeric dialing configured
Office Communications Server
TEL n/a Callto:tel:xxx SIP-HDX dials phone-context URI.
There are no H323-HDXs present.
H.323 Only None / Disabled
Callto:xxx n/a H323-HDX dials E164 number (xxx).
There are no SIP-HDXs present.
H.323 and SIP Office Communications Server
SIP Callto:xxx Callto:sip:[email protected]
SIP-HDX dials full SIP URI.
H323-HDX dials E164 number (xxx).
If HDX has a preferred protocol it is used, otherwise the user is prompted for the dialing protocol.
H.323 and SIP Office Communications Server with numeric dialing configured
TEL Callto:tel:xxx Callto:tel:xxx SIP-HDX dials phone context URI.
H323-HDX dials E164 number (xxx).
If HDX has a preferred protocol it is used, otherwise the user is prompted for the dialing protocol.
Templates only need one link for both CMAD and MOC.
H.323 Only
Most deployed systems today, including Polycom systems, all use H.323. In an environment where
there is no infrastructure or endpoints that require SIP are present (Such as Microsoft Office
Communications Server 2007 R2) then H.323 is the only signaling protocol used.
H.323 and SIP (Dual Stack Environment)
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 uses a modified version of the Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) called Session Initiation Protocol Extensions that adds proprietary Microsoft extensions
to the protocol. Polycom HDX devices and certain Polycom infrastructure understand Session Initiation
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Protocol Extensions and are able to interface fully with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
R2.
There is optional Polycom infrastructure that is not intended to interface with Office Communications
Server but provide additional functionally to Polycom systems (Such as the Polycom RSS recording
devices). The current release of these devices only supports H.323 and thus uses this protocol to
connect to other devices including legacy Polycom equipment or third party devices that cannot use SIP
in the environment.
In these scenarios both H.323 and SIP are used. Polycom HDX endpoints and infrastructure devices use
SIP to interface with Office Communications Server and H.323 to interface with H.323 only devices.
SIP Only
In situations where SIP is a requirement but H.323 only devices are not deployed then Polycom devices
can be configured to use only SIP as the signaling protocol.
Office Communications Server can be configured to allow full numeric dialing. See the below section
“Numeric Dialing using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2” for more information
regarding numeric dialing. See Polycom‟s “Deploying Visual Communications Administration Guide”
for information.
Microsoft Interoperability Considerations
Microsoft Active Directory Configuration
The Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution requires Microsoft Active Directory and can use
versions from Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, and Microsoft
Windows Server 2008. Both Standard and Enterprise versions are supported, as are both 32-bit and 64-
bit. Certain operating systems may need to be patched with service packs. Please see the release notes
for which service pack levels are required for each version.
Microsoft Active Directory provides two group types and four group scopes. The Polycom DMA system
supports only security groups (not distribution groups) with universal or global scope.
In Microsoft Active Directory, a security group can be assigned permissions or rights to a resource. The
other type of group, a distribution group, is only used to send mail to its members. However, a security
group can be given an E-mail address which gives it the same capabilities as a distribution group. Mail
sent to that security group‟s E-mail address is then sent to its members. This means that you can use
security groups and still provide the functionality of a distribution group should your Active Directory
design require it.
A number of Microsoft Active Directory user accounts are required. Microsoft Active Directory user
accounts with Microsoft Exchange 2007 user mailboxes are required for each Polycom infrastructure
device such as a Polycom RMX platform or a Polycom DMA platform.
Room based Polycom HDX endpoints require Microsoft Exchange room mailboxes. These are used to
represent that room when a user attempts to create a meeting involving it. When a user wants to use a
physical meeting room they include its account in the invitation list. If its calendar is clear during this
time it will accept and book itself. Users can then view its calendar and see when it is in use without the
need for manual management.
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Lastly, individual users will enter in their existing Microsoft Active Directory credentials when using a
personal Polycom HDX endpoint.
These user accounts must meet security requirements for Active Directory, including password length
and complexity. It is recommended that it be an account with minimal privileges in the system and has
its password set to never expire. If the password changes or expires, the new password will have to be
changed in the Polycom HDX endpoint as well.
Group Policy, scripting or some other software management infrastructure is recommended for
automatic deployment of the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook. If none is available then the
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook can be installed manually from a file share by a user with
administrative privileges.
Polycom devices only read the root of a single LDAP directory at a time. For this reason, Active
Directory must be configured as a single forest environment. There can be multiple individual trees in
the same forest. A separate forest can be connected via federation but cannot be directly controlled by a
single device or redundant cluster.
Microsoft Active Directory Configuration Summary
Requirement Used for
Single Forest Environment Polycom devices to see all resources in the directory
Security groups Distribution groups are not supported
Groups’ scopes are universal or global Domain Local groups are not supported
User accounts must meet security requirements for Active Directory including password complexity and expiration
Allows Polycom HDX systems to successfully authenticate to Exchange and monitor their calendars
Microsoft Exchange 2007 Configuration
The Polycom Conferencing for Outlook solution requires Microsoft Exchange 2007. Standard or
Enterprise versions are supported.
Exchange room mailbox accounts need to be attached to user accounts created for each Polycom HDX
system. Its calendar will be stored in Exchange and accessible through the Calendar screen.
Polycom HDX and RMX systems connect to users‟ calendars using Exchange Web Services which is a
part of Exchange‟s Client Access server role. The Client Access server must be configured to proxy
EWS connections for internal and external users. Remote Polycom HDX systems require a Polycom
VBP-ST and a Polycom CMA system in order to take advantage of the one touch dialing. Please see the
Polycom VBP system documentation for more information on remote systems.
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User and Room account relationship in Microsoft Exchange 2007
Outlook Anywhere is a part of the Client Access role of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and must be
configured in order to allow users to use the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook from outside the
firewall. Outlook Anywhere allows Outlook clients to wrap their communications with Exchange in an
HTTPS packet which can be easily passed through a firewall. The server receives the packets and
identifies them as RPC over HTTP. This allows Outlook clients to traverse a firewall and connect to
Exchange directly without using a VPN or opening up extra ports. This allows authenticated users
outside of the corporate network to use their Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook to create and
manage meetings without requiring a VPN connection. Outlook Anywhere is available once the Client
Access Role is installed but must be manually enabled.
Many organizations also have their Exchange Client Access Servers configured to provide Outlook Web
Access (OWA) to allow users to access their mailboxes through a web client instead of Microsoft
Outlook. Even though both services listen on TCP port 443, Exchange is able to distinguish between
OWA and Outlook Anywhere traffic so the same Client Access Server can host both services.
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Microsoft Exchange Requirements Summary
Requirement Used for
Room mailboxes Room based Polycom HDX system calendars in Exchange
Exchange Client Access Server role with EWS Allow local Polycom HDX systems to monitor their calendars in Exchange
Outlook Anywhere Remote users to use Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook to manage their video meetings without the use of a VPN
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2
Office Communications Server Mediation Role
Generally an Office Communications Server environment requires an office Communications Server
running the Mediation Server role. However, Polycom RMX systems and Polycom DMA systems can
interface directly with Office Communications Server Front End servers without the use of a Mediation
server.
Polycom RMX Integration with Microsoft Office Communications Server
To be able to work with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2, a Polycom RMX system
must be configured as a Trusted Host in the Office Communications Server. This is done by defining the
IP address of the signaling host of each Polycom RMX system as Trusted Host.
Meeting Rooms are usually not registered to Office Communications Server, and Static Routes are used
instead. Setting Static Routes in the Office Communications Server enables SIP entities and user agents
to connect to conferences without explicit registration of conferences with the Office Communications
Server.
Routing is performed by the Office Communications Server based on the comparison between the
received URI and the provisioned static route pattern. If a match is found, the request is forwarded to the
next hop according to the defined hop‟s address.
This is the recommended working method. It alleviates the need to create a user account in the Office
Communications Server for each Meeting Room and Entry Queue. This also allows users to join
ongoing conferences hosted on the MCU without registering all these conferences with Office
Communications Server.
Entry Queues can also be for Ad-hoc conferencing enabling Office Communicator clients to dial to the
Entry Queue and create a new ongoing conference using DTMF codes to enter the target conference ID.
In such a case, other Office Communicator users will have to use that ID to join the newly created
conference.
Polycom HDX Systems and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Directors
The role of an Office Communications Server Director is to direct client registrations to their proper
Office Communications Server pool. The main reason a Director is used is so that an organization can
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have a single SRV DNS record which points to the Director. This will cause all Office Communications
Server clients that lookup the Office Communications Server location using the SRV record to attempt
to register to the Office Communications Server Director. The Office Communications Server Director
will determine the correct Office Communications Server front end server for that particular client and
re-direct the client to its Office Communications Server front end server.
In the 2.6 release, HDX endpoints are not capable of being re-directed. That means that they must be
configured to register to their own Office Communications Server front end server and not the Office
Communications Server Director.
For example, a SRV DNS lookup in an environment using a Office Communications Server Director
would return “ocs-director.polycom.com”. However, clients that register to this server will be re-
directed to “ocs-pool1.polycom.com”. The HDX endpoint must be configured to register with the actual
front end server “ocs-pool1.polycom.com”, not the Office Communications Server Director “ocs-
director.polycom.com”.
It should be noted that moving an Office Communications Server account from one pool to another will
require an update to any Polycom HDX endpoints using the moved account.
Numeric Dialing using Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2
Numeric dialing is a setting in Office Communications Server that allows clients to dial using straight
numbers instead of a full SIP URI. This can provide extension based dialing from endpoints such as
Office Communicator, Polycom HDX systems or Polycom CX systems to virtual meeting rooms or
other internal endpoints and external dialing if the environment supports it. This greatly simplifies
dialing.
To enable a common dialing plan for virtual meeting rooms across Office Communications Server and
H323 infrastructures. This means that a single number can be inserted into a calendar invitation and it
will be valid for Office Communications Server endpoints and H323 endpoints in a mixed SIP and
H.323 environment.
Encryption between Polycom and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2
Polycom HDX systems support encryption with Office Communications Server using Transport Layer
Security (TLS). However, it should be noted that as of the initial release Polycom RMX systems do not
support encryption when using SIP signaling and thus cannot encrypt with Office Communications
Server or its endpoints. This includes Polycom HDX systems that are registered to Office
Communications Server and exclusively use SIP. Please see the current release notes for up to date
information on Polycom RMX system support of encryption over SIP.
Polycom and Microsoft Session Initiation Protocol Extensions
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 uses a proprietary version of the Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) called Session Initiation Protocol Extensions. Polycom infrastructure and Polycom HDX
systems understand Session Initiation Protocol Extensions and are able to interface fully with Microsoft
Office Communications Server 2007 R2.
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Microsoft Client Configuration
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Microsoft Outlook
The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook can be installed on a variety of Microsoft Windows
client operating systems listed below. Both the x32 and x64 bit versions of each operating system are
supported. Some of these operating systems may require patches or service packs. See the release notes
for details.
Windows XP (any version)
Windows Vista (any version)
Windows 7 (any version)
The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook also requires certain software to be installed. Microsoft
Outlook 2007, Microsoft Word 2007, and the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 are required for the
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook to function properly.
This Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook can be automatically deployed onto client machines via
Active Directory Group Policy, scripting or some other software management infrastructure. It can also
be installed manually using an account with administrator rights on the machine in question.
Model High Touch (Centralized Scheduling)
Self-Service (Calendared Ad hoc)
Application Polycom CMA system Scheduler Polycom Conferencing for Outlook
Primary Users IT Department
Video Operation Specialist
Executive Administrator
All users with Outlook
Primary use cases
High-touch, admin managed conferences
Auto-dialed Scheduled conferences
One-click to join meetings. Protocol independent. SIP/H.323 enabled.
Smart rooms.
Interface Polycom CMA system Web Scheduler
Outlook or Lotus Notes Plug-in
Outlook (Add-in)
Call method Dial in and dial out available Dial in only
Recording/ Streaming option
N/A Yes
Remarks Aware of MCU resource utilization
Advanced MCU call control available for scheduler
More Integrated to the process,
Simple for both meeting organizer/participants
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It should be noted that the Polycom DMA system in a Full or Full+ deployment monitors the available
video resources in an RMX but does not guarantee resources. The DMA will accept all requests to create
a video meeting. If at any point the number of calls is more than the Polycom RMX systems in the pool
can accommodate then new conferences will not start until existing calls end and resources become
available. It is up to the administrator to plan and monitor the infrastructure to make sure that there are
enough resources to cover the expected number of simultaneous calls.
One thing to note, Polycom offers the Polycom Scheduling Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook and the
Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Microsoft Outlook. Both applications allow Outlook users to create
meeting invitations to Polycom conferences. The Scheduling Plugin, which requires the Polycom CMA
system, also reserves conferencing resources through the Polycom CMA system. The Conferencing
Add-in for Outlook, which does not require the Polycom CMA system, uses ad hoc conferencing and
does not reserve conferencing resources. However, it allows meeting invitees to:
Join the meeting by clicking a link, using either the Polycom CMA Desktop client or Microsoft
Office Communicator (depending on your enterprise‟s configuration).
Click a link to view a recording of the meeting later or a stream of the meeting in real time (if
recording and streaming are available).
Polycom does not recommend using both the Polycom Scheduling Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook and
the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Microsoft Outlook on the same client system.
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Scenarios
Set up a Video Meeting with Polycom RMX but no Polycom DMA System
This Scenario requires any of the Polycom Conferencing for Outlook deployment configurations as a
precondition.
1. User opens the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook and creates a new meeting.
2. The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook generates a new random Virtual Meeting Room
(VMR) identifier.
3. Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook connects to Microsoft Exchange 2007 and sets up
the meeting
4. Microsoft Exchange 2007 sends meeting invites to users and room accounts that the creator
selected. Exchange also sends an invite to the Polycom RMX.
5. Participants accept, reject, or ignore the meeting invitation.
6. Polycom RMX checks the meeting request and compares the VMR to existing meetings. If the
VMR is unique it sends Exchange an accept message. If the meeting is a duplicate it sends a
reject message.
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Set up a Video Meeting with a Polycom DMA System
This scenario requires a Polycom DMA system (Full or Full+ configuration deployment) as a
precondition.
1. User opens the Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook and creates a new meeting.
2. The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook generates a new random Virtual Meeting Room
(VMR) identifier.
3. The Polycom Conferencing Add-in for Outlook connects to Microsoft Exchange 2007 and sets
up the meeting.
4. Microsoft Exchange 2007 sends meeting invites to users and room accounts that the creator
selected. Exchange also sends an invite to the Polycom DMA system.
5. The Participants accept, reject, or ignore the meeting invitation.
6. The Polycom DMA system uses Exchange Web Services (EWS) to check the meeting request
and compare the VMR to existing meetings. If the meeting is unique it sends Exchange an
accept message. If the meeting is a duplicate it sends a reject message.
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Join a Meeting Using Polycom HDX System as the First User with a Polycom DMA System
This scenario requires a Polycom DMA system (Full or Full+ configuration deployment) as a
precondition.
1. The Polycom HDX system connects to Microsoft Exchange 2007 to check for changes to the
user‟s calendar.
2. When the meeting is about to start a reminder popup alert is brought up on the Polycom HDX
system screen.
3. The user can join the meeting from the reminder popup alert or from the Calendar screen on the
Polycom HDX system.
Polycom HDX System Reminder Popup
4. When the user tells the Polycom HDX system to join the meeting, the Polycom HDX system
contacts the Polycom DMA system.
5. The Polycom DMA system instructs a Polycom RMX system to start the calendared meeting and
directs the connected endpoints to the Polycom RMX system.
6. The Polycom RMX system contacts Exchange to gather the meeting details.
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7. If a Polycom RSS is available and the meeting creator set the meeting to record then the
Polycom RMX system contacts the RSS to start recording. The RSS then joins the meeting.
8. The Polycom RMX system displays the Gathering Phase screen to all meeting participants after
which the main meeting starts.
Join a Meeting Using Polycom CMA Desktop from Microsoft Outlook 2007
This scenario requires a Polycom CMA system (Standalone+ or Full+ configuration deployment) as a
precondition.
1. When the user clicks the “Join the meeting using Polycom CMA Desktop” link to join the
meeting, the Polycom CMA Desktop client contacts the Polycom DMA system to join the
meeting.
2. The Polycom DMA system directs the Polycom CMA Desktop client to the Polycom RMX
system hosting the meeting.
3. The Polycom RMX system sends the current meeting view (either the Gathering Phase or the
meeting in progress) to the Polycom CMA Desktop client which displays it to the user.
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Join a Meeting through Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 from Microsoft Outlook 2007
This scenario requires Office Communications Server as a precondition. Any Polycom Conferencing
for Outlook configuration deployment may be used.
1. When the user clicks the “Join the meeting using Microsoft Office Communicator” link to join
the meeting, Office Communicator contacts the Polycom DMA system to join the meeting.
2. The Polycom DMA system directs Office Communicator to the Polycom RMX system hosting
the meeting.
3. The Polycom RMX system sends the current meeting view (either the Gathering Phase or the
meeting in progress) to the Office Communicator which displays it to the user.
Join a Meeting Using a non-Polycom Conferencing for Outlook Endpoint
Any Polycom Conferencing for Outlook configuration deployment may be used.
1. The user views the meeting details listed in the meeting invitation. The meeting details include
the meeting number and password (if required by the creator)
2. The user manually dials the meeting number on the endpoint which contacts the Polycom DMA
system to join the meeting.
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3. The Polycom DMA system directs the endpoint to the Polycom RMX system hosting the
meeting.
4. The Polycom RMX system sends the current meeting view (either the Gathering Phase or the
meeting in progress) to the endpoint which displays it to the user.
User Dials in Using Audio-Only Endpoint
Any Polycom Conferencing for Outlook configuration deployment may be used.
1. The user checks the meeting‟s details that they received.
2. The user uses their endpoint to manually dial into the audio gateway.
3. The gateway sets up a connection with the Polycom DMA system to join the meeting.
4. The Polycom DMA system directs the gateway to the Polycom RMX system hosting the
meeting.
5. The Polycom RMX system joins the gateway to the meeting and sends the audio to the gateway
which sends the audio to the audio endpoint.
