XCCC: Dynamic Conferencing MCU Selection (260960)

SUMMARY

When a data conference participant joins a conference, the Conference Management Service (CMS) attempts to select the "best" Multipoint Control Unit (MCU) for connectivity, taking into account the following questions:

Which MCUs are available, started, and running?
Is the conference already running on an MCU?
What is the current load that existing conferences place on the MCU?
Where is the participant located relative to the local conferencing site?
Is the participant closer to another conferencing site?
What Microsoft Windows 2000 site is the participant a member of?

NOTE:This is determined by parsing the participant's Internet Protocol (IP) address and matching it to the known sites and subnets that are defined by an administrator.
Are there any visibility restrictions defined by an administrator with regard to which server can be used?

MORE INFORMATION

Using these criteria, the CMS attempts to refer conference participants to an MCU that is closest to their respective network locations and that limits the number of copies of the conferencing data sent between these locations. Because the MCU selection is made at participant join time, the subsequent interconnection of MCUs (also known as the conference topology) is dynamic and can optimize server availability and participant network location.