Cisco H.323 VC-289 - Manual (Page 2)

Configuring H.323 Gatekeepers and Proxies
H.323 Gatekeeper Features
VC-290
Cisco IOS Voice, Video, and Fax Configuration Guide
Multimedia Conference Manager provides a rich list of networking capabilities, including the following:
• A means to implement quality of service (QoS), which is required for the successful deployment of
H.323 applications.
• Interzone routing in the E.164 address space. When using H.323-identification (H.323-ID) format
addresses, interzone routing is accomplished by using domain names.
Multimedia Conference Manager allows you to do the following:
• Identify H.323 traffic and apply appropriate policies.
• Limit H.323 traffic on the LAN and WAN.
• Provide user accounting for records based on service use.
• Insert QoS for the H.323 traffic generated by applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP), data
conferencing, and video conferencing.
• Implement security for H.323 communications.
Principal Multimedia Conference Manager Functions
The H.323-compliant Multimedia Conference Manager has two principal functions: gatekeeper and
proxy. Gatekeeper subsystems provide the following features:
• User authorization in which authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) account holders
are permitted to register and use the services of the gatekeeper application.
• Accounting using AAA call detail records.
• Zone bandwidth management to limit the number of active sessions.
• H.323 call routing.
• Address resolution.
Cisco Multimedia Conference Managers can be configured to use the Cisco Hot Standby Router Protocol
(HSRP) so that when one gatekeeper fails, the standby gatekeeper assumes its role.
Proxy subsystems provide the following features:
• H.323 traffic consolidation.
• Tight bandwidth controls.
• QoS mechanisms such as IP Precedence and RSVP.
• Secure communication over extranets.
H.323 Gatekeeper Features
The following sections describe the main features of a gatekeeper in an H.323 network:
• Zone and Subnet Configuration, page 291
• Redundant H.323 Zone Support, page 291
• Gatekeeper-to-Gatekeeper Redundancy and Load-Sharing Mechanism, page 292
• Interzone Communication, page 293
• RADIUS and TACACS+, page 293
• Accounting via RADIUS and TACACS+, page 293