What is a classic transcoding MCU server?

Purpose

The TrueConf MCU video conferencing server is designed for organizing and conducting multipoint video conferences. It includes standard functionality of a VCS server and is fully compatible with Polycom, Cisco, Lifesize hardware terminals, as well as software like Polycom RealPresence Desktop/Mobile.

Thus, TrueConf MCU serves as a software alternative to solutions like Polycom RMX, Polycom RealPresence Collaboration Server, Cisco Meeting Server, Avaya Scopia, Pexip Meetings, and Poly Clariti.

We covered the features of TrueConf MCU in detail in our webinar:

To operate TrueConf MCU, a physical server or a virtualization environment is required.

Operating Scheme

MCU Capabilities

Supported Protocols

• H.323 video calls, including H.221, H.225, H.231, H.239, H.241, H.242, H.243, H.245, H.281, H.283, H.350, H.460, H.460.18, H.460.19 protocols support

• Video calls via SIP, including ICE, TURN, BFCP, RFC 2833 support

• Video calls via RTSP protocol

• Remote camera control (FECC, H.224, H.281)

• TCP/IP, SRTP, TLS, Static IP, DHCP, IPv4, IPv6, DNS

• Support for management via SSH, WEB (HTTP, HTTPS) and NTP

• Time synchronization via NTP

• MTU modifiable size

• QoS support: DSCP, DiffServ

Supported Video Compression Standards

• H.261, H.263, H.264 Baseline Profile, Н.264 High Profile

Supported Audio Compression Standards

• Opus, AAC, G.711, G.719, G.722, G.722.1, G.722.1c, G.723, G.726, G.728, G.729

Features

• Conference modes include general, lecture, and speaker. Each mode supports up to 250 participants with Ultra HD (2160p) video quality.

• Schedule conferences or create virtual rooms, enjoy a number of scheduling options for recurring meetings (set a number of repetitions, repeat every day, every week or every month)

• Send email invitations to a scheduled conference

• Lock conferences from new participants (they can be added only by the administrator)

• Set up a conference ID (either automatically or manually)

• Automatically end conferences if there are no participants for a certain period or if only one participant remains

• Select a speaker before a conference starts

• Schedule media file playback before the start of a conference

• Real-time monitoring and management of active conferences

• Display conference participants' names in the layout

• If the connection failed, a participant will be prompted to reconnect to the meeting after the connection is restored

• View participant’s video, content and layout in use

• Set up and manage participants' devices

• Move participant from one conference to another on the fly. Participant's camera and microphone can be turned off if needed

• Set both general layout for all participants or an individual layout for each user (including an active spear) and create a layout specifically intended for recording and streaming

• Configure a type of every video window in the layout: empty window, autofill, fixed participant, active speaker, participant shuffle, or content window

• Switch to the layout with a priority window in one click for each participant

• Select a video scaling mode with or without cropping or select an automatic mode (TrueConf MCU will automatically determine the best scaling mode)

• Remove a participant's self-view from the automatic layout to save up screen space

• Create overlay layouts displaying a full-screen window with thumbnail windows laying on top of it

• Create audio channels with attendees (able only to receive audio) and presenters (able to sent audio)

• Remove non-video participants from the layout to free layout windows for other users

• Select audio and video codecs, maximum resolution, fps and video bitrate when creating a conference

• Display volume level in the video windows

• Stream conferences to external RTMP sources

• Show media files such as images and videos during a conference (they can be displayed in the primary and secondary video streams)

• Stream from VNC servers during a conference

• Use built-in noise cancellation and automatic gain control individually for each participant

• Address book where you can add new users, edit existing ones, and form groups

• Recording of conferences and presentations (second stream).

• Configurable main and sub stream encoding profiles for adjusting the balance between frame rate and image quality depending on the channel bandwidth

• Connect IP cameras and view IP streams via RTSP

• PTZ camera control

• Control participants' devices with DTMF commands

• Authorize to log into TrueConf MCU control panel

• Possibility of integration with TrueConf Server through cascading.

• Compatible with Polycom, Cisco, Lifesize hardware endpoints, as well as Polycom RealPresence desktop and mobile software

• Compatible with Debian

• Support for Oracle VM VirtualBox, VMware ESXi, KVM hypervisors, Microsoft® Hyper-V, Xen.

• Works in LAN/VPN without internet access

Administration capabilities

• Real-time monitoring and system data tracking

• Export system logs and call history

• Check connection to any video conferencing server directly from TrueConf MCU web interface without the need to call the endpoints registered on it

• Capture traffic and download it in the .pcap format

• Adjust settings for storing, viewing and searching though media files

• Specify the maximum size of file storage

• Set up network connection (TCP/IP ports, NAT passing)

• Set up call parameters (protocols, their priority and order of calls)

• Set up a SIP/H.323 gateway

• Second channel bandwidth limitation in percentage ratio

• Set a tine interval for shuffling or alternating participants in the layout

• Change video layouts skins

• Customize participant's display name styles

• Add user avatars for address book contacts

• View information about TrueConf MCU license and software module versions

• Update TrueConf MCU

• Import and export the built-in database

• Import and export the address book

• Server shutdown, MCU or OS restart directly from the web interface

• Assign a specific role to each user with corresponding permissions: administrator, operator

• Terminal management TrueConf Group: network update of firmware and configuration from the control panel TrueConf MCU, activity status monitoring, and the ability to link the terminal with a contact in the address book.

• Configure connection with the outgoing mail server.

System Requirements

		Initial Configuration
Processor	Intel(R) Xeon(R) Silver 4210 CPU @ 2.20GHz	Intel(R) Xeon(R) Gold 6230 CPU @ 2.10GHz
Number of CPU sockets	1	2
RAM capacity (DDR4)	32 GB	64 GB or more
Effective memory frequency	2400 MHz	2933 MHz and higher
Peak memory bandwidth	19,200 MB/s	23464 MB/s and above
Disk space capacity	512 GB (SSD recommended)	512 GB (SSD recommended)
Network	1 Mbps in both directions for 720p@30fps mode	2 Mbps in both directions for 720p@30fps mode. When using a virtual machine or server, a 1 Gbps Ethernet connection is recommended.
Ports	List of ports that need to be opened for full functionality →
Operating System	Dedicated or virtual server with a 64-bit OS: Debian 10/11/12, Astra Linux SE 1.7.4-1.7.9 / 1.8.4, RED OS 7.3 / 8.0.2 when using an x86-64 based server; Alt Server 9 when using an Elbrus-based server
Supported Hypervisors	Oracle VM VirtualBox, VMware ESXi, KVM, Microsoft® Hyper-V, Xen
Maximum number of displayed participants for standard configurations in various scenarios**
A single video layout for all participants (resolution 1080p)	30	64
Individual video layouts for all participants (1080p resolution)	6	15
Individual video layouts for all participants (720p resolution)	12	30
\* Special build provided upon request
** When all participants use the H.264 video codec

Please note that TrueConf MCU supports up to 250 participants.

Optimizing Performance with TrueConf Server and TrueConf Group Terminals

When terminal TrueConf Group connects to TrueConf MCU, the streams exchanged between them are optimized through the exchange of additional data. For instance, if the current video window with the terminal in the MCU's video layout is reduced, the server will request and receive a video stream with a lower resolution from the device. This reduces the MCU processor load, thereby allowing a greater number of TrueConf Group to connect simultaneously compared to hardware terminals from other vendors.

Automatic packet loss recovery is available TrueConf FEC. It works for SIP calls between TrueConf Server version 5.4.0+, TrueConf MCU version 2.1+, and TrueConf Group with firmware 1.1.4+. This enhances video quality during conferences when there are small but consistent packet losses in the networks. This technology can recover up to 10% of lost packets.