TrueConf Server Admin Guide

# Description of the video conferencing server and its features

# Why do I need a video conferencing server?

TrueConf Server is a software-based video conferencing and team messaging platform. With TrueConf Server, your employees can communicate and collaborate remotely, organize webinars and remote training.

This guide is intended for administrators of TrueConf Server. For information on the personal area, call strings, and other helpful features for the users and guests of your video conferencing server, please refer to the TrueConf Server user guide.

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TrueConf Server operates in LAN/VPN and can be used as a unified communication system that connects users of your local network, remote employees, and SIP.H.323/RTSP devices:

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# Features

TrueConf Server core features can be extended by the following TrueConf solutions:

# Supported protocols and codecs

# Protocols

  • Proprietary SVC-based TrueConf protocol used by all client applications.

  • H.323 protocol set: H.239 for content sharing; H.281, H.224, Q.922 for camera control; H.235 for media stream encryption; H.225, H.241, H.245 signaling protocols.

  • SIP protocol suite: BFCP for content sharing; FECC for camera control; SRTP for media stream encryption; TLS for the secure signaling protocol (SIPS).

  • WebRTC: SRTP and DTLS for media stream encryption.

  • Connection of IP cameras and external streams (e.g., conferences) via the RTSP protocol.

  • Stream your conferences to third-party services via RTSP and RTMP protocols.

  • Integration with mail servers via the SMTP protocol.

  • QoS support: DSCP, DiffServ.

  • Integration with directory services via LDAP and LDAPS protocols.

  • Work with TrueConf API using OAuth 2.0 protocol.

# Supported video codecs

  • VP8 SVC, VP8, H.264, H.264 AVC, H.264 SVC, X-H264UC, H.263, H.263+, H.263++, H.261

# Supported audio codecs

  • Opus, G.711, G.722, G.722.1, G.722.1C, G.723, G.728, G.729A, Speex, MP3, AAC, PCM

# Modules of the video conferencing server and their functionality

TrueConf Server is a software-based solution with several components that can be deployed on Windows and Linux.

You can also expand your video conferencing capabilities with the help of TrueConf software development kit (SDK).

You can find the main features of each component below.

# System services

This component is a software video conferencing server which is installed as multiple services of the operating system. This component ensures:

# Administrator control panel

This component is used to control and modify TrueConf Server configuration during its operation. The control panel provides the following capabilities:

  • Manage user accounts and personal settings.

  • Create, edit and delete groups, change group rights.

  • Store TrueConf Server user account data either locally or using a third-party service via LDAP protocol.

  • Configure authentication in the video conferencing system (by login/password, via SSO, with the help of two-factor authentication providers, for example, AD FS, Keycloak)

  • Add aliases for SIP/H.323/RTSP devices or for users from another TrueConf Server instance to make it easier to call them.

  • Create webinars for guest connections.

  • Schedule conferences with weekly recurrence on specific days.

  • PIN-protected conferences to prevent unauthorized access.

  • Customize registration settings for public conferences (webinars)

  • Create conferences supporting simultaneous interpretation for international online events

  • Create a general layout for all participants, for SIP/H.323/WebRTC participants or individual layout for each user.

  • Manage cameras and microphones of active conference participants, change their devices remotely.

  • Add and remove participants from ongoing conferences.

  • Stream conferences via CDNvideo, Wowza Streaming Engine, Wowza Streaming Cloud, YouTube, etc. (Streaming extension required).

  • Send email invitations and newsletters to users via external SMTP server.

  • Set up media transmission between conference participants bypassing the server (UDP Multicast Conferences extension required).

  • Store and access conference recordings in the TrueConf Server control panel, view records with video and chat synchronized, download and delete them.

  • Store the files shared in conferences on the server side.

  • Create and start surveys, both internal and public (for external participants)

  • Create backups and restore server settings.

  • Customize your guest page and indicate administrator’s contact info.

  • Limit access to the TrueConf Server control panel for certain admin roles or using IP filters.

  • Monitor server performance both in real time and for a certain time range.

  • View server reports (log files) and all user actions (call history, message history, connection history, etc.).

  • Check information about the mail plugins that can be used to create conferences when adding new events to the calendar (MS Outlook and Thunderbird are supported)

  • Configure access to the TrueConf Server API.

# Control panel of the administrator with the Security Admin role

You can add individual administrators to the TrueConf Server Security Admin group. They will be able to view information about the server operation in the control panel but will not have access to TrueConf Server settings.

TrueConf Server Security Admin Role gives access to:

  • information about the current server state

  • the list of addresses for administrative access

  • history of settings changes

  • server operation logs

  • call and conference history

  • current connections to the server

  • chat history.

# User’s personal area

Personal area is a web page accessible to every user who is registered on your TrueConf Server instance. In the personal area, users can:

  • view features available to them

  • access their address book

  • use different conferencing modes to create meetings, launch and end conferences

  • invite new users to ongoing conferences

  • set different layouts when creating or holding meetings

  • manage users’ devices

  • view detailed analytics about ongoing and past conferences

  • download conference recordings saved on the video conferencing server

  • save conference templates for further use

  • edit their profiles (if LDAP/AD extension is enabled, users can only change their avatars).

# Guest page

TrueConf Server guest page is a web page which your users can access to download client applications and connect to your TrueConf Server instance. You can share your guest page link with your employees and guests who are going to attend meetings hosted on your server.

On the guest page, users can:

  • log in to their personal area

  • download client applications for various operating systems

  • schedule a meeting (authorization required)

  • connect to the conference with conference ID

  • read user manual

  • view contact details of your TrueConf Server administrator.

# Choose your license

You can choose one of the available licensing options: TrueConf Server Free, TrueConf Server, and a free 3-week trial version. You can find a detailed license comparison here or calculate your license price on our website.

If you would like to request a 3-week trial version of TrueConf Server, please contact us, we will be happy to help.

TrueConf Server Free provides basic features for video conferencing; however, it also has certain limitations. TrueConf Server Free is a great solution for small and medium-sized businesses to get acquainted with TrueConf benefits and deploy a self-hosted video conferencing system.

# Advantages

TrueConf Server video conferencing system provides a number of advantages and unique technologies:

  • Relatively low system requirements. You can find system requirements for common configurations in our article.

  • Work in a corporate (closed) network without connecting to the Internet and transferring data to third-party servers.

  • Additional levels of data protection.

  • Convenient administration.

  • Advanced technologies to improve the quality and reliability of video communication.

  • With TrueConf Server and TrueConf Server Free, you can organize UltraHD (3840x2160, 4K) video meetings. In group conferences, total image resolution can be up to 7680×4320 (Ultra HD 8K).

  • Collaboration tools.

  • Streaming conferences to popular services.

  • Managing video layouts and participants’ devices.

# Useful guides

We offer administrators and TrueConf users plenty of helpful links to our resources and communities:

User types →