H.323 is a standard that specifies the components, protocols and procedures that provide multimedia communication services : real-time audio, video, and data communications over packet networks, including Internet protocol (IP) based networks. H.323 is part of a family of ITU-T recommendations called H.32x that provides multimedia communication services over a variety of networks.
H.323 was originally created to provide a mechanism for transporting multimedia applications over LANs but it has rapidly evolved to address the growing needs of VoIP networks. One strength of H.323 was the relatively early availability of a set of standards, not only defining the basic call model, but in addition the supplementary services, needed to address business communication expectations. H.323 was the first VoIP standard to adopt the IETF standard RTP to transport audio and video over IP networks.
The H.323 standard specifies four kinds of components, which, when networked together, provide the point-to-point and point-to-multipoint multimedia-communication services:
Terminals: Used for real-time bidirectional multimedia communications, an H.323 terminal can either be a personal computer (PC) or a stand-alone device, running an H.323 and the multimedia applications. It supports audio communications and can optionally support video or data communications. Because the basic service provided by an H.323 terminal is audio communications, an H.323 terminal plays a key role in IP–telephony services. An H.323 terminal can either be a PC or a stand-alone device, running an H.323 stack and multimedia applications. The primary goal of H.323 is to interwork with other multimedia terminals. H.323 terminals are compatible with H.324 terminals on SCN and wireless networks, H.310 terminals on B–ISDN, H.320 terminals on ISDN, H.321 terminals on B–ISDN, and H.322 terminals on guaranteed QoS LANs. H.323 terminals may be used in multipoint conferences.
Gateways: A gateway connects two dissimilar networks. An H.323 gateway provides connectivity between an H.323 network and a non–H.323 network. For example, a gateway can connect and provide communication between an H.323 terminal and SCN networks (SCN networks include all switched telephony networks, e.g., public switched telephone network [PSTN]). This connectivity of dissimilar networks is achieved by translating protocols for call setup and release, converting media formats between different networks, and transferring information between the networks connected by the gateway. A gateway is not required, however, for communication between two terminals on an H.323 network.
Gatekeepers: A gatekeeper can be considered the brain of the H.323 network. It is the focal point for all calls within the H.323 network. Although they are not required, gatekeepers provide important services such as addressing, authorization and authentication of terminals and gateways; bandwidth management; accounting; billing; and charging. Gatekeepers may also provide call-routing services.
Multipoint Control Units: MCUs provide support for conferences of three or more H.323 terminals. All terminals participating in the conference establish a connection with the MCU. The MCU manages conference resources, negotiates between terminals for the purpose of determining the audio or video coder/decoder (CODEC) to use, and may handle the media stream. The gatekeepers, gateways, and MCUs are logically separate components of the H.323 standard but can be implemented as a single physical device.
Key Benefits of H.323 :
Codec Standards: H.323 establishes standards for compression and decompression of audio and video data streams, ensuring that equipment from different vendors will have some area of common support.
Interoperability: Users want to conference without worrying about compatibility at the receiving point. Besides ensuring that the receiver can decompress the information, H.323 establishes methods for receiving clients to communicate capabilities to the sender. The standard also establishes common call setup and control protocols.
Network Independence: H.323 is designed to run on top of common network architectures. As network technology evolves, and as bandwidth-management techniques improve, H.323-based solutions will be able to take advantage of those enhanced capabilities.
Platform and Application Independence:H.323 is not tied to any hardware or operating system. H.323-compliant platforms will be available in many sizes and shapes, including video-enabled personal computers, dedicated platforms, IP-enabled telephone handsets, cable TV set-top boxes and turnkey boxes.
Multipoint Support: Although H.323 can support conferences of three or more endpoints without requiring a specialized multipoint control unit, MCU?s provide a more powerful and flexible architecture for hosting multipoint conferences. Multipoint capabilities can be included in other components of an H.323 system.
Bandwidth Management: Video and audio traffic is bandwidth-intensive and could clog the corporate network. H.323 addresses this issue by providing bandwidth management. Network managers can limit the number of simultaneous H.323 connections within their network or the amount of bandwidth available to H.323 applications. These limits ensure that critical traffic will not be disrupted.
Multicast Support: H.323 supports multicast transport in multipoint conferences. Multicast sends a single packet to a subset of destinations on the network without replication. In contrast, unicast sends multiple point-to-point transmissions, while broadcast sends to all destinations. In unicast or broadcast, the network is used inefficiently as packets are replicated throughout the network. Multicast transmission uses bandwidth more efficiently since all stations in the multicast group read a single data stream.
Flexibility: An H.323 conference can include endpoints with different capabilities. For example, a terminal with audio-only capabilities can participate in a conference with terminals that have video and/or data capabilities. Furthermore, an H.323 multimedia terminal can share the data portion of a video conference with a T.120 data-only terminal, while sharing voice, video, and data with other H.323 terminals.
Inter-Network Conferencing: Many users want to conference from a LAN to a remote site. For example, H.323 establishes a means of linking LAN-based desktop systems with ISDN-based group systems. H.323 uses common codec technology from different videoconferencing standards to minimize transcoding delays and to provide optimum performance.
H.323 Resources :