SIP to OCS to H.323 question

[Dan-O]

Current infrastructure:

OCS 2007 server.
Communicator 2007 client.
Codian 4220 MCU.
Polycom VSX 8000.

First, let me say that I turned up the SIP function on my Polycom VSX 8000 and registered it with the OCS 2007 Server. I showed presence of the VSX 8000 in my Communicator client's Contact list. However, I had no luck making any kind of video or audio communication with the codec from my Communicator client.

Strike 1.

I decided to try another route. I created a meeting room on the Codian MCU 4220, with a predefined H.323 codec to be called, then registered the Codian meeting room with the OCS Server. I had great results with this, albeit, with one small catch.

The Codian meeting room showed presence in my Communicator contacts list which was as expected. But, I was unable to drag this meeting room into an "existing" Communicator conference.

Strike 2.

I need the H.323 codec to show presence in my Communicator Contacts list (Buddy List).

I think I need some form of SIP to H.323 proxy but, not terribly sure which product to use in order to get this to happen. I am currently looking at the Codian Video Communication Server.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Basically, I am looking for a way to get communication from a Communicator client to an H.323 codec to be as seemless and transparent as possible, without creating any kind of Codian meeting room to pull the H.323 codec into a Communicator 2007 conference.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Dan-O

[robertk]

The TANDBERG VCS-control is the product of choice here. It will gateway your H.323 calls to and from SIP and can also handle the Precense status in your OCS.

//Robert

[sohni21]

What you are asking for is really a H.323-SIP Gateway. To my knowledge there is only one: the Tandberg VCS mentioned one post before. The VCS also shows real presence data for the H.323 endpoints.

As for the Codian problem: That is only to be expected. When you have a point to point conference, the media goes directly from one endpoint to the other. But when you enter an external multipoint conference (on the Codian), the media has to go there instead. So today you have to disconnect the ongoing call and dial up the MCU instead.

One little tip though: you might set up conferences with predefined participants (or the one H.323 endpoint) which get dialed up as soon as an endpoint enters a conference, and register these with the OCS. That might simulate a gateway if you don't have too many H.323 systems. That is rather awkward, and naturally eats up ports on your Codian, but should work.

Sohni