Configure H.323 with GateKeeper

The H.323 Configuration procedure below configures an H.323 signaling stack, an H.323 Gatekeeper object, an H.323 Gateway object, and H.323 channel groups to connect to the external Gateways and Gatekeepers. The procedure describes the basic configuration needed to register with an External Gatekeeper and then accept a call coming from a network utilizing H.323 as its signaling protocol. Below is a Quick Start diagram displaying the objects. In addition, the objects that are displayed as blue font, are links to other topics.

Open

Initial Configuration

Before proceeding, verify that the functionality in the Basic Configurations topic has been completed. The Basic Configurations topic configures objects such as VoIP Interfaces and IP Bearer ports needed prior to starting the Configure H.323 topic. 

Configure H.323 Profile (SGP)

When communicating with an external gateway there are various attributes/features that need to be associated with that particular gateway. Within the H323 Profile object the attributes/features can be configured and then linked to the H.323 External Gatekeeper, and External H.323 Gateways object. The H.323 Profiles configured can be selected from a drop down menu in each of the objects described above.

1. Right click on the Profiles object and select New H323 Profiles. The H323 Profiles object is a container object and no configuration is needed here. Refer to the H.323 Profiles topic for more information on this object.

2. Right click on the H323 Profiles object and select New H323 Profile. The first H.323 Profile created is the default H.323 Profile and all the fields will be shaded green. In the default profile, the fields cannot be modified. Disregard this profile.

3. Right click on the H323 Profiles object again and select New H323 Profile again. In the H.323 Profile object that appears, either enter a name that identifies this Profile or accept the default name already entered. In this example the default name H323_Profile_1 was accepted. Refer to the H.323 Profile topic for more information on configuring the remaining fields in this object.

4. OPTIONAL: Right click on the H323 Profile object just created and select New H323 Profile Timers. Within this object, the various timers utilized in the H.323 protocol can be modified as required. Refer to the H.323 Profile Timers topic for more information on this object.

Configure H.323 Signaling Stack

Configure the H.323 Signaling stack that will be used by IMG 2020. An H.323 stack must be created for each physical IMG 2020 node.

1. Right click on the IMG 2020 object and select New Signaling. In the Signaling object that appears, there is no configuration needed. Refer to the Signaling topic for more information on this object.

2. Right click on the Signaling object and select New H323. An H.323 signaling object gets created. In this procedure, a Gatekeeper will be applied so the Gatekeeper Support field must modified to the Enable state. To accomplish this, select Enable from the drop down menu of the Gatekeeper Support field.

3. When the Gatekeeper Support field is set to Enable, the fields below it which all have to do with the Registration, Admission, and Status of the Gatekeeper can now be edited as required. For information on configuring the fields in the H.323 Signaling object, refer to the IMG 1010 - H.323 Signaling Object topic.

4. Right click on the H323 object and select New H323 IP Address. In the H323 Signaling IP Address field, select from the drop down menu the IP address that will be given to the H.323 stack. The default IP address displayed in the H323 Signaling IP Address field is the IP address configured to the CTRL 0 interface during the bootup process and the additional IP addresses are formed from the Services IP Addresses created under the IP Address object. This can be modified as required. Refer to the H.323 IP Address topic for more information on this topic.

Configure H.323 Gatekeepers

In this procedure, the IMG 2020 will need to register with a Gatekeeper, follow the instructions below configure the gatekeeper.

1. Right click on the Dialogic object and select New External Network Elements. The External Network Elements object is a container object and no configuration is needed here. For more information on this object refer to the External Network Elements topic.

2. Right click on the External Network Elements object and select New External Gatekeepers. The External Gatekeepers object is a container object and no configuration is needed here. Refer to the External Gatekeepers topic for more information on this object.

3. Right click on the External Gatekeepers object and select New External Gatekeeper. In the object that appears, enter a name in the Name field that identifies this Gatekeeper.

4. Enter an IP address in the Gatekeeper IP address field to be able to communicate with a specific gatekeeper. If however the IP Address of the H.323 Gatekeeper in the H.323 network is unknown, leave the default IP address (224.0.1.41) and the IMG 2020 will broadcast for an available Gatekeeper.

5. If Auto Discovery of the Gatekeeper is desired, select Enable from the drop down menu of the Gatekeeper Auto Discovery field. The IMG 2020 will automatically send a Gatekeeper Request (GRQ) and Registration Request (RRQ) to the external gatekeeper configured above. If Auto Discovery is not going to be utilized, the Discover Gatekeeper, Register with Gatekeeper, and Unregister with Gatekeeper buttons in the H.323 Signaling object will need to be utilized.

6. Configure the Time to Live parameter if so desired. Refer to the External Gatekeeper topic for more information on configuring each of the fields.

Configure H.323 External Gateway

The IMG 2020 will be communicating with a remote external H.323 gateway. Configure the External Gateway object to be able to communicate with this remote H.323 gateway.

1. Right click on External Network Elements created above and select New External Gateways. The External Gateways object is a container object also and no configuration is needed here. For more information on this object refer to the External Gateways topic.

2. Right click on External Gateways object and select New External Gateway. In the Name field, enter a name that identifies this gateway. In this procedure the name Ext_H323_Gateway1 was entered.

3. Select H323 from drop down menu in Protocol field.

4. In the IP Address field, enter the IP address needed to be able to communicate with the remote H.323 gateway.

5. In the Profile field, select the H.323 Profile that was created earlier in this procedure. The profile added has the attributes/features needed to communicate with this gateway. For more information on configuring the External Gateway object, refer to the External Gateway topic.

Configure Channel Groups and External Network Elements

Configure an H.323 Channel Group that will communicate with the H.323 External Gateway and an H.323 Channel group that will communicate with the H.323 Gatekeeper. Refer to procedure below.

Channel Group to Gateway

1. Right click on the Dialogic object and select New Routing Configuration. The Routing Configuration object is a container object and no configuration is needed here. For more information on this object refer to the Routing Configuration topic.

2. Right click on the Routing Configuration object and select New Channel Groups. The Channel Groups object is a container object also and no configuration is needed here. For more information on this object refer to the Channel Groups topic.

3. Right click on the Channel Groups object and select New Channel Group. In the Name field, enter a name that identifies the Channel Group being configured. In this procedure, the name entered was ChGrp1_H323_GW.

4. Select H323 from the drop down menu in the Signaling Type field.

5. Select the Incoming and Outgoing IP Profile from drop down menu. For more information on configuring the Channel group object, refer to the Channel Group topic.

6. Right click on the H.323 Channel Group and select New IP Network Element. Select from drop down menu the gateway configured in Configure H.323 External Gateway section above. Refer to the IP Network Element topic for more information on this object.

Channel Group to Gatekeeper

1. Right click on the Channel Groups object again and select New Channel Group. In the Name field, enter a name that identifies the Channel Group being configured. In this procedure, the name entered was ChGrp2_H323_GK.

2. Select H323 from the drop down menu in the Signaling Type field.

3. Select the Incoming and Outgoing IP Profile from drop down menu. For more information on configuring the Channel group object, refer to the Channel Group topic.

4. Right click on the H.323 Channel Group that will be communicating with the H.323 Gatekeeper and select New IP Network Element. Select from drop down menu the Gatekeeper configured in Configure H.323 External Gatekeepers section above.

5. Click on the Channel Groups object again. At this point, a yellow exclamation point will be displayed in the Icon. Click on the Download Resource Tables button and the updated Channel Group configuration will be sent to the IMG 2020.

Configure a Packet Facility for Channel Group going to Gateway

The remote external gateway will need a group of IP Channels to pass the RTP between the remote gateway and the channel group just created. The RTP is passed on IP Channels called Packet Facilities. Configure the packet facility.

The Packet Facilities should already have been configured if the Basic Configurations topic was initially followed. If the Packet Facilities have not already been created, refer to the Basic Configuration and/or Configure Packet Facilities topic for information on how to complete this configuration.

Link the Packet Facility to the H.323 Signaling stack IP address

After the Packet Facility and H.323 IP Address objects have been configured, the H.323 IP Address needs to be associated with the packet facility created. The Node Associations object is used to achieve this.

External Gateway

1. Go back to the IP Network Element object that was created off the H.323 Channel Group that has the Gateway configured under it. Right click on the IP Network Element and select New Node Association. In the Node field, select from the drop down menu the node that the H.323 Signaling and Packet facility are configured on.

2. In the Media Packet Facility field, select the Packet Facility or group of IP Channels that will be used to process the media data going between the remote gateway and the IMG 2020.

3. Select the IP address from the drop down menu of the Service IP Address field. This is the signaling IP for the packet facility chosen above. Refer to the SIP Signaling - Node Association topic for more information on this object.

External Gatekeeper

1. Go back to the IP Network Element object that was created off the H.323 Channel Group that has the Gatekeeper configured under it. Right click on the IP Network Element and select New Node Association. In the Node field, select from the drop down menu the node that the H.323 Signaling and Packet facility are configured on.

2. In the Media Packet Facility field, select the Packet Facility or group of IP Channels that will be used to process the media data going between the remote gateway and the IMG 2020.

3. Select the IP address from the drop down menu of the Service IP Address field. This is the signaling IP for the packet facility chosen above. Refer to the SIP Signaling - Node Association topic for more information on this object.

4. Click on the Channel Groups object again. At this point, a yellow exclamation point will be displayed in the Icon. Click on the Download Resource Tables button and the updated Channel Group configuration will be sent to the IMG 2020.

The Gateway and Gatekeeper along with the associated channel groups and External Gateways have been configured. Refer to the Routing and Translation sections for information on routing and translating an incoming/outgoing call.