Technical FAQ’s
What levels of encryption does Spontania support?
What are the different connection methods I can use for Spontania [IM, URL, Outlook, Voice Gateway]?
What voice/video CODECs are used and/or supported?
What is ABM?
Can I record a Spontania session?
What are the Spontania server requirements?
Do I need to buy special voice/video hardware to use with Spontania?
What legacy hardware systems are supported within Spontania?
What plug-ins and applications integration are supported for Spontania?
I have someone I would like to conference in who has no computer with voice/video capabilities. Can I include them in my conference?
What is the maximum number of videos I can display in Spontania at a given time?
What is the difference between being an Administrator, a Moderator or a Participant?
What does “Send Media File” option do?
Is there any way for me to ‘tune’ the bandwidth settings in Spontania?
How does the Co-Browsing function operate in Spontania?
Does Spontania support multicast capabilities?
Is this a hardware or software solution?
Is it easy to install?
What types of support issues will I experience?
What kind of server OS platform do you require?
How many users does your server software platform support?
How much bandwidth does the system need?
What about satellite links, low-bandwidth links and multicast support?
How can I manage bandwidth utilization?
How big is the client and how do I install it on my device?
Must users download the ActiveX client each time they join a meeting?
How can you install the PC client for users with no administrator privileges?
What kind of mobile devices allow for document editing in application sharing mode, and what capabilities must they have?
How does your codec handle bandwidth fluctuations?
Can I turn off ABM?
Q: What levels of encryption does Spontania support?
A: By default all communications are encrypted end to end with at least 128 bit SSL using the Blowfish encryption algorithm
- Upgrades to 256 bit SSL encryption and above are available for purchase, on request.
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Q: What are the different connection methods I can use for Spontania [IM, URL, Outlook, Voice Gateway]?
A:
- Web portal
- Communicate meeting url via email or phone
- Outlook/Lotus Notes invitation (integrated with calendar)
- IM used to provide room location for meeting (room server and and session name or actual url)
2. IM initiated
- IM chat initiated (Session is dynamically assigned on the server where the IM resides)
- IM invite from session (spontaneous addition of participants)
- Voice dial in or out
3. Possible combinations:
- 1(a/b/c) to get to web portal and session login, 2b to add participants available via IM, 3 for voice bridging
- 2a, 2b, 3
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Q: What voice/video CODECs are used and/or supported?
A: Spontania utilizes a proprietary CODEC, supporting the base of the following CODECs:
- Video
- Audio
- H.323/SIP (coming from a transcoding gateway):
Other CODECs can be supported, through purchase, if desired.
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Q: What is ABM?
A: ABM is Adaptive Bandwidth management. It is a software feature of Spontania that automatically tests every connection to a Webconference on a regular basis and, when necessary, adjusts the video bandwidth settings for a user experiencing network problems. This helps to quickly modify Webconference settings that can cause delay and poor video performance for problematic connections. ABM is dynamic in nature and will both adjust allowed bandwidth up and/or down during a conference, given the results received from its testing procedures. This feature helps create a strong conferencing experience without an administrator or moderator having to continually monitor and adjust settings for Webconference users.
Some key ABM metrics are as follows:
- Frequency of ABM delay tests: Every 3 seconds
- Frequency of ABM stream downgrades once engaged and network delay continues: Every 4 seconds
- Frequency of ABM stream upgrades once network delay issues have cleared: Every 10 seconds
- Delay required to engage ABM: Greater than 2 seconds
A separate detailed whitepaper on ABM is available if greater insight into its operation is required, contact us for this information.
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Q: Can I record a Spontania session?
A: There are two available methods for recording a session, server-based and client-based.
Spontania proprietary
- All actions are recorded and played back from within the Spontania client, including interactive events such as uploading files to other users.
Windows Media Video
- Only the core audio and video from the session is captured. No interactive content is included in this format
Recordings in either format may be done at the client and/or server levels
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Q: What are the Spontania server requirements?
A: For up to 25 concurrent Spontania licenses
- Recommended Minimum Hardware
- HP Proliant DL 140-G3 (64-bit architecture), or equivalent
- Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5140 (2.33 GHz, 65W, 1333 MHz FSB), or equivalent
- One (1) GB RAM memory
- One (1) 250 GB Hard Drive
- Recommended performance upgrades:
- To two (2) 250 GB Hard Drives
- To two (2) GB RAM
- OS supported:
- CentOS 4.2 or Red Hat AS v3.0 or higher
For up to 100 concurrent Spontania licenses
- Recommended Minimum Hardware
- HP itanium2 rx1620 (64-bit architecture), or equivalent
- Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5140 (2.33 GHz, 65W, 1333 MHz FSB), or equivalent
- 16 GB RAM memory
- One (1) 600 GB SCSI Hard Drive
- Recommended performance upgrades:
- To Two (2) 600 GB SCSI Hard Drives
- To Two (2) processors
- OS supported:
- CentOS 4.2 or Red Hat AS v3.0 or higher
For up to 500 concurrent Spontania licenses
- Recommended Minimum Hardware
- HP itanium2 rx2620 (64-bit architecture)
- Intel® Itanium® 2 processor (1.6 GHz w/ 3MB and 400MHz FSB)
- 2 CPUs in parallel
- RAM Memory: 32 GB
- SCSI DISKS. HP Integrity 72GB 15K U320 SCSI Disk
- Recommended performance upgrades:
- OS supported
- CentOS 4.2 or Red Hat AS v3.0 or higher
For up to 500 concurrent Spontania licenses [Server Cluster Configuration]
- Recommended Minimum Hardware
- HP itanium2 rx2620 in cluster mode (64-bit architecture)
- 2 itanium2 rx2620 servers in cluster configuration, each server:
- Intel® Itanium® 2 processor (1.6 GHz w/ 3MB and 400MHz FSB)
- 2 CPUs in parallel
- RAM Memory: 32 GB
- SCSI DISKS. HP Integrity 73GB 15K U320 SCSI Disk
- Recommended performance upgrades:
- redundant power supply
- one SAN unit including 4 SCSI disks 72 GB each one.
- OS supported
- CentOS 4.2 or Red Hat AS v3.0 or higher
For above 500 concurrent Spontania licenses
- This solution has to be proposed for individual customer requirements. • Architecture proposed is structures in different layers, as shown in following diagram:
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Q: Do I need to buy special voice/video hardware to use with Spontania?
A: The Spontania application works with a multitude of consumer-grade voice and video devices for the PC. Essentially any device supported by the operating systems of Spontania clients can be used, although quality can vary greatly from device to device.
- A current list of tested and recommended devices is available upon request, please contact us for this information.
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Q: What legacy hardware systems are supported within Spontania?
A: Spontania can act as an H.323 endpoint that integrates with any legacy video conferencing system that uses H.323/SIP protocols.
- Systems using other/older protocols can often be supported by adding an addition gateway between the legacy video system and the Spontania server.
- Satellite - Spontania supports satellite systems transmitting UDP multicast. To receive the multicast satellite traffic, PCs receiving from a satellite should have a special PCI board connected to an antenna, receiving multicast UDP traffic from the satellite.
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Q: What plug-ins and applications integration are supported for Spontania?
A: Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook Integration with Lotus Notes
- IM integration
- LCS
- OCS
- Sametime
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Q: I have someone I would like to conference in who has no computer with voice/video capabilities. Can I include them in my conference?
A: Spontania supports the following voice-bridge capabilities:
- Call-out to phone/mobile participants from a Spontania session
- Phone/mobile participant call-in using a number and session code (IVR) (to access the appropriate Spontania session) just like with a traditional voice bridge
Video and collaboration still avail, just no video and audio.
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Q: What is the maximum number of videos I can display in Spontania at a given time?
A; Whereas there can be a (theoretically) unlimited number of video participants in a Spontania session, a maximum of nine (9) videos can be displayed at any given time in Spontania.
- Video may be set to scroll through all active video participants
- Video may be set so that the active speaker ‘pulls’ their video into the primary slots
- Keeping quality low works great
- Bandwidth
- ABM tuning
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Q: What is the difference between being an Administrator, a Moderator or a Participant?
A: There are three basic users of the Spontania application:
- Administrator
- The Administrator role is used to perform the initial setup of the entities and sessions in the Spontania environment. Administrators also define the users, capabilities, bandwidth allowances and general feature characteristics of the entities and sessions. An Administrator does not have an active role in Webconference operations.
- Moderator
- Spontania Moderators are the controlling entities when a Webconference is in session. Individual Webconference users’ capabilities and options are regulated by a Moderator. There is only one functional Moderator in a Webconference at any given time. One user typically logs into a session as Moderator but, once a session has started, the Moderator role can be passed from the active Moderator to any Webconference user, repeatedly if necessary, within a session.
- Participant
- A Participant is a general user of the Spontania Webconference environment. They have control over their own individual session settings, as well as their voice/video device configurations, but have no control over other users or Spontania control parameters.
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Q: What does “Send Media File” option do?
A: The capability allows for a participant to load a media file from their connected device and share it to the other participants via their voice/video connection. Essentially any media format that is supported by the host PC can be shared.
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Q: Is there any way for me to ‘tune’ the bandwidth settings in Spontania?
A; Bandwidth tuning can be accomplished at three different levels, through:
- Entity administration
- When an Administrator defines or modifies an entity, they establish both pre-defined and maximum allowable bandwidth parameters for all sessions defined within that entity. The settings dictate the bandwidth established when a session begins and can also act as a defined ceiling for raising the bandwidth capabilities while in session.
- Session administration
- When sessions are defined or modified, they follow the same principles of entity administration, but are limited by any restrictions for maximum allowable bandwidth that have been set at the higher, entity, level.
- Session moderation
- During a session, a Moderator can dynamically adjust the bandwidth settings for any given user at any given time. As with session administration restrictions imposed at the entity level, session moderators are limited in the maximum allowable bandwidth as defined at entity/session administration levels.
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Q: How does the Co-Browsing function operate in Spontania?
A: The Co-browsing capability allows for the Spontania session controller to initiate a browser launch on the local devices for all participants. This allows navigation of all participants to the same URLs/links as the controller. Participants are browsing the web locally on their own machines and are able to fully interact with the web pages they encounter and the services they provide. Examples of these interactions are:
- Ability to click any link to download documents, submit forms, etc.
- Ability to copy text and images from the website.
- Ability to bookmark relevant pages and web sites locally.
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Q: Does Spontania support multicast capabilities?
A: Spontania supports multicast either over a satellite multicasting network or wired (LAN/WAN) multicasting network. This can be accomplished by two server parameter settings for transmission, from within the administration interface:
- Multicast IP
- An IP address assigned to be transmitting UDP audio, video and collaboration packets from the server.
- TTL (time to live)
- A parameter to establish the time for the multicast packets to remain in the network, which is specific for each multicast network.
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Q: Is this a hardware or software solution?
A: Spontania is a software-based solution compatible with different user devices using MS Windows, Symbian and/or Windows Mobile operating systems.
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Q: Is it easy to install?
A: Installation is straightforward and guided through an install wizard.
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Q: What types of support issues will I experience?
A: Most support issues after the initial configuration is completed are related to the correct setup of local video/audio settings at the devices (camera and headset configuration issues). They are generally onetime and easily handled by the client’s existing IT staff without requiring specialized training. Following installation, user/group policies are set by the administrator. No software is required to be installed and maintained on user PCs.
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Q: What kind of server OS platform do you require?
A: Linux: Cent OS 4.x or Red Hat 4.x. Cent OS is provided with the application.
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Q: How many users does your server software platform support?
A: We support up to 100 concurrent users per server. Scalability above 100 concurrent users is achieved through the use of load balancing and satellite servers.
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Q: How much bandwidth does the system need?
A: Bandwidth use parameters are fully configurable by the administrator when setting policies. Additionally, the session moderator may also adjust settings during a session for optimum performance/quality. Minimally, 64 Kbps at 4 fps. Good quality can be achieved with 128 Kbps at 20 fps. Spontania also dynamically selects higher levels of quality based on application settings and available bandwidth and CPU.
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Q: What about satellite links, low-bandwidth links and multicast support?
A: Very frugal bandwidth utilization is built into the technology at many levels, including the following:
- User-configurable session quality settings
- ABM (adaptive bandwidth management)
- Ability to turn off video and audio by any participant
- Voice-activated video
- Ke4ystroke-activated voice
- Thin clients
- Multicast and webcast support
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Q: How can I manage bandwidth utilization?
A: Spontania web administration allows the configuration of default bandwidth settings for each Spontania session. Video and data collaboration bandwidth settings can be changed on the fly to improve session performance, or settings can be preconfigured based on available network resources.
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Q: How big is the client and how do I install it on my device?
A: Installation of the client on a PC is done automatically via ActiveX download (Internet Explorer and Firefox) when each session is initiated. A browser-based download of about 500 KB is required for a mobile device, and a smallexecutable download of about 800 KB is also optional for the Outlook plug-in for PCs.
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Q: Must users download the ActiveX client each time they join a meeting?
A: Yes, downloading the client every time ensures that you have the latest version of the client. The client has a very small footprint (about 1 MB) and requires very little time to download.
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Q: How can you install the PC client for users with no administrator privileges?
A: Dialcom offers an alternative installer software package to locally launch Spontania when applications or ActiveX programs are not authorized to be installed or run on users’ PCs. The executable must be installed in advance by an administrator on each user PC.
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Q: What kind of mobile devices allow for document editing in application sharing mode, and what capabilities must they have?
A: Windows Mobile versions 5 and 6 in Smartphone and PocketPC editions, with stylus support.
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Q: How does your codec handle bandwidth fluctuations?
A: Our adaptive bandwidth management (ABM) is independent of the codec being used.
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Q: Can I turn off ABM?
A: ABM can be turned off, but Dialcom does not recommend it. ABM only kicks in when there are connection problems, so it does not interfere with normal operation.
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*Codec—An acronym for “compression/decompression.” A codec is an algorithm or specialized computer program that encodes or reduces the number of bytes consumed by large files and programs. Files encoded with a specific codec require the same codec for decoding. Most digital communications are compressed to reduce bandwidth utilization.
