1. Why do you have a Java Server and a C++ Server?
2. How do I know whether the statistics generated by the tool are accurate?
3. Why is there no audio recording and playback with the Java Server?
4. Why is there no video recording and playback with the C++ Server?
5. Why is the playback of my recorded video with the Java Server so jerky?
6. Can I use a commerical H.323 clients such as Netmeeting or Polycom to connect to the H.323 Beacon Servers?
7. What are the partly implemented features in Version 1.4?
8. How do I suggest new features or become a developer of this project?
1. Why do you have a Java Server and a C++ Server?
We started developing the client using the OpenH323 stack written in C++. We initially thought of having the Server as a Java embedded device (a small inexpensive box) with a lot of interesting functionality. However, it did not pan out the way we had planned. Considering the fact that it is easy (relatively!) to understand and work with one H.323 stack than fiddling with two stacks and getting things to work we discontinued Java development and re-implemented the Server using the OpenH323 stack. Current releases of the Server are of the C++ Server. If you are interested in obtaining the Java Server, click here.
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2. How do I know whether the statistics generated by the tool are accurate?
We use the sender reports (an RTCP packet type) to obtain the statistics for the session. To verify the accuracy of statistics information that is being displayed at the Client, you could use a tool such as Ethereal (with H.323 Plugin). Capture the packets during a session and find the Sender report from the remote end and view the packet information to verify the packet loss and jitter values. See RFC1889 to understand how the packet loss and jitter values are estimated.
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3. Why is there no audio recording and playback with the Java Server?
In the final Version (v1.0), the Java Server can perform services such as servicing multiple test session requests simultaneously, statistics generation and alarms along with audio and video reception at the server side. Only video recording and playback has been implemented.
NOTE: You will need Netcat program running at the client end to receive the video file (.mov or .avi) from the server. See Readme.
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4.Why is there no video recording and playback with the C++ Server?
The C++ Beacon client and server currently only support audio codecs! In Version 1.3, the C++ Server can perform services such as servicing multiple test session requests simultaneously, statistics generation and alarms along with audio reception at the server side. Only audio recording and playback has been implemented.
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5. Why is the playback of my recorded video with the Java Server so jerky?
With the current implementation of the Java Server, you need to configure 3 variables in the source code by trial and error to obtain a smooth video recording and playback. The 3 variables are: WAIT_TIME, NUM_OF_SNAPSHOTS and frameRate in the MediaGUI.java file. The reason for configuring these parameters in each system is that the video processing is dependent on the computing power and memory. We are working on auto-configuring these parameters on the fly based on the system configuration. If the configuration is properly tailored to the system, you should see a smooth loopback video at the Client side. (Example: WAIT_TIME=500; NUM_OF_SNAPSHOTS=70; frameRate=6)
NOTE: You will need Apple Quicktime to view the example video.
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6. Can I use commercial H.323 clients such as Netmeeting or Polycom products to connect to the H.323 Beacon Servers?
Yes! However, the functionality of the H.323 Beacon Server is limited by the client software's capabilities. Ex., you could use the statistics menu of the Polycom client when in a test session but you cant perform audio/video recording and use the loopback feature available with the H.323 Beacon Client.
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7. What are the partly implemented features in Version 1.4?
This tool is still under active development. Some of the features that have been partly implemented in the Version 1.4 are:
H.323 Session Statistics: Only packet loss, jitter and delay are being measured
Settings Tab Video options: Video codec handling not yet implemented in the C++ client and C++ server
Real-Time Audio/Video Feedback: Only audio feedback has been implemented
Various Client-Server Tests: Only Client-to-Server and Server-to-Server tests have been implemented
H.323 Test Session Summary Graphs: Protocol Signaling graph plotting has not yet been implemented
Test Summary Report: Where ever quoted as "N/A" have not been implemented
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8. How do I become a developer of this project?
Please send an email to h323beacon-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
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