Media Transcoding Cluster Overview
The device can use an external source of DSP resources for media-related features requiring DSPs such as vocodec transcoding, fax transcoding, and DTMF detection. The external source of DSP resources is provided by a cluster of AudioCodes' Media Components, which serve as a dedicated farm of DSP resources for the SBC device. In such an architecture, the SBC device is also referred to as a Cluster Manager, which managers the cluster. Media Transcoding Cluster is typically implemented when the SBC device demands higher DSP resources than it can normally provide on its own. In such a deployment, the device offloads its DSP-required media processing to the external Media Components. The main benefit of the feature is scalability, where you can initially deploy a few Media Components to meet your transcoding demands and then later add Media Components as capacity of transcoding requirements grow. The following table describes the Media Components:
Media Component Description
|
Media Component Type |
Term Used |
Maximum Deployed |
|---|---|---|
|
Hardware-based appliance |
"MC" |
8 |
Media Components provide only DSP functionality (i.e., no SIP routing functionality) and some system functionality such as debugging through syslog. Media Components are "hidden" from the endpoints that are serviced by the SBC device. Once you have initially configured (e.g., OAMP and Cluster interfaces) the Media Components, all management of Media Components is through the SBC device.
The SBC device can operate with Media Transcoding Cluster in a High-Availability (HA) or Standalone mode. If a switchover occurs in the HA system, communication between the redundant device and the Media Components is established and the redundant device (now active) starts allocating new transcoding sessions to the Media Components. During the switchover, all current transcoding sessions handled by the Media Components are maintained. HA configuration and setup for the SBC device is the same as when operating without the Media Transcoding Cluster feature.
The Media Transcoding Cluster can also operate in clustered high-availability mode with load-sharing capabilities. If a failure occurs in a Media Component, its transcoding sessions are automatically distributed to all other available Media Components.
| ● | The maximum transcoding capacity is according to the License Key installed on the SBC device. However, to achieve the licensed capacity you must have the required number of Media Components deployed in the cluster. |
| ● | When the Media Transcoding Cluster feature is enabled, the SBC device doesn't use any of its internal DSP resources. |
| ● | The Media Transcoding Cluster feature is supported only on |