The Truth about Video over IP Networks

1
The Truth about Video over IP Networks

• What do healthcare providers need to know?
• John Price
• Executive Vice President
• Providea, Inc.

2
Video and IP Networks

• Video and Voice over IP are both real-time
  applications
• Packet delivery needs to be near instantaneous,
  and consistent
• Most data networks were primarily designed to
  support applications that are not real-time (NRT)
  i.e. e-mail, file transfers, patient records,
  etc.
• Most will deliver packets within several seconds
  this is acceptable for data, not for
  voice/video.
• Real-Time applications typically need deliver of
  less than 150ms (.15 seconds) latency
• Latency speed
• Jitter average

3
How are Real-Time Applications Different

• Traffic patterns are different
• Voice Video tend to be direct
• Data is indirect (client-server, or
  server-server),
• Network Load is greater for real-time
  applications
• Network load total amount of data transferred
  over a given interval
• Typical e-mail 60,000 Kb
• Typical voice call 6,700,000 Kb (32Kbps x 3.5
  minutes)
• Typical video call 2,700,000,000 Kb 2.7 GB
  (500Kbps x 90 minutes)
• Networks need to be re-designed to allow video to
  work properly

4
Video Over IP

• Your network is the backbone of your video
  solution
• Video is highly susceptible to the lowest common
  denominator
• We have to examine your entire network (cabling,
  routers, switches, hubs, routing policy, security
  policy, etc).
• You are the phone company
• No two networks are the same different
  solutions are required for each network
• We can provide general best practices, only you
  know your network.

5
The Truth About Video Over IP

• Video over IP is not as easy as we were lead to
  believe.
• Flawless, or near flawless video is absolutely
  attainable (and should be the expectation)
• The video equipment is getting better at
  compensating for packet loss
• Error concealment, packet loss recovery make
  video perform better over networks with some
  packet loss.
• Networks are getting better, and will continue to
  get better at routing packets
• The primary problem is that too many companies
  are deploying video over networks that were
  designed for other applications.

6
The Truth About Video Over IP (continued)

• If video is not working over your network, its
  your network.
• 1 problem with video over IP networks is
  equipment configuration
• Routers, switches, codecs, MCU, and other gear
  need to be consistent
• 2 problem is how your network security is
  implemented
• The use of networks as a communication medium
  requires access network security restricts
  access.
• Networks simply need to be designed differently
  to accommodate a different set of requirements.

7
Five Factors for Network Design

• We recommend clients evaluate and define their
  needs/capabilities in the following five
  categories
• Security What are their requirements to keep
  their video secure? What are your data security
  requirements?
• Quality What quality do you need for your video
  to work? Do you need a guaranteed QoS network?
• Ubiquity do you intend to communicate outside
  your company?
• Cost what are your true costs associated with
  your network?
• Scalability what are your long term plans?
  Where will video grow?

8
Network Design - Security

• We categorize Security into two primary
  categories network (design) and application
  (encryption, and/or VPN)
• Some networks architectures are secure in their
  design (safe from intrusion by anyone not on the
  network think corporate WANs).
• The public internet is not a secure network
  design, companies need to rely on other measures
  to achieve desired security.
• Security and the desire to communicate with other
  companies pull in opposite directions
• All of the implements (firewalls, VPNs, island
  networks) companies employ to protect themselves
  add challenges to video communications
• Healthcare has extremely high security
  requirements

9
Network Design - Quality

• Video requires low latency (speed) and low jitter
  (average).
• Jitter typically indicates consistency of packet
  delivery
• Networks vary in their ability to deliver packets
  consistently, and without packet loss
• General rule is that network quality and cost
  increase together
• Highest network quality highest cost (lower
  risk)
• Each company needs to make its own risk
  assessment.
• Do I need a QoS network? Do companies NEED
  99.999 packet delivery?

10
Network Design - Cost

• Each company must make their own cost-performance
  evaluations
• Higher quality typically also means higher cost
• Newer equipment actually has the ability to
  perform well under lesser performing networks.
  Why?
• Error concealment, packet loss recovery, and
  H.264 compensate for missing packets
• We should anticipate that this trend to continue
  to improve over time.
• Network costs will also continue to decrease over
  time.

11
Network Design - Ubiquity

• What needs does a company have to communicate
  with the outside world over video?
• General rule network ubiquity and network
  security are inversely related
• The most secure networks are not connected to the
  outside world
• Companies can purchase equipment to allow them to
  reach the outside world without compromising
  their security model (MCUs, gateways, etc.)

12
Network Design - Scalability

• What are a companies long term plans for video?
• What will their traffic patterns look like?
• How effectively will their network scale to meet
  their needs?
• How quickly can their network be expanded?
• Does their network scale efficiently?
• Centralize bandwidth
• New applications will continue to drive increased
  network

13
Trends

• Bandwidth is becoming more affordable
• Decreased by over 50 in last 24-36 months
• Equipment is getting better
• VC equipment better conceals packet loss
• Carrier routers are increasingly more capable to
  accommodate increased volume
• High Definition video (improved resolution)
• Microsoft Live Communication Server
• Identity, Presence, Federation

14
What do Healthcare Providers Need to Know?

• Networks CAN be designed to support video over IP
  
• Engage your IT team in the design process early
• Unless money is no object, the build out may need
  to be phased over time.
• Define your video standards (primary video
  calling speed, traffic patterns, expected growth)
• Will it change over time (High Definition)?
• Look to the Internet as the common backbone
  cost, broadband availability, ubiquity
• It will continue to get better
• Providea can help
• Weve been designing IP networks since 1999.