MTP - MGCP ?!?!

From cisco.com

A Media Termination Point (MTP) software device allows the Cisco CallManager to extend supplementary services, such as hold and transfer, to calls routed through an H.323 endpoint or an H.323 gateway.

So basically if your running MGCP instead H.323 to facilitate a call to the PSTN and place that call on hold for example..in that instance you would never use an MTP?

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mikej412

mattsthe2 wrote:

So basically if your running MGCP instead H.323 to facilitate a call to the PSTN and place that call on hold for example..in that instance you would never use an MTP?

Correct -- in that instance.

From the MGCP section of the Understanding IP Protocols chapter of the Callmanager System Guide

Using MGCP, Cisco Unified CallManager controls call processing and routing and provides supplementary services to the gateway. The MGCP gateway provides call preservation (the gateway maintains calls during failover and fallback), redundancy, dial-plan simplification (the gateway requires no dial-peer configuration), hookflash transfer, and tone on hold. MGCP-controlled gateways do not require a media termination point (MTP) to enable supplementary services such as hold, transfer, call pickup, and call park. If the MGCP gateway loses contact with its Cisco Unified CallManager, it falls back to using H.323 control to support basic call handling of FXS, FXO, T1 CAS, and T1/E1 PRI interfaces.

But from the Understanding Media Termination Points part of the Media Termination Points chapter

Media Termination Points extend supplementary services, such as call hold, call transfer, call park, and conferencing, that are otherwise not available when a call is routed to an H.323 endpoint. Some H.323 gateways may require that calls use an MTP to enable supplementary call services, but normally, Cisco IOS gateways do not.

..... it seem like they are backing off on a blanket "H.323 gateway require MTP" statement -- it's only "some H.323 gateways" -- depending on your versions and docs

Good catch on deciphering the docs..... and if your head didn't explode trying to figure out what they meant (or implied) -- even better

If you do find this stuff getting to you, remember that after you get your CCVP you can use things like the Cisco Unified Communications IP Telephony Technical Information Site in real life to make your job easier.

mattsthe2

yeah ok..if thats confusing then i dont know what is.

The reason i ask is because we have MGCP gateways but also have an MTP for each gateway and as i pasted it said its only really needed for H.323

mikej412

You may have DSPs out on the routers to provide DSP resources for conferencing, transcoding, and HARDWARE Media Termination Point services -- but that router acting as an MGCP gateway doesn't need a media termination point (MTP) to enable those supplementary services mentioned.

Your original MTP quote was from the MTP SOFTWARE configuration..... which may have been refering to the software MTPs from the Cisco IP Voice Media Streaming Application service. The link I quoted said the same thing -- but about MTPs in general, not caring if they were hardware or software.

It's things like this that make voice so much fun for us data network types.