Application Note
EAN 0028
Telecenter U
in Your Data Center
®
Overview
Telecenter® U takes advantage of your district’s data network to connect all of your facilities together, allowing communication
to flow to and from the right people and places, delivering a seamless, unified solution. Telecenter U also directly links to an
integrated IP-based internal communications solution for school-based intercom and paging, as well as interfacing with clock
systems, security and access systems, and other public address solutions. This application note contains the information IT
departments will need to understand how to support and maintain this Telecenter U, Enterprise Edition for their district. For
details on Telecenter U hardware, please consult the Installation Manual, KI2276.
Telecenter U, Enterprise Edition Software
Telecenter U requires a single server installation for each school district implementation as well as a license for each Telecenter
U controller. Below are minimum server specifications, depending on school district size. Please ensure that you match the
proper server specification for both your district size and which version of Windows Server/SQL server you prefer to install.
Districts with more than 75 schools will benefit from a different set of server specifications. Please consult with Rauland on
implementations exceeding 250 schools. The hardware/software implementation running the Telecenter U Enterprise Software
will be referred to as the “District Server” in this document.
Telecenter U Enterprise Software must be installed in a dedicated Windows environment.
Server Hardware Minimum Requirements
Lite District Server Platform – 1- 5 Schools
Processor: Quad Core i5-6500, @ 3.2 GHz or faster
Memory (RAM): 8 GB or greater
Hard Drive Space: 100 GB or greater
Network Interface: 1 Gbps or faster
Small District Server Platform – 6 - 75 Schools
(Without Kiosks)
Processor: Quad Core Xeon E3-1225 V2, @ 3.2 GHz or faster
Memory (RAM): 8 GB or greater
Hard Drive Space: 500 GB or greater
Network Interface: 1 Gbps or faster
Small District Server Platform – 6 - 75 Schools
(With Kiosks)
Processor: Quad Core Xeon Gold 6246 @ 3.3 GHz or faster
Memory (RAM): 16 GB or greater
Hard Drive Space: 500 GB or greater
Network Interface: 1 Gbps or faster
Large District Server Platform – 76 to 250 Schools
Processor: Eight Core Xeon, @ 2.0 GHz or faster
Memory (RAM): 16 GB or greater
Hard Drive Space: 1 TB or greater
Network Interface: 1 Gbps or faster
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The following server software combinations can be used with Telecenter U Enterprise Software (Telecenter U software noted
with “U” versions):
Windows Server
2016 Standard
Windows Server
2016 Essentials*
Windows Server Windows Server
2019 Standard
2019 Essentials*
SQL Server 2017 Standard**
U7.1 or higher
SQL Server 2017 Express*
U7.1 or higher
SQL Server 2019 Standard**
U7.1 or higher
SQL Server 2019 Express*
U7.1 or higher
SQL Server 2022 Standard**
Windows Server
2022 Standard
U9.0 or higher
U10.0 SP3 or higher
SQL Server 2022 Express*
U10.0 SP3 or higher
* SQL Express and Windows Server Essentials will only be supported for installations with 5 controllers or fewer. See Database
management section for information on maintaining systems using SQL Express
** Supports Standard edition only.
Windows Server Software Requirements:
Windows Server 2016 (Standard or Essentials) Edition
• .NET Framework 4.6
• IIS version 10 (bundled with Windows Server 2016) with at least the following roles:
o Web Server > Common HTTP Features > Static Content
o Web Server > Application Development >
• .NET Extensibility 4.6
• ASP.NET 4.6
• ISAPI Extensions
• ISAPI Filters
• WebSocket Protocol
Windows Server 2019 (Standard or Essentials) Edition
• .NET Framework 4.7
• IIS version 10 (bundled with Windows Server 2019) with at least the following roles:
o Web Server > Common HTTP Features > Static Content
o Web Server > Application Development >
• .NET Extensibility 4.7
• ASP.NET 4.7
• ISAPI Extensions
• ISAPI Filters
• WebSocket Protocol
Windows Server 2022 Standard Edition
• .NET Framework 4.8
• IIS version 10 (bundled with Windows Server 2022) with at least the following roles:
o Web Server > Common HTTP Features > Static Content
o Web Server > Application Development >
• .NET Extensibility 4.8
• ASP.NET 4.8
• ISAPI Extensions
• ISAPI Filters
• WebSocket Protocol
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Windows Server Implementations
Telecenter U supports both the Desktop Experience and Server Core implementations. For sites that will be supporting the
Telecenter U Mobile App, we require installation of WoW64. In the Desktop Experience, WoW64 is automatically installed.
Server Core will require that WoW64 be installed separately.
Note: Telecenter U does not support the following:
• Windows Admin Center or temporary profiles
• Windows Deployment Services
• IIS Static Content Compression
• IIS Dynamic Content Compression
SSL Certification
For server installations with Telecenter U7.0 (and above) that include the mapping application or will utilize the API, Telecenter
U requires a trusted certificate. See Telecenter U Application Note EAN0033 for details.
Microsoft SQL Server Requirements
Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (Standard or Express) Edition
• Mixed Mode Authentication
• TCP/IP Protocol Enabled
Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (Standard or Express) Edition
• Mixed Mode Authentication
• TCP/IP Protocol Enabled
Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (Standard or Express) Edition
• Mixed Mode Authentication
• TCP/IP Protocol Enabled
Note: SQL may be installed on the same server as the Telecenter U application or separately.
Note: Telecenter U requires SQL sysadmin permissions for the successful installation and upgrade of a Telecenter U application.
Note: A Telecenter U SQL Database requires at least 500MB of storage space to accommodate implementations utilizing
TCC3066 Kiosks.
SQL Clustering
Telecenter U, Enterprise Edition supports installing the database to a remote Microsoft SQL cluster instance.
Software Prerequisites
The following software is required to be installed prior to installing or upgrading the Telecenter U district server software. The
installers for these software packages are included in the Prerequisites folder in the setup application.
• .NET Framework 4.8
• Visual C++ 2015-2019 Redistributable (x64)
• ASP.NET Core Runtime 6.0.x (for U9.1 and higher)
• .NET Desktop Runtime 6.0.x (for U9.1 and higher)
• ASP.NET Core Runtime 3.1.x (for U9.0 and lower)
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Client Software (local users accessing Telecenter U web UI)
Telecenter U Enterprise Software webpages have been tested on the following browser/operating system combinations.
Client OS & Browsers
Client Software
Client Browser
TCU Web App
Mapping
All Other Functionality
Windows 10
Latest version of
Chrome
Supported
Supported
Mac OS X (10.12)
Latest version of
Chrome
Supported
Supported
iPad iOS 13
Latest version of
Chrome
Not Supported
All Supported except for
configuration and diagnostics
Note: Internet Explorer is no longer supported by Telecenter U.
Microsoft Licensing
Telecenter U, Enterprise Edition Software requires a combination of Microsoft Windows Server and SQL Server licensing unique
to each district. To ensure proper functionality of the Telecenter U Critical Communications Solution, please refer to Microsoft’s
website and licensing agreements for further guidance on which type of license is appropriate for your application.
Microsoft Patching
Rauland applies all critical security patches to Telecenter U test environment upon Microsoft release. Any known issues are
documented and distributed to authorized Rauland integrators. Operating system versions, SQL versions, service packs and
other non-security related updates will be tested throughout the application release cycles and should not be applied prior to
notification from Rauland.
Virtualization
The Telecenter U Enterprise Software has been tested and deployed in a virtual environment. VMWare vSphere is the most
common virtualization product used with the Telecenter U system. Telecenter U Enterprise Software is also compatible with
Hyper-V. Telecenter U Enterprise Software is compatible with the different features of VMWare ESX including VMotion, virtual
switches, DRS, HA and Storage VMotion.
Anti-Virus
The use of anti-virus software is assumed for the Telecenter U District Server. There is no preference or known issue with
running any of the standard, off-the-shelf products.
Database Maintenance
Manual database housekeeping must be performed quarterly when using Telecenter U with SQL Server Express. Failure to
perform this housekeeping could lead to an inability to save changes to the database and/or an inability to access the database
entirely. The Telecenter U software relies on the SQL Agent to perform periodic housekeeping to remove old, unneeded records.
Since SQL Server Express does not include the SQL Agent and because the maximum database size is limited, quarterly database
housekeeping is required.
Refer to KI2277 Programming and Administration (revision G or higher) for instructions about performing manual SQL database
maintenance.
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Telecenter U Enterprise Software has built into the application a model of role based security for all user access. A system
administrator should be designated for the Telecenter U system. This person’s primary responsibilities may include:
• Application configuration and maintenance
• Device configuration and maintenance
• Security and Access to application
• Upgrade coordination
• User configuration and maintenance
• User support
Network Environment
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Active Directory
For user access, Telecenter U Enterprise Software allows system administrators to set up locally managed users. Alternately,
system administrators may also setup Active Directory for authentication. This would allow a district to import and continually
synchronize Telecenter U users from a common Active Directory server.
Network Topology
Telecenter U installations require a minimum of a multicast enabled, 100 Mb switched network throughout. For installations
with TCC3066 Kiosks, it is strongly recommended that the network speed between the Kiosks and the District Server be at least
1 Gbps. While Telecenter U can operate successfully on a converged network, we recommend implementing a VLAN for each
Campus’ devices.
Network Address Translation (NAT) is not supported between the Campus Controller (TCC2000) and the District Server. The
IP address of the Controller is used in message authentication and, if the Controller’s IP address is translated, authentication
will fail. In this condition, events initiated from the web UI such as live paging, prerecorded audio, message board messages,
sequences, and emergencies will not work. However, system configuration can still be downloaded and the system will continue
to operate in all other respects.
Device Power
The TCC2000 Campus Controller and the TCC2024 24-Port Gateway receive their power from a local 120VAC power source. All
other devices require 802.3af POE or 802.3at POE+ switch ports. Each device consumes, at maximum paging power of 2 Watts,
12.5 Watts of power.
Multicast
All Telecenter U installations must allocate a multicast address for each Campus Controller (TCC2000) and configure it in the
Per-School Multicast Address field on the School Settings screen for that school. Multicasting must be enabled between each
controller and its peripherals for its configured per-school multicast address. Failure to do so will prevent all audio functions.
For installations that include a dedicated “District-Wide” controller for multi-school paging and emergency initiation, an
additional unique multicast address must be allocated for that purpose and configured in the District-Wide Multicast Address
field on the District Settings screen. Multicasting must be enabled between the dedicated “District-Wide” school and all other
controllers for the configured district-wide multicast address. Failure to do so will prevent multi-school paging audio from
reaching the targeted controllers.
For Telecenter U devices that have been provided a multicast address, the following information is pertinent.
• Telecenter U devices are agnostic to the multicast routing protocol used. Telecenter U has been validated with both PIM
dense mode and PIM sparse mode routing.
• The district server does not join any multicast groups nor send traffic to any multicast groups.
• The Campus Controller is an IGMPv2 client and will join the district-wide multicast group and send traffic to its own perschool multicast group.
• The Campus Controller of a District-Wide School is an IGMPv2 client and will send traffic to the district-wide multicast
group and to its own per-school multicast group.
• The Admin Console is an IGMPv2 client and will both join and send traffic to its per-school multicast group.
• The Admin Console of a District-Wide School is an IGMPv2 client and will join its per-school multicast group and send
traffic to the district-wide multicast group.
• The Program Line Input and Microphone Input Modules are IGMPv2 clients and will both join and send traffic to their perschool multicast group.
• The Microphone Input Module of a District-Wide School is an IGMPv2 client and will join its per-school multicast group and
send traffic to the district-wide multicast group.
• The Kiosk is an IGMPv3 client and will join its per-school multicast group.
• All other peripherals are IGMPv2 clients and will join their respective per-school multicast groups.
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These are the recommended IGMP multicast settings in network routers and switches.
IGMP Interface Parameters
Value
Definitions
Query Interval
60 sec.
Frequency at which the IGMP Querier sends IGMP host query
messages.
Query Max Response Time
10 sec.
Maximum response time advertised by the IGMP Querier in IGMP
queries. Larger values cause the responses to be spread out over a
longer time. This value must be less than the query interval.
1 sec.
Interval in which the IGMP Querier sends a response to an IGMP
query after receiving a Host Leave message from the last known
active host on the subnet. If no reports are received in the interval,
the group state is deleted.
Last Member Query Count
2
Number of times that the IGMP Querier sends an IGMP query,
separated by the last member query response interval, in response
to a host leave message from the last known active host on the
subnet.
Group Membership Timeout
260 sec.
Group membership time interval that must transpire before the
IGMP Querier decides that no members of a group or source exist
on the network.
Last Member Query Response
Interval
HTTP Secure
Telecenter U utilizes a web browser to access the system features. Telecenter U Enterprise Software supports access via HTTPS.
It may be implemented at the district’s discretion.
Encryption
Telecenter U Enterprise Software encrypts all passwords as well as the command functions of the district server. Audio is not
encrypted.
DHCP Settings
The Telecenter U District Server must be configured with an IP address that doesn’t change. This can be accomplished either by
static addressing or a DHCP reservation. The IP address of the district server must be provided to each Campus Controller so it
can find its district server. It is highly recommended that the district server’s IP address be configured statically.
Each Campus Controller must be configured with an IP address that doesn’t change. This can be accomplished either by static
addressing or a DHCP reservation. It is recommended that the controller’s IP address be configured via DHCP reservation. Each
peripheral must be provided with an IP address via DHCP.
In addition, the following options are required to be configured when using DHCP:
• Option 3 must be configured for Kiosks that use DHCP. The Kiosk requires a default gateway even on non-routable networks.
• Option 6 must be configured for the Campus Controller to resolve the configured DNS name of the Telecenter U Web Service
in order to download configuration, attachments, and firmware and for the Text To Speech feature to work.
• Option 42 must be configured for all Campus Controllers for time synchronization.
• Option 108 configured for District Server Identification which specifies the IP address and port number of the District Server
to the Campus Controller.
• Option 109 configured for Campus Controller Identification which specifies the IP address and port number of the Campus
Controller that a group of peripherals should connect to. Option 109 is not yet supported on Kiosks. The IP address of the
Campus Controller must be manually configured on each Kiosk.
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Option 108 and 109 format is <port>,<ipaddr>. Port numbers much match settings in the Telecenter U Enterprise Software
configuration.
DHCP option 108 should be provided only to District and Campus Controllers and not to any other DHCP clients. This can
be accomplished by either segregating Controllers on their own DHCP scope and providing option 108 as a scope option, or
providing option 108 only on the Controller DHCP reservations.
DNS Configuration
The Campus Controller must be able to resolve the configured DNS name of the Telecenter U Web Service in order to download
configuration, attachments, and firmware and for the Text To Speech feature to work. In addition, the Kiosk must be also be able
to resolve the configured DNS name of the Telecenter U web Service in order to download configuration and firmware. This can
be accomplished by completing the following steps:
• Creating a Host (A) record for the district server in the appropriate domain on a DNS server that is accessible to the Campus
Controller and Kiosks.
• Providing the IP address of the DNS server to:
• The Campus Controller either via DHCP option 6 or by calling setDNSServerIP when statically configuring the controller’s
IP parameters.
• The Kiosk either via DHCP option 6 or by specifying the IP address of the DNS server when statically configuring the
Kiosk’s IP parameters.
If the Campus Controller is unable to resolve the FQDN of its district server, the controller will be unable to download
configuration, attachments, and firmware, causing a supervision failure and the Text To Speech feature will fail silently.
If the Kiosk is unable to resolve the FQDN of its district server, it will be unable to download configuration or firmware.
If the controller is configured statically, see the KI2277 Programming & Administration manual for the commands to specify the
DNS server IP address and domain name.
Time Synchronization
Telecenter U District Server and all TCC2000 Campus Controllers must be synchronized to a common network time source. A
district can provide this capability by supplying DHCP Option 42 to the Campus Controllers or explicitly configuring the Server’s
IP address.
Monitoring and Backup
Good IT practices demand backing up of critical data in the event of a data loss or hardware failure. The Telecenter U District
Server should be included in a datacenter’s regular backup schedule. When the database and the application are sharing the
same server, it is recommended that back-ups be scheduled when the system is most likely to be idle. In addition to manual
backups that can performed within the Telecenter U software, the TCU database in SQL Server and the Attachments and
Firmwares folders within the TCU installation directory should be backed up regularly using the automated backup capabilities
within SQL Server and Windows Server or using a 3rd party backup utility. Please note: Manual backups created in U9.1 or
before cannot automatically be restored in U9.2 or after.
Servers should be monitored using your standard Windows monitoring tools of system resources and Telecenter U services.
Telecenter U hardware devices can be monitored using the Telecenter U district and school status pages.
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Please see the complete diagram of Telecenter U Data Flow below.
Telecenter U Data Flows
Embedded Hardware
Program Line Input
Module
TCC2055
Microphone Input
Module
TCC2077
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
UDP 57003
Multicast Control UDP 57007
Multicast Audio
UDP 57008-96, Even
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
UDP 57003
Multicast Control UDP 57007
Unicast Audio
UDP 57004
Others
Others
Others
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv1
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv1
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv2
Aux I/O
Module
TCC2033
Message Board Module
Small
Large
TCC3011S
TCC3012L
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
UDP 57003
Multicast Control UDP 57007
IP Classroom Module
TCC2011/A/B
24-Port Gateway Module
TCC2024
Campus Controller
TCC2000
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
Unicast Audio
Multicast Audio
Others
UDP 57003
UDP 57007
UDP 57004, 57100-38, Even
UDP 57008-96, Even
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv1
Application Software
Non-Rauland
Admin Console
TCC2044/45
Zone Page Amp Module
TCC3022
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
UDP 57003
Multicast Control UDP 57007
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
Multicast Control
Unicast Audio
Multicast Audio
Others
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Zone Page Module
TCC2022
Proprietary Unicast Control
Proprietary Multicast Control
Unicast RTP Audio
Multicast RTP Audio
SIP/SDP
LDAP
SMTP
HTTP/HTTPS
Non-Rauland
SIP Phone
Non-Rauland
SIP PBX
Customer
Active Directory
Not Applicable For Cloud Services
Listening Ports:
Active Directory
Others
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv1
Kiosk
TCC3066
UDP 57003, TCP Ephemeral
UDP 57100-38, Even
UDP 16384-32766, Even
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv2,
NTP, DNS, SIP
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
Multicast Control
Unicast Audio
Multicast Audio
Others
UDP 57003
UDP 57007
UDP 57004, 57100-38, Even
UDP 57008-96, Even
DHCP, ARP, ICMP, IGMPv3,
DNS
District Server
Listening Ports:
Unicast Control
Web Service
TCP 57003
TCP 8443
Others
HTTP/HTTPS
Customer
SMTP Server
TCP 389, 636
Customer
SQL Database
Not Applicable For Cloud Services
Listening Ports:
Microsoft SQL
Customer
Web Client
Customer Vendor
API Client
TCP 1433
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