Pexip App

This app can also work in a fully air-gapped environment. If your workspace is subscribed to any of Rocket.Chat's premium plans, follow the Air-gapped App installation guide, and continue with the configuration instructions below.

Pexip is a purpose-built video communication platform that empowers organizations to transform their operations with video conferencing. Pexip’s technology provides a customized solution with data privacy and business continuity features for secure spaces. Pexip offers both self-hosted and as-a-service deployment options for enterprise video conferencing.

The integration between Rocket.Chat and Pexip enables secure and compliant communication, ideal for organizations operating within strict regulatory requirements for internal and external communications, such as government, financial services, healthcare, and other sectors.

Key features of the Rocket.Chat - Pexip integration

• Initiate calls from Rocket.Chat directly without switching tools.

• Record and list call details to check users who joined the call.

• Maintain a record of the call history.

In this guide, let's take a look at the underlying architecture of the integration and the app configuration steps.

Architecture

This integration is made possible by connecting Rocket.Chat with Pexip Infinity through its external policy API. The Pexip app in Rocket.Chat acts as a relay between the two platforms. Rocket.Chat users initiate a video call to a Pexip conferencing node and trigger an external policy request to Pexip. The policy server creates a single-use Virtual Meeting Room (VMR) and responds with the meeting parameters. This VMR is made available in the Rocket.Chat room for its duration.

Ensure that the Rocket.Chat external policy server can connect to the Pexip Infinity Conferencing Nodes over HTTPS on port 443.

Setup the Pexip app

For a complete setup, here are some requirements you need:

• A workspace subscribed to any of Rocket.Chat's premium plans.

• A Pexip infinity server deployed with:

  • Valid certificates and intermediate certificates.

  • A suitable network routing between Rocket.Chat and Pexip Infinity

  • Only one location for each Rocket.Chat workspace, but that location can contain multiple Conferencing Nodes.

Download the Pexip app

To download the Pexip app, follow these steps:

1. Go to Administration > Apps > Marketplace.

2. Search for the Pexip app and click Install.

3. Accept the required permissions.

Pexip app configuration

To set up the Pexip app on your Rocket.Chat workspace, follow these steps:

1. Confirm that the app is enabled on your workspace.

2. Configure the Pexip server with a remote policy to make service configuration requests before connecting with Rocket.Chat.

3. On the Pexip App Info screen, go to Details.

4. Copy the policy server URL (GET policy/v1/service/configuration) and update the Pexip settings.

5. Copy the POST events URL and add it to the Events Sink on your Pexip server.

The events sink informs the workspace when a call on Pexip Infinity has ended. This way, the call message block on your workspace is updated with the appropriate call status.

6. On the Pexip App Info screen, go to Settings. Update the Base URL with the URL of your running Pexip server.

7. Click Save Changes.

Additional settings details are as follows:

Configure conference calls using the Pexip app

To configure the Pexip video conference on your workspace, follow the steps in the Conference Call Admin Guide.

Initiate calls using the Pexip app

After successfully installing and configuring the Pexip app, you can initiate a secure Pexip call within any Rocket.Chat room using either the /pexip slash command or the call icon in the menu bar. When you use the /pexip command, a new Pexip Virtual Meeting Room (VMR) is automatically created. Alternatively, you can click the call icon in the menu bar and select "Start Call" .

In both cases, a call message block is sent to the room, containing a "Join" button that allows others to participate in the call. If you initiate the call in a Direct Message (DM), this action will ring the other participant(s) and present them with options to accept or reject the call.

Upon joining the Pexip call, users are prompted to provide their details and grant permission to use their camera and microphone. The list of participants in the VMR is displayed within the call message block in the Rocket.Chat room. For more details, refer to the Conference Call User’s Guide to start using the app.

If you have configured more than one conference call provider, for example, Pexip and Google Meet:

• Using the /pexip slash command initiates a conference call using the Pexip app, regardless of the default provider.

• Clicking the call button from the room header initiates a conference call using the default provider that you have selected in the settings.

Persistent chat with Pexip app

Rocket.Chat supports persistent chat for conference calls on Pexip by creating dedicated discussion rooms in your workspace. These discussion rooms allow participants to exchange messages during the call and continue the conversation effectively within the workspace even after the call has ended. With persistent chat, all interactions from the call are preserved, ensuring that important conversations are easily accessible and can be revisited or extended as needed.

This feature is available exclusively to workspaces running version 6.11 or higher, and it requires Pexip Infinity v35+ along with the Pexip App v1.6.1+.

To enable this feature, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Administration > Workspace > Settings > Discussion and confirm that discussions are enabled on your workspace.

2. Go to Administration > Workspace > Setting > General and disable Restrict access inside any Iframe.

3. Navigate to Administration > Workspace > Settings > Conference call and enable Persistent Chat.

When a call is initiated in a room, a call message block is sent to the room, containing a "Join" button and discussion icon. Simultaneously, Rocket.Chat automatically generates a dedicated discussion for that call named (Conference Call Chat History—[current-date-timestamp]). Users can access this discussion directly from the discussion icon displayed on the call message block.

To access the discussion from the call on Pexip:

1. Click the Rocket.Chat icon from the Pexip toolbar at the left of the window.

2. The linked discussion will open in an embedded window. If this is your first time using the feature, you’ll be prompted to log in.

3. You can view any previous messages in the discussion and continue exchanging messages with other participants during the call. These messages will remain accessible on your workspace even after the call ends.

It’s important to note that these discussions won’t appear in the room’s discussion list. However, you can still access them through the Call History:

1. Click the kebab menu in the menu bar and select Calls.

2. This will display a history of all calls in the room.

3. Click the discussion icon for the call you want to access.

Users do not need to be present in the call to participate in the discussion room, as long as they have access to it within the workspace.

To maintain the same discussion for every call in a room,

• On the Pexip App Info screen, go to Settings.

• Disable Allow multiple concurrent calls on the same room. The discussions associated with the calls that happened while it was enabled will still be accessible.