Paul,
I think you see my point, then. Now that I think about it, an EP _is_ required to at least send its TCS, if it has not already, if it receives an H.245 request message. Specifically, it cannot send the TCSAck until it has sent its own TCS, according to the following:
8.2/H.323v3: "Endpoint system capabilities are exchanged by transmission of the H.245 terminalCapabilitySet message. This capability message shall be the first H.245 message sent."
That's what I thought, although I didn't have the reference to hand...
And then there's the following. I think it means that if an EP receives TCS without already having sent TCS itself, it shall do so now. Is that your understanding?
8.2/H.323v3: "An endpoint which receives a terminalCapabilitySet message from a peer prior to initiating capabilities exchange shall respond as required by 6.2.8.1, and should initiate and successfully complete capabilities exchange with that peer prior to initiating any other procedure."
Let's just say that your interpretation is not so much my "understanding" of that text as its "intention" when Dave Walker and I wrote that passage...
So if an EP initiates H.245 procedures, the remote is forced to also perform H.245 procedures. Okay, that's what I was looking for. Maybe it just means that it has to perform the cap exchange. You know, both sides don't really need to initiate the MSD. It's enough that the side that first wanted to use H.245 procedures has performed it, so TCS alone is enough of a prelude to get the H.245 session up and running. Do you think this needs clarification text?
As long as MSD is completed that's fine. I agree there's no point in it being initiated by each side. Is that required somewhere? The intention was that one should always do one's best to get MSD out of the way "as soon as possible", but TCS must happen (or at least start...!) first.
Regards, Chris -- Dr Chris Purvis -- Development Manager ISDN Communications Ltd, The Stable Block, Ronans, Chavey Down Road Winkfield Row, Berkshire. RG42 6LY ENGLAND Phone: +44 1344 899 007 Fax: +44 1344 899 001