Croom Deployment Guide

Introduction

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for deploying Croom in your organization, from initial planning through to production deployment.

Planning
Prerequisites
Dashboard Deployment
Device Preparation
Room Setup
Testing
Rollout
Post-Deployment

1. Planning

1.1 Site Assessment

For each conference room, document:

Item	Details	Example
Room name	Official room identifier	"Conference Room A"
Location	Building, floor, room number	"Building 1, Floor 2, Room 201"
Capacity	Number of seats	8 people
TV location	Where TV is mounted/placed	Wall-mounted, north wall
Power outlets	Available power sources	2 outlets near TV
Network	WiFi or Ethernet available	WiFi (CorpWiFi)
Existing equipment	Current AV equipment	Projector, whiteboard

1.2 Network Planning

Network Requirements Checklist:
[ ] WiFi coverage in all rooms
[ ] SSID and credentials for Croom devices
[ ] Firewall rules approved (see below)
[ ] DHCP reservations or static IPs (optional)
[ ] Network monitoring configured

Required Firewall Rules (Outbound):

Protocol  Port      Destination              Purpose
TCP       443       *.google.com             Google Meet
TCP       443       *.microsoft.com          Microsoft Teams
TCP       443       *.zoom.us                Zoom
TCP       443       dashboard.company.com    Management
UDP       3478      *                        STUN/TURN
UDP       10000-20000  *                     Media (WebRTC)

1.3 Account Planning

Meeting Accounts: Create dedicated accounts for each room:

room-a@company.com → Conference Room A
room-b@company.com → Conference Room B

Account Requirements:

Platform	Account Type	Requirements
Google Meet	Google Workspace	Calendar access, Meet access
Microsoft Teams	Microsoft 365	Teams license, Calendar
Zoom	Zoom account	Basic or higher license

1.4 Hardware Planning

Per Room (Standard Setup):

Item	Quantity	Est. Cost
Raspberry Pi 4B 4GB	1	$55
32GB microSD (Class 10)	1	$10
USB-C Power Supply (Official)	1	$8
ArgonOne V2 Case	1	$25
Logitech C920 Webcam	1	$70
HDMI Cable (2m)	1	$10
Total per room		~$178

Optional Enhancements:

Item	Purpose	Est. Cost
Jabra Speak 510	Better audio	$100
PTZ Camera	Larger rooms	$200-500
IR Receiver	Remote control	$10

1.5 Timeline Example

Phase	Duration	Activities
Planning	1 week	Site assessment, network planning
Procurement	2 weeks	Order hardware, create accounts
Dashboard Setup	1 day	Deploy management dashboard
Pilot	1 week	Deploy 2-3 rooms, test, refine
Rollout	2 weeks	Deploy remaining rooms
Training	1 week	User training, documentation

2. Prerequisites

2.1 Hardware Received

Checklist per device:
[ ] Raspberry Pi 4B (4GB recommended)
[ ] MicroSD card (32GB Class 10)
[ ] USB-C power supply (5V 3A)
[ ] Case with cooling (ArgonOne recommended)
[ ] Webcam (Logitech C920/C922)
[ ] HDMI cable

2.2 Accounts Created

For each room:
[ ] Meeting account created (room-X@company.com)
[ ] Calendar shared with appropriate users
[ ] Meeting platform license assigned
[ ] Password documented securely

2.3 Network Ready

[ ] WiFi credentials documented
[ ] Firewall rules implemented
[ ] Test device can reach required endpoints
[ ] Dashboard server network access confirmed

2.4 Build Machine Ready

For image preparation, you need:

Ubuntu 20.04+ workstation/VM
SD card reader
Required tools installed:

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git wget xz-utils tree

3. Dashboard Deployment

3.1 Server Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	2 cores	4 cores
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
Storage	50 GB	100 GB
OS	Ubuntu 20.04+, Docker	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

3.2 Docker Deployment (Recommended)

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/amirhmoradi/croom.to-dashboard.git
cd croom-dashboard

# Configure environment
cp .env.example .env
nano .env

Edit .env:

# Database
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://croom:your-secure-password@db:5432/croom

# Security
SECRET_KEY=your-very-long-random-secret-key
ALLOWED_HOSTS=croom.yourcompany.com

# Email (for alerts)
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.yourcompany.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USER=croom@yourcompany.com
EMAIL_PASSWORD=email-password

# Admin
ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@yourcompany.com

Start services:

# Start containers
docker-compose up -d

# Create admin user
docker exec -it croom-dashboard ./manage.py createsuperuser

# Verify running
docker-compose ps
curl https://localhost/health

3.3 SSL Certificate

Using Let's Encrypt:

# Install certbot
sudo apt install certbot

# Get certificate
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d croom.yourcompany.com

# Update nginx config
# Certificates are at /etc/letsencrypt/live/croom.yourcompany.com/

Using Internal CA:

# Place certificates in
/etc/croom/certs/server.crt
/etc/croom/certs/server.key

# Update docker-compose.yml to mount certificates

3.4 Initial Configuration

Login to Dashboard

URL: https://croom.yourcompany.com
User: admin@yourcompany.com
Password: [created during setup]

Configure Organization
- Settings → Organization → Update name and details
- Settings → Locations → Add your buildings/floors
Create Device Groups
- Devices → Groups → Create groups by location
Configure Alerts
- Settings → Alerts → Enable email/Slack notifications
Generate Enrollment Token
- Settings → Enrollment → Generate Token
- Copy token for device provisioning

4. Device Preparation

4.1 Download or Build Image

Option A: Download Pre-built Image

# Download latest release
wget https://github.com/amirhmoradi/croom.to/releases/latest/download/croom-latest.img.gz
gunzip croom-latest.img.gz

Option B: Build Custom Image

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/amirhmoradi/croom.to.git
cd croom/build

# Download base OS
./download-img.sh

# Prepare image (interactive)
./prep-img.sh

During prep-img.sh, you'll be prompted for:

Device password (for SSH access)
WiFi networks (SSID and password)
Dashboard URL
Enrollment token

4.2 Flash SD Cards

Single Card:

# Insert SD card and identify device
lsblk

# Flash image (CAREFUL: this erases the device!)
sudo dd if=croom-latest.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
sync

Multiple Cards (Batch):

# Using Balena Etcher (GUI)
# Or parallel dd:
for dev in /dev/sd{b,c,d,e}; do
    sudo dd if=croom-latest.img of=$dev bs=4M status=progress &
done
wait
sync

4.3 Label Devices

Create labels for each device:

┌────────────────────────┐
│ Croom Device          │
│ Room: Conference A     │
│ MAC: aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff │
│ Serial: PI-2025-001    │
└────────────────────────┘

Attach label to device and keep record in inventory.

5. Room Setup

5.1 Hardware Installation

Step 1: Assemble Device

1. Install Pi in case (ArgonOne)
2. Insert prepared SD card
3. Connect webcam via USB
4. DO NOT power on yet

Step 2: Position Equipment

1. Mount/place webcam (ideally eye-level, centered on TV)
2. Route cables neatly
3. Ensure clear camera view of meeting area
4. Position for good audio pickup

Step 3: Connect to TV

1. Connect HDMI cable to TV
2. Connect power supply to Pi
3. Turn on TV and select correct HDMI input

5.2 Initial Boot and Setup

If using Captive Portal:

1. Device boots and creates WiFi network "Croom-Setup-XXXX"
2. TV displays setup instructions and QR code
3. Connect phone/laptop to Croom-Setup network
4. Browser auto-opens or navigate to 192.168.4.1
5. Complete setup wizard:
   - Select WiFi network
   - Enter WiFi password
   - Enter meeting credentials
   - Name the room
6. Device reboots and connects to network
7. Device appears in dashboard

If using Pre-configured Image:

1. Device boots and auto-connects to WiFi
2. Device registers with dashboard
3. Device appears in dashboard as "Pending Setup"
4. Complete configuration in dashboard:
   - Assign to room
   - Configure credentials
   - Apply configuration template

5.3 Dashboard Configuration

Find Device in Dashboard
- Devices → New Devices (or search by MAC)
Assign to Room
- Click device → Edit → Set name and location
Configure Credentials
- Configuration → Meeting Credentials
- Select platform and enter credentials
- Test connection
Apply Template (Optional)
- Configuration → Apply Template
- Select "Standard Conference Room"
Verify Status
- Device shows "Online" status
- Calendar syncing shows events
- Test meeting join

5.4 Verification Checklist

Per Room Verification:
[ ] Device powered on and online in dashboard
[ ] WiFi connected with good signal
[ ] Video: Webcam shows in meeting
[ ] Audio: Can hear and be heard in meeting
[ ] Calendar: Shows upcoming meetings
[ ] Join: Successfully joins test meeting
[ ] Leave: Meeting ends cleanly
[ ] TV Control: TV turns on/off with device (if HDMI-CEC)

6. Testing

6.1 Individual Room Test

Test Script:

1. Create test meeting 5 minutes in future
   - Invite room calendar
   - Use each platform (Meet, Teams, Zoom)

2. Verify auto-join
   - Device should join within 1 minute of meeting start
   - Video should be enabled
   - Audio should be enabled

3. Test basic controls
   - Mute/unmute audio
   - Enable/disable camera
   - Leave meeting

4. Test end-of-meeting
   - End meeting from another device
   - Room should return to idle state

5. Document results

6.2 Multi-Room Test

Concurrent Meeting Test:

1. Schedule meetings in all rooms at same time
2. Verify all devices join successfully
3. Check dashboard shows all devices in meeting
4. End meetings and verify all return to idle

6.3 Edge Case Testing

Scenario	Test	Expected Result
Network loss	Disconnect WiFi briefly	Reconnects automatically
Power loss	Unplug and replug	Reboots and rejoins
Double-book	Two meetings at same time	Joins first meeting
No meeting	No calendar events	Shows idle screen
Long meeting	2+ hour meeting	Stays connected

6.4 User Acceptance Test

1. Select pilot users from each department
2. Have them use rooms for real meetings
3. Collect feedback:
   - Ease of use
   - Audio/video quality
   - Any issues encountered
4. Address feedback before full rollout

7. Rollout

7.1 Rollout Strategy

Option A: Phased Rollout (Recommended)

Week 1: Building 1 (5 rooms)
Week 2: Building 2 (5 rooms)
Week 3: Building 3 (5 rooms)
Week 4: Remaining rooms

Option B: Big Bang

All rooms in single weekend
- Higher risk
- Faster completion
- Requires more resources

7.2 Communication Plan

Announcement (1 week before):

Subject: New Video Conferencing System Coming to Meeting Rooms

Dear team,

We're excited to announce that [Conference Room Names] will be
upgraded with Croom, a new video conferencing system.

What's changing:
- Rooms will automatically join scheduled meetings
- No more laptop dongles needed
- Works with Google Meet, Teams, and Zoom

What you need to do:
- Invite the room to your meetings (room-name@company.com)
- The system handles the rest!

Training sessions:
- [Date/Time] - Introduction to Croom
- [Date/Time] - Q&A Session

Quick reference guides will be posted in each room.

Questions? Contact IT at [email/phone]

7.3 Training Materials

User Training (15 minutes):

How Croom works (2 min)
Scheduling meetings with room (3 min)
What to expect when entering room (3 min)
Basic controls (5 min)
Troubleshooting basics (2 min)

IT Staff Training (1 hour):

System architecture (10 min)
Dashboard walkthrough (15 min)
Common troubleshooting (15 min)
Escalation procedures (10 min)
Hands-on practice (10 min)

7.4 Go-Live Checklist

Pre-Go-Live:
[ ] All rooms tested and verified
[ ] Dashboard fully configured
[ ] Alerts configured and tested
[ ] Documentation complete
[ ] Help desk trained
[ ] User communication sent
[ ] Quick reference cards printed and posted

Go-Live Day:
[ ] IT support available (in-person or on-call)
[ ] Monitor dashboard for issues
[ ] Respond to user feedback quickly
[ ] Document any issues for post-mortem

Post-Go-Live:
[ ] Review meeting success rates
[ ] Address any reported issues
[ ] Collect user feedback
[ ] Plan improvements

8. Post-Deployment

8.1 Monitoring Setup

Dashboard Checks (Daily):

All devices online
No critical alerts
Meeting success rate >99%

Weekly Report:

Device uptime statistics
Meeting counts by room
Any recurring issues

8.2 Support Procedures

Tier 1 (Help Desk):

Common requests and solutions:
- "Meeting didn't start" → Check calendar invite
- "No audio" → Check volume, verify unmuted
- "No video" → Verify camera connected
- "Device offline" → Check TV power, network

Tier 2 (IT Admin):

Escalation triggers:
- Device offline >30 minutes
- Repeated meeting failures
- Hardware issues
- Configuration problems

Escalation Path:

User → Help Desk → IT Admin → Vendor (if hardware)

8.3 Maintenance Schedule

Weekly:

Review alerts and resolve
Check for available updates

Monthly:

Apply software updates
Review performance metrics
Check hardware health

Quarterly:

Security review
Credential rotation
Capacity planning

8.4 Success Metrics

Track these metrics to measure success:

Metric	Target	Measurement
Device Uptime	>99.5%	Dashboard metrics
Meeting Join Success	>99%	Dashboard metrics
User Satisfaction	>4/5	Survey
Support Tickets	<1 per room/month	Help desk data
Setup Time	<10 min per room	Deployment log

Appendix

A. Inventory Template

Device ID,MAC Address,Room Name,Location,Install Date,Status
PI-001,aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:01,Conference A,Bldg 1 Fl 2,2025-01-15,Active
PI-002,aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:02,Conference B,Bldg 1 Fl 2,2025-01-15,Active
PI-003,aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:03,Board Room,Bldg 1 Fl 3,2025-01-16,Active

B. Quick Reference Card Template

╔════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║              Croom Quick Guide                ║
╠════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║                                                ║
║  STARTING A MEETING                            ║
║  1. Turn on TV                                 ║
║  2. Meeting joins automatically!               ║
║                                                ║
║  CONTROLS                                      ║
║  🎤 Tap microphone icon to mute                ║
║  📷 Tap camera icon to turn off video          ║
║  📞 Tap red button to leave meeting            ║
║                                                ║
║  SCHEDULE MEETINGS                             ║
║  Invite: room-name@company.com                 ║
║                                                ║
║  PROBLEMS?                                     ║
║  Call IT: x1234 or it-help@company.com         ║
║                                                ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

C. Troubleshooting Decision Tree

Meeting not joining?
├── Is TV on?
│   └── No → Turn on TV
│   └── Yes → Continue
├── Is correct HDMI input selected?
│   └── No → Select correct input
│   └── Yes → Continue
├── Does screen show Croom?
│   └── No → Check device power
│   └── Yes → Continue
├── Does screen show "Offline"?
│   └── Yes → Check network/call IT
│   └── No → Continue
├── Is meeting on calendar?
│   └── No → Invite room to meeting
│   └── Yes → Continue
└── Still not working?
    └── Contact IT support

Version Information

Document	Version
Deployment Guide	1.0
Last Updated	2025-12-15

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