Collaboration at IN2P3 and beyond Christian Helft, LAL, Orsay

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 2 Agenda Videoconferencing at IN2P3 Videoconferencing at IN2P3 Fitting within the whole picture Fitting within the whole picture HEP-wide Collaborative Tools deployment HEP-wide Collaborative Tools deployment

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 3 IN2P3+DAPNIA laboratories About 20 HENP laboratories scattered across France About 20 HENP laboratories scattered across France Good networking (1Gb/s) to the Lyon’s IN2P3 computing center, via the national academic network (Renater) Good networking (1Gb/s) to the Lyon’s IN2P3 computing center, via the national academic network (Renater) Each is equipped with a « standard » H323 equipment (Polycom Viewstation, in a more or less dedicated room), usually used for domestic or European conferences and ECS ones (D0 for instance) Each is equipped with a « standard » H323 equipment (Polycom Viewstation, in a more or less dedicated room), usually used for domestic or European conferences and ECS ones (D0 for instance)

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 4 Basic infrastructure 2002: decision to meet INSERM, CNRS/DSI and IN2P3 needs regarding VC MCUs with one shared facility 2002: decision to meet INSERM, CNRS/DSI and IN2P3 needs regarding VC MCUs with one shared facility Accord: Accord:  12 IP+12 ISDN channels  « state of the art »  ESnet experience  IP+ISDN without separate GW Production started at the beginning of 2003 Production started at the beginning of 2003

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 5 Management system: VACS Home grown system (Daniel Charnay from CC-IN2P3) Home grown system (Daniel Charnay from CC-IN2P3) Has many features of the defunct DCS (designed, programmed and operated by ECS until Jan 2004 during the ISDN-only era) Has many features of the defunct DCS (designed, programmed and operated by ECS until Jan 2004 during the ISDN-only era) Attendee notification by e- mail Attendee notification by e- mail Easy to use interface Easy to use interface English version English version Can be used as a VC room booking system Can be used as a VC room booking system No user directory No user directory No gatekeeper No gatekeeper

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 6 MCU usage Average of about 40 conferences/month Average of about 40 conferences/month Still increasing, but slowly Still increasing, but slowly Approaching saturation at peak usage hours Approaching saturation at peak usage hours

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 7 Problems Scheduling mandatory for users (no ad- hoc mode) Scheduling mandatory for users (no ad- hoc mode) Conference scheduling done “by hand” by operators Conference scheduling done “by hand” by operators Technical obsolescence of the hardware Technical obsolescence of the hardware High maintenance costs High maintenance costs

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 8 New equipment Mid 2005: decision to migrate to Codian Mid 2005: decision to migrate to Codian CERN (LCG?) has joined the project CERN (LCG?) has joined the project Initial planned capacity: 80 ports, hence two boxes. Initial planned capacity: 80 ports, hence two boxes.

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 9 Why the Codian? Well known product (ESnet) Well known product (ESnet) Feature rich, both from the user side and the management side Feature rich, both from the user side and the management side  Very efficient user selectable screen layout  (high quality) Streaming included  Hassle free transcoding and transrating  Very straightforward management via a cleanWeb interface  Programmability via XML-based API Compact Compact High capacity rack mounted version available soon High capacity rack mounted version available soon 40 port MCU ISDN Gateway 1PRI (30 phone lines) 12 port MCU (dev., special uses)

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 10 User interface We will use extensively the API to manage the MCU We will use extensively the API to manage the MCU First phase (Nov. 2005): simple adaptation of the present VACS functionalities to support the Codian First phase (Nov. 2005): simple adaptation of the present VACS functionalities to support the Codian Second phase (Q2 2006) Second phase (Q2 2006)  give users access to more underlying MCU functionalities: Ability to call participantsAbility to call participants Users will be able to monitor who’s attending, including by streamingUsers will be able to monitor who’s attending, including by streaming Chairman can give the floor to speakersChairman can give the floor to speakers H239 (remote document presentation) oriented features will be leveraged as much as possible.H239 (remote document presentation) oriented features will be leveraged as much as possible.  Add an “attendee availability finder”

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 11 Attendee availability finder Monday 17October 2005Tuesday 18Wednesday 19Thursday 20Friday 21 Mike AMPM Sheila Available Not available Prefer not to Alan Christian Clint Test of Web conferencing features of the Codian RCWG AMPMAMPMAMPMAMPM The meeting organizer defines a time slot (typically a week) where the meeting will be held The meeting organizer defines a time slot (typically a week) where the meeting will be held Each invited attendee is sent by a URL where he will find a list of participants and where he can fill his availabilities during this time slot Each invited attendee is sent by a URL where he will find a list of participants and where he can fill his availabilities during this time slot Very different from meeting organizers à la Outlook which imply that every attendee has his calendar on-line Very different from meeting organizers à la Outlook which imply that every attendee has his calendar on-line

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 12 Main guiding rules for features Access to conferences by phone a top priority Access to conferences by phone a top priority No GK (until really forced to) No GK (until really forced to) No “native” ad-hoc mode, but “instant scheduling” will be presented as such to users No “native” ad-hoc mode, but “instant scheduling” will be presented as such to users Access control : only registered users will be able to schedule a meeting, but anyone knowing the conference # (which may be persistent) and the optional PIN # can attend the conference Access control : only registered users will be able to schedule a meeting, but anyone knowing the conference # (which may be persistent) and the optional PIN # can attend the conference Room booking will probably be kept as it is today, but mainly as a convenience for users Room booking will probably be kept as it is today, but mainly as a convenience for users Will be linked to Indico (and back, by adding VACS as a “venue”, as it is adding VRVS now) for document repository Will be linked to Indico (and back, by adding VACS as a “venue”, as it is adding VRVS now) for document repository Interoperability with ECS and VRVS (notably phone access to VRVS) Interoperability with ECS and VRVS (notably phone access to VRVS)

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 13 Web conferencing “Conferencing” market: “Conferencing” market:  Essentially Voice (turning VoIP, may sophisticated features in development)  More and more, Web Conferencing (=Remote document presentation+meeting conduction+voice)  “Icing on the cake”: Videoconferencing HEP is using phone- and video- conferencing, but not Web conferencing (as it could), although ECS has an offering (MeetingPlace), and there exists “credible” (Microsoft) solutions. Why? HEP is using phone- and video- conferencing, but not Web conferencing (as it could), although ECS has an offering (MeetingPlace), and there exists “credible” (Microsoft) solutions. Why?

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 14 Videoconferencing service VC service = infrastructure+End points+meeting organization system VC service = infrastructure+End points+meeting organization system There may be different infrastructures and different end points, but it would be welcome to have only one reservation system There may be different infrastructures and different end points, but it would be welcome to have only one reservation system

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 15 Infrastructure VRVS VRVS ECS ECS Access Grid Access Grid Other initiatives such as IN2P3 Other initiatives such as IN2P3 (open source?) Web conferencing? (open source?) Web conferencing?

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 16 End points Quality (sound, video) is improving daily Quality (sound, video) is improving daily The general trend is towards software only systems: The general trend is towards software only systems:  But today it’s still a trend…  Legacy systems still with us for a long time Our main “business” is VC rooms, not (yet) desktop VC. FNAL should be quoted as an example where great care is taken regarding room installation, and users see the difference Our main “business” is VC rooms, not (yet) desktop VC. FNAL should be quoted as an example where great care is taken regarding room installation, and users see the difference We need a “certification” team that test interoperability between new systems and existing infrastructure We need a “certification” team that test interoperability between new systems and existing infrastructure

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 17 Universal scheduling system Each infrastructure system has its own user interface, and that’s OK. Each infrastructure system has its own user interface, and that’s OK. BUT users don’t want to have to learn multiple systems BUT users don’t want to have to learn multiple systems So each system should provide an API so it’s possible to implement a “universal” interface. Which interface? So each system should provide an API so it’s possible to implement a “universal” interface. Which interface? … API ? ? ? ???

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 18 Instant messaging Various instant messaging systems user interface is converging (both personal systems and corporate ones) Various instant messaging systems user interface is converging (both personal systems and corporate ones) Important concepts Important concepts  People directory, with buddy lists  Presence detection  A given user mode of participation to a “meeting” can be varied, according to his capabilities: chat, voice, video, but these modes can be mixed up for a given conference This paradigm is very attractive, but should be adapted to our needs This paradigm is very attractive, but should be adapted to our needs

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 19 Messaging systems There is no HEP-managed messaging system in operation today There is no HEP-managed messaging system in operation today We probably should not use one provided by the various commercial products (MSN, Skype, AIM, Google,…) We probably should not use one provided by the various commercial products (MSN, Skype, AIM, Google,…) Why not set up our own Jabber server? Why not set up our own Jabber server?  Distributed  Easy connection to other Jabber systems  Well supported by every IM system on any platform Should it be used along with H350 (videoconferencing directory services)? Should it be used along with H350 (videoconferencing directory services)?

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 20 IM/PD based scheduling A universal, simple scheduling system could (should?) be based on the IM/PD paradigm. A universal, simple scheduling system could (should?) be based on the IM/PD paradigm. Instant Messaging/Presence Detection based portal … API

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 21 Conf. Tools Deployment Team HEP Conferencing tools deployment team aims: HEP Conferencing tools deployment team aims:  Monitor the deployment of conferencing systems within HEP  Monitor Industry technical developments  Test interoperability between end systems and infrastructures  Set up a web site for user information (proactive support)  Conduct regular polls among users  Gather usage statistics Could give guidance to CERN’s CTS Could give guidance to CERN’s CTS Could be Could be  an evolution of RCWG  a resurgence of RTAG12 with different scope  a whole new beast  or a federation of regional (or experiment specific) CTDTs

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 22 Collaboration tools EDMS Mailing lists Forums Wikis Event managers Conferencing Systems HEP Collaborativ e Tools Coordinatio n HEP Collaborativ e Tools Coordinatio n Messaging Systems Collaborative document editing All the collaboration tools we deploy should be able to talk to each other, and ultimately offer a common, or at least coherent, interface to the user All the collaboration tools we deploy should be able to talk to each other, and ultimately offer a common, or at least coherent, interface to the user ILC/GDE could be a good opportunity to apply this approach ILC/GDE could be a good opportunity to apply this approach All the collaboration tools we deploy should be able to talk to each other, and ultimately offer a common, or at least coherent, interface to the user All the collaboration tools we deploy should be able to talk to each other, and ultimately offer a common, or at least coherent, interface to the user ILC/GDE could be a good opportunity to apply this approach ILC/GDE could be a good opportunity to apply this approach

October 10, 2005HEPIX SLAC 05 Collaboration at IN2P3 and Future Deployments of VC in HEP - Christian Helft, LAL 23 Useful links VACS: VACS: VRVS: VRVS: RTAG12: RTAG12: Videoconferencing cookbook: Videoconferencing cookbook: GANCOMM: onsCollaborationToolv4.pdf GANCOMM: onsCollaborationToolv4.pdf