Ayman Abdel-Hamid Department of Computer Science Lamar University P.O. Box 10056, Beaumont, TX 77710, USA Kurt Maly, C.M. Overstreet, Sahar Ghanem, Ye Wang, and Aravind Elango Department of Computer Science Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 23529, USA {maly, cmo, ghanem, ywang, Tool Sharing Modes in a Synchronous Interactive Remote Instruction System

June 2004ED-MEDIA Outline n Introduction n IRI-Easy Overview n Tool Sharing Modes in IRI-Easy  Application Server Mode  Remote control capability  Local Sharing Mode n Conclusions and Future Work

June 2004ED-MEDIA Introduction 1/2 n IRI-h (heterogeneous) is a multi-platform, multi-network environment scalable system (available from n IRI-h prototype successfully used to teach a semester-long computer science course across 2 sites 20 miles apart n IRI-h prototype deployed in actual home user scenario using a cable modem connection n IRI-Easy, most recent version of IRI

June 2004ED-MEDIA IRI-Easy features: u fully implemented in JAVA (multi-platform) u Simple on the fly setup of collaborative sessions u audio, and video (Java Media Framework JMF) u tool sharing (Interactive Program Video IPV) u annotation and pointer u Application-level gateway  “Group of groups” communication paradigm  Individual multicast-disabled participants u recording and playback u note taking and notes-server u call student, site video Introduction 2/2

June 2004ED-MEDIA IRI-Easy Overview 1/4 SM SP 1 SP 3 SP 2 Multicast Intranet I Site 2 GW 1 GW 2 SP 5 SP 4 Multicast Intranet II Unicast UDP forwarding TCP connection (control and state) Directory Server Multicast-disabled participant

June 2004ED-MEDIA n The concept of a session  shared view and private view  Secure session vs. open session n a directory server offers a lookup service for ongoing sessions  Contacted by an IRI-Easy client software to get active sessions’ information n unreliable group communication offered through IP- multicast n semi-reliable group communication offered through IP- multicast and a controlled retransmission policy n IRI-h services: audio, video, tool-sharing, annotations, and pointer services. IRI-Easy Overview 2/4

June 2004ED-MEDIA IRI-Easy Overview 3/4 A snapshot of the IRI-Easy client software while viewing active sessions’ information

June 2004ED-MEDIA IRI-Easy Overview 4/4 A shared view snapshot illustrating a discussion scenario

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing Capabilities u Identified tool sharing as one of the essential features of interactive distance learning systems u A tool sharing engine: allows a participant to share any running application with other participants  sender side (coded in Java, relying on some native calls in Microsoft Windows)  images of the windows in the application being shared are captured, compared to previous images to detect change, compressed, and transmitted over a group communication channel  receiver side (pure Java code, using Java Advanced Imaging package)  images are received, decompressed, and displayed  a floor control facility is provided to enable receiver side participants to take control of the shared tool

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing modes: Application Server mode 1/3 u Server machine to act as sender side: Application server u Hosts a variety of applications needed for class material presentation and discussions u does not participate in shared session activities such as video, audio, and shared tools traffic reception u requires a system administrator to man the application server u capable of retrieving a list of currently active applications on the machines (through the sharing tool engine) u Out-of-session communication mechanism between current presenter and administrator to dictate which tools to be shared next u chosen application window(s) needs to be on top of other existing applications

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing modes: Application Server mode 2/3 u Need for remote control of application server u Application server configured with names and locations of applications available for sharing u Application server registers with SM u Participants provided with capability of remote controlling the applications server, including  starting new applications  initiating the sharing process for an already running application  changing the size and the location of the shared application window u All protocol communications are sent to the SM, which in turn relays them to the application server, and vice versa in the reverse direction

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing modes: Application Server mode 3/3 An image of the shared application window A miniature of the application server main screen along with shared application window Remote control interface A remote control scenario of the sharing tool engine on the application server

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing modes: Local Sharing mode 1/2  Relying on the application server as single source of applications to be shared represents a single point of failure.  Need for local sharing mode (peer to peer)  Any participant can share any running tool on his/her desktop  Intelligent manipulation of IRI-Easy GUI  a participant has to control the GUI and the shared tool, with the requirement that the shared tool remains on top at all times for correct capture process operation  Solution: Automated GUI resizing policy visible screen is split in half with one half being occupied by the IRI GUI, and the other half left available to place the shared tool in

June 2004ED-MEDIA Tool Sharing modes: Local Sharing mode 2/2 Shared tool IRI GUI automatically resized to provide space for the shared tool An image of the shared window as part of IRI- Easy GUI a local tool sharing scenario

June 2004ED-MEDIA Conclusions u IRI-Easy  On the fly set up and join of collaborative sessions  Caters for heterogeneous network environments u Sharing tool engine (IPV) u Two tool sharing flavors  Application server mode  Local sharing mode u Versatile sharing scenarios enhancing teaching and learning experience in interactive distance learning systems

June 2004ED-MEDIA Future Work u investigate the feasibility of simultaneously combining both tool sharing modes within a session u automate the discovery of applications available on the application server removing the necessity for pre- configuration of application server u port the sharing tool engine sender component native calls into other platforms such as Linux