Videoconference at CERN Joao Fernandes CERN-IT-UDS Video Services

CERN  CERN –2500 employees on 2 sites (CH-F) –More than 9000 users  Videoconference use cases: –95% of meetings from 8h30 to 20h30 Geneva time: LHC experiments: collaborations of ~2000 people worldwide spreadLHC experiments: collaborations of ~2000 people worldwide spread –High-level communications between institutes worldwide Permanent video links between Europe and USPermanent video links between Europe and US –Special events Conferences, Commemorations, Outreach activities…Conferences, Commemorations, Outreach activities… –Job Interviews  Scale –2000 VC meetings/month (CERN, 160+ Institutes in 37 countries) –4500 VC connections/month (Desktops, Room systems and Telephone)

CERN videoconference venues  35 equipped rooms (8 in project)  All reequipped between 2007 and 2008  Global project along 3 main lines: –Homogeneity of interfaces –System reliability –Remote Administration/Support  Various sizes and configurations –From 6 people (small meeting rooms) to people (amphitheatres)  All Equipped with H.323/SIP compliant equipment

CERN videoconference Services  EVO (provided by Caltech) –Widely used in the LHC (75% of sessions) – –Access from Equipped meeting rooms (H.323-compatible)Equipped meeting rooms (H.323-compatible) Offices (desktops/laptops)Offices (desktops/laptops) –JWS (Java Web start) application –Multiplatform (windows, Mac, Linux) –Integrates Recording systemRecording system ChatChat Presence detectionPresence detection –Scale hundreds of participants (peak currently at 212 participants in the same session)hundreds of participants (peak currently at 212 participants in the same session)

CERN videoconference Services  H.323-based Videoconference –Industry Standard –Point to point (direct connection from one endpoint to the other) –MCU (multipoint control units) – expensive hardware units on which the H.323 endpoints can connect for meetings with more than 2 sites Embedded small MCUs in VC codecs (<5 sites)Embedded small MCUs in VC codecs (<5 sites) MCU servicesMCU services –CERN (in operation since 2009) –EsNet in the USA –RMS in France –DFN in Germany –Scale: Limited by the number of ports (usual average of 10 to 20 sites per meeting)Limited by the number of ports (usual average of 10 to 20 sites per meeting)

Use Case Examples  95% remote sessions –8h00-21h00 (Geneva time) –LHC Experiments Working groups worldwide spreadWorking groups worldwide spread Experiment Weekly Status updateExperiment Weekly Status update More than 300+ participants combined (videoconference and webcast) More than 300+ participants combined (videoconference and webcast)

Use Case Examples  Permanent Video Communications with “constant presence” between several centers Europe, US, Asia and OceaniaEurope, US, Asia and Oceania –Remote Shifts –Monitoring –High Definition systems Quality of Presence is an important requirement Quality of Presence is an important requirement Chicago, US Control Center CMS (DESY, Hamburg) CMS Control Center (CERN)

Use Case Examples  Outreach Activities –Masterclasses (students from several parts of the world join in VC): once per year, during 3 weeksonce per year, during 3 weeks –6 institutes per day (of a total of 90)

Stats of Usage  CERN Institutes in 37 countries

Stats of Usage  4500 unique connections (H.323 devices, Laptops/Desktops and phone

Remote Administration  Centralized H.323 endpoints manager: TMS (Tandberg Management Suite) –Usage statistics –Diagnostics and Alarms –Software update  Projectors with IP connections –Ex. at CERN: EPSON EMP-83, ProjectionDesign –Diagnostics –Remaining lamp hours –Remote management interface (mostly to switch off the device at the end of the day, and switch it on when preparing a session)  CERN Management Framework (CMF) for automated PC management –SW updates, Central Configurations

Remote Support  At CERN the VC support has been outsourced –Provided by the computing helpdesk –Mostly done remotely Startup sessionsStartup sessions MonitoringMonitoring DebuggingDebugging –Only the 3 rd line is done by CERN staff  Remote support done by –Phone –Videoconference (operators’ desk equipped for it) –Netcams in the rooms –VNC installed on room PCs

 Thank you for your Attention  Any Questions?