Hong Kong IP Multicast Initiative Supported by: Department of Information Engineering The Chinese University of Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission

Overview Background – What is IP Multicast? Motivation Challenges HKIPMI – the Multicast Enabler HKIPMI Industry Consortium HKIPMI Solutions HKIPMI Activities

Background – What is IP Multicast?

Under a Unicast scenario… To get the same, duplicated set of data, each end-user establishes his own connection with the server => Not scalable

Under a Multicast scenario… Only one set of duplicated data is sent out from the server. Network loading is tremendously truncated => Scalable

Motivation

Motivation u Infrastructure u Availability of broadband Internet access Supports multimedia data delivery u Intelligent building with integrated broadband residential network Low-cost, easy-to-use, and available

u Next Wave of Services and Applications u Video multicast TV over Internet u Multicasted information services News distribution, financial applications u Multi-party video conferencing Motivation All these require one-to-many data delivery

u Uniqueness of Hong Kong u Small geographical area deploying regional broadband networks is economically feasible u Timing Infrastructures are in the construction phase, which is a crucial time to incorporate new and better technologies Motivation

Challenges

Challenges  How to build new multicast-ready networks?  How to upgrade existing networks to support multicast data delivery?  How to efficiently deliver multicast information?  How to manage network resources and provide quality-of-service control?

HKIPMI – the Multicast Enabler HKIPMI – the Multicast Enabler

u Established in Oct 2000 by the Department of Information Engineering, CUHK u Funded by the Innovation and Technology Fund and private sponsors for 32 months u Non-profit making u Mission To jump-start the local industry in the adoption, deployment, and application of IP Multicast technologies.

Objectives: Promoting and disseminating of IP multicast technologies. Creating a synergy among Hong Kong’s IT professionals Running the Multicast Inter-operability Testbed Developing the Multicast Network Resource Management Suite (NRMS) Developing demonstrative multicast-ready applications LiveCast InfoCast HKIPMI – the Multicast Enabler HKIPMI – the Multicast Enabler

HKIPMI Industry Consortium – the synergy of IT professionals

HKIPMI Industry Consortium Targeted Sectors u Technology Providers u Infrastructure Providers u Internet Services Providers u Internet Content Providers

Benefits: u Participate in the "IP Multicast Product Directory" in our portal site u Participate in technology promotion and publicity programs u Access to the IP Multicast Interoperability Testbed u Access to IP Multicast Tools and Applications HKIPMI Industry Consortium

Here are some of our Consortium members: HKIPMI received full support from IT companies we met. Their advice can better define our development plan, and in return, we assist them to boost the Multicast development in Hong Kong hand-in-hand. HKIPMI Industry Consortium

HKIPMI Solutions

 HKIPMI Multicast Inter-operability Testbed  Multicast Network Resource Management Suite (NRMS)  Multicast-ready applications  LiveCast  InfoCast

u HKIPMI Multicast Inter-operability Testbed u Perform compatibility tests on network equipment u A trial-run to a 100% Multicast-enabled Hong Kong u Multicast Network Resources Management Suite – the Vanguard of Network Resources Solve multicast-related issues: u Address collision u Fault detection and reporting u Multicast Traffic and Network Monitoring u Resources allocation and prioritization u Receiver authentication u Network Infrastructure Configuration HKIPMI Solutions

u Infocast Demonstrate Multicast performance in data delivery u Livecast Demonstrate Multicast performance in video delivery HKIPMI Solutions

HKIPMI Activities

u International cooperation HKIPMI participates in Internet 2 Multicast Working Group to Foster Multicast technological exchange between Hong Kong and the rest of the world

HKIPMI Activities u Exhibitions Exhibition is an effective medium to spread our message among the local IT industry. In Feb 2000, we participated in the Information Infrastructure Expo held in HKCEC…

Oct Hong Kong Electronics Fair, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Nov 7-9 Internet World 2001, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Nov th Anniversary of Faculty of Engineering, CUHK - IT Fair 2001, In-house Nov ITC’s Innovation Expo, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center HKIPMI Activities

u Contact with local IT practitioners We take an initiative to firm visits and invite IT people to visit our lab We probe their needs to refine our products Delegates from Speedcast Ltd. visited our lab in Jun 2001

Thank you for coming Q&A section – please feel free to ask