1. Manchester Computing Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science Michael Daw 1 September 2004 All Hands Meeting, Nottingham Introducing… the Access Grid Support Centre Enhancing the Quality of Access Grid for UK Academia

2. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science2 Content Summary  Very short intro to Access Grid  Extent of Access Grid in UK  Why a support centre?  Services offered by the AGSC  The future

3. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science3 What is Access Grid?

4. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science4 Extent of Access Grid in the UK  National & Regional e-Science Centres = >12 nodes  Centres of Excellence = ~7 nodes  ESRC will be = 8 nodes  Misc. others = ~5 nodes  Total = ~32 nodes and rising

5. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science5 Why a Support Centre?  Oct 2002 – report: “Multi-Site Videoconferencing for the UK e-Science Programme” (http://www.nesc.ac.uk/technical_papers/UKeS-2002- 04.html)http://www.nesc.ac.uk/technical_papers/UKeS-2002- 04.html  Recommendation to establish a support centre to “assure quality across sites”  AGSC established in April 2004 @ University of Manchester  Funded by JISC, managed by UKERNA

6. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science6 General Support  1 st & 2 nd line support – for node ops / end-users  Advice on hardware, software, configurations, etc.  Procurement advice

7. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science7 Virtual Venue Servers  InSORS: –All original venues (Full Sail, Bridgeport, etc.) –All UK institutional venues –AGSC-specific venues –Any venue you want!  AG2: –Same venues as inSORS VVS –UK e-Science X.509 certificates (or regular AG certs) –Can set up secure venues (based on DN) for your group –All the features of AG2 (shared docs, shared apps, etc.)

8. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science8 Multicast-Unicast Bridge  Always available  Always on  Supports same venues as inSORS VVS  Supports any venue you want!  Must be registered to use

9. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science9 IG Pix  Product from inSORS  Allows shared presentations  Slides viewed via web browser  No need for specialist client software  No need to distribute files beforehand  More features than DPPT (e.g. transitions work)  Available free to registered users

10. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science10 IG Recorder  Product from inSORS  Allows recording of AG events

11. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science11 QA Testing  Aim: to improve the AG experience for users  Audio –Echo –General quality  Video –General quality –Picture construction  Networking –Multicast –Use of beacons  Collaborative software –IG Pix –VNC

12. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science12 Training  Workshops and courses (first tranche – 10-14 Jan 2005)  Probable topics: –Intro to Access Grid –Making the most of the AGSC –Configuring the echo canceller –Audio debugging –Running successful events –Using collaborative tools –Any others in demand  On-line documentation, in collaboration with the AGDP

13. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science13 The Future  Rollout of enhancements to the AG  Help implement results of UKERNA reports: –Interoperability (H.323, VRVS) –Booking systems (integration with JVCS booking system, research into interoperability) –New R&D projects…?  Other improvements to our service

14. Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science14 Using the AGSC  13 nodes currently registered – we want to catch all of them!  Nodes must register for a QA test to get the benefits: http://www.agsc.ja.net/QAtesting/testrequest.htm http://www.agsc.ja.net/QAtesting/testrequest.htm  Contact details: –http://www.agsc.ja.nethttp://www.agsc.ja.net –support@agsc.ja.netsupport@agsc.ja.net –0161 275 6824/5997

15. Manchester Computing Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science Contact Details http://www.sve.man.ac.uk/General/Staff/daw michael.daw@man.ac.uk SVE @ Manchester Computing