APAN Advanced Network Conference August 26, 2003

1. APAN Advanced Network Conference August 26, 2003 Rick L. Stevens Michael E. Papka Thomas D. Uram Ivan R. Judson Ti Leggett Robert D. Olson Terry Disz Susanne Lefvert Justin Binns Eric Olson

2. Introduction to the Access Grid Project

3. Focus of the Access Grid Project • To enable groups of people to interact with Grid resources and to use the Grid technology to support group to group collaboration at a distance • Distributed research collaborations • Distributed lectures and seminars • Remote participation in design and development • Virtual site visits and team meetings • Complex distributed grid based applications • Long term collaborative workflows

4. Ad Hoc Collaboration

5. Interactive Scientific Computing

6. Group-to-Group Interaction is Different • Large-scale scientific and technical collaborations often involve multiple teams working together • “Presence” requires multiple views from each site, and a large-scale display • Group-to-group interactions are more complex than individual-to-individual interactions • The Access Grid project is aimed at exploring and supporting this more complex set of requirements and functions

7. Access Grid Project Goals • Enable Group-to-Group Interaction and Collaboration • Connecting People and Teams via the Grid • Improve the user experience: Go beyond teleconferencing • Provide a sense of presence • Stress coherence • Support Natural Interaction Modalities • Use quality but affordable digital IP-based audio/video • Leverage IP Open Source Tools • Enable complex multisite visual and collaborative Experiences • Integrate With High-end Visualization Environments • ActiveMural, Powerwall, CAVE Family, Workbenches • Build on Integrated Grid Services Architecture • Develop New Tools to Specifically Support Group Collaboration

8. Our Approach • Attack Research Questions in the context of real world experience • Build up a critical mass of groups using the AG Platform • Involve multiple groups in trying new ideas and evaluation • Build Working Infrastructure as well as Prototype Software • Argonne has five working AG nodes under development • New software is used weekly/daily • Involve multiple groups in deployment, use and research • Active collaborations with over a dozen groups working on AG technology • Release software early and often (use open source model) • Contribute to the Community Code base

9. Hands free audio Multiple Video and Audio streams Wide field of view Virtual collaborative spaces Secure Rooms Integration with Grid services The Access Grid: a collection of designed spaces enabling group to group interaction

10. Access Grid and Collaboration TechnologiesConnecting People and Applications via the Grid Access Grid  Integrating Group to Group Collaboration and Visualization

11. Access Grid in practice • Distance Learning • CS courses between universities in Montana, New Mexico, and Alaska • Scientific Collaboration • Regular TeraGrid meetings • Fusion Collaboratory • Scientific Workspaces of the Future • Computational Biology • Atmospheric Research • Commercial Use • Boeing • Johnson & Johnson • Ford

12. Access Grid vs. Commercial Desktop Tools • AG targets beyond the desktop • large format multi-screen for AG Global Channels • room scale hands free full-duplex audio • AG uses dedicated hardware • multiple machines, separation of function NT, Linux • AG software is Open Source • extends and builds on community tools • AG environment is integrated with Grid services • extensible framework designed to “plug-into” the Grid • AG development is a Community Effort • you are welcome to join in the fun!!

13. Interesting AG facts • Over 200 AG nodes deployed worldwide in the R&D community • Over 8000 messages to ag-tech@mcs.anl.gov since it was created ( 5-8 per day) • Over 5000 downloads of AG1.x • Over 2000 downloads of AG2.x (alphas, betas, RCx) • Over 350 security certificates signed since January 2003 • 76,700 Access Grid hits on Google • 251 sites linked to www.accessgrid.org site • Europe and Asia-Pacific have established regional support structures for the AG community

14. AG World on a map

15. AG World on a slide

16. User AG 1.0 Feedback  AG 2.0 Requirements • Desire for an Integrated venues client • Reduce workload on AG operators • Easier node installation and configuration • Single machines • Ability to run venue servers • Expand the number and nature of venues • Secure venues • End to end security • Support for non-multicast environments • Multicast support is still not optimal at many locations • Robust distributed PowerPoint • PPT is the most requested application!! • Scalable client solutions (laptops to rooms) • All interesting platforms • Media tool improvements • New codecs, etc. • Identify users • Open the API to simply integration of collaborative tools

17. Access Grid 2.x Overview

18. Access Grid 2 Design Requirements • Secure Communication Throughout • Reliable, Robust Data Transport • Example: Network Failover Technology • More Diverse Reference Platforms • Handhelds  High End Solutions • Personal and Shared Nodes • Improved Usability • Well Documented Interfaces • Federated Operation • Integrate Grid Computing Technology • AG 2 is Web Services based • AG 2 uses GT2.X • AG 2 can enhance OGSI by providing collaboration services

19. What is the Access Grid? • Virtual Venues • Places where users collaborate • Network Services • Advanced Middleware • Virtual Venues Client • User Software • Nodes • Shared Nodes • Administratively scoped set of resources • Personal Nodes • User scoped set of Resources • Resources • Provide capabilities • Users collaborate by sharing: • Data • Applications • Resources Match services (streams) between nodes, vehicle for adding functionality (e.g. fault mgmt) Add nodes to a venue Collections of resources, presented as “services” Applications, streaming data, hardware

20. Virtual Venues • What is a Virtual Venue? • A Virtual Venue is a virtual space for people to collaborate • What do Virtual Venues provide? • Authorization Information • Connections to other Venues • Coherence among Users • Venue Environment, Users, Data • Client Capabilities Negotiation • List of Available Network Services • Keep track of resulting Stream Configurations • Applications • Virtual Venues have two interfaces • Client – Virtual Venue Client Software • Administrative – Venue Management Software

21. Virtual Venues Client • Enable face-to-face meeting activities • What can be done: • Sharing Data • Shared Applications • Text chat • Applications: • Shared Presentation • Shared Web browser • Whiteboard • Voting Tool • Question & Answer Tool • Shared Desktop Tool • Integrate legacy single-user apps • Communicates media addresses to node service

22. Access Grid Nodes • Access Grid Nodes • Comprise a set of collaboration resources • Expose those resources through Node Services • Basic Node Services include: • Audio & Video Services • Network Performance Monitoring Service • Network Reliability/Fallback Service • Leashing Service – Registering presence with a shared node • Extended Node Services could be: • Display Service with enhanced layout control • Video Service supporting new CODECs • Automatic performance adaptation • Application Hosting Service

23. Access Grid Nodes • Access Grid 2.0 reference platforms: • Advanced Node – Tiled Display, Multiple Video Streams, Localized Audio • Room Node – Shared Display, Multiple Video Streams, Single Audio Stream (AG 1.x Node) • Desktop Node – Desktop Monitor, Multiple Video Streams, Single Audio Stream (AG 1.X PIG) • Laptop Node – Laptop Display, Single Video Stream, Single Audio Stream • Minimal Node – Compact Display, Single Video Stream, Single Audio Stream • What Hardware? • Cameras, Microphones, Speakers, Display, Input Devices • Get Audio Correct! • Software Requirements? • Python 2.2, wxPython, GT2.0, pyGlobus

24. Nodes and Node Management • An AG Node often consists of multiple machines • The single central NodeService communicates with a ServiceManager on each machine

25. Nodes and Node Management • Users install available services to establish the capabilities of the Node • Each service extends the collaborative capabilities of the Node • Services are simple to develop and integrate, facilitating third-party development

26. Nodes and Node Management • The structure of an AG2 Node is more flexible than AG1 Nodes. On a personal Node, all the services would run on a single machine.

27. Nodes and Node Management • Node Services • Expose resources on the machines in the node • Implement a specific network interface • Provide capabilities to the node • Video, h261, 25fps • Audio, 16kHz

28. Access Grid Architecture

29. Access Grid Architecture

30. Access Grid Architecture

31. Access Grid Architecture

32. 1.0 Virtual Venues Static Media Configurations Assumed Multicast Technology Single Server assumption Virtual Venues Client Web Browser Nodes Non-extensible single reference platform AG 1.1 1.2 PIGs introduced Applications layered outside of AG software 2.0 Virtual Venues Dynamic Media Configurations Capability Brokering Functionality Integrated Data Storage Support for highly scalable deployments Multicast Addressing Topological Simplicity (connections as URLs) Virtual Venues Client Streamlined Client Integrated Grid Security Workspace Docking Application Development Interfaces Exposed Nodes Nodes defined in terms of resources Management UI Interfaces exposed for building new Services Broader set of Reference Platforms Applications Venue Hosted Collaborative Apps Network Services Summary of Changes from 1.x to 2.0

33. 2.1 Virtual Venues Re-engineered Data Storage Unicast fallback Authorization Layer Complete Administrators Role Allowed Entry Role Disallowed Entry Role Virtual Venues Client Simplified Certificate Management Nodes Node Setup Wizard Node Service Examples Applications Completed Shared Presentation Viewer Network Services 2.0 Virtual Venues Dynamic Media Configurations Capability Brokering Functionality Integrated Data Storage Support for highly scalable deployments Multicast Addressing Topological Simplicity (connections as URLs) Virtual Venues Client Streamlined Client Integrated Grid Security Workspace Docking Application Development Interfaces Exposed Nodes Nodes defined in terms of resources Management UI Interfaces exposed for building new Services Broader set of Reference Platforms Applications Venue Hosted Collaborative Apps Network Services Summary of Changes from 2.0 to 2.1

34. Installation

35. Getting Started with the AGTk • Installation • Personal Node Setup • Laptop and Desktop Reference Platforms • Room Node Setup

36. Installation • Platforms • Windows XP • Redhat 7.3 (9.0 support near) • Mac OSX port underway • Prerequisites • Python 2.2 • wxPython 2.4.0 • Access Grid software: http://www.mcs.anl.gov/fl/research/accessgrid/software/releases/2.1

37. Linux Ships with RedHat 7.3, 8.0, and 9 Windows ActiveState Python comes standard with Win32 extensions Python 2.2

38. Linux Need wxGTK and wxPythonGTK Windows Only need wxPython wxPython

39. Installing AGTk 2.x • Windows Installer

40. Installing AGTk 2.x • Linux tarball (RPMs and install script) • tar xvzf AccessGrid-2.1-3.tar.gz • cd AccessGrid-2.1-3 • ./install.sh

41. Certificate Request Tool • An X509 certificate is required to use AG2 • The transitional venue server (TVS) recognizes certificates issued by particular certificate authorities, one of which is run by the Access Grid development group (agdev-ca) • A certificate can be requested from the agdev-ca using the Certificate Request Tool

42. Certificate Request Tool

43. Certificate Request Tool

44. Certificate Request Tool

45. Certificate Request Tool

46. Certificate Request Tool • Certificates will be issued within two business days • Certificate Request Tool indicates status of pending requests

47. Configuration

48. Node Setup Wizard

49. Node Setup Wizard

50. Node Setup Wizard