Videoconferencing update

Videoconferencing update A. Flavell, Glasgow Univ. For HEPSYSMAN meeting July 2004

Overview Technologies and protocols CSMM Working Group Services • JVCS services bundle (studio-class upwards) • JVCS Conference on Demand (ad hoc H.323) • ESnet (ECS) services bundle (USA AUP) • VRVS services bundle • Access Grid (AG) • GDS Global dial(l)ing Scheme Kit and client software

Technologies: protocols • H.323: industry standard for v.c. over IP • Vic/rat: early apps from Mbone, still used and developed by VRVS, by AccessGrid, and others; unicast and multicast-capable. • SIP: lightweight protocol, VoIP and low-end videoconf., increasing in importance • H.320/ISDN: fading (but some kinds of user insist on ISDN for confidentiality...)

* CSMM Working Group • Christian Helft (LAL) is chairing a HEPCCC-HTASC working group on videoconferencing, with an international membership. Meetings are in the CERN Agenda system. • Several meetings have been held this year with video participation

Services: JVCS • JVCS = JVCSS (ISDN) + JVCS-IP (H.323) • http://www.jvcs.video.ja.net/docs/jvcsip.shtml • H.323 Kit was purchased centrally and deployed to sites. This is 2Mb/s studio-quality kit. Kit includes local gatekeepers. • Users with own kit (hardware codec and Q/A testing are mandatory) may join via their campus v.c administration and gatekeeper. • Sessions must be booked

JVCS continued • QA tests at 6month intervals. (Else as "guest".) • Bookable service intended for studio- or room-sized, not personal systems. • JVCS also offers a separate data-sharing service, using the data sharing component of Windows NetMeeting. http://jvcsbook.ja.net/docs/datash/

* Conference on Demand (CoD) • New JVCS H.323 offering, ~= to ESnet ad-hoc • Pilot operation now open for applicants http://www.ja.net/development/video/cod/http://www.jvcs.ja.net/cod/ • Low-end clients can use the system • Must be booked, but booking can be immediate • Uses Global Dialling Scheme • Registration either via campus gatekeeper (preferred?) or direct with the service (discussed shortly)

* CoD Registration? • CoD web page says register your existing E.164 GDS identity, or sign up for one of theirs • Seems to me that longer-term, one will need a campus-based registration scheme anyway • Glasgow networking staff are tending towards asking users to register with them first and then sign-up for CoD, but there's no definite scheme in place yet • Campus identity will be more evidently associated with campus; any special networking requirements (firewall, QoS) can be more-effectively dealt with.

* CoD Registration...? • There may be other situations where you need to use your campus GK; and reconfiguring H.323 clients is a chore. • For all these reasons, I'd recommend taking advice on your own campus before signing up for CoD. • PDF manual is online from the web page

* Using CoD • Registered users access the system by a web page • The system calls the participants who have been configured into the conference. Others can be added later, even while conference in progress • Guest participants can be included by IP address or by GDS E.164 identity. Note the benefit of an E.164 identity for users who have a dynamic IP. • Voice-switched or "continuous presence" modes • Various chair-control features are available • Overall it looks impressive.

ESnet ("ECS") • ESnet AUP requires USA participation in principle • Users of ECS services must in general register for use beforehand. Unregistered users cannot simply walk up and get service. • New bookable system now in service, includes ISDN and H.323/IP connections, replacing old "DCS" under the general "ECS" banner http://www.ecs.es.net/ • Expanded H.323 "ad hoc" service • A separate ECS service (MeetingPlace) offers data sharing plus voice-only phone conferencing

ESnet ECS • Ad-hoc H.323 service: in general approves only hardware-based codecs, but GnomeMeeting now also permitted, and some users are reporting good results. Use the ALSA sound system! • ESnet uses own H.323 addressing space: only very limited interworking with the Global scheme (GDS) • In practice, many users of the old ISDN DCS have migrated to H.323 ad-hoc instead of the new bookable service • Phone dial-in to ad-hoc meetings: 1-510-883-7860 and at the prompt, key the meeting-id followed by the # sign, e.g 821234#

ESnet user experience • Our CDF users used DCS successfully via H.323 gateway for a long time. • They were also early adopters of the ECS ad-hoc H.323 facility, and use it frequently. • This with our Zydacron, or with ViaVideo (software version 2.2, or 5). • Also used from laptop on wireless LAN; from home on cable... • The ad hoc MCU does NOT have rate matching, and requires G.711 64k for audio (awkward for 128k home cable access; fine from 256k cable).

ESnet user experience... • A large-ish multipoint meeting was held by the CSMM (meeting 2), with audio/video via the ad hoc H.323, and data sharing via MeetingPlace. • Some teething problems with the data sharing, as many participants were using it for the first time; but overall good results. Several participants presented application windows or whole desktops during the course of the meeting. • Cluttered screen display - probably best to have separate displays or even separate PCs/laptops for the video and for the data sharing.

VRVS • Users must register and assign a password • Several dedicated communities. Users outside those communities register in Universe • Service offerings as before: browser-based control panel, vic/rat, H.323 etc., chat window, data sharing via VNC. Added SIP. • Browser compatibility improved.

VRVS user experience • Experience with the new VRVS version is good. • Chief problems with VRVS are casual users with random PC hardware. Regular users typically get better results. • Poor video display on some H.323 clients (Zydacron, GnomeMeeting) can be worked-around by going to the video display mode menu and choosing "All Streams": the VRVS server then launches vic and the H.323 video display can be minimised.

AccessGrid • An ambitious multi-site continuous-presence studio-quality offering. • Based on IP multicast (this still causes some problems at the edges.) • I'm showing Glasgow just as an example... • Glasgow eScience accessgrid node in our building, V.good results, but needs an operator. http://www.nesc.ac.uk/hub/resources/ag/ • Somewhat incompatible with other technologies.

AccessGrid (2) • Central video studio is also setup for AG http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/computing/video/ • Excellent for large-scale multi-site events • Our users want less-formal self service day to day working contacts which don't involve planning, booking, going to a special room, needing an operator...

H.323 GDS: Global Dialling Scheme • A world-wide dialling scheme for H.323 analogous to international telephone dialling, see http://www.jvcs.video.ja.net/docs/jvcsip.shtml#010 or http://www.unc.edu/video/videnet/faq/ • JVCS-IP participates in the scheme and uses it • Example 004401158215454: 00 = international prefix, 44=GB/UK, 01158 is JVCS->Glasgow Univ., and 215454 is our Zydacron (while registered to the campus GK) • ESnet does not use this scheme; access to/from it is quite limited (security worries).

* Kit purchase • http://www.video.ja.net/vcproducts/ offers an updated review of: • products costing from zero (given a suitable equipped PC), up to £15K and more, for different kinds of requirement • and reports of interoperability testing

Kit purchase (2) • If just VRVS is required, then anything which supports vic/rat will do (webcam etc) but beware of kooky audio. *Full duplex driver* (ALSA) • For H.323, find out whether software codecs (e.g NetMeeting or GnomeMeeting) are acceptable to your MCU provider, or not. (Often "not", for justifiable reasons). • Hardware codecs generally support only Windows OSes (or are self-contained products)

Kit purchase (3) • ESnet evaluated new VCON Vigo package launched in USA, and were well impressed. USB-connected; allows external video input; also delivers a software codec (cannot be purchased separately) for travel use etc. US$699 - still awaiting European launch of the new model? • Polycom Viavideo II - new model hardware (clue: grey instead of black). Current software (v5.1) supports both models. Eye-candy UI is not well liked by some, but it works.

Conclusions • Desktop videoconferencing is working for the community: several groups say we couldn't have survived without. • There are some glitches, complexity, and duplication of service offerings, but not of our making. • For studio work we still look to our central campus service, or AG. Some other groups have own kit. • AG good for big jamborees, less so for everyday • I still feel that data-sharing is under-used, maybe because of the different service offerings and user perception of complexity, but I'd recommend promoting its use.

The End

Videoconferencing update