Collaboration and Visualization Technology

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Collaboration and Visualization Technology

• Michael E. Papka
• Argonne National Laboratory/University of Chicago

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Outline

• Collaboration Technology
• Access Grid
• Shared Desktop
• Grid Visualization
• Remote Visualization
• Results
• Future Work

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Access Grid
The Access Grid projects focus is 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

• Supporting 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

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Access Grid Overview

• Access Grid 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

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Personal Interface to the Grid

• Single CPU solution
• 2 cameras
• Audio
• Large format display
• Runs AG software

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Tiled Display

• Access Grid
• DMX
• VNC

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Shared Display
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Remote Visualization

• Shared Visualization
• Arbitrary resolution

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Extensions of VTK to AG

• Development of VTK extensions to support
  interaction over the network.

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Extensions of Chromium to AG

• Application Provide high-resolution output for
  existing applications over the Access Grid, with
  a single user interacting with the application.

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AG and Grid Application Integration
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Results

• Access Grid (PIG)
• APS Meeting
• SC 2002
• Access Grid (mMural)
• APS Meeting
• SC 2002
• Grid visualization (geeViz)
• U.S. Transport Task Force Meeting
• International Sherwood Fusion Theory Conference
• APS Meeting
• SC 2002
• Remote visualization
• APS Meeting
• SC 2002

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Future

• Collaboration Technology
• Access Grid 2.0
• Simple Shared Desktop
• Grid Visualization
• Web services
• Remote Visualization
• User interaction

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Access Grid Architecture
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Virtual Venues

• What is a Virtual Venue?
• A Virtual Venue is a virtual space for people to
  collaborate
• What do Virtual Venues provide?
• Entry/Exit 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
• Administrative Venue Management Software
• Client Virtual Venue Client Software

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Network Services

• Network Services
• Provide a middleware layer for enabling the
  richest collaborations
• Are invisible to Venues Clients, used by Virtual
  Venues
• Primarily Transform streaming data
• Can be anywhere on the network
• Can be composed to build complex solutions
• Venue Audio Stream ? Audio Transcoder ? Audio to
  Text ? Two-Way Pager
• Two-Way Pager ? Text to Audio ? Audio Transcoder
  ? Venue Audio Stream
• Network Services provide opportunities for third
  party developers
• ANL is working on Network Services for
• Audio Transcoding (16KHz ? 8KHz)
• Video Stream Selection

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Virtual Venues Client

• Enable face-to-face meeting activities
• What can be done
• Sharing Data
• Shared Applications
• Applications
• Distributed PowerPoint
• Shared Web browser
• Whiteboard
• Voting Tool
• Question Answer Tool
• Shared Desktop Tool
• Integrate legacy single-user apps

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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

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Access Grid 2.0 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
• More Usable Software
• Well Documented Interfaces
• Federated Operation
• Integrate Grid Computing Technology
• AG 2.0 is Web Services based
• AG 2.0 uses GT2.X
• AG 2.0 can enhance an OGSI by providing
  collaboration services

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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

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Summary of Changes from 1.0 to 2.0

• 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

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Access Grid 2.0 Timeline

• Code Available now from
• pserveranonymous_at_ag-cvs.mcs.anl.gov/cvsroot co
  AccessGrid
• 2.0 Alpha 4 Available now!
• Virtual Venues Server
• Transitional Venue Server for AG1.X ? AG2.0
  Migration
• https//vv2.mcs.anl.gov9000/Venues/default (The
  Access Grid Lobby)
• Basic Node Services
• Virtual Venues Client Software
• Venues Management UI
• Beta 2.0 April 15th, 2003
• Final 2.0 Toolkit May 31th, 2003

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Access Grid and Fusion