Connect. Communicate. Collaborate A collaboration overview: From TF�VSS to GN2 SA6 András Kovács, NIIF/HUNGARNET GN3 SA3#T4 educonf Workshop, Lisbon 19 October 2010
Introduction – a bit of history Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • National VC services: – Endpoint deployment: end of 90s – Global Dialing Scheme (ViDeNet/Internet2) • Connecting NREN VC deployments • TERENA platform for VC / multimedia co#operation: – TF#STREAM, TF#Netcast → TF�Media (streaming) – TF#VVC, TF#ECS, TF#VSS (VoIP/VC) – IP Telephony cookbook – NRENum.net service • Back in 2006: – Lack of joint efforts – Lack of coordination between NREN service groups – GDS → low service quality – Strong need for European level service: • No idea about its content & scope!
TF�VSS study Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • TF#VSS: Videoconference Service Studies – http://www.terena.org/activities/tf#vss/ – Mandate: Oct. 2006 – Sept. 2007 – Preceded by failed GN2 activity proposal (2006) 1. Survey: 19 NRENs / 11 universities • Services currently offered • Deployed equipment capabilities: – H.460 (fw/NAT), H.239 (content), H.264 – Resolutions: sub#SD/SD/HD • Service development plans – ISDN, SIP • Future European service content 2. Service requirements and specification 3. Input to GN2 proposal in 2007
TF�VSS survey results Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • 95% would support an European level VC service • 80% for standard based VC (H.323/SIP), but: – Not user friendly technology – Endpoint configuration is complex (desktop!) – FW/NAT traversal is painful (desktop!) – H.239 screen sharing needed – Central searchable directory • H.323 will remain for years (legacy endpoints) • GDS: important, would use anything better • MCU has primary importance • Common authentication framework (eduGAIN / Shib. AAI) • Other applications: – VRVS, Access Grid, Mbone tools, Breeze (Adobe): 20#30% – Skype: 50#100% (!)
TF�VSS survey results Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • European service desired content: – 80% user support, communication channels – 80% data/screen sharing – 75% conference scheduling – 65% multipoint conference – 65% free registrar / proxy – 60% conference recording / streaming – 60% common authentication – 60% localization – 50% ongoing conference control – 50% large conferences
TF�VSS: multipoint considerations Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Shared MCU booking drawbacks: – Diverse hw → quality (?), diverse features – Difficult monitoring & reporting – Support from multiple NRENs for multiple MCU hw – Cost of support multiplied – Cost sharing? – MCU APIs: security considerations – Distributed gateways? (e.g. PSTN) – No preference possible to local usage – Enormous resource needs for sw development • TF#VSS suggested to have a central resource: – Cheaper, better service quality, stable – Lower required contributions from NRENs
GN2 SA6 “educonf” Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • New SA in GN2 started 09/2007 (Y4 + 6 months) • SA6 partners: CARNET, CESNET, GRNET, HEANET, HUNGARNET, NORDUnet, PSNC, REDIRIS, SWITCH, TERENA, UoM • Budgeted effort: ~ 54MM (Y4 + 6 months) • Service name: ������� • SA6 activity structure: – Work Item 1: Design, planning – Work Item 2: Implementation, service operations
Activity objectives I. Connect. Communicate. Collaborate 1. Address the lack of end�user trust in inter�NREN videoconferencing services: – Co#ordination between NREN VoIP/VC groups – Slow problem identification and resolution – Negative end#user experience 2. Improve the efficiency of inter�NREN problem identification and resolution by: – Defined organizational structure – Common management tools and apps. – Source of information
Activity objectives II. Connect. Communicate. Collaborate 3. Help locating VC/VoIP service information and support organising videoconferences: – Facility to locate service contact points, endpoints – Support seeking new partnerships – Support organisation of multi#party conferences 4. Address the digital divide by multipoint VC resources to support European projects and researchers: – MCU resources volunteered, without guarantees – No multipoint VC service in many countries – “Home for the homeless” concept
Achievements covering Obj. No. 1�2. Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Improve co#ordination between NREN groups: – Defined structure of communication • educonf#admins, #tickets mailing lists – Public service website – Directory (see Obj. No. 3.) – source of information – Trouble Ticketing System – Interdomain VC/VoIP monitoring system – Knowledge base: • User documentation • Guidelines to use/join educonf service(s)
Website Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • http://educonf.geant2.net (starting point)
TTS Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • http://educonf.geant2.net/otrs/ • OTRS (modification by SA5) • eduGAIN AAI access • Available for educonf members, NREN admins • Defined procedures to handle problems • Lessons: – Not used at all – OTRS is a nightmare
Monitoring system I. Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Monitor unstable H.323 GDS connecting NREN services
Monitoring system II. Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Interdomain distributed H.323 (GDS) monitoring • Based on Nagios+NagVis and OpalVoip library test tool • Own developed Nagios plugin • Public connectivity matrix • Identified hidden problems • Lessons: – Very useful, must to have! – Shows false negatives
Knowledge Base wiki Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • http://educonf.geant2.net/wiki/ + eduGAIN AAI • Wiki content: – Admin guide to join educonf directory – Admin guide to establish an educonf monitoring node – Troubleshooting procedures – Glossary (technology) – Using educonf services (directory, monitoring) – Dialing schemes and how to use them (calling)? – Other admin and end#user help • Community wiki for NREN/organizational admins • Lessons learned: no material added by partners
Procedures – operational roles Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Service infrastructure admins: – System admins (server, OS, web server, etc.) – Directory admins (directory components) – Monitoring admins (monitoring components) • Expert#on#Duty (EoD): – Coordinating international problem resolution – Rely on helpdesk tools • All roles on round robin basis by NRENs • Lessons learned: – Round robin maintenance by NRENs DOES NOT work – Cannot implement EoD (no contribs) – Inefficient
Obj. No. 3. � Directory Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Distributed directory service: – Based on XML data provided by data maintainers (HTTPS) – Complex schema, many optional elements – Regular data harvesting – Storing in and retrieval from central XML DB – Search by: web forms and geographical location • Joined: all SA6 partners, some GN2 partners (BE, DE, NL, SI) • Lessons learned: – Complex data schema is daunting (80% is optional) – Useful for service admins (contact points) • No endpoint info is supplied by members • Partly useful for end�users: – Central directory delivered to endpoints
Obj. No. 3. � Directory Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Scope of information: – Basic organizational info • Your contact points (general, service admins) – Prefixes of your organization and their reachability (routing) – Test numbers to test connectivity – Your gatekeepers and SIP proxies – Your MCUs and their use policies – VC endpoint deployment info, geographical view
Obj. No. 3. – Directory Geographical visualization Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • URL: http://educonf.geant2.net/gmap/ • Visual search through map interface – Organization data – Contact points – Endpoints – Prefixes of organizations • Directory XML DB used • Google Maps based visualization
Obj. No. 4. � Multipoint Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • A GN2 provided multipoint VC service: – Shared booking is not an option! (resource) • Concerns: – Any end#user service on European level: • Competing with NREN servicesQ • Full NREN consensus required (not in GN2 SA6) – End#user support scalability problem: • Whole EU? ~30M users??? – Decision taken not to implement – Some technology tests done • Lessons: – Can we avoid competitiveness to NRENs’ services? – Concept is against current service models
GN2 SA6 evaluation Connect. Communicate. Collaborate • Was no NREN consensus for an end#user service: – Needs collective decision and strategy – Unclear strategy and commitment – Service model change? • SA6 created supporting services for VC admins • Jammed between H.323/SIP devicesQ – Qand easy#to#use desktop needs – Federated concept – Connect “now” with any device: • PSTN, VoIP, Videoconference • Desktop focus required – Enormously complex task
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