AccesGrid is a presentation and interactive environment based on multimedia and software elements, with interface to middleware grid, interfaces to visualization environments that allow holding large-scale distributed meetings, collaborative work sessions, seminars, talks, tutoring sessions and training.
AccesGrid (AG) makes the interaction among groups easier thanks to the grid, contrary to the point-by-point interaction to which people are used through conference via telephone or desktop. It will be done by means of multicast and it is, theoretically, infinitely scalable. The AG nodes are infrastructures with this aim, they are designed spaces, what means that they have, by default, great-dimension screens, several video cameras, microphones, a meticulous audio installation and a distributed application environment.
It provides data visualization and sharing elements that will enable the multiple sites to visualize and interact with the data in real time, allowing to do decision-making in a shorter time period. The visualized data can be shared through high-resolution video streaming, 3D interactive graphics or desktop sharing.
AG provides electronic spaces that are always available in order to increase the growth of the on-line communities. The persistent nature enables multiple physical localizations to access the same virtual space and to collaborate with a minimal technical preparation.
AG arose from the computational grid (Globus) aiming to cover up the need of human interaction and collaboration in it.
The research process was carried out by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Partnerships for Advanced Computational Infrastructure (PACI), and it is an initiative of the National Computational Science Alliance (Alliance).
Two of the main organizations involved are the Argonne National Laboratory: Future Laboratory (FL) and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).
Characteristics of the AccessGrid technology
AG enables isolated groups to collaborate in the distance in a real time.
The reduction of the travel costs is an ultimate advantage: time, effort and stress. The researcher can participate in more meetings and more frequently.
The institutions participating in an AG session can communicate with experts and interchange high-quality contents. This allows the local community to expose contents that they wouldn't be able to experience otherwise, AG is a growing and imaginative community that currently has 200 nodes, but this number is still growing.
The desktop sharing, audio and high-resolution characteristics are fundamental points that allow an interaction with results.
video H261(352x288) 25fps 800kbps
audio L16-16k-Mono 256kbps
desktop VNC 500-3000kbps
The Access Grid Toolkit (AGTK) is being actively developed by an open community based on Open Source software, allowing thus the innovation and quick development.
Technical equipment
The first thing we need is a suitable and stable network configuration. Multicast support must be provided in the network and in all the routers in the route for the Internet services provider. Multicast is the key to provide scalability of the meetings and to minimize the load in the network, allowing the spread of one single data flow for all the clients from each source, contrary to unicast, which requires each flow to be sent to each client from each source.
The interconnection among the hardware elements in the node must be at least 100BaseT, the maximum download width experimented was 20 Mbps. The upload bandwidth must be at least 2 Mbps.
The physical space configuration is taken into account when planning the node: suitable accommodation for those attending, good acoustics, the minimization of the complexity in the audio management and good illumination for the cameras.
As for the staff requirements, one node needs technical staff, a competent systems programmer/administrator familiar with the Linux/Windows services and the multimedia systems. This administrator will work with technicians experienced in the network area to solve the problems that could derive from the multicast connectivity. It is important to have at hand a node operator familiar with the Access Grid Toolkit and the audio and video equipment during the meetings. Other kind of non-technical staff is also required for the management of events and the room maintenance.
The equipment cost may vary depending on the size of the node. As an estimation, we could indicate between 30,000€ and 60,000€.
AccesGrid is a presentation and interactive environment based on multimedia and software elements, with interface to middleware grid, interfaces to visualization environments that allow holding large-scale distributed meetings, collaborative work sessions, seminars, talks, tutoring sessions and training.
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