Pan-European Pan-European Conferencing Conferencing

ServiceServiceA holistic approach to addressing A holistic approach to addressing the problems experienced in inter-the problems experienced in inter-

NREN NREN video conference meetingsvideo conference meetings

Proposal by the TF-VSS team:Andras Kovacs

Dimitris DaskopoulosCatalyn Meirosu

Assortment of problems Assortment of problems with VC services at the with VC services at the

inter-NREN levelinter-NREN level Uncoordinated communication between VC Uncoordinated communication between VC

support teamssupport teams Unknown reachability status between NREN Unknown reachability status between NREN

MCU and VoIP servicesMCU and VoIP services End-user uncertainty in reliability of VC toolsEnd-user uncertainty in reliability of VC tools Cost of multipoint conferencing hardwareCost of multipoint conferencing hardware Limited availability of audio-only serviceLimited availability of audio-only service Unknown VC options for inviting participantsUnknown VC options for inviting participants Difficult to coordinate local VC support along Difficult to coordinate local VC support along

with participant invitationswith participant invitations

End-user problemsEnd-user problems

Inter-NREN troubles are hard to Inter-NREN troubles are hard to pinpointpinpoint

End-user uncertainty in End-user uncertainty in trustworthiness of conferencing clientstrustworthiness of conferencing clients

Little support for light-weight audio-Little support for light-weight audio-only participantsonly participants

Inviting other participants is hard, not Inviting other participants is hard, not knowing their available VC optionsknowing their available VC options

Hard to map individuals to available Hard to map individuals to available VC admin support at the local levelVC admin support at the local level

Admin problemsAdmin problems

Support for inter-NREN meetings is Support for inter-NREN meetings is ad-hoc at bestad-hoc at best

No readily available status of No readily available status of reachability between NREN reachability between NREN conferencing servicesconferencing services

No central trouble ticketing system for No central trouble ticketing system for coordinating the resolution of problemscoordinating the resolution of problems

Lack of coordination between local Lack of coordination between local conferencing support teamsconferencing support teams

Hardware resource Hardware resource problemsproblems

Multipoint conf services are too Multipoint conf services are too expensive for each and every NREN expensive for each and every NREN to maintainto maintain

Only large NRENs can maintain Only large NRENs can maintain state-of-the-art MCU equipmentstate-of-the-art MCU equipment

Many European institutions Many European institutions currently lack access to MCU currently lack access to MCU servicesservices

Addressing the problemsAddressing the problems

6 point proposal:6 point proposal: Centralized helpdeskCentralized helpdesk Reachability monitorReachability monitor End-user test serviceEnd-user test service Pan-European MCU resourcesPan-European MCU resources Directory-enabled invitation of Directory-enabled invitation of

participantsparticipants Distributed audio-only call-in servicesDistributed audio-only call-in services

Centralized helpdeskCentralized helpdesk

Centralized helpdesk responsible for Centralized helpdesk responsible for resolving inter-NREN reachability and resolving inter-NREN reachability and call-setup problemscall-setup problems

Central contact for coordinating local Central contact for coordinating local conferencing support teamsconferencing support teams

Maintain a trouble ticketing system for Maintain a trouble ticketing system for resolution of problem casesresolution of problem cases

Development: 2 MMDevelopment: 2 MM

Maintenance: 0,5 MM/monthMaintenance: 0,5 MM/month

Reachability monitoringReachability monitoring

Distributed checks of reachability to test Distributed checks of reachability to test numbers from each NREN’s viewnumbers from each NREN’s view

Centralized view of the complete Centralized view of the complete reachability matrix with info gathered reachability matrix with info gathered from peripheral beaconsfrom peripheral beacons

Availability and reliability statistics for Availability and reliability statistics for inter-NREN reachability statusinter-NREN reachability status

Development: 4 MMDevelopment: 4 MM

Maintenance: integrated in helpdesk operationsMaintenance: integrated in helpdesk operations

End-user test serviceEnd-user test service

Publicize locally deployed test numbers Publicize locally deployed test numbers with audio-video echo service for end-user with audio-video echo service for end-user checkschecks

Deploy central test number as well, with Deploy central test number as well, with improved functionality (JANET paradigm)improved functionality (JANET paradigm)

Development: 4 MMDevelopment: 4 MM

Maintenance: integrated in helpdesk operationsMaintenance: integrated in helpdesk operations

Pan-European MCU Pan-European MCU resourcesresources

Procurement of state-of-the-art MCUProcurement of state-of-the-art MCU Extending national services to HD capabilities Extending national services to HD capabilities

not currently availablenot currently available Hosting MCU services for NRENs without oneHosting MCU services for NRENs without one Deployment of VC scheduling web site, Deployment of VC scheduling web site,

integrated with MCU API (based on the SWITCH integrated with MCU API (based on the SWITCH e-conf codebase)e-conf codebase)

AAI enabled web site (EduGAIN compatible and AAI enabled web site (EduGAIN compatible and utilizing the GIdP for the “homeless”) utilizing the GIdP for the “homeless”)

Directory-enabled invitation of participantsDirectory-enabled invitation of participants Free Gatekeeper services with GDS/ENUM Free Gatekeeper services with GDS/ENUM

accessibility for the “homeless”accessibility for the “homeless”

Development: 6 MMDevelopment: 6 MMMaintenance:0.2 MM/monthMaintenance:0.2 MM/month

Directory-enabled Directory-enabled invitation of participantsinvitation of participants

End-user scheduling interface integrates End-user scheduling interface integrates directory info about available institutional VC directory info about available institutional VC options and notifies local support teams options and notifies local support teams

Distributed maintenance of administrative Distributed maintenance of administrative contact points for all participating NRENs contact points for all participating NRENs and institutionsand institutions

RSS feeds to collect the published info RSS feeds to collect the published info centrallycentrally

Future scaling to AAI based directory queries Future scaling to AAI based directory queries through EduGAINthrough EduGAIN

Development: 6 MMDevelopment: 6 MM

Maintenance: integrated in helpdesk operationsMaintenance: integrated in helpdesk operations

Distributed audio-only Distributed audio-only call-in servicescall-in services

Serves light-weight mobile users in need Serves light-weight mobile users in need of participating without a full VC clientof participating without a full VC client

Publicize local gateway numbers Publicize local gateway numbers providing VoIP (GDS/ENUM) providing VoIP (GDS/ENUM) reachabilityreachability

Interoperability with the TF-ECS SIP Interoperability with the TF-ECS SIP networknetwork

No need to support full H.320 clientsNo need to support full H.320 clients

Development: 3 MMDevelopment: 3 MM

Maintenance: integrated in helpdesk operationsMaintenance: integrated in helpdesk operations

Synergy with other Synergy with other ActivitiesActivities

GN2 Monitoring services with GN2 Monitoring services with perfSonarperfSonar

EduGAIN AAI servicesEduGAIN AAI services TF-ECS SIP deploymentTF-ECS SIP deployment Evolution to ENUM-enabled GDS, Evolution to ENUM-enabled GDS,

an effort supported by TERENAan effort supported by TERENA SWITCH e-Conf portalSWITCH e-Conf portal GRNET VoIP monitoring with NagiosGRNET VoIP monitoring with Nagios

Proposed budgetProposed budget

Development: 23 MMDevelopment: 23 MM Maintenance: 0.7 MM x 18 months = Maintenance: 0.7 MM x 18 months =

12.6 MM12.6 MM Total of 35.6 MM Total of 35.6 MM Procurement of state-of-the-art Procurement of state-of-the-art

HD capable MCU ~ 250KEuroHD capable MCU ~ 250KEuro