# Presentation: 888968

## WebEX & Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting

- Sheila Cisko

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Current collaboration services & tools 	- ESnet

- ESnet Collaborative Services provides:
- Ad-Hoc H.323 (IP) video conference services, including H.239
- Streaming video
- Audio conference services, audio gateway to IP services
- Pros:
- ad-hoc connections (no scheduling) - users self-serve
- H.323 systems use built-in echo cancellation for quality audio
- H.239 supported service (88X) – video & data
- aka People + Content
- free to DOE project-related users
- automatic streaming available on 88X service
- call-in telephone gateway to video service
- Skype can be used

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Current collaboration services & tools -		ESnet (cont)

- Cons:
- Windows-centric desktop H323 clients (cost ~$200)
- Mac & Linux H.323 clients are open source; lack H.239 support
- For now...
- Home use can encounter firewall or NAT problems
- telephone calls are long distance (California)
- no meeting management tools
- Ie., calendar, agenda server, meeting info
- users self-serve
- H239 support requires new conference room hardware
- majority of FNAL room systems are at end-of-life product cycle

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Current collaboration services & tools 		-  VRVS

- Mixed technology (Mbone tools, H.323) video conferencing bridging system
- Pros:
- Inexpensive for desktop users
- Cross platform OS
- Meeting tools such as calendar & email notification
- Cons:
- Poor audio quality due to free desktop tools w/o echo cancellation
- Less robustness & reliability than other technologies
- Troubleshooting is more difficult

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Current collaboration services & tools 		-  Audio conferencing services

- Services available from:
- ECS (free service, but long distance calls)
- FNAL operators (budget code)
- AT&T, other
- Pros:
- Simple
- Ubiquitous
- Cons:
- Requires resource scheduling
- Trailing edge technology

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Current Collaboration Services & tools	-  WebEX

- Pros:
- Ease of use is very high (browser-based)
- Supported across all platforms
- Sharing & showing applications
- Telephony solution dials back to users
- regardless of location (home vs office)
- Cons:
- cost
- proprietary
- Will not interconnect with existing ECS, VRVS tools
- High potential to be a dead end on the technology evolution path

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Future Collaboration Services & tools	

- ECS – funded by DOE/OS
- Current H.323 infrastructure being upgraded to latest technology H.239 service
- Hardware to be refreshed on four-year budget cycle
- But expansion of existing services will be by subscription or petition to Program Managers
- Cisco/ Latitude audio & data conferencing hardware should be under procurement soon
- Will provide WebEX-like capabilities
- VRVS/ EVO – funded by DOE/NSF/Hosted by Caltech
- ECS & VRVS services can interconnect, interoperate now and are complementary
- with additional development and additional resources ease of use will improve
- Future collaboration solutions will converge desktops, meeting rooms, phone, VoIP, IM, HD, and other emerging technologies

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Standards Soup – what is H323 with H239?

- Desktop H323 &  aux cam presentation

- Desktop PVX H239 Content Window

- H239 Room system - single monitor

- H239 Room system – dual monitors

- Images ECS/M. Pihlman

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Concerns

- Users’ requirements:
- reliability & robustness
- ease of use
- audio quality
- seamless communication from meeting room, desktop (including streaming) and/or telephone (domestic and international)
- Technical considerations:
- interoperability and interconnectivity with existing & future tools
- centralized solutions for HENP users for support, operational and development
- international telephone calls (in- versus out-bound dialing)

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## Investigating technology groups	

- ESnet Remote Collaboration Working Group (RCWG)
- members include national DOE labs, ESnet, VRVS/EVO, CERN, labs in France
- RCWG Update to ESCC _[http://cd-docdb.fnal.gov/cgi-bin/ShowDocument?docid=1652](http://cd-docdb.fnal.gov/cgi-bin/ShowDocument?docid=1652)_
- LHC/ILC users  include FNAL CD & PPD et al
- LHC Computing Grid – Requirements and Technical Assessment Group12 (RTAG) Report on collaborative tools released April 2005
- _[http://muondoc.home.cern.ch/muondoc/rtag12/](http://muondoc.home.cern.ch/muondoc/rtag12/)_
- Services such as VRVS, Access Grid, ViDe
- Others

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

## New collaboration@FNAL web pages

- Web pages include
- room descriptions with peripherals and scheduling information
- ECS Ad-Hoc & VRVS guides
- audio conferencing information
- desktop H323 collaboration guides
- troubleshooting guides and faq
-         _[http://computing.fnal.gov/](http://computing.fnal.gov/)_
-           videoconferencing/

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006

**Notes:**
Thanks to 

## Collaboration from FNAL Conference Rooms

- Created conference room-centric instructions
- Provided  binders for each room
- include guides and instructions
- information also on web
- will send bi-annual emails to room stake holders for content accuracy
- Few departments or sections providing technical support or regular oversight of room and a/v peripherals

- WebEX and Collaborative Tools Strategy Meeting Sheila Cisko

- September 12, 2006