# Presentation: 522968

## The Access Grid 

**The Access Grid **

**The Argonne FL Group**

## The Access Grid

- Access Grid does for people what the computational Grid does for machines
- The Access Grid project 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
- Distributed Lectures and seminars
- Remote participation in panel discussions
- Virtual site visits meetings
- Complex distributed grid based demonstrations

## Access Grid Goals

- Enable quality group to group interactions at a distance
- Optimize the user experience
- provide a sense of presence and participation
- support natural interaction modalities
- Highest quality but affordable digital audio/video
- Enable complex multisite visual experiences
- Integrate with high-end visualization environments
- ActiveMural, Powerwall, CAVE family, Workbenches
- Build on Grid services
- Provide a distributed testbed for ActiveSpace research

## The Access Grid is Based on Digitally Linking “Intentionally Designed” Spaces

- Physical Groupwork spaces
- seating, lighting, audio, video, screens, worksurfaces
- Virtual collaborative spaces
- strong metaphors for resource organization
- interaction scope management
- Agenda driven scenarios and work sessions
- lectures, brainstorming, demos, meetings, planning
- Integration with GRID services
- resource management, security, services brokering

## Some AG Definitions

- 	The Access Grid: *The infrastructure and software technologies enabling linking together distributed Active(Work)Spaces to support highly distributed collaborations in science, engineering and education, integrated with and providing seamless access to the resources of the National Technology Grid.*
*	*Access Grid Node: *The ensemble of  systems and services managed and scheduled as a coherent unit (i.e. basic component of a virtual venue).*
*	*
*	*Access Grid Site: *A physical site (admin domain, networking POP, etc.) that  supports one or more Access Grid Nodes. Access Grid Sites need to be Grid services enabled (authentication, QoS, security, resource management, etc.)*
*	*

## Access Grid Concepts (I)

- AG prototype Demonstration at UKY Chautauqua
- Shared PowerPoint
- Large-format displays
- Multiple audio and video streams
- Supporting distributed meetings

## 	Access Grid Concepts (II)

- Ambient mic
- (tabletop)

- Presenter
- mic

- Presenter
- camera

- Audience camera

- 	Access Grid Concepts (II)

- Spaces at ANL
- Library
- Workshop
- ActiveMural Room
- DSL

## Physical Spaces to Support Groupwork

- Overall room layout
- large enough to support groups and workplace tools
- configured so that both local and remote interactions work
- Lighting and camera geometry
- studio type environment with specified placement, levels
- well tested and calibrated for good image quality
- Audio geometry
- multiple microphones and speakers
- tested to provide good coverage
- designed to support audio clarity and some spatialization

## Virtual Collaboration Spaces

- Structure and organization supports intended use
- activity dependent
- secure channels for “private sessions”
- broadcast channels for public meetings
- Supports multiple interaction types (modalities)
- text, audio, video, graphics, animation, VR
- Can exploit strong spatial metaphor
- interaction scoping
- resource organization
- navigation and discovery
- Needed to escape the tyranny of the desktop

## Access Grid at the Chautauquas

**U of Utah**

**NCSA**

**GA Tech**

**UIC-EVL**

**Alliance Access Center **

**Argonne**

- University of New Mexico
- University of Kentucky
- Boston University

- The Grid

## A Semi-Designed Space

## Enhanced Space for Distributed  Presentations

## Equipment – PC’s

- 4 PC’s, minimum Pentium 2, 550MHz
- Display Machine
- 1 - Matrox G200-quad  multiple display card
- 1 – Matrox G400 dual head display card
- Windows 2000
- Audio Capture Machine
- Linux
- 2 or more  - Soundblaster PCI 128 card
- Video Capture Machine
- Dual CPU
- Linux
- 4 – Hauppage WinTV PCI capture cards
- Control machine
- Win 98

## Equipment - Sound

- Gentner AP400 or AP800 Echo Cancel box
- Genelec speakers (2)
- Microphones – 4 Maximum on the Gentner
- For table top use, Crown pcc 160
- Wireless, Vega R22/T25
- Room use – Crown PZM-30D

## Equipment - Cameras

## Projection Technology - Projectors

- Epson ELP-7500
- LCD
- small, light, bright
- uniform
-  Low cost - $ 4,500
- focus from 3.6’  to 38’
- screen size from 24” to 300”
- airflow front to side: good geometry

## Software 

- Windows 2000 Software
- AG Virtual Venue Software Installation
- Microsoft Office  2000
- Windows 98
- Gentner Control Software
- Linux
- Redhat 6.1/6.2
- AG Software install script
- Installs Video, audio capture, resource managers, etc

## Argonne Ag Web Pages

- http://www-fp.mcs.anl.gov/fl/Accessgrid/

## SC99

## SC99

## Globus Tutorial