Introducing… the Access Grid Support Centre

1. Introducing… the Access Grid Support Centre Enhancing the Quality of Access Grid for UK Academia Michael Daw 1 September 2004 All Hands Meeting, Nottingham

2. Content Summary • Very short intro to Access Grid • Extent of Access Grid in UK • Why a support centre? • Services offered by the AGSC • The future Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

3. What is Access Grid? Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

4. Extent of Access Grid in the UK • National & Regional e-Science Centres = >12 nodes • Centres of Excellence = ~7 nodes • ESRC will be = 8 nodes • Misc. others = ~5 nodes • Total = ~32 nodes and rising Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

5. Why a Support Centre? • Oct 2002 – report: “Multi-Site Videoconferencing for the UK e-Science Programme” (http://www.nesc.ac.uk/technical_papers/UKeS-2002-04.html) • Recommendation to establish a support centre to “assure quality across sites” • AGSC established in April 2004 @ University of Manchester • Funded by JISC, managed by UKERNA Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

6. General Support • 1st & 2nd line support – for node ops / end-users • Advice on hardware, software, configurations, etc. • Procurement advice Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

7. Virtual Venue Servers • InSORS: • All original venues (Full Sail, Bridgeport, etc.) • All UK institutional venues • AGSC-specific venues • Any venue you want! • AG2: • Same venues as inSORS VVS • UK e-Science X.509 certificates (or regular AG certs) • Can set up secure venues (based on DN) for your group • All the features of AG2 (shared docs, shared apps, etc.) Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

8. Multicast-Unicast Bridge • Always available • Always on • Supports same venues as inSORS VVS • Supports any venue you want! • Must be registered to use Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

9. IG Pix • Product from inSORS • Allows shared presentations • Slides viewed via web browser • No need for specialist client software • No need to distribute files beforehand • More features than DPPT (e.g. transitions work) • Available free to registered users Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

10. IG Recorder • Product from inSORS • Allows recording of AG events Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

11. QA Testing • Aim: to improve the AG experience for users • Audio • Echo • General quality • Video • General quality • Picture construction • Networking • Multicast • Use of beacons • Collaborative software • IG Pix • VNC Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

12. Training • Workshops and courses (first tranche – 10-14 Jan 2005) • Probable topics: • Intro to Access Grid • Making the most of the AGSC • Configuring the echo canceller • Audio debugging • Running successful events • Using collaborative tools • Any others in demand • On-line documentation, in collaboration with the AGDP Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

13. The Future • Rollout of enhancements to the AG • Help implement results of UKERNA reports: • Interoperability (H.323, VRVS) • Booking systems (integration with JVCS booking system, research into interoperability) • New R&D projects…? • Other improvements to our service Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

14. Using the AGSC • 13 nodes currently registered – we want to catch all of them! • Nodes must register for a QA test to get the benefits: http://www.agsc.ja.net/QAtesting/testrequest.htm • Contact details: • http://www.agsc.ja.net • support@agsc.ja.net • 0161 275 6824/5997 Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science

15. SVE @ Manchester Computing Contact Details http://www.sve.man.ac.uk/General/Staff/daw michael.daw@man.ac.uk