Manchester Computing Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science Michael Daw 1 September 2004 All Hands Meeting, Nottingham Introducing… the Access Grid Support Centre Enhancing the Quality of Access Grid for UK Academia

Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science2 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-Science3 What is Access Grid?

Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science4 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-Science5 Why a Support Centre?  Oct 2002 – report: “Multi-Site Videoconferencing for the UK e-Science Programme” ( 04.html) 04.html  Recommendation to establish a support centre to “assure quality across sites”  AGSC established in April University of Manchester  Funded by JISC, managed by UKERNA

Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science6 General Support  1 st & 2 nd line support – for node ops / end-users  Advice on hardware, software, configurations, etc.  Procurement advice

Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science7 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-Science8 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-Science9 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-Science10 IG Recorder  Product from inSORS  Allows recording of AG events

Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science11 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-Science12 Training  Workshops and courses (first tranche – 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-Science13 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-Science14 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:  Contact details: – – /5997

Manchester Computing Supercomputing, Visualization & e-Science Contact Details Manchester Computing