Teleconferencing support Teleconferencing support for small groupsfor small groups

Eva HladkáEva Hladká*‡*‡, Petr Holub, Petr Holub*†‡*†‡,,Jiří DenemarkJiří Denemark*‡*‡

**Faculty of Informatics Masaryk University Brno, CZ Faculty of Informatics Masaryk University Brno, CZ ††Institute of Computer Science Masaryk University Brno, Institute of Computer Science Masaryk University Brno,

CZ CZ ‡‡CESNET z.s.p.o, CZCESNET z.s.p.o, CZ

IntroductionIntroduction

Target environment:Target environment:– multitude of small groups with all active multitude of small groups with all active

membersmembers– no special network services needed (e.g. no special network services needed (e.g.

multicast)multicast)– diverse computer system platformsdiverse computer system platforms– users from computer science communityusers from computer science community– to provide reasonable securityto provide reasonable security– new features to be easily addednew features to be easily added

Our ChoiceOur Choice

Open source softwareOpen source software MBone Tools (vic, rat, wb/wbd)MBone Tools (vic, rat, wb/wbd) Multicast replaced by mirrored Multicast replaced by mirrored

unicastunicast Web administrationWeb administration

Network Support for Network Support for CommunicationCommunication

UDP Packet Reflector - “rum”UDP Packet Reflector - “rum”– similar to simple H.323 MCUsimilar to simple H.323 MCU– initial version: just UDP packet initial version: just UDP packet

reflectingreflecting– services transferred from network services transferred from network

level (multicast) to application level level (multicast) to application level (mirror): (mirror): => easy modification=> easy modification=> worse scalability and efficiency=> worse scalability and efficiency

ReflectorReflectorreflector

MulticastMulticast

Enhancing reflectorEnhancing reflector

Security features added to “rum”Security features added to “rum”– IP address restrictionsIP address restrictions– AA based on username/passwordAA based on username/password– activity loggingactivity logging– merge of MCU functions and basic merge of MCU functions and basic

gatekeeper functions in terms of H.323gatekeeper functions in terms of H.323 Other features added to “rum”Other features added to “rum”

– data recordingdata recording

Web portalWeb portal

Need for easy reflector Need for easy reflector administrationadministration

Today most common environment Today most common environment with rather standardized and with rather standardized and intuitive handlingintuitive handling

Not too much fancy features but Not too much fancy features but rather useful onesrather useful ones

Videoconfrence Videoconfrence adminisration using web adminisration using web

portalportal

ConferenceConference = one or more = one or more instances of “rum” (provides instances of “rum” (provides reflector(s) for one or more reflector(s) for one or more videoconferencing tools)videoconferencing tools)

AdministratorAdministrator = user who sets up = user who sets up user accountsuser accounts

UserUser = person who can set up and = person who can set up and run one or more conferencesrun one or more conferences

Setting up a conferenceSetting up a conference

User logs in into the conference User logs in into the conference administration webadministration web

Set up features required for the Set up features required for the conferenceconference– mirrors and their parameters (ports, mirrors and their parameters (ports,

logging features, description, etc.)logging features, description, etc.)mirrors can be organized into groupsmirrors can be organized into groups

– allowed/denied IP addressesallowed/denied IP addresses– allowed usersallowed users

Running the conferenceRunning the conference

Conference announcement can be Conference announcement can be found in public part of the found in public part of the administrative webadministrative web

Conference startup can be manual Conference startup can be manual or scheduledor scheduled

Conference administrator can Conference administrator can browse log file during and after the browse log file during and after the conferenceconference

MBone wbd tool MBone wbd tool enhancementsenhancements

wbdwbd used as basis since used as basis since wbwb is not is not available in source codeavailable in source code

enhanced security by adding enhanced security by adding encryption using the same library encryption using the same library as other MBone tools as other MBone tools rat rat and and vicvic (UCL Common Multimedia Library - (UCL Common Multimedia Library - DES and Rijndael encryption)DES and Rijndael encryption)

displaying using Imlib2displaying using Imlib2– new formats available for importnew formats available for import– zoomzoom– synchronized rotation of imagesynchronized rotation of image– faster drawing of imagefaster drawing of image

faster network transmission faster network transmission (multiple threads)(multiple threads)

wbd - JPEG importwbd - JPEG import

wbd - zoom importwbd - zoom import

Further mirror Further mirror develompentdevelompent

Further development effort by our Further development effort by our groupgroup– improving scalability: tunnelingimproving scalability: tunneling– passing through firewalls: “Enhanced passing through firewalls: “Enhanced

UDP packet reflector for unfriendly UDP packet reflector for unfriendly environments”environments”

– 3D projection: stream synchronization3D projection: stream synchronization– publishing information about mirrors in publishing information about mirrors in

LDAPLDAP

Development initiated by our Development initiated by our groupgroup– very secure videoconferencing very secure videoconferencing

environment (strong encryption, environment (strong encryption, rekeying during the session etc.)rekeying during the session etc.)

ConclusionsConclusions

Development was motivated by two Development was motivated by two factors:factors:– instability and unavailability of multicast in instability and unavailability of multicast in

many of networks of todaymany of networks of today– videoconferencing needs of several small videoconferencing needs of several small

groups on Masaryk university and CESNETgroups on Masaryk university and CESNET System we have developed is in routine System we have developed is in routine

use by Czech group participating in EU use by Czech group participating in EU DataGrid project and by CESNETDataGrid project and by CESNET

As with all videoconferencing As with all videoconferencing systems input and output audio systems input and output audio and video devices must be of and video devices must be of reasonable quality to provide users reasonable quality to provide users with positive experiencewith positive experience

Underlying network must be of Underlying network must be of sufficient bandwidth to cope with sufficient bandwidth to cope with stream multiplicationstream multiplication

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Czech group participating in EU Czech group participating in EU DataGrid project for valuable ideas DataGrid project for valuable ideas and patience during testingand patience during testing

LudLuděk Matyska and Zdeněk Salvetěk Matyska and Zdeněk Salvet CESNET Research intent CESNET Research intent

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Thank you for your Thank you for your attention!attention!