agora e-collaboration tool/framework lancaster university (uk). centre for e-science miguel gonzalez...

AgoraAgoraE-Collaboration tool/framework

Lancaster University (UK). Centre for e-Science

Miguel Gonzalez Losa

Adrian Fish

Lancaster University (UK). Centre for e-Science. Miguel Gonzalez Losa & Adrian Fish. Agora (2006) Agora

Who we are• We work for the Centre for e-Science (LUCeS) at Lancaster University

in the UK• We are currently funded, by the JISC, to develop an e-Research

environment for UK scientists using Sakai• We have been focusing on developing advanced collaboration tools that

extend and complement the standard ‘out of the box’ tool set that comes with Sakai

Manchester

London

Lancaster


E-Collaboration• Definition

– “Electronic collaboration (e-collaboration): collaboration using electronic technologies among different individuals to accomplish a common task”

– “Any activity performed by means of/supported by electronic tools or infrastructure, aimed at reaching a goal and possibly involving human iteration”

– “Working together using electronic means: collaboration among people or organizations made possible by means of electronic technologies such as the Internet, video conferencing and wireless devices”

– Audio/video conferencing

– Instant messaging

– Whiteboard

– Shared-desktop

– Movie-casting

– Recording

People Collaboration Communication


What is Agora

• Software application – Ready to use software with basic e-Collaboration features

• Software framework– Software like Agora is not easy to develop– Existing software frameworks are not easy to use– Agora provides high abstraction level for developing

new applications or developing new features– Agora makes it possible to develop specific

solutions for your institution.


What is Agora (II)

• The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice.


Agora as application


Aims• Useful: we want to provide tools which enhance

the communication experience between people covering the most common cases.

• Simple: we want to provide simple tools ready to be used by non technical people.– Use– Requirements– Configuration– Installation & updates

• Extendable

• A powerful ………• The most complete .......


Inside Agora: General view

Agora Server. Sakai service:• Light weight multicasting and messaging broker

Agora Applet:• Conference room. Agora tools

Agora Web site. Sakai Tool:• Login, Sites and Users admin • Agora Web Site Conference Management


Inside Agora: General view (II)

Agora Web Site (Sakai tool)

Agora Applet

Agora Server(Sakai service)


Agora Web Site


Agora Web Site

• Currently:– Create conferences– View existing conferences where I am invited– Join a conference where I am invited– Destroy conferences created by me

• Coming soon:– Managing exiting conferences– Different conference configurations

• Scheduling• Floor control• Etc.


Agora Web Site. Main page


Agora Web Site. Creating a conference


Agora Applet


Agora Applet

• Conference room - This is where everything happens.

• The Agora Applet gives access to the tools:– Audio/video conferencing– Instant messaging– Whiteboard– Shared-desktop– Movie-casting– Recording– Playback. Also in off-line mode!


Agora Applet (II)

• Menu

• Status bar

• Multiscreen panel with individuals screens


Agora Applet. Automatic layout


Agora Applet. Individual screen

• Detach button

• Context menu button

• Status panel

• Projection area

• Icon

Audio/video Whiteboard Shared Desktop Chat


Video-audio conference


Video-audio conference (II)

• Many to many. The number of concurrent participants depends of the bandwidth and the capacity of processing of the computers.

• If one participant does not have webcam he/she will be able to transmit audio and watch others.

• As reference, a user with a normal PC (Pentium IV, 2 GHz, 512 Mb) with ADSL (512kb/s) will be able to participate in conferences with 4 participants.


• RTP Protocol• Video

– H.263– Frames per second: Not all cameras allow you to change it.– Video quality = compression rate. More compression implies worse quality but

less bandwidth use– Video size: 176x144 or 352x288– TIP: Not all webcams are the same. Colour, sharpness, performance in low light

environment. Frame rate and Resolution is not the most important feature!

• Audio– DVI at 8000, 11025 or 22050 Hz, 4 bits and 1 channel (mono)– TIP: To avoid echo it is highly recommended to use headphones with integrated

microphone

Video-audio conference. Technical Notes


Video-audio conference. Technical Note (II)

The echo problemHello!

The sound from the speakers goes through the microphone

Hello!

• The echo is one of the biggest audio problems for users

• Echo cancelling hardware for video conference is very expensive (thousands of dollars)

• Some webcams have echo cancelling software

• Note: normal telephones and freehand telephones have very cheap echo cancelling hardware!


Shared Desktop


Shared Desktop (II)

• Allows broadcast images of one participant’s desktop to the rest of participants.

• Network friendly. Only the area of screen has changed is sent.

• Allows collaborative document editing or guidance in software use.– A participant can broadcast an Word document and the rest of

participants can give opinions.– A participant can explain how to use a program broadcasting images

of it.

• Only the participant that is transmitting needs to have the shown software installed. The rest are receiving an image.


Chat & Whiteboard

• The whiteboard allows participants to collaboratively draw and manipulate shapes on a canvas.• The whiteboard used with a digital tablet is the perfect medium to communicate mathematical formulas

• The Chat is a very simple Instant messaging tool. It is perfect to pass information like URL, numbers, foreign words, names…


Movie casting

• Movie casting allows broadcast movie files to the participants in a conference.• So far, few formats supported. • Synchronization when paused, forwarding and rewinding is an issue.


Recording / Playing back

• Agora is able to record all the information in a conference keeping the sequence and times

• Agora Applet can work off-line, so you can reproduce any recorded conference


Requirements Installation & Updating

Configuration


• Agora Client– Java & JMF: Windows, Linux and Mac OS (*)– Webcam and microphone: $35– Graphic tablet (Optional): $70– Broadband

Requirements• Agora Server

– No special requirements in the equipment– The most important requirement is the Network connection

Number of participants

Upload bandwidth

Download bandwidth

2 160 kb/s 160kb/s

3 160 kb/s 320kb/s

4 160 kb/s 480kb/s

5 160 kb/s 640kb/s

In UK the most of the Internet Providers offer only 256 Kb/s in Upload bandwidth. Download bandwidth varies between 2 and 8 Mb/s(12-24 participants max )


Technical Note . P2P vs. Multicasting


Upload bandwidth

Download bandwidth

2 160 kb/s 160kb/s

3 160 kb/s 320kb/s

4 160 kb/s 480kb/s

5 160 kb/s 640kb/s

Upload: 256 Kb/s, 512 Kb/s if you are lucky Download: 2Mb/s - 8 Mb/s


Upload bandwidth

Download bandwidth

2 160 kb/s 160kb/s

3 320kb/s 320kb/s

4 480kb/s 480kb/s

5 640kb/s 640kb/s

100 Mb/s ≈ 300 users

Any number of users


Technical Note . P2P vs. Multicasting (II)

Performance & Load balancing


Technical Note . Java, JMF & Webcams

Platform independent client

Java

Webcams

Drivers (Platform specific)

• Windows

• Linux

• Mac (Limited)

• Nice extensible architecture

• RTP

• Only maintenance

• Windows

• Mac

• New formats

Quick Time For Java(Apple)

Java Media Framework(Sun Microsystems)

Bridge

?


Installation & updating• Agora Client

– Install webcam– Install base software. Simple Windows Installer (JMF or JRE+JMF). – Automatic and transparent updating. It is a web page and an

Applet!

• Agora Server– Sakai tool– Sakai service


Configuration

• Agora Client Checklist– Audio and video working– Firewall– Pop-up blockers!– Allow applets!

• Agora Server– Firewall (5 UDP ports in the current version)– Agora is NAT friendly


Agora vs. Other applicationsAgora Skype Msn

Messenger *Access Grid **

Participants in audio

Unlimited 5 2 Unlimited

Participants in video

Unlimited 2 2 Unlimited

Calls to phones No Yes Yes No (Commercial version has voice IP)

E-Collaboration tools

Whiteboard, Shared desktop, chat, movie caster, Sakai

Chat Chat

Shared files

In commercial version: Whiteboard, file transfer, chat, Data sharing

Open source Yes No No Yes

Recording/

playback

Yes No No Yes

* Microsoft has a tool called Live Meeting with e-collaboration tools. Also there is a product called ConferenceXP, open source, with a very complete set of e-collaboration tools. Developed in .Net** Access Grid works with multiples cameras


Future of Agora• New Features

– Conference managing– Conference configurations (Floor control, time control, scheduling…)– Whispering mode– Interaction between existing tools

• Whiteboard – Shared desktop• Whiteboard – Movie caster

– Tray system alert application

• Full Mac Support

• Performance & Load balancing• Security and encryption• Agora available in more open source projects (Moodle, JSR-168,…)

• SIP compliant (Compatible with other applications, Telephone calls,…)


Agora as Framework


Agora as Framework

• Not all the institutions have the same necessities• Developing an application like Agora is not easy

– JMF and QTJ don’t have good documentation

– JMF is tricky

• Agora has high level abstractions that makes much easier to develop new features– JMF: DataSource, Processor, Player, RTPManager, RTPConfig…

– Agora: Camera, Microphone, Participant, Conference…

• Agora framework: Skeleton, classes, solutions and DOCUMENTATION


QUESTIONS & COMMENTSPlease, be clear and… patient, I am Spanish!!!

Agora (Athens)

My City (Aviles)

Lancaster

agora e-collaboration tool/framework lancaster university (uk). centre for e-science miguel gonzalez...

Documents

agora toolsagora web

agora iithe agora

advanced collaboration

electronic tools

main pageagoraagora

electronic means

electronic technologies

simple tools ready