VidMid-VC Conference Call, December 17, 2001

*VidMid-VC Conference Call*
December 17, 2001

*Attendees*

Egon Verharen (chair) - SURFnet
Karen Krivaa - RADVISION
Philippe Galvez - CalTech
Michael Gettes - Georgetown
Ann West - Internet2
John McNair - U. Tennessee (Knoxville)
Jill Gemmill - ViDe/U. Alabama (Birmingham)
Mary Trauner - Georgia Tech
Steve Olshansky - Internet2
Art Vandenberg - Georgia State
Renee Frost - Internet2
Albert School - OARnet
Tom Barton - U. Memphis
Mark Driver - Internet2 (scribe)

*Discussion*

The meeting agenda was approved. The draft minutes from November 19th were approved. Egon suggested trying to bridge the work from the VidMid-VC technical architecture meeting held at UNC November 29-30 and this conference call group to the greatest extent possible. Steve sent the draft workplan and action items resulting from the UNC meeting to the VC list for review. The draft meeting report is being circulated among the meeting participants for comments, and is due to Steve by the end of the day Thursday, December 20. The report will then be distributed to the VC list.

One item that surfaced at the UNC meeting was the differing perspectives between the two primary stakeholders -- the middleware group and the video group -- that needs to be broached to facilitate work going forward. Along these lines, Ann West has distributed a link to a document on the Internet2 middleware site explaining authentication. Egon suggested the posting of concise reports on requisite VidMid-VC components on the Internet2 Middleware Web page to provide additional background. An observation made at the UNC meeting was that the VidMid-VC scenarios posted on the site are too H.323-centric; all VC systems should be included. Egon directed discussion towards VRVS, noting that VRVS is already used in the Internet2 Commons. VRVS is used not only for scheduling and setting up multicast conferences using the VRVS tools, but also for H.323 using its built-in H.323 gateway. He specifically asked for Philippe's comments about three items: 1) Is VRVS currently middleware aware in terms of authentication, LDAP and administration; if not, does Philippe know the proposed schedule for building that functionality; 2) does Philippe have any influence on development of MBONE tools and are endpoint vendor/developers providing authentication in their endpoints; 3) what other plans are in the offing for the VRVS world and who is driving them?

Philippe explained that work is already underway to make the VRVS system directory (LDAP) aware. The multicast conferencing tools used with VRVS are modified versions of the original MBONE tools to better work with the VRVS system. There are several multicast conferencing tool distributions, including VRVS, MASH, access grid and the original MBONE tools. Although Philippe is in contact with the other tool developers he can only speak for the VRVS tools, and yes, they can be developed in a way to support the outcome of the VidMid work. Authentication in the endpoints has not been realized yet in any of the well known multicast conferencing tool distributions. But following the VidMid suggestions and architectures this can be realized. VRVS is provided on a free basis, and Philippe described the momentum VRVS has at the moment. Noticeable is that the industry, rather than Internet2, is currently pushing VRVS. CalTech will support the further development of VRVS under Philippe's leadership. A more comprehensive VRVS document should be out in January 2002 defining functionality and describing current developments. The main emphasis will be on the development of modules, much like APIs, that will enable inter-development with H.323 and SIP. The same goes for VidMid topics. If authentication and authorization can be defined and developed as add-on modules (to either system or end-user tools) then deployment will be far easier (and faster) than integrating them with the core code.

Steve gave a brief summary of the UNC meeting. There were 18 attendees, including remote participants. A 1-2 page executive summary will be forthcoming once feedback has been received from all participants.

The remainder of the call consisted of work on the action items from the last conference call as well as the UNC meeting. The two lists have been consolidated below:

19-November-2001 Conference Call:
1. [AI] 19-November - {done} Tyler will bring a draft reference model of the VidMid-VC architecture to the NC meeting.
2. [AI] 19-November - {done} Ken will send out a draft list of VidMid-VC deliverables.
3. [AI] 19-November - {done} Tyler will document his ideas on a DHCP-like capability for videoconferencing, for discussion at the NC meeting.
4. [AI] 19-November - {in progress} [see also AI 29] All will review the updated scenarios, and send comments to the list. Too H.323-centric. Rewrite to be more videoconferencing in general. Prioritize scenarios from 4 categories: point-to-point; multipoint; mobility; interoperability (SIP-H.323-cell-audio only). Art V. to take lead.
5. [AI] 19-November - {done} Jill and Steve will find out more about VBrick. VBrick is more VOD-oriented than VC-oriented.
6. [AI] 5-November - {done} Samir will summarize the state of SIP directories work for the NC meeting.
7. [AI] 5-November - {open} Egon will write a summary of the VidMid-VC session at the VIMM. Renee will help draft this document.
8. [AI] 5-November - {removed- now AI 33} Samir will find out if and under what conditions DynamicSoft can make its SIP stack available to VidMid; if that doesn't work out, he will look into porting his SIP client to a standard open SIP stack.
9. [AI] 5-November - {open} Ken will get Internet2 IPR staff to discuss SIP licensing with Columbia.
10. [AI] 5-November - {done} Ken will ask Philippe approximately how much money would be required to integrate H.323 and SIP into VRVS. This item will be revisited in an Internet2-VRVS call in January.
11. [AI] 22-October - {open} Samir will send the list a short summary of approaches to coping with NATs and firewalls.
12. [AI] 22-October - {open} Egon will contact OpenH323 about participating in VidMid-VC.
13. [AI] 22-October - {open} Tyler will look into Siemens's involvement in videoconferencing-related technologies, especially SIP.
14. [AI] 24-September - {open} Ken will send Philippe information on possible funding for integrating H.323 and SIP into VRVS. Also to be revisited in Internet2-VRVS call in January.

UNC Meeting:
15. [AI] 7 Dec 01 {done} Steve will send info to VC list about SunONE program single-user developer licenses of all Sun/iPlanet/Forte SW products available for cost of media ($20)
16. [AI] 7 Dec 01 {open} Steve will follow up with MG Sun contact interested in VidMid-VC resources potentially available (outside of programming help?) SW licenses? HW?
17. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {done} Tyler will ask Orit Levin who at RadVision is working on H.235 Annex D and Annex E? Karen stated that RV supports Annex D; they are waiting for endpoint development to catch up.
18. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {open} Steve will get Samir and Doug Sicker (UC-Boulder Telecom faculty, ex-Level3 SIP architect) together to coordinate on SIP issues.
19. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {open} Steve will follow up with Pierre about details of France Telecom's SIP SW endpoint and SIP client, to obtain contact info and investigate securing access to it.
20. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {open} Pierre will send RadVision object classes to VC list. RV expected to deliver shortly.
21. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {open} Mike G., Keith H., Bob M. will develop a brief description of client authentication to use in the workplan. Update expected this week or next.
22. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {done} Steve will follow up with Samir about a GA company leading OSP standardization. Art sent information to VC list about Transnexus and Open Settlement Protocol (OSP) toolkit.
23. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {open} Jill and Steve will contact Ann West coordinate with NMI dissemination plans. Overlap with Vidmid-VOD efforts on info dissemination through Educause. Mairead Martin, Ann West and Jill Gemmill will post summary when it's available.
24. [AI] 14 Dec 01 {done} Mike, Keith, Bob will write up a short blurb about what we mean about client authentication. Ann sent info to the VidMid-VC list on where to find this info on the Internet2 website.
25. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {open} Mary Fran, RLM, Keith, Mike, Pierre, and Tyler will look at H.235 Annex D and Annex E to see what is viable near/mid-term to use in our work, and what is viable for the April release.
26. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {open} Mary Fran will look into whether it would be useful to get an AccessGrid representative involved in our efforts, and if so, who?
27. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {open} Egon will recruit a multicast person look at our multipoint scenario and recast it using those tools (Egon will contact Philippe Galvez VRVS). Philippe offered to look into this. He or someone from his team will take this up.
28. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {open} Keith will send to VC list a proposal on using eduPersonExtension and eduPersonEntitlement for video groups in enterprise directory. Part of larger shibboleth efforts, which is receiving significant attention.
29. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {done} Mary Fran to send comments on scenarios.
30. [AI] 21 Dec 01 {done} I2 (Egon) and VRVS (Philippe) continued information exchange and possible ways of cooperation after the vidmid call. It was agreed to set up a separate Internet2-VRVS conference call in January to discuss these issues in more detail

Egon suggested leaving the remaining items for a future call:
31. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Steve will follow up with details of IMTC (International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium) -- group that is involved in these sorts of issues (contact Pierre). Egon is working with a group that tries to establish an H.323 Forum under the auspices of the IMTC.
32. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Mike and Keith will investigate potential benefit of leveraging Grid MDS v.2 (Meta-computing Directory Services) work on directory of directories (meta-directories?)
33. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Samir will secure DynamicSoft research license. (If that works out, Samir can provide a SIP video client (software) for testing within 3 months if can find funding for student developers)
34. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Steve and AB will follow up: NIH spending $40m on Middleware in next few years synergy?
35. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Tyler and Orit Levin will follow up: H.323 Study Group 16 hasn't looked at LDAP yet, so they might be open to looking at it.
36. [AI] 11 Jan 02 Jill and Art will follow up: UAB will be installing the Globus Toolkit & could host the VDoD; ArtV & GaState's interest in multiple directories should be leveraged.
37. [AI] 11 Jan 02 NE, Tyler, AS, Mike, and Keith will go through schema point by point with an Internet2 scribe in a conference call or two.
38. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Mary Fran, Art and Egon will markup/revise scenarios to make them less H.323 centric (Final Version 1.0)
39. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Tyler, Egon, and Jill will overlay scenarios onto Tyler's Visio reference model diagram (including scheduling)
40. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Samir will develop scenario: interoperability between H.323 and SIP
41. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Steve and Tim Poe will follow up with vendors not already represented in VidMid-VC: Tandberg, VCon, Polycom, MS, Sony(?), PictureTel (?), Cisco(?) [VRVS and Access Grid?] identify and contact key individuals
42. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Steve, Jill and Ann West will follow up: UNC-Chapel Hill & GaTech funded to do documentation for the Commons; maybe part of this could go to the VideoCookbook
43. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Jill and Steve will investigate the benefits/viability of planning an April 02 meeting where we could get end users together with endpoint vendors.
44. [AI] 18 Jan 02 Jill, Mike and Keith will collaborate on the VideoDoD/Globus investigations
45. [AI] 25 Jan 02 Samir will find a SIP vendor willing to implement user authentication.
46. [AI] 25 Jan 02 Steve will report on the degree to which SunONE infrastructure parallels/aligns with NMI
47. [AI] 8 Feb 02 Mary Fran and Jill will develop (or oversee) a survey of end users to get data for endpoint functionality
48. [AI] TBD Tyler, Steve and Jill will investigate other potential funding sources; develop grant proposals to assist in funding some of our efforts.
49. [AI] TBD Jill and Samir will investigate viability of setting up a SIP testbed
50. [AI] TBD Jill and Samir will conduct an Active Directory investigation

Next call will NOT be on New Year's Eve; bi-weekly calls will resume as scheduled on Monday, 14-January-2002, 11:00 a.m. EST