Environment
from the Molecular Level
A NERC eScience testbed project
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Environment
from the Molecular Level
A NERC eScience testbed project |
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Project team: Gareth Lewis, Mehmood Hassan, Vassil Alexandrov (Reading)
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We have developed a tool to allow efficient sharing of applications, exploiting the multicast network technology used in the Access Grid. |
MAST is a multicast application sharing tool, which has been developed to enhance group-to-group collaboration. It uses multicast to transport the application streams to the participants in the multicast group. The tool is specifically designed to be used with the Access Grid. Currently, the Access Grid has two main multicast tools a video tool VIC and the Robust Audio Tool (RAT). Traditionally Virtual Network Computing (VNC) has been used to share desktops between participants, the main problem with VNC's use in the Access Grid is that it does not use multicast, but instead sends duplicate data to each participant (putting undue load on the network).
MAST has been developed for Linux and Microsoft Windows, it allows participants to connect using either Unicast or Multicast. The Unicast connection allows for one-to-one meetings, and facilitates the use of a Multicast bridge (such as QuickBridge). The Multicast option can be used for participants who are on a Multicast enabled network and wish to be part of a Virtual Venue (e.g., The eminerals Virtual Venue). MAST has been developed with ease of use being of particular importance.
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The Settings window allows the user to specify details such as name, email, the multicast address of the Virtual Venue, and the port (Screen shot left shows the settings window). |
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The Application Menu (Screen shot left) allows users to select local running applications and change their state to a shared application. The user simply right clicks on the application name they wish to share and clicks on the share option. Shared application can be removed from the shared application list by selecting the 'unshare' option from the menu. |
When a user joins a Virtual Venue, by clicking on the connect menu item, the participants within the virtual venue will automatically be displayed. Any application belonging to a participant that has a shared state, will be displayed under the participant name. A user can share another participants application by right clicking on one of the available applications and selecting the enlarge menu item. The application will then appear within the display window and the participants are free to talk about the application using the other Access Grid tools.
If any participant should fail during a session, the other participants will be unaffected and the failing participant will be removed from the list. Any application that is 'unshared' and any participant that leaves the VV will also be removed from the participant list without any interaction from other participants.
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The picture left shows sharing of document editing and molecule viewing applications between linux (above) and windows (below) systems, in both cases showing both client and server nodes. |
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The picture left shows the desktop when sharing a powerpoint presentation. |
More details are available in the following publications:
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MT Dove, M Calleja, R Bruin, J Wakelin, M Keegan, S Ballard, G Lewis, SM Hasan, V Alexandrov, RP Tyer, I Todorov, P Wilson, M Alfredsson, GD Price, C Chapman, W Emmerich, S Wells, A Marmier, S Parker, Z Du. "Collaborative tools in support of the eMinerals Virtual Organisation". Proceedings of the UK e-Science All Hands Meeting 2004, (ISBN 1-904425-21-6), pp 127-134, 200 |
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MT Dove, M Calleja, R Bruin, J Wakelin, MG Tucker, GJ Lewis, SM Hasan, VN Alexandrov, M Keegan, S Ballard, RP Tyer, I Todorov, PB Wilson, M Alfredsson, GD Price, C Chapman, W Emmerich, SA Wells, A Marmier, SC Parker, Z Du. The eMinerals collaboratory: tools and experience. Molecular Simulations (in press) |
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