Gurcharan: Can you elaborate this point for us so we can fix it before going to 3.2 final?
> We are running AG 3.1 b/c > 3.2beta breaks the mpeg4 and extended services that we need. On May 10, 2009, at 11:09 PM, Gurcharan S. Khanna wrote: > Cameron, > > Yes, it was me. The larger project is the RIT Global Collaboration > Grid, which envisions > using the highest possible technology to create a single virtual > space for all of RIT's sites. > > See http://rc.rit.edu/collaborationgrid.html for an overview. > > The current architecture for this distributed yet coordinated set of > nodes is simply standard > AG nodes. To reduce maintenance and enable others to contribute with > minimum cost and > headaches, I have been asked to move closer to an appliance model, > where I would specify > the hardware and software exactly so that it would be guaranteed to > work first time, every > time. While I have been reluctant to go in this direction, it's > obviously the only way to get > the buy-in I need to move quickly and credibly to deploy the > collaboration grid. (Actually, > I would like to go even further and develop a 'thin-client' ag node > but that's another story...). > > So, we just ordered parts for ten little computers which balanced > small form factor with cost > from NewEgg and GovConnection. Our original spec was to be able to > send one DVTS > stream and receive at least five, using the extendedvideoservices in > the access grid. We tested > the first one with this spec and it passed (except for the onboard > GigE) so we ordered ten more > but with a PCI GigE card. However, we really probably want to do > some H.264/Mpeg4 as well > but we need to run benchmarks for that still. Anticipating that we > ordered five systems with a > dual core processor and five with a quad core processor to see what > the difference would be. > The mpeg4 encoding has been quite intensive especially when you get > up to 720 and 1080 > resolutions so it's a real concern. We also required firewire ports > for the DVTS. So far, we > have only run WindowsXP but intend to try out a linux as well. We > are running AG 3.1 b/c > 3.2beta breaks the mpeg4 and extended services that we need. > > Here are the student-built computer specs: > > Motherboard, AMD 780G, Phenom FX, MATX, Max 8GB $82.00 > DDR2, PCIEX16, PCIEX, 2PCI, GBE, Vid, Aud, SATA,RAID Asus Computer > Intl. > > Processor, Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition 3GHz, 6MB L3 $240.00 > Cache, 1800MHz FSB, Box AMD > > ATX Desktop Chassis, PSI300 PS, 4U, 1394, Black $60.00 > In-win Developement > > 1GB PC2-6400 240-pin DDR2 SDRAM DIMM $11.25 (x4) > Kingston Technology Corp. > > Processor, Athlon 64 X2 5600+ 2.8GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, Box $73.00 > AMD > > Intel Pro 1000 / GT - OEM Single $27.00 > > 80GB WD Cavier Blue SATA Internal HD 8MB Cache, $36.00 > 7200 RPM Western Digital > > For audio (when needed) we are standardizing on Phoenix Duet > Executive USB echo > cancelling mics at $180 and for cameras, the cheapest firewire Sony, > DCR-HC52 MiniDV > Handycam® Camcorder $249.99 List Price. Output display devices will > vary with location > and could be LCD panels or projectors. Different locations will also > affect the audio solution. > We don't have an inexpensive solution for a good, single mic echo > canceller for a non-tabletop > venue. > > I'd be happy to elaborate on any of this and why we chose it and > where we're going. It's > a somewhat moving target but we are trying to get something in place > that will be adaptable > as well. > > -gurcharan > > PS RIT Venue on the ANL server is where you can see where we're at > at any point in time. -gsk > > > Purvis, Cameron wrote: >> >> Hello, from Cameron at the University of Alabama! >> >> >> I’m sorry if I have this mixed up: I believe that, in the >> AccessGrid Town Hall meeting Tuesday morning, that I heard about >> RIT building out small AccessGrid nodes based on inexpensive >> desktop computers. I couldn’t make out the name of the speaker well >> but I think it may have been you. The vision was to link several >> rooms together with standardized units all in a grid venue. That >> sounds like something that could be a very good demonstration of >> the technology here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It also sounds like >> something that would be fun to observe as the community starts to >> play with the technology. >> >> If you guys are working on something like that – a sort of >> standardized design for small nodes – I’d love to be in touch with >> the right person to talk about that. This is something I’d like to >> replicate here, and would appreciate the chance to collaborate with >> RIT. >> >> Thanks! >> >> -- >> >> Cameron Purvis >> >> University of Alabama Office of Information Technology, Research >> >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> (205) 348-4677 >> > > > -- > ------------------------- > Gurcharan S. Khanna, Ph.D. > Director of Research Computing > Office of the Vice President for Research > http://rc.rit.edu > > Assistant Research Professor, Ph.D. Program > Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences > http://people.rit.edu/gskpop > > Director, Interactive Collaboration Environments Laboratory, > Center for the Advancing the Study of Cyberinfrastructure > http://icelab.rit.edu > --- > Rochester Institute of Technology > 1 Lomb Memorial Drive > Rochester, New York 14623-5603 > Phone: 585-475-7504 ~ Cell: 585-451-8370 > Email: [email protected] >
