Finally, here is the first release of the Portlet Access Grid, tested, tested and tested again.

It works (as far as we know) under Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux.

Vista support to follow.

Installation instructions: install_1-0.pdf

Binary Server package: pag_1-1.tar.gz

Source package: pag_1-0_src.tar.gz

The latest version of PAG is launched through a redirection system. Janet are purchasing two servers to act as a portal for PAG as well as providing network bridges.

http://pag.redirectme.net/gridsphere/

We are still investigating links with the NGS portal and others.

OMII-UK Vision?

A diagrammatic visual was used to illustrate a combined portal (using multiple portlets) interface.

Use Case Scenario: User logs on to his Grid portal, submits a job and goes to make a cup of tea. While chatting to colleagues he receives a txt and returns to see that the job has finised within the job submission portal. By connecting portals together the resulting data is transmitted to his favourite SRB folder and is archived safely there. After analysing the data and visualizing it the user launches the PAG (portlet AG) on the same portal to tell his friends. Data is then shared across the Access Grid virtual venue shared data space, directly for all his friends to see.

This is one of three possible future development routes that would have a high impact.

1. Full Structure of portlet-to-portlet communication (as described in the vision above)
2. Update on compatability issues with OS and different devices (eg smaller PDAs etc.) Also links to selecting specific video/audio streams – eg work  on a wi-fi environment with low bandwidth
3. Improved user-interface- many requests for better the AG Toolkit structure and extra features

A wiki page is being used to collate user and developer feedback with comments and suggestions.

Current Issues:

From PAG announce list:
This version should work on Windows XP and Linux; we have done some testing on Vista and Mac OS X, but consider the support for these platforms as experimental (although we would be interested to hear from anyone who wants to try it out as to their experiences). In particular, vic and rat currently need encouragement to work on Vista! We are in contact with the AVATS team in relation to this, and hope to have an update in the near future.

Please report any bugs, problems and feature requests to PAG-SUPPORT@listserv.manchester.ac.uk

Actions:

1. Current tarball to be available for OMII repository; latest end of next week; includes documentation
2. AHM demonstration planned on OMII-UK stand. Being organised through Constantinos and Koke.
3. Opportunities for AVATS to become part-time from January 2009. Action MT to investigate. Issues then would be to update vic / rat for new OS’s etc.

Follow on meeting 1st September 2pm.

PAG (Portlet Access Grid) won the best product award at the 2008 Access Grid Retreat. Congratulations go to all the developers at RCS; Tobias Schiebeck, Andrew Rowley and Anja Le Blanc.

http://www.accessgrid.org/retreat/2008/program

Slides available from presentation at: http://www.accessgrid.org/retreat/2008/slides/schiebeck_PAG.pdf

Also multiple demonstrations and a presentation at the 4th International Conference on e-Social Science – organised by NCeSS (National Centre for E-Social Science.

Release Outputs: both to be installed on the following two portals

• NGS portal  – setup on new vistualised server. Action
• NCeSS portal – new portal with Oracle DB back-end being setup at Manchester / Daresbury

Deadlines for deployment

• Version on ‘memetic’ server – end Monday 21st April
• Pioneers (inc USA users) informed on Wednesday 23rd April
• NGS and NCeSS portlets when they are ready
• BL servers installed when they are ready

Documentation

• Installation guide for portlet – uPortal GridSphere and Sakai versions
• User docs – generic guide

Issues

• Test cross-compatability: Mac vs Windows vs Linux – include vista OS
• Final version of shared presentations

Dissemination

• AG Retreat PAG abstract complete
• AG Retreat eDance/RACE article to write
• NCeSS conference paper for for PAG to write

Pre-version of the shared application – mainly power-point presentations were demonstrated. System was not linked together yet to portlet. IOssues included error modes adn specific slide selection modes when linking to various different operating systems.

Users: Key main portal user is NAG – who have offered to add PAG to their portal. This will act as the main portal location. Note both NGS and JANET will gain users.

Release date: proposed for a beta-release 1st April 2008

Repository: new text service that will be more robust is planned at the university. This is second hand equipment from the British Library and combine with a repository storage area. Due for transportation end April 2008.

Key features and actions to be carried out:

• Integrate sharing and final features to the alpha versions.
• Documentation on both user and installerto be created
• Test to be applied with new pioneer-users from the States.
• Endurance test to be carried out – aimed at the same time as a presentation/description day

Dissemination activities

• AG Retreat at Vancouver: attending and propoal being sent.
• Short article in OMII-UK June 2008 – to be created and announce launch with NGS
• 3rd International Conference on e-Social Science – organised by NCeSS June 18-20 2008 – paper proposal sent
• Possible NGS publication
• Possible OGF involvement #24

Over a series of meetings in December (2007) to February (2008) we are satisfying a range of features.

• All features are on schedule for release (end of March) including shared application, firewall bridging adn documentation
• Exception is active use of SRB or GridFTP support due to lack of immediate use requests
• Liaison with NGS is ongoing regarding linking within their portal
• Look at other portal technologies including specifically LifeRay http://www.liferay.com/web/guest/home
  
• Testing still needs to be done regarding acceptable delays when switching between bridges

New features and requests from pioneer users and developers have been started to be collated on to the wiki. http://kato.rcs.manchester.ac.uk/rss-wiki/PAG/Future

Items to be complete for the end of project.

• Port 80 – TCP Bridge to be included in manual bridging system – to be checked
• Firewall break-through evaluations and tests by all ‘pioneer’ users etc
• Multicast to Bridge – sub second (or sub two second response rate)
• Link with shared applications
• link with SRB – GridFTP not essential
• Test bridge with AG_VRVS
• Test bridge with AG_H323
• Hook for future Skype link
• Hook for future ConferenceXP link

Issues:

• Java on old versions of Sony – check version of Java PAG is compatible with
• Sound card to be checked again

1. What’s the best way of me getting a trial to non-Manchester folk?
2. There was a keen-ness to list all known problems with PAG against the release.
3. Apart from the PAG blog, is there some other source I can point the OMII-UK Ops team at?
4. Additionally, would you be willing to write a small article about the PAG release for the next OMII-UK newsletter?

1. Trial users need to have a portal account – simplest wasy is to use the pag demo portal

Accounts from Andrew Rowley Andrew Rowley <Andrew.Rowley(at)manchester.ac.uk>

This will link you to the usual AGSC Virtualk Venue Lobby – exactly as seen from the current AG Application.

2. Many errors and faults of the usual AG are also faults of the PAG – see www.accessgrid.org

Action is needed to create a list of PAG specific ones – incompatible HW etc.

3. PAG is of course more than just a blog. Eventually it will be an OMII-UK software release etc. But in terms of information there is:

A wiki – containing use cases and the tasks list – so you can watch the % completion rates of individual tasks: (a modern version of watching paint dry?).

http://kato.rcs.manchester.ac.uk/rss-wiki/PAG

And a usual web page which is mainly a pointer place holder:

http://www.rcs.manchester.ac.uk/research/PAG

4. Small article to be written for OMII-UK newsletter.

Items carried out:

• New server released – complete with minor fixes
• Listing Service complete – bith data lists and participants lists
• Port 80 – TCP Bridge to be included in manual bridging system

Items due for Xmas:

• Multi-cast Detection
• Service Management – allow users to choose services
• Data Download – intial method of transmitting data through the portal

New GridSphere portal at:

http://memetic.ag.manchester.ac.uk/gridsphere

Items for After Xmas

• Application launcher for alternative services
• AG2 client list services – check on different levels of service call

Blog to be advertised and used.

Recent demonstration of the GridSphere Firefox Windows version of PAG worked flawlessly (except on my laptop – but I do plug too many weird things into it) during a Sakai Portal workshop Nov 2007.