Monash EVO pilot

Monash e-Research Centre is currently introducing the EVO video collaboration environment.

EVO is a PC-based multipoint collaboration tool which features advanced videoconferencing, as well as a host of integrated tools to facilitate collaboration between researchers and educators. Groups of three or more geographically distributed people can synchronously communicate using audio, video and instant messaging, exchange files, work on a share virtual whiteboard and share their own computer screen. EVO carries forward many of the ideas pioneered by Access Grid. EVO can be deployed in meeting rooms, teaching spaces and on your desktop. Comparison of EVO with various other videoconferencing technologies is available here.

Setting Up

You can do it all yourself, or get us to help you, whichever you choose. You’ll need a PC (or laptop), web-cam, microphone and speakers or headset. Any old web-cam will simply not do! The image you project to your colleagues is very dependent on the quality of your camera, microphone and audio setup. We recommend only the components listed in Table 1.

Accessing EVO

You’ll need to register, download the ‘Koala’ client software (this happens automatically when you start a session), and login. You can do all that directly from the EVO web site:

Once logged-in, you’ll need to select a community – choose AARNet, and then choose a ‘virtual room ’ to ‘meet’ colleagues in.

Costs

EVO can be downloaded and used completely free of charge anywhere within the global R&E network. No volume or usage charges accrue as long as all participants are within the global R&E network.

Exception: In common with any other network traffic, traffic to Monash from outside the global R&E network incurs an AARNet offnet traffic charge currently $7/GB. For EVO, this equates to approximately $3 per hour per offnet participant. You can find out if a remote site is part of the global R&E network using AARNet’s tool.

Service Providers

EVO is provided in Australia jointly by CalTech, AARNet, ARCS and Monash University. Monash is a lead institution in bringing EVO to Australia. Monash provides one of the two Australian EVO ‘Panda’ server nodes which form part of the global EVO network. ARCS will soon be providing a national support service in Australia. Support arrangements are currently under development. Please do not refer enquiries to your local IT support staff. In the meantime, please refer all support enquiries directly to the Monash e-Research Centre.

Getting help

You are more than welcome to explore EVO by yourself if you want to: Simply login and start playing.

Also, we don’t want you to feel lost or overwhelmed. If you want any help or advice from us, or suggestions or discussion about how to best use EVO or other tools to best meet your needs please do not hesitate to contact any of us by any means. In particular please direct EVO enquiries to: Nicholas McPhee or Peter Dixon. We do not want to lose your interest.

In particular: EVO’s user interface can appear initially daunting. The following specific information is available to help you:

Warning for home users

EVO is intended for use on high-speed networks, such as the Monash network, AARNet and its interconnected peer R&E networks around the globe. EVO can be configured for use on residential broadband services, however please note some very important qualifications:

The uplink capacity on most Australian ADSL and Cable ‘broadband’ services are severely throttled by your ISP to very low data rates, typically around 64~256kbit/s. This is inadequate for EVO or other high resolution video conference technologies. Even if it seems OK to you, your image will look bad at the other end. In practice, this means you need ADSL2+ broadband for EVO (or other quality video conference systems) to function satisfactorily.
EVO generates network traffic (depending on exact mode and configuration) up to around 1Mbit/s per participant (i.e. increasing in proportion to number of participants in amulti-point EVO session). This can easily consume your entire monthly allowance in only a few hours of use. As a rule of thumb, expect to clock up around 1GB per 2 hours of EVO usage per remote participant. This means you should choose ADSL2+ packages with very high download limits.
In addition to impact/costs at the residential end, any usage via a commercial ISP (i.e. outside the AARNet/global R&E networks) will also generate a volume charge at the Monash end, at the rate of approximately $3 per hour of EVO usage per offnet participant. This will be included in the normal monthly usage charge reported against the Monash user.

Warnings about wireless networks

Similarly, EVO should not be expected to work satisfactorily over a wireless network connection and is not recommended. Use of high quality video conferencing over wireless network can disrupt other wireless users, and vice versa. A wired network connection should always be used.

Table 1 – Recommended peripherals

These are all very high quality cameras with very similar high fidelity electronics, optics and full range of functions. These are the only PC cameras endorsed for use. Suitable for use with Polycom, EVO or other personal video communications software. Cheaper cameras produce inferior results at the other end, disturbing the experience for your audience, unbeknownst to you. A configuration that eliminates echoes (i.e. via the use of headset and/or effective use of echo-cancellation technology) is vital to ensure a satisfactory communications experience for your colleagues. All short-cuts that you take affect the other end not you.