PLATON U1 – Video conferencing services

The service aims to implement audiovisual communication between 22 academic centres in Poland. Because the PIONIER network, as well as most of MAN centres, has a fast backbone network, there are no significant restrictions on available bandwidth and delays for videoconferencing transmissions. One of the nodes of the videoconferencing system has been implemented at the Wroclaw Centre for Networking and Supercomputing at Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The architecture of the video conferencing system consists of the following elements:

• video conferencing bridge MCU providing 40 simultaneous Full HD connections with 1080p resolution
• gatekeeper capable of registering at least 100 devices
• an archiving server capable of supporting 10 simultaneous connections and recording at least 30 hours of high-quality video conferences
• a streaming server providing simultaneous streaming to at least 400 users.

Server devices have direct access to the PIONIER backbone network via GigabitEthernet connections, guaranteed power supply and appropriate working conditions in air-conditioned rooms.

The videoconferencing node equipment has been installed at the Wrocław Centre for Networking and Supercomputing. The videoconferencing node is a high-resolution videoterminal with the necessary hardware and software. Such a node is located in each of the 22 MANs, in a specially designated and adapted videoconference room. The equipment of the videoconferencing node includes:

• H.323/SIP hardware codec supporting Full HD 1080p resolution and the ability to connect presentations from an additional computer or other source
• 52” 1080p LCD TV
• 1080p projector
• camera, microphone, speakers, wiring, equipment stand
• 5 videoconferencing software licences.

The devices controlling the setting up of connections are located in two network nodes. The node in Gdańsk serves as the primary server and the node in Poznań as the backup server. As both nodes are equipped in the same way and both are active all the time, it is possible to carry out the scenario of simultaneous use of both servers in the case of a greater load. An additional element of the videoconferencing system is an interactive and modular Internet application, enabling the booking of videoconferencing resources by PIONIER network users.

The installed system uses the most modern equipment, which allows to carry out videoconferences in Full HD 1080p quality. It also supports older standards, which makes it possible to cooperate with all videoconferencing devices meeting the H.323/SIP standard. Thanks to the implementation of Full HD 1080p technology, the system will ensure high quality of connections for min. 5 years after the end of the project. At the time of the project implementation, no newer H.323/SIP videoconferencing standards were planned.

It is possible to conduct simultaneous videoconferences conveniently for all users (registered video terminals), as well as to conduct multiple parallel videoconferences in smaller groups. The course of the conference can be archived, with the possibility of its later replay.

The videoconferencing system is intended to be used mainly by scientific circles, both for research purposes and for collaboration with scientific centres in Poland and abroad. Each of the leading centres of the PIONIER network integrates local scientific circles in the access to the videoconferencing service and promotes its optimal use.

It is also planned to implement software to monitor the status of the system and future integration of the system with similar European initiatives.