FINAL REPORT - APPENDICES

RE 1007, MERCI

Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration

University College London

TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS PROGRAMME
Research

Author(s)

Peter T Kirstein
Roy Bennett

Appendix A : 
Cover pages of deliverables

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)*  RP	

Deliverable Number: D0
Contractual Date of Delivery: 29 February 1996
Title of Deliverable:  Initial MERCI software Deliverable
Work-Package contributing to the Deliverable: 2, 3
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author(s):  VAT : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) 
                  VIC  : Steve McCanne, Van Jacobson (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
                  WB   : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
                  NTE : Mark Handley (University College London)
                  SD    : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)	

Abstract:
All the tools described in this document are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  
The tools have been selected to provide a baseline set for multimedia conferencing.  The baseline we have chosen is that the tools should be RTP/2 compliant.  
The following tools are delivered:
      Audio:                      VAT 4.0
      Video:                      VIC 2.7
      Shared workspace:   WB 1.59
                                      NTE 1.6
      Conference control: SD 1.16

We have documented each of the tools under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software.

Keyword list:
multimedia conferencing, video, audio, shared workspace, RTP/2, MBONE, multicast	

This document is available in both HTML and RTF at URL: 
http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/merci/deliverables/	

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* RP	

Deliverable Number: D1
Contractual Date of Delivery: 31 August 1996
Title of Deliverable: MERCI Software Deliverable I
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable: 2, 3, 6, 8, 10
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author(s): SDR               : Mark Handley (University College London)
                   Rendez-Vous : Frank.Lyonnet (INRIA, Sophia Antipolis)
                   FreePhone     : Andrés Vega-Garcia (INRIA, Sophia Antipolis)
                   RAT               : Vicky Hardman, Colin Perkins, Isidor Kouvelas, Orion Hodson
                                             (University College London)
                   VIC                : Steve McCanne, Van Jacobson (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)
                   VAT               : Van Jacobson, Steve McCanne (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory)	

Abstract:
This is an Internal deliverable which we have chosen to document and make available.  All the tools described in this document are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  We have documented each of the tools under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software.

SDR, FreePhone and Rendez-Vous are new tools made available since our Initial software deliverable (D0).

The other tools - RAT, VAT and VIC are released as versions with in-built encryption which has been added by the MERCI project so that, in the case of the tools developed in the USA, they are  not covered by US export restrictions on the export of cryptography.

Keyword list:
multimedia conferencing, video, audio, shared workspace, RTP/2, MBONE, multicast, cryptography

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* RP	

Deliverable Number: D2
Contractual Date of Delivery: 28 February 1997
Title of Deliverable: MERCI Software Deliverable II
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author: Roy Bennett, Project Manager, MERCI 
              Those responsible for the deliverables are acknowledged in the relevant section of this document.                  	

Abstract:
This is a Project deliverable.  For various reasons, which we elaborate on in this document, we will delay delivery of some tools and provide improved versions of some of the others after our demonstration at JENC8.
The tools we are delivering are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  We have documented each of them under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software.  Although we provided versions of the released tools in February, we have updated this deliverable following JENC8 at which we demonstrated further improvements.
FreePhone, Rendez-Vous and RAT, delivered in D1, are now given added functionality and are available on more platforms. FreePhone now provides high-frequency sampling and supports stereo and the L16 codec. Rendez-Vous is now compatible with VIC and available for PCs running FreeBSD and Windows 95/NT.  RAT provides mixing functionality to allow use in a gateway and16 bit encoding on all codecs. 
The Secure Conferencing User Agent (SCUA) from GMD is included below.
Network Monitor, developed by CRC was originally submitted, but, with the further development of this prototype into the MultiMON tool, which was released in July, we now submit this in its place. 
Keyword list:
multimedia conferencing, video, audio, shared workspace, RTP/2, MBONE, multicast, cryptography

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* RP	

Deliverable Number: D3
Contractual Date of Delivery: 31 August 1997
Title of Deliverable: MERCI Software Deliverable III
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author: Roy Bennett, Project Manager, MERCI 
              Those responsible for the deliverables are acknowledged in the relevant section of this document.                  	

Abstract:
This is a Project deliverable. The tools we are delivering are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  We have documented each of them under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software. 
In this deliverable we offer: 
•	UTG – the UCL Transcoding Gateway 
This tool allows a user to use a client program on a PC to link to an Mbone conference via IP/ISDN or any unicast link. The client makes a unicast connection to a server which is on a multicast capable network.
•	TELES H.320 to Mbone gateway
This is the precursor of a tool to allow interworking between multiple participants in an H.320 conference and Mbone conference participants. This first release allows a single H.320 terminal to join an Mbone conference.
•	MMCR – the Multicast Multimedia Conference Recorder
MMCR is a client and a server which allows the user to record, playback and perform simple VCR-like tasks on multicast conference streams which may be encrypted or not.
Keyword list:
audio, gateway, ISDN-2, Mbone, multicast, multimedia conferencing, RTP/2, shared workspace, video

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* PU	

Deliverable Number: D4
Contractual Date of Delivery: 30 November 1997
Title of Deliverable: MERCI Software Deliverable IV
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable:  3, 10
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  TO
Author: Roy Bennett, Project Manager, MERCI 
              Those responsible for the deliverables are acknowledged in the relevant section of this document.                  	

Abstract:
This is a Project deliverable. The tools we are delivering are freely available on World-Wide Web and ftp sites around the world.  We have documented each of them under the headings Release Description, Systems Requirements List, Installation Guidelines, and the Web source for the software. 

In this deliverable we offer the following upgraded versions of previously delivered tools: 
•	FreePhone 3.5b3
•	MultiMON Beta 1.3
•	Rendez-Vous 1.0.2
•	Secure Conferencing User Agent (SCUA)
and the following new tools, demonstrated at the Annual Project review in 1997:
•	Mpoll Beta 1.2
•	TeleCanvas 1.0

Keyword list:
audio, Mbone, multicast, multimedia conferencing, network monitoring,RTP/2, shared workspace, video, voting

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)*  PU	

Deliverable Number: D10.1
Contractual Date of Delivery: 31 August 1996
Title of Deliverable: Security Architecture for MERCI 
Work-Package contributing to the Deliverable: 10
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  SP
Author(s): Knut Bahr, Stefan Braun, Elfriede Hinsch, Peter Kirstein 

Abstract:  
This deliverable provides the security architecture to be used in MERCI project - to the extent that it has been defined. We first overview the facilities provided in a number of other projects, in particular the following: PASSWORD, ICE-TEL, Van Jacobson’s MBONE, MICE, the IETF and ITU-T. These facilities in some of the earlier work like PASSWORD and the MICE work have been superseded; only a specific subset of ICE-TEL’s are applicable; Van Jacobson’s work is not well documented; the IETF and the ITU-T activities are not fully compatible, and in many cases the relevant standards still being defined. Next we give an overview of the MBONE tools and protocols, in their unsecured state; this serves as a basis for the later work. We then overview general security considerations, and analyse security  implementations as they are relevant to conferencing. An overview is provided of the ITU-T protocols relevant to conferencing; many of these need to be extended for secure conferencing.
Having provided the necessary background, two chapters provide the meat of this Deliverable. First we specify the security procedures to be used for MBONE conferencing. These include both securing the basic tools, and providing mechanisms for key distribution. Here our main proposal is to use modified versions of the Session Announcement and Session Description protocols; these are reliant on Public Key systems, and methods for key distribution by Directory, WWW and electronic mail procedures. Finally, we go through a similar exercise for the securing of coupled ITU-T and MBONE conferences; here the ITU-T mechanisms are not fully defined, and different facilities for securing the coupled systems are needed.

Keyword list:
multimedia conferencing, security, MBONE, multicast, video, audio, shared workspace, RTP/2 	

This document is available in both HTML and RTF at URL: 
http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/merci/deliverables/	

Project Number:	Telematics for Research 1007
Project Title:	MERCI

Title of Deliverable:	Seminar Deliverable I
Deliverable ID: 	D11.1
Produced by Workpackage: 	WP 11
Contractual Date of Delivery:	31. August 1996
Author(s):	Peter Feil, University of Stuttgart
	Andreas Rozek, University of Stuttgart

Abstract:
Based on the results of the earlier MICE project, MERCI - Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration - aims to integrate technology components to allow for proper development of tools for multimedia collaboration.
The components developed within MERCI technology workpackages are tested within validation workpackages and the feedback is used to improve theses tools further. Once they are considered rugged enough they are made available to other projects and institutions.
As distance education is an excellent consumer of the MERCI technology, the “Seminar Workpackage” (WP11) has been organised to apply the tools in several distributed seminars.
This deliverable describes the work that has been done within the Seminar Workpackage in the reporting period. It covers the regular networked multimedia project meetings and the first set of MERCI seminars. A short introduction into booking systems for MBone events is also given.

Keyword List: 
Multimedia Seminars, Distance Education, CSCW, MBone

This document is available in both HTML and RTF at URL: 
http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/merci/deliverables/

Project Number:	Telematics for Research 1007
Project Title:	MERCI

Title of Deliverable:	Seminar Deliverable IV
Deliverable ID: 	D11.4
Produced by Workpackage: 	WP 11
Contractual Date of Delivery:	30. November 1997
Author(s):	Andreas Rozek, University of Stuttgart	
	et al.

Abstract:
Based on the results of the earlier MICE project, MERCI - Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration - aims to integrate technology components to allow for proper development of tools for multimedia collaboration.
Every tool developed within the project is tested by a validation workpackage - the feedback is then used to improve that tool. All tests are performed under the „real“ conditions of a given application scenario - one of them being „distance education“ handled by MERCI WP11, the “Seminar Workpackage” (WP11).
As a „demonstrator“, this deliverable consists of a seminar recording on disk and this accompanying paper which additionally shows some screen snapshots and describes the experiences gained from these seminars.

Keyword List: 
Multimedia Conferencing, DMC, Distance Education, CSCW, MBone

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* PU	

Deliverable Number: D12.2
Contractual Date of Delivery: 30 November 1997
Date of Interim Delivery: June 1997
Title of Deliverable:  Real-time Surgery workshop multicast over an IP/ATM Mbone 
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable:  12
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  RE/OT
Authors: Report Panos Gevros, UCL; Roy Bennett, UCL
                 Video  Ulf Bilting, KTH

Abstract:
A Course in Interventional Uro-Radiology and Endourology demonstrating novel, minimal invasive surgery techniques was held at the Middlesex Hospital in London on February 20, 1997.  The workshop, consisting of lectures and a number of live operations, was multicast over the MERCI project’s 1 Mbps JAMES ATM links to surgeons in Glasgow, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Stuttgart.  Two operations from the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg were also multicast.  

This event, demonstrating improved technical quality over a similar event multicast by the MICE project in November 1994, used increased bandwidth, encryption and digital recording on the UCL multimedia server.  

A videotape cassette of the event is provided as part of this deliverable.

Keyword list:
audio, Mbone, multicast, multimedia conferencing, network monitoring, RTP/2, surgery workshop, teaching, video

Project Number: 1007 ( RE)
Project Title: Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration (MERCI)
Deliverable Type: (PU/LI/RP)* PU	

Deliverable Number: D13.2
Contractual Date of Delivery: 30 November 1997
Title of Deliverable: Commercial Trials with the MERCI Conferencing Tools
Work-Packages contributing to the Deliverable:  13
Nature of the Deliverable: (PR/RE/SP/TO/OT)**  RE
Author: Report Knut Bahr, GMD

Abstract:

This report describes two field tests that were done in collaboration with employees of the German Telekom (Deutsche Telekom AG) in Germany during the first year of project MERCI.
The trials involved different groups of people within Deutsche Telekom and were completely independent from each other. 

The report covers the installation and testing phases. Routine use was not achieved due to organisational delays by the partner and due to some technical difficulties. It was planned to achieve routine use during the second year of the project and there was supporting interest amongst the users, with whom a specific workplan was discussed. 

User management was reluctant to commit itself, due to major restructuring within Deutsche Telekom and the subsequent trials did not take place.

Keyword list:
audio, commercial trials, Mbone, multicast, multimedia conferencing, video

Appendix B 
Information dissemination materials

1.	The project brochure
•	Latest version September 1997 (A4 folded)
•	Special version for Barcelona Conference (A3 folded)

2.	Printout of the project home page

3.	Posters (reduced from the Actual A0 to A4)
•	MERCI project poster
•	Mechanisms for Utilising and Supporting Multicast Media

4.	Other Brochures
•	Distributed Electronic Classroom 
•	Mpoll: Multicast Polling Software
•	MultiMedia Conference Recorder (MMCR)
•	Secure Conferencing
•	Secure  Conferencing User Agent (SCUA)
•	Accessing Mbone Sessions over N-ISDN (using UCL Transcoding Gateway)

5.	Video of Surgery workshop and Seminar series (Part of Deliverables  D11.4/12.2)

Appendix C 
Contract Management Information

The project instigated a web-based project management reporting system which allowed partners to report on their contributions to their workpackages and the workpackage leaders to summarise these for the quarterly Progress Reports submitted to the project officer by project management.

The following pages show:
1.	The initial page
2.	The partner reporting selection page
3.	Partner report for UCL for Period ending November 1997
4.	The workpackage reporting selection page
5.	Workpackage report for WP 11 for Period ending November 1997

Project Consortium
Communicatons Research Centre
GMD - Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik GmbH
Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et Automatique
Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan
Rechenzentrum Universitaet Stuttgart
TELES
University College London
University of Oslo
Sponsors
Hewlett-Packard
Shell Research 
United Kingdom Education and Research Networking Association

Contact address for the Project:
Name		Roy Bennett
Company	Department of Computer Science, University College London
Street		Gower Street
City		London WC1E 6BT
Country	U K

Telephone	+44 (0)171 380 7934
Fax		+44 (0)171 387 1397
E-mail		merci@cs.ucl.ac.uk
WWW	http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/merci/

The Project MERCI (Multimedia European Research Conferencing Integration) has been supported by the European Commission under the auspices of the TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS Programme. 

Further information on the TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS Programme:
You can obtain more information on the projects of the TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS Programme from:

European Commission, DG XIII, C/1
TELEMATIC APPLICATIONS Programme Information desk
Rue de la Loi 200 - BU 29 - 04/05
B - 1049 Brussels
Fax: +32 2 295 23 54
E-mail: telematics@dg13.cec.be
Or on the TELEMATICS APPLICATIONS Programmes’ homepage:
http://www.echo.lu/telematics
Copyright MERCI Consortium 1998