How to Produce an Access Grid Event Jennifer Teig von Hoffman Boston University & National Computational Science Alliance
Dec 20, 2015
How to Produce an Access Grid Event
Jennifer Teig von Hoffman Boston University & National Computational Science Alliance
Objectives
Types of AG eventsHow to prepare for eventsStaffing recommendations
We’ve got a lot to cover, so please hold questions until the end of each section I’ll ask for questions by show of hands
Primary Reference
Access Grid-in-a-box tutorial, “How to Produce an Access Grid Event: An Elementary Guide for Technical Users” . . . Which in turn refers to
presentations by Lisa Childers of Argonne National Laboratory, Russ Wolf of Boston University, and myself
An Ongoing Process
Today’s seminar will introduce you to general concepts, giving you a good starting place for planning eventsAs technology changes, best practices in planning change 1999 -> the present -> the future
Introductions
Please wave when I say “hello” to your site
Types of Access Grid Events
How “Real Life” Events Translate into Life on the Access Grid
What is an AG Event?
Any occasion for which people get together over the AGEach AG event takes place in a Virtual Venue Virtual Venue = virtual conference room Every event should have a Virtual Venue
reservation (can be made last-minute)
Some Events Are More Complicated Than Others
Not complicated: Staff meeting Chatting with friends and family
Complicated: Multi-site collaboration using virtual
environments International conference
Two General Categories
AG events are often spoken of as “formal” or “informal”In this context, “formal” and “informal” describe types of interactions more than they do apparel, etiquette, or languageThese categories and related guidelines are general – you’ll develop your own strategies for each specific event
What is a Formal Event?
For these purposes, we’ll define a formal event as “an event which requires structured planning”The opposite: An event which requires little if any planning
Examples of Formal Events
SC GlobalPACS Training WorkshopsVirtual Conference on Genomics and Bioinformatics)Demonstration for Governor of Illinois
Examples of Informal Events
Planning meeting with Mary and AriellaU. Australia management meetingsSC Global planning meetingsFirst Annual Access Grid Symposium on Beerology
Is Your Event Formal?
The answer may be obvious, based on the content of the eventOtherwise, consider: Tolerance for interruptions Visibility and potential consequences
of failure Level of technical risk
Can Your Event Tolerate Interruptions?
Ask yourself: could you pause for: Audio adjustments? Loading presentation files? Other unforeseen circumstances?
The larger the number of participating sites, the higher the likelihood of interruptionsIf interruptions would be a problem, consider your event formal
How Visible is Your Event?
Who’s expected to attend? Will success or failure be an important matter?When the event is high-visibility, consider it formal Demonstrations for VIPs Site visits Events for the press
How Technically Risky Is Your Event?
Many factors may create technical risk New node installations New technology New node operators
Technical risk should be considered along with other factors If it’s risky but not high-visibility, it’s
probably informal
Be Minimalist When You Can
Unnecessarily rigid or excessive preparation plans can discourage participating sitesIt is good for the health of the AG community for us to reduce event preparation time as much as possible without sacrificing quality
Questions?
How to Prepare for Events
Developing Appropriate Preparation Strategies, With a Focus on Formal Events
You Need a Good Foundation
A well-functioning AG node requires (at a minimum): Stable, fully debugged multicast networking
(which must be monitored over time) The latest release of Access Grid Toolkit
software All hardware and software consistent with
the AG equipment specification Technical staff with sufficient time available
to keep their skills current and the node well-maintained
Make It So
You must ensure that your technical staff have access to all the resources they need to make this happen
A Key Assumption
In the slides that follow, I will assume that your node is well-functioning and your technical staff have intermediate or advanced AG skillsIf this is not the case, your event- planning strategy must bring it about Big events are often good proving grounds Get feedback on plans from seasoned staff
Time Zones are Important
Always explicitly include time zones in all event announcements, agendas, etcWhen planning an event which is open to the whole community, consider international time zone issues You may wish to repeat a lecture or
workshop to attract participants in additional time zones
If Your Event Is Informal. . .
Just reserve a room and show up Node operators may want to arrive 5-
10 minutes early
Work with your node operator on technical issues as you go along Presentation files Audio adjustments Camera adjustments
Planning Informal Events:
Ensure that node operators are available You may wish to learn to operate your
node yourself
Ensure that AG nodes are availableRecognize that it’s normal for technical adjustments to occur from time to time
Self-serve AG Events
Sometimes your node operator might start up the node, get the event started, give you their cell phone number, and let you manage the rest of the event yourself
Example:AG Packaging Initiative Team
Before each meeting, Lisa Childers reserves a (virtual) room, and sends out an announcement of the time and place She always includes the time zone –
very important!
Everybody just shows up
If Your Event Is Formal. . .
Amount of necessary preparation varies widelySome is prep you need to do anyway Developing and finalizing agendas Coordinating with presenters
For your first event, err on the side of caution
Preparing for a Formal Event
Get the lay of the landOrganize event informationRehearse, rehearse, rehearse Test cruises Content rehearsals
Arrive early on event day
Get the Lay of the Land
Determine how much lead time you haveDetermine approximate number of presenters, participants, and participating sitesDevelop a draft agendaMeet immediately with your technical team leader to discuss all of the above
Organize Event Information
Develop a detailed agenda, in close collaboration with your technical team leader Order of speakers Physical location of speakers List of all participating sites Links to all presentation files All other relevant technical
information
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
The bigger and more formal the event, the more rehearsals you needTwo types of rehearsal: Test cruise: technical staff test and
troubleshoot all relevant technologies Content rehearsal: presenters and/or
masters of ceremony rehearse their presentations, or have a “dry run”
Test Cruises
In close collaboration with your technical team leaderObjective: ensure that all sites have well-debugged nodes and networkTo determine how many to hold, ask yourself: How many participating sites do you have? How many of those sites have brand-new
nodes? How many new or unusual technologies will
be in use?
What to Test in the Cruises
All technologies which may be used in the actual event Standard AG audio, video, and MOO Distributed PowerPoint? (use actual
slides, when possible) Telephone backup channel? Distributed VR?
Content Rehearsals
To determine how many to hold, and whose attendance to require or request, ask yourself: Have these presenters spoken over
the AG before? Will they facilitate complicated
interactions?
Arrive Early on Event Day
Technical staff should arrive at the appropriate virtual venue 30-60 minutes before the event beginsIf participants will be arriving in the node’s physical space early, you and your staff may need to arrive even earlierIdeally, presenters should participate in final audio tests
Example: SC Global
A component of Supercomputing 2001 (Denver, 11/01)Volunteer planning committee, representing many organizations
Dancing Beyond Boundaries, Presented by U. of Florida
As Viewed from University of Manchester, United Kingdom
An Unprecedented Event
Very formal, high-visibility, and technically-risky 40+ participating sites, some
contributing content, some just “lurking”
100+ participants at many locations Four days of content, often in four or
more concurrent tracks
Unprecedented Preparations
Application process winter/spring 2001Test cruises twice a week, July – November 2001Production Institute, September 2001 Production-oriented training for staff at
all sites contributing content
Mega-cruise, October 8 Dry runs of (most) all content
Recommended Reading: Another Example
Report on March 28 & 29, 2001, MPI Workshop over the Access Grid, Leslie Southern, Ohio Supercomputer Center, April 2001 I’ll list the URL at the end of these
slides
Excellent overview of preparation for and evaluation of the event
Questions?
Staffing Recommendations
Roles and Responsibilities
Again, General Guidelines
We’ll discuss one way to divide up the labor – again, your mileage may varyWhen you design your own staffing plans, keep in mind: The strengths and weaknesses of the
people on your team The needs of your particular event
Each Site Has Its Own Staff
Each site participating in a given event is responsible for developing their own staffing plan, and filling the roles appropriatelyYou may wish to work with representatives of each site on their staffing plans
Each Venue Is Different
The size of your physical venue plays a large part in determining the size of your staff
Staff for an Informal Event
At the main site: Meeting leader (ie, meeting chair) Node operator
At all other sites: Node operator
Staff for a Formal Event:Main Site
Producer of overall event Usually also acts as local Producer too
Technical Director Usually also operates node in some
capacity
Floor ManagerAdditional node operators/assistants
Staff for a Formal Event:Remote Sites
ProducerTechnical DirectorFloor ManagerAdditional node operators/assistants
Producer’s Responsibilities: Main Site
Manage entire team Locally and for the overall event
In collaboration with the Technical Director, develop technical web page for event discussed earlier in this seminar Also known as Production Plan or Technical
Agenda
Determine how/when it is appropriate to deviate from the agenda
Producer’s Responsibilities: Remote Sites
Manage and support local team Ensure that video and audio streams
from local site meet main site’s needs
In many events, Producer and Technical Director merge into one role at remote sites
Technical Director’s Responsibilities: Main Site
Provide technical leadership and guidance to the entire team Locally and for the whole event
Collaborate closely with the Producer Test cruise and content rehearsal
strategy and implementation Technical web page
More Technical Director Responsibilities: Main Site
Collect and place online all required presentation filesEnsuring arrangements are made for any necessary technical contingency plans Back-up public channel telephone line
Technical Director Responsibilities: Remote Sites
Provide technical leadership and guidance to local teamIn many events, Producer and Technical Director merge into one role at remote sites And as often as not, remote sites with
small audiences can operate with a one-person team
Master of Ceremonies’ Responsibilities
Introduce presenters and, with Floor Manager’s help, keep them on scheduleManage audience in case of any disruptions to event May give brief explanation of any pauses May use opportunity to share anecdotes
Manages flow of questions “Passing the Floor”
Floor Manager’s Responsibilities
Ensure all presenters arrive at the podium on timeKeep track of time, and let MC know if presenters need to be nudged alongMay communicate with presenters using cue cards “5 Minutes Left,” “Time’s Up”
Other Operators/Assistants Responsibilities
Additional Operators/Assistants are often needed in large venues or high-pressure situationsSometimes all of these things need to be done at the same time
Manage Audio
Ensure that local audience can hear all necessary audioEnsure quality of outgoing audioAudio needs special attention during interactive portions of events Question and answer sessions Discussion
Manage Main Display Wall
Ensure that participants can see all participating sites Enlarge video windows as
appropriate, such as video of main speaker
Ensure that all other necessary components are displayed PPT, VNC, etc
Manage Outgoing Video
Monitor using vic on display machine or additional computer SC Global used “producer stations”
Make camera adjustments, usually with remote controlVideo also needs special attention during interactive portions of events
Manage Microphones
Ensure all speakers have appropriate access to microphones Presenters Masters of Ceremony Participants asking questions
Ensure that microphones are used correctly throughout event
Manage Presenter Tools
Ensure presentation tools on the laptop podium run successfully Distributed PowerPoint master? VNC? WinTV? Scan converter?
Event Communications forAll Staff
Use the MOO, the official Access Grid back-channel Communicate among staff at all
participating sites Communicate among staff at local site
Use optional telephone back-channelUse optional headset radios within the room
Questions?
A Final Example: Planning This Seminar Series
A somewhat experimental model for events of this size – I’m hoping it has been successful
No Test Cruises or Rehearsals
Instead, all sites were required to arrive 60 minutes early Participants were responsible for
ensuring their node was available and well-functioning
If I had been concerned about any participating nodes, I could have contacted them to arrange a test cruise
Factors I Considered
Mary, Ariella, and I are experienced AG presenters and operatorsWe did not plan to use any new or unusual technologiesBU and ANL nodes are well-functioning, and frequently usedI believed we could tolerate brief pauses if necessary
Further Reading . . .
Access Grid-in-a-Box web-based tutorial: “How to Produce an Access Grid Event”http://webct.ncsa.uiuc.edu:8900/public/AGIB/ More thorough treatment of nearly every
topic covered in this seminar Highly recommended for anybody planning
AG events on a regular basis, or anybody planning a large, high-visibility event
Further Reading. . .
Report on PACS Training MPI Workshop http://alliance.osc.edu/mpi/report.pdf
Access Grid Documentation Projecthttp://www.accessgrid.org/agdp/ A project by and for the Access Grid
Community As you gain expertise and confidence,
please consider writing documents to submit to the AGDP
Questions?
We Need Your Feedback
http://scv.bu.edu/accessgrid/seminars/eval.htmlLet us know if you’re interested in leading other seminars too!
Thank You Everyone