[AG-TECH] AG tools on SPARC/SOlaris platforms?

[rodgers at nlm.nih.gov]

Dear AccessGrid Colleagues,

I am new to the AccessGrid community, though an old hand using vic/rat
through experience doing MBONE multicast presentations from various Web
and other conferences over the past 8 years, using SPARC/Solaris platforms;
I have great enthusiasm and respect for the energy and talent behind the AG;
nevertheless, it was a bit sad to find no one using Suns within the this
community.  Is anyone else interested in seeing the AG tools ported to Suns?

There seem to be several technical issues:

1) The Python-based venue management software *ought* to be portable to
   Suns -- what are the likely technical hurdles?
2) The principal video capture device used previously on Suns, the Osprey
   1500, is no longer made (though the company says it would issue some
   on special order if there were enough interest).  Newer Suns have
   USB connections, and I've seen mention on the Web of cameras that
   supposedly operate on Sun USB ports, but have no direct experience.
   Has anyone had experience using USB-based video cameras on Suns,
   and how difficult would it be to support such devices within vic?
3) Given that vic and rat were born on beige boxes, it ought to be
   straightforward to build AG versions (with the AES encryption and any other
   AG enhancements) on Suns -- are there hidden technical trip-ups lurking
   here? 

What other technical issues would be encountered?
I'd be very eager to share thoughts with anyone else who is interested
in AG-enabling Suns, to see what is involved and who might be willing
to share the effort.

Thanks and Best Regards, Rick Rodgers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
R. P. C. Rodgers, M.D. * rodgers at nlm.nih.gov * (301)435-3267 (voice, fax)
OHPCC, LHNCBC, U.S. National Library of Medicine, NIH
Bldg 38, Rm. B1N-30D, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20894 USA
http://lhc.nlm.nih.gov/staff/rodgers/rodgers.html