[AG-TECH] RE: Access Grid Room

[Darren Condon]

Opps. Sorry about that one.

Darren. 

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov [mailto:owner-ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov] On
Behalf Of Darren Condon
Sent: Monday, 14 May 2007 9:32 AM
To: Jeanette Hopley
Subject: [AG-TECH] RE: Access Grid Room

Hi Jeanette,

1. My approach to testing was to get everything running and join an AG
venue. There is a test session run by Jason Bell most weeks and
attending that test session each week for the first couple of months was
invaluable. There were certainly plenty of problems, and I'm remembering
most of them now (helping RMIT with some issues). My biggest issue was
related to sound cards and RAT, but hopefully that has been sorted out
with the new stealth machines.

2. We purchased our setup with a Polycom vortex EF2280. There is a lot
of info on setting up the gentner/clearone XAP800 for the access grid
(it seems to be the unit of choice in the US), but only a little bit on
the vortex. The AV contractors had no idea, but I found a few
instructions that a guy from Canada had made available and that got me
by. It does take a fair bit of time, and it can be a 2 person task (one
in the room fiddling/talking and one sitting elsewhere listening in).

3. I took part in a python course when preparing to set up our room, but
it wasn't necessary. I've written one script myself, and copied a few
that others have made available, but none of it is really absolutely
necessary.

I think that the 2 things that you will find most helpful are:
 1. Get someone to install software install on their desktop machine and
start using it. It is simple enough to use, and the sooner the person
that will be running the room is familiar with the software the better.
 2. Get someone to sign up for the 2 AG mail lists. (ag-tech at mcs.anl.gov
and the Australian list accessgrid-l at clix.aarnet.edu.au). You can get a
good feel for the type of problems are facing by watching these lists.
There are a lot of helpful people out there and I have called on their
expertise regularly.

Cheers,
Darren.


-----Original Message-----
From: Jeanette Hopley [mailto:Jeanette.Hopley at newcastle.edu.au] 
Sent: Friday, 11 May 2007 4:31 PM
To: Darren Condon
Cc: David Koch; Robert Bull
Subject: Access Grid Room

Hi Darren

Do you have any information you can feedback to us in relation to: 

1. Problems you may have encountered when testing the connectivity
between the various IT and AV equipment and your approach to testing?

2. Echo cancelling unit - How easy/difficult it is to set-up?

3. How much programming is involved in supporting the AGR system?

Thanks in anticipation of your response

Jeanette  

Jeanette Hopley
Project Coordinator 
The University of Newcastle  
Information Technology Services 
 
Office: (02) 49854152
Mobile: 0413146151
email: Jeanette.hopley at newcastle.edu.au (
mailto:Jeanette.hopley at newcastle.edu.au )