All things related to multicast

["Richard Mavrogeanes" <>]

Hi Alan,
 
This is a wonderful statement of goals.
 
As we all believe, multicast will deploy much more quickly if/when users can 
get content/services that they cannot get through other means.  Therefore, I 
might suggest the following goal be added:
 
- Encourage and facalitate the distribution of compelling content/services 
via multicast.
 
This might mean working with certain "content" providers to put popular live 
television channels on the network AND to encourage local members to deploy.  
For example, it would be wonderful if all I2 members routinely broadcast 
their local cultural (plays, concerts) and sporting events.
 
I should also mention that I would encourge wg members to experiment with 
"MIPS" -- a multicast application that delivers live PowerPoint along with 
MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-3 and WM multicast video.  While there is a small 
registration fee, I'd be happy to provide the registration code to any wg 
member that wishes to use it in a production enviornment (you can find "MIPS" 
at www.videoalive.com).  Is this a potential killer app?
 
Let me also state that the most recent workshop was met with praise! While I 
had registered to attend, I was called away and sent a support engineer in my 
place and he was most happy with the agenda and the material presented.
 
Finally, I wish to inform that VBrick's StreamPlayer supports SSM in the next 
release (perhaps this month), and that VBrick is committed to SSM and it will 
appear in the appliances soon too (along with IPV6).
 
All the best,
 
Rich Mavrogeanes
 
 

        -----Original Message----- 
        From: Alan Crosswell 
[mailto:]
 
        Sent: Mon 10/10/2005 4:53 PM 
        To: wg-multicast 
        Cc: 
        Subject: This coming year's multicast working group goals
        
        

        Please comment on the following proposed goals for the Internet2 
Multicast
        Working Group.  I would like to hear your opinions of things that you 
think
        should be dropped from or added to the list, and whether you have any 
interest
        in volunteering your time to help meet the goals.
        
        Some of this work is done by volunteers.  Some is done by Abilene 
engineering
        staff.  Some is done by Internet2 staff.
        
        Mission
        
        See http://multicast.internet2.edu/wg-multicast-charter.shtml for the 
current
        mission statement.  I'm no good at mission statements.  Someone want 
to take a
        crack at revising this or is it good enough?
        
        Goals
        
        1. Encourage Source-Specific Multicast SSM
            - Why? Because MSDP won't scale and doesn't exist in IPv6.
            - How: Work with commercial I2 members, other vendors, and 
freeware
              producers to make their products SSM-capable.  This primarly 
means
              IGMPv3 support in
              a. end systems OSes (XP, Linux done.  MacOS X, other BSDs not 
done)
              b. black boxes (e.g. Vbrick)
              c. client software (e.g. Real Player, Windows Media Player,
                 StreamPlayerII, etc.)
                 (Note that VLC already does SSM)
              d. switches
        
        2. Collect and disseminate multicast testing and debugging tools.  
Much of this
            has been done already but the tool list needs to be cleaned up 
and extended.
        
        3. Continue to deliver training through Hands-on Workshops.
        
        4. IPv6 Multicast
            a. Work with v6 working group to bridge v6 and multicast workshop 
content.
            b. Encourage use of embedded RP in Abilene and other R&E networks.
            c. Make sure the toolset for v4 also works for v6.
            d. Work with switch vendors to encourage/evaluate MLDv2 support.
        
        5. Liaison with related working groups
            a. IETF MAGMA
            b. Internet2 bigvideo, v6, measurement, routing, etc.
            c. Security group(s)
            d. International R&E groups
        
        6. Push commodity ISP adoption of multicast routing
            a. Talk to the ISPs and try to convince them of the value.
            b. Work through the Quilt and gigapops to make multicast routing a
               requirement for ISP contracts.  Highlight those ISPs that 
already
               offer multicast peering.
            c. Talk to home access provider ISPs to try and encourage 
multicast support
               so our residential broadband users see the same benefit as our 
on-campus
               users.
        
        7. Clean up the http://multicast.internet2.edu web site.
        
        8. Invent the multicast killer app:-)
        
        
        Thanks.
        /a