Cooperative Linkages

The Research Data Network CRC comprises four research projects and the AVCC/AARNet project. The members of the Coordination Committee foster cooperation between the projects with face-to-face meetings held about 4 times a year. Email and video conferencing are used for more informal interaction. An annual workshop is held to allow researchers to discuss the progress of their projects and explore further collaboration. Telstra's Experimental Broadband Network (EBN) has been the main focus of collaboration. In October 1997 the workshop was held at Telstra Research Laboratories with other users of the EBN. Researchers have shared experiences with ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) equipment, and assisted each other in the configuration of that equipment. The Research Data Network CRC has also invested in common TV quality video conferencing facilities to allow video meetings between the sites of the Research Data Network CRC to strengthen collaboration.

Since the shut down of Telstra's Experimental Broadband Network in December 1997, collaboration has been mainly through trialing IP based services through AARNet. For example ANSPAG's McIVER video-on-demand system has been tested over AARNet, and demonstrated by ACSys to potential users in Canberra. The OLDA (On-Line Data Archives) and FRAMES (Framework for Access to Multimedia Environments) projects will use an ATM service from Optus in 1998/99 for demonstrations and experiments as part of the ACSys Broadband Network (ABN). The Network Applications and Resource Discovery projects are investigating joining this common infrastructure.

The AVCC/AARNet has recently chosen ATM technology for its backbone network linking each State of Australia. Much of the systems developed by the research projects in the Research Data Network CRC are now being prepared for operation over the AARNet infrastructure to provide enhanced services to the academic sector. Examples of these are the high quality video conferencing system and video retrieval technology.

Researchers from the projects combine together for delivering seminars, conferences, and exhibitions (e.g the APEC conference on information literacy in Tokyo, in November 1997).

The Network Application project plans to work with the Resource Discovery project to make use of metadata to provide a better catalogue service for the Cinemedia Swift video-on-demand service. There is also potential to incorporate some of the developments of the FRAMES project in the service as well. The Network Application project has begun working with a StorageTek tape silo for storing large video collections. Discussions have occurred with the OLDA project for experiments in distributed archives of video material.

Cooperation with other CRCs

A strength of the Research Data Network CRC has been its collaboration with other CRCs. The FRAMES and the OLDA projects are closely integrated with the Digital Media Libraries Program and the On-Line Data Archives Program within the Advanced Computational Systems CRC. Experiences gained from running experiments over the Experimental Broadband Network have been used to provide information into other projects within the CRC. The OLDA project is also collaborating with the Soils and Land Management CRC on satellite image processing. The Resource Discovery project is collaborating closely with other projects within the Distributed Systems Technology CRC (DSTC). In particular it is collaborating with the DSTC Architecture and Database Units for developing information retrieval systems in the corporate environment. Staff from the Network Applications project collaborated with staff from the Photonics CRC in the organisation of the Asia Pacific Conference on Communications held in Sydney in December 1997.

A key feature of the collaboration has been the use of the Experimental Broadband Network (EBN) to create a focus for developing practical broadband networking skills within each of the sites attached to the EBN network. These networking skills are proving vital for supporting a range of projects located at each site. The research staff have also used the networking skills to advise the Universities at each site on the application of ATM technology within the campus and AARNet networks.

Linkages with key user groups

There has been strong involvement with key users, and this has led to adjusting the progress of projects to reflect the concern of users. Key user groups include:

• Monash University Library - trialed McIVER educational video-on-demand system
• Cinemedia (State Film Centre of Victoria and Film Victoria) - trialed Swift video-on-demand service
• ACT Department of Urban Services - study on impact of broadband services
• Access Cooperative Multimedia Centre - proposal for broadband network infrastructure
• eMERGE Cooperative Multimedia Centre - cooperation with multimedia delivery systems project
• Optus Sportsvision - case study of video sports footage
• Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) - distributed image archive system
• Agrecon Pty Ltd - data processing and delivery system for agribusiness data
• Geographic Information Systems Centre, Adelaide - bushfire simulation using satellite data
• Australian Bureau of Meteorology - visualisation and data delivery of weather information
• Queensland Government - Metadata pilot system
• National Library of Australia - library search tools
• University of Queensland Library - library search tools

International linkages

The Research Data Network CRC has established links with overseas companies and organisations that have key technologies required for the development of new broadband applications. A combination of exchange visits, regular international video conferencing, and electronic mail facilitate collaborations.
Examples of such links include:

• First Virtual Corporation, San Jose, California - audio/video applications
• Silicon Graphics, California - audio/video applications
• Fore Systems, Pittsburgh - ATM based video conferencing
• Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre, Caltech, Indiana University, USA - high performance computing and communications
• Osaka University, Japan - Internet searching
• On-line Computer Library Centre (OCLC), Ohio, USA - Metadata
• StorageTek, Denver, Colorado - data storage hierarchies

There were over 20 major visits to the research sites from overseas organisations from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, and the USA to discuss potential collaboration and view demonstrations.

Key research personnel visit overseas laboratories to enhance collaboration. Examples during 1997/98 include:

• Dr Ken Hawick - StorageTek, Digital Research Labs, Edinburgh Parallel
• Computing Centre, UK Meteorological Office
• Dr Renato Iannella - On-line Computer Library Centre, University of
• Technology, Stockholm

The Research Data Network CRC has also formed relationship with organisations that coordinate the development of technologies for new broadband applications. These organisations include:

• ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Forum
• Australian ATM Interest Group (AIG)
• World-Wide-Web Consortium (W3C)
• Internet Engineering Task Force

Most of the industry participants in the Research Data Network CRC are multi-nationals, and they bring an international perspective to the Boards of Management of each of the research projects.

The Department of Industry, Science and Tourism has provided $1.2 million to fund a communication link between the Research Data Network CRC node in Canberra and Japan to demonstrate broadband applications. This link is part of the Asia-Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) consortium that is seeking to link into broadband network trials in the USA.

Cooperation within Projects