Overview of the IG

The inSORS Grid is a multi-point collaboration platform that provides a real-time multi-media experience. Please familiarize yourself with the components of your node before learning to operate the inSORS Grid. The inSORS Grid node consists of the following equipment:

· A computer with Windows 2000 or XP (Professional Version)

· Camera(s) for capturing video

· A sound system or headset with echo-canceling features

· Projectors or large scale displays for managing multiple incoming video streams

This manual assumes that the node is installed and has been successfully tested. If this is not the case, please refer to the Installation Manual before trying to run a node session.

If you have any questions or issues regarding your node equipment, contact your site administrator or call inSORS support at (312) 786-9169. Support is available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday except holidays.

Launching the inSORS Grid

Do you have your inSORS id and password?

An inSORS id and password needs to be established for your site prior to using the Grid system. Your password should be assigned when the system is purchased. Please contact your site administrator if you do not know your inSORS id and password.

The Venues Page

Entering an inSORS Grid Venue web page will launch the inSORS software to initiate your collaboration session. After successfully entering your inSORS id and password, the inSORS Grid (or your private venue’s page, if available) will be displayed with rooms that you may select from drop-down lists.

Follow these steps to enter the Venue web page:

1. Open your web browser software (Internet Explorer or Netscape) and navigate to the inSORS Venue page. Your organization may have a private venue established for its use. If not, then you should use the inSORS page located at http://venue.insors.net.

2. A message box appears, prompting you to enter your inSORS id and password:

3. The appropriate venue web page should appear. The first example below is the inSORS page.

The sample below is the Educational venue page. Fewer bridged rooms are available under the educational contract, but an option is available to establish a point-to-point connection with another node via the manual bridge feature.

IG Locator

The IG Locator software allows for users to determine what IG nodes are utilizing the virtual conference rooms. Only nodes using the IG venue software will appear in the node list. To access IG Locator, simply click the button on the Virtual Venue page.

A separate window will be displayed identifying each of the currently logged in nodes in the rooms that they are currently in. This window will refresh every 15 seconds.

You can close this window at any time. To open the window again after closing, click on the IGLocator button again from the Venue page.

Entering a Conference Room

Entering a virtual conference room is easily accomplished from the Venue page. As an example, if you wished to enter the Yucatan room for a conference you would follow these steps:

1. Click on the pull down menu inSORS Rooms and select the room you wish to enter:

2. Choose between MultiCast (or Bridged, if MultiCast is not available):

Note: Bridged option should only be used when Multicast services are not available.

After a few seconds, the Virtual Venue page should reload and the following message will appear on the page above the room selections.

You are currently in the: IG Yucatan Room.

Your video streams are now being transmitted to this room. All other sites that enter this room will be able to see your video. Your audio is active, but is muted (unable to talk) upon entry into a conference room. All other sites that enter this room will be able to hear your audio provided that you turn mute off (see IGAudio, page 12).

Channels

Channels allow a user to connect to a node session with limited functionality, usually because of bandwidth limitations.

Data Only – Provides IGApp (page 15) and IGPix (page 19) functions only. This would be useful for a user joining in via telephone to share web pages and presentations with other participants

Audio Only – Provides IGAudio only.

Audio and Data Only – Provides IGApp and IGAudio. If at a site with insufficient bandwidth to support the multiple video streams, this is the best option to join the session without impacting performance.

All Channels – Provides full IG functionality.

Room Encryption

Some rooms may be encrypted. This allows the nodes entering a room to enter a password for viewing content (these passwords are case sensitive). When an encryption-capable room is selected, a dialog box appears.

An encryption key is a sequence of letters and/or numbers (case sensitive) that must be matched in order for sites to send and receive audio content with others in the session. This key should be communicated to other conference participants in advance, but the key does not exist in the system until a site enters the room with it.

If the keys entered at each site match, the nodes will be able to collaborate with each other. If the keys do not match, then the nodes will be in separate sessions and unable to collaborate until the sites using the incorrect key have exited and re-entered the room with the correct encryption key.

It is possible to enter an encryption-capable room setting the key to blank. A warning message will follow this action advising you that your session will not be secure.

The Active Node

You are also receiving all video and audio streams from any other site that enters this room. The IG software should load the IG Application Suite, in the following order:

· IGApp (page 15)

· IGAudio (page 12)

· IGVideo (page 8)

· IGPix (page 19)

IGGentner (page 22) is not started automatically, as not all nodes utilize a Gentner/ClearOne Echo Canceller with telephone interfacing ability.

Do not use the X button in the upper right corner of the IG application windows unless specifically stated by this manual. If you do, you will close the interface but still transmit and receive traffic from the application. For instance, closing IGVideo will still leave the cameras active and transmitting to the room.

IGVideo

The Thumbnail Display

When you enter a virtual conference room, the thumbnail window will appear on your desktop. This window identifies what conference room you are in (see the title bar), and also displays a thumbnail image for each video stream that is currently being transmitted in this collaboration session.

The thumbnails are labeled according to their location and camera, and each has information regarding the quality of their transmission.

· f / s – frames per second of video being captured.