Project Team Minutes 2008.01.11

Present: Grace Agnew, Isaiah Beard, Anne Ciliberti, Chuck Hedrick, Jane Hutchison, Charlie McMickle, Sheri Prupis, Martin Williams.

1. Subaward Agreements update:
   Isaiah needs the contact sheet completed from Sheri, Grace and John Brennan. We have the final draft ready to send out to review so we can formalize it.


2. New hires for both programmers and NJVid Coordinator - update:
   We are hiring programmers; however, NJIT is picking it up. We are moving over the expenses from programmers to equipment. We would have to ask, but Isaiah doesn't see that as an issue. That will impact how much money we have for the equipment side. The programmers is in the NJIT pipeline.
   
   We only have 2 applicants thus far for the NJVid coordinator position.


3. Tech implementer meeting on 1/10/08 - update from Charlie and Isaiah:
   Meeting went very well. Sun was pleased how far along Rutgers were with technology. Put us under non-disclosure so they saw new products that will serve the needs of the grant. When products are released they can be converged with our products. Wanted assurance that what we purchase will be expandable. Ready for a proposal from Sun. Discussed architecture of the grant. What are the next steps? Rutgers is working and needs to be in line with the direction we are going. We need to synchronize what NJEDge.net currently has for the infrastructure. NJEDge.net will follow Rutgers' lead on it. Getting more bandwidth between Rutgers and NJEDge.net is needed to get a considerable portion of the equipment at either site to work seamlessly. The good news is that what we have is pretty adaptable. They were a little unenthused about Sun's reaction. Sun had our proposal and should have been more up to speed. Timing is essential with the new product line of Sun and Rutgers new releases. The next meeting will be the end of the month. There is an expert from Sun who will be able to come to the next meeting.
   
   
   Grace: We have a good idea of the technology and what we want to purchase. It will work for us for the next 5 years. I am worried about the combination of a number of things, such as people being able to receive it . . . bandwidth and technological readiness of the individual sites.
   Isaiah: Sun is now a little bit more realistic after the discussion.
   Grace: We want scalability which won't be offered until 2nd or 3rd quarter from Sun.
   Grace: 1st release of Fedora will be available to NJedge.net around end of June/July. We had a lot of struggles in the early days and we have knocked out most of the kinks. We are not particularly nervous. The hardest part is the authentication/authorization. We need to have questions for the alpha implementers so they will have a better idea of what their needs are. We have a software architecture group at Rutgers and talked about having Sujay join that group. He will be invited to participate in that group. James from Sun has done this with the European Union and we need to maximize his time and expertise. Even if we talk about how WPUNJ and Rutgers handle these issues, it will be a start. Chuck has made a list of technical questions and what level of control is needed by the various alpha implementers. Do we have a way to get questions out? James wants a couple of test cases and WPUNJ and Rutgers can be that for James. We may want to write up detailed scenarios from each institution.


4. Revised barriers to adoption questions:
   Sandie needs to resend those questions out again. Grace and George commented on them. There's no sense of sending technical questions for example to the American Labor Museum. We may want to use Rutgers and WPUNJ to be the test first for the questions. Call a meeting of the technical contacts or have site visits and not include detailed technical questions in the survey. Develop scenarios with them. A single questionnaire will not get it. Once you develop the relationship, then there's more of a stake.


5. Alpha implementers plan:
   Nothing new to report at this time.
   
   
   Grace: The alpha implementers know very little right now. However, some are participants in the NJ Digital Highway. The success of this project depends on how well we perform with the alpha implementers.


6. Advisory board: Elizabeth Kristofferson . . . did George talk to her:
   There's no new information available. Charlie thought George hasn't talked yet to Elizabeth. It may happen this Monday with NJN. We have a lot of issues to talk to them with a global view of NJ. George has a slide presentation to present to them with a high level overview. A meeting will be held on the 18th at Rutgers with administrators to sit down with Linda and Grace to talk about Rutgers experience with alpha implementers as we proceed with the grant. Anne, Sheri, Sandie and Jane will be there. After that meeting, we will schedule an advisory board meeting.


7. NJVid.edu update:
   Sujay got married last week and should be back on Jan. 21st. We will get an update when he returns. We need to put up a web site sooner or later. Sherri believes that it exists but just needs to contact Sujay.


8. Other items?
   
   
   Isaiah: We need to identify our audience and size of the audience. Therefore we need to get a survey out soon. Perhaps an adoption questionnaire. We need to discuss on the 18th Schedule seminars in March to discuss what the streaming process is and what it does.
   Grace: We need to pull the alpha implementers together because they don't have a real understanding of the process. The survey may be garbage unless they have an understanding. We need that sooner rather than later. Isaiah was thinking of a broader base than the alpha implementers.
   Sheri: It's a good idea with a kick-off meeting that includes the alpha implementers and advisory board. It will make it real to both parties. We will discuss more on the 18th.
   Sheri: Internet 2 conference is April, the 21st, 22nd and 23rd and call for proposals is due Friday, the 18th. It's in Arlington, VA. There's some interest in working on an academic view of the grant and the advantages on the educational side. Perhaps Chuck and Grace can put in a proposal on the Fedora side.

   Grace says April is busy and she's presenting at Educause. Isaiah may be interested and he cleared his schedule. There's a fall Internet 2 conference as well.

Our next call is Feb. 8th at 9:30am.
Adjourned 10:30am.