A version of D2 for each platform is expected to be completed by the end of November. However, we expect to make improvements as a result of both internal testing and of the expected feedback from outside users throughout December. In view of the disruption caused by Christmas vacation, we prefer to make a final Deliverable of D2 by January 15. We cannot yet say whether any specific components of D2 - for example the Solaris or LINUX versions - could be delivered earlier than the end of November.

First versions of D3 and D4 will be delivered by December 5. We expect to make modifications and improvements as a result both of internal comments and those of UKERNA, and would prefer to make a final Deliverable of D3 and D4 by January 31, 1998.

The above end dates assume that we are incorporating comments from the Project Manager by that end date. We could meet the dates stated in [2], but think that would impact the finished product. The College closes between December 19 and January 5, so to meet the deadlines we would have to have provided the accepted Deliverables by December 19. In view of the fact that the Editorial Board need comment on documentation only by December 19, we do not really understand how any of their comments could be included. These dates are open to negotiation; we fear that their retention will impact the quality of the Deliverables.

The following Deliverables are proposed:

1. Assessment of the currently available versions of the software tools for use on UNIX systems on Sun hardware and on PC, in order to find the most appropriate version of the tools, on which to base the packaged products. This assessment will address also the availability of the tools on Digital, Silicon Graphics and HP platforms, but will not undertake any experimentation on potential problems in their implementations on those platforms. It will address the availability of the tools, including identifying the most appropriate version, for PC systems running Windows 95 and Windows NT. The criteria for this will include stability, functionality, availability in a common form under the different operating systems, availability to the research community and interworking ability.
2. Packaging of a set of tools to form a single easy-to-install package for a UNIX system running under Solaris 2 on Sun workstations and for LINUX, Windows’95 and Windows NT running on PCs. Each system package will integrate video, audio and shared workspace.
3. Documentation of the software products produced in D2, including how to install, configure and use the software tools. The documentation will be validated by person(s) not working on the implementation or documentation for technical accuracy and readability by a non-technical user.
4. A general guide to the tools and their operation aimed at a novice user. The document will have a technical bias but will also be readable by an interested lay person.

Proposed Milestones

By September 19 we should have decided which tools we recommend for packaging. By the end of that month, we should have completed D1, and got agreement on packaging specific tools.

By November 14, the packages should be ready for testing by our internal testing group - at least on one Microsoft and one UNIX environment. The completion of the transfer to the other two environments will be carried out in parallel with remedying faults found by the testing team. The packages should all be ready for delivery to UKERNA by the end of November - together with a draft of the relevant documentation.

A further cleaned up version of both the software and the documentation will be delivered by December 19 - but we still expect to make further modifications during January on the lines described in Section 3.

The project should be completed by the end of January, as long as this is acceptable to UKERNA.