Remote participation technologies in the EFDA Laboratories - status and prospects

The 25+ laboratories of the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) has been increasingly using remote participation technologies for collaborative work on several experiments. We present an overview of the technologies that are employed to provide remote data access, remote computer access, and teleconferencing. We also deal with computer network requirements, and support and documentation needs. The biggest application of these tools has been the joint scientific exploitation of the JET Facilities. Increasingly other experiments are operated as shared facilities, and the RP tools are being used in this context. For remote data access there is a clear trend towards MDSplus as common data access layer for multiexperiment data access. Secure remote computer access is converging on two different solutions. Videoconferencing is also converging on two partially interoperable solutions, whereas the sharing of presentation material is converging on one solution. Remote control room participation is being used in two laboratories. Network monitoring has been developed and is now in routine use. The RP work is being done at many laboratories and is co-ordinated by EFDA. A number of items in several fields need still to be tackled and an overview of these is presented.