Registration Rooms, Lobbies, and Portals: Interconnecting Large-Scale Networked Virtual Environments and Collaborations

Sandeep K. Singhal
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

Binh Q. Nguyen
IBM Software Solutions

3039 Cornwallis, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2195 [singhal,binhn]@us.ibm.com

Abstract
To support larger numbers of simultaneous users, virtual environments (VEs) must be partitioned over multiple servers. This paper describes an architecture for interconnecting large-scale VEs and collaboration systems over the Internet. The user establishes and maintains a persistent network identity, transfers that identity between VEs, and maintains that identity while moving between management domains of a single VE. Our implementation logically extends, and therefore easily integrates with, the existing World-Wide Web.
ISP
Identity Server Registration Room

Virtual Environment Portal

Management Domain HTTP Lobby Management Domain Management Domain

Portal
Management Domain

Create/customize user identity and avatar visual model

Authenticate, register, Travel seamlessly provide between collab. identity domains

Client

Figure 1: Interconnecting Large-Scale VEs

Introduction
information and may subsequently use it to customize the services offered to the user. From the lobby, the user may enter one of the management domains provided by the VE or collaboration system. The user is unaware of the domains, though each server may support a particular game (in a gaming service), a room (in a VE), a document (in an editing system), etc. Users may travel between the management domains of a system. A portal represents this interface between two domains of a single VE. Through a portal, the domains transparently exchange the user identity, thereby ensuring the persistence of identity throughout the users experience. The application may associate the portal with some visual or semantic significance. For example, in a VE, a portal might be visualized by a door between rooms, while in a game, the portal might be represented by a menu item to join a new game. Finally, based on information collected from visited VEs, the client can update the persistent user identity by invoking APIs provided by the registration room. This update can be done transparently, without having to present the registration room interface again.

Networked virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly being used for entertainment, commerce, and training. However, users have no sense of persistent identity across different virtual environments. Instead, they typically must register with each system to establish a virtual identity (name, e-mail, 3D geometry, etc.). Furthermore, deployed virtual environments can only support a limited number of simultaneous users. To overcome these limits, systems must be partitioned among multiple servers or management domains. However, the user should be able to travel transparently between management domains, and the user should maintain his identity across domains.

Persistent User Identity in Interconnected Virtual Environments

Figure 1 illustrates how registration rooms, lobbies, and portals enable persistent identity across and within VEs. Users connect to a registration room to establish a network identity, customize the visual description and behavior of their avatars, select personal or marketing information to offer virtual environment providers, etc. This information is stored on an identity server, an extended Web server. We envision that identity storage and dissemination services will be provided as standard or add-on features by Internet Service Providers much like they provide Web page hosting services today. When accessing a multi-user service, the client connects to a lobby server and provides a URL to the users identity. The lobby retrieves the user

Conclusion

The lack of persistent user identity inhibits the creation of independently-developed, large-scale commercial virtual environments. In many respects, this persistent user identity is similar in spirit to a specially-formatted user home page. Registration rooms, lobbies, and portals represent a significant first step toward enabling these interconnected environments over the Internet.