Japan - Computer Supported Collaborative Work and Network Issues A Survey

INFORMATION ISSN 1343-4500
Volume 16, Number 11, pp. 7995-8020 © 2013 International Information Institute
Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) and Network

Issues: A Survey
Aftab Alam*, Sehat Ullah**, Shah Khalid***, Fakhrud Din****, Ihsan Rabbi*****
Department of Computer Science & IT, University of Malakand,
Chakdara K.P.K, Pakistan
*
E-mail: alam@uom.edu.pk
**
E-mail: sehatullah@uom.edu.pk
***
E-mail: shahkhalid@uom.edu.pk
****
E-mail: fakhruddin@uom.edu.pk
*****
E-mail: ihsanrabbi@uom.edu.pk
Abstract
In this paper we evaluate Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) in terms of security,
network delay and quality of service requirements. Security requirements of CSCW which have been
presented in literature are summarized. We have discussed network delay and its effects on the
performance of distributed team members. Quality of service (QoS) requirements for CSCW are
identified and different methods which can improve QoS are analyzed. This review provides a
comprehensive inside look to CSCW in the context of networking and will help the researchers to
improve the existing network protocols or design new protocols which will ultimately increase the
efficiency of CSCW systems.
Key Words: Computer Supported Collaborative Work, Distributed Systems, Collaborative Virtual
Environments, Security, Quality of Service (QoS) Networking, Network Latency.
1. Introduction
Collaboration via computer has the potential to break down geographical barriers
among people and to increase the efficiency of group work through the use of virtual
workspaces. These virtual work spaces consist of shared objects, ranging from shared
memory to fully immersive virtual environments with the help of which group members can
interact in real time and they consider themselves to be the part of the environment.
Information technology has changed the meaning of the word “Office”. Today; Office does
not mean an area surrounded by four walls; it can be any place where a laptop can go.
Wireless communication technologies enabled people to interact with each other while
moving. The people can use their laptops anywhere and anytime to perform their work
without any constraint of time and space. Such type of interaction among people needs a
secure and efficient network infrastructure that provides confidentiality and integrity of data
during collaborative sessions and also provides Quality of service parameters such as high
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AFTAB ALAM, SEHAT ULLAH, SHAH KHALID, FAKHRUD DIN, IHSAN RABBI
bandwidth and minimum delay of audio and video data during online communications. Such
infrastructure will make the collaboration among people more reliable and will ultimately
increase the efficiency of the team work in any organization.
The term computer supported cooperative work was first used by Greif and Cashman in
1984 at MIT in an interdisciplinary workshop. In the workshop researchers were invited from
different disciplines to discuss how computers can be efficiently used to support team work.
A second, open workshop on CSCW was held in December 1986, which was attended by 300
people. Then starting in 1988, an international CSCW workshop has been held every two
years [1].
Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) is a multi-disciplinary research field. It
focuses on tools and techniques to support group of people working on related tasks [2]. It is
the study of how people use the hardware and software technologies to work together in
shared time and space [3]. According to Bannon & Schmidt [4], “CSCW is an endeavor to
understand the nature and characteristics of cooperative work with the objective of designing
adequate computer based technologies". This definition divides the concept of CSCW into
two components. Firstly, to understand how the people work together as a team to perform a
common task. This is the social aspect of CSCW. Secondly, developing efficient computer
software and hardware that will facilitate the interaction among group of people. This is the
technical aspect of CSCW. CSCW is a research field which has been defined in different
ways by different scientists. Grief [5] says “CSCW is an interdisciplinary endeavor
encompassing artificial intelligence, computer science, psychology, sociology, organizational
theory, and anthropology. Dourish [6] defines CSCW as “a highly diverse discipline
involving psychology, sociology, anthropology, network communication, distributed systems,
user-interface design, and usability”.
The researchers of computer supported collaborative work have adopted one of the two
main viewpoints, technology-centric and work-centric [1]. The technology-centric viewpoint
put stress on technology that supports team work. For example, Greif [5] has technology-
centric viewpoint and defines CSCW as “a distinct and identifiable research field focused on
the role of the computer in support of group work”. The second viewpoint is work-centric,
which places an emphasis on understanding work flow with an aim to better design computer
systems for group work. CSCW is defined by the Suchman [7] as ‘‘the design of computer
based technologies with explicit concern for the socially organized practices of their intended
users.’’ Similarly, Bannon and Schmidt [4] have also work-centric definition and believe that
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COMPUTER SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE WORK (CSCW) AND NETWORK ISSUES:
‘‘CSCW should be conceived as an endeavor to understand the nature of cooperative work as

a foundation to design information systems to support group work”. Combining the two
views (work-centric and technology centric), CSCW researchers are trying to better
understand the process of team work and then to develop computer collaborative systems that
will facilitate the group members to work together without the limitations of time and space .
1.1 CSCW Terminologies

Due to the broad scope of CSCW, there are many similar but different terms which need
understanding. Groupware is the combination of computer networks and related software
such as electronic-mail software, video conferencing software, software for tracking
document changes and application sharing programs that support collaborative work [8].
There is a difference between CSCW and groupware. In the context of computer supported
collaborative work, the term CSCW is used to define the research whiles the term groupware
defines the related technology [9] . Groupware is the technological aspect of collaborative
work [4] which represents the hardware, software, services and techniques that facilitate team
work. CSCW is the scientific study of tools and techniques of groupware as well as their
organizational, psychological and social impact.
Workflow is another similar term often used to refer to CSCW. Workflow systems deals
with transactions, performed by a group of people who must work together to complete the
desired task [10] . So in this context, workflow is considered to be more specific term than
groupware. Workflow systems support formal forms of collaboration while groupware is
comparatively less formal. Team computing is another similar term which refers to
collaborative systems that support group meetings [11]. In general, such meetings are likely
to occur in face-to-face settings. More recently, the term electronic meetings [12] has been
used for group meetings which exploit information technology for the purpose of efficiency.
Media spaces [13] is another related term used very rarely in the discussions of CSCW.
Media spaces provide virtual meeting spaces for the collaborators which are distributed in
different spaces. Using these virtual spaces, the collaborators can meet and interact
informally in the same way as they meet in the same physical location.
The remaining of the paper is organized as follows. Key dimensions of CSCW are
presented in Section 2, followed by essentials features in CSCW systems in Section
3.Security requirements for CSCW are presented in Section 4. In Section 5 we have
discussed network delay and its effect on CSCW. Quality of Service (QoS) parameters for
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CSCW are presented in Section 6 and finally conclusion and future work in Section 7.
2. Key Dimensions of CSCW

The scope of CSCW is multidimensional. In literature, ten different dimensions of CSCW
have been discussed [1]. In Table 1 these ten dimensions are presented with two extreme
design points.
S.NO Dimensions Extreme Design Points
I. Time Fully simultaneous vs. fully disjoin
II. Space All collocated vs. fully distributed participants
III. Group Size Small team vs. mass audience
IV. Interaction Style Assigned workflow vs. ad hoc
V. Context Single vs. unlimited collaborations per participant
VI. Infrastructure Fully homogeneous vs. Fully heterogeneous
VII. Collaborator All in fixed locations vs. all mobile
Mobility
VIII. Privacy Assigned by authority vs. Controlled by
participant
IX. Participant Assigned by authority vs. free for all
Selection
X. Extensibility None vs. all functionality defined by participants
Table 1: Ten key dimensions in the CSCW design space [1]
2.1 Time Dimension

Time dimension specify that whether the collaborative work will be done simultaneously
or separately. The two extreme points for this dimension are synchronous and asynchronous.
In synchronous mode the collaborative work is performed simultaneously i.e. all activities of
collaboration are performed at the same time. In asynchronous mode time is not important
factor for collaboration. Team members can perform their task at different times. There is no
constraint of time in the asynchronous mode. It is also possible that collaborative work can
be performed in both modes.
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2.2 Space Dimension

The space dimension specifies the physical distance that exits among the collaborators.
Team members can perform their activities at the same physical location such as a room or an
auditorium. Such type of collaboration is comparatively simple and requires less effort to
manage the activities among collaborators. The process of collaboration becomes
complicated if the collaborators are geographically distributed at multiple distant sites. In this
case the collaborators are brought together virtually to perform their activities at a single
platform.
The two important attributes of CSCW are space and time. On the basis of time and space
collaborative environments can be divided into four Quadrants as shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1: CSCW Quadrants [3]
If two persons Alice and Bob work on same project they are collaborators. Based on Fig. 1,
they can perform their collaborative activities in four ways. The first quadrants represent
same time and same space. Bob and Alice meet for a cup of tea and discuss the project with
each other. They are sharing information in the same space and at the same time. This type of
collaboration falls in the first quadrant. Other examples are formal meetings and classrooms
lectures. The second quadrants represent same space but different time. Suppose there is a
design room where the group members occasionally go and share their ideas on white board
and project status on the notice board. In this case they share same space but visit the design
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room at different times. Such type of collaboration between Alice and Bob would fall in the
second quadrant. The third quadrant represents same time but different space. In this case
Alice and Bob are at different physical locations but they want to share the information
immediately. In this case Alice may call the Bob or they can arrange video conference to
exchange information with each others. The fourth quadrant represents different space and
different time. Alice sends an email to the Bob for sharing some information related to the
project. Alice will read the email once he received it. In this case Alice and Bob do not share
time.
2.3 Group Size

Group size specifies the number of people in team that the system supports and provides
them facilities to perform their activities. The system may support a small group like 10-15
persons working on the same project. The scope of system may be extended to an enterprise
level where it can be used by all employees of the organization to coordinate their activities.
Even a more complicated system can be developed which will manage the activities of mass
audiences. The complexity of such system is very high and needs a lot of efforts to develop
and manage.
2.4 Interaction Style

The interactions among group members are either planned or impromptu. Impromptu
interaction is spontaneous with no or little preparation. Such type of interaction is totally
unprepared and the collaborators response to the events spontaneously e.g. chat rooms. In
planned interactions the user is prepared before taking any action or responding to an event,
for example sending an email. The collaborative system are developed which may support
planned or impromptu interactions or both, depending upon the requirements of the system.
2.5 Context
Depending on context, team members can take part either in one type of collaboration or
another type. Group members may also participate in more than one type of collaboration.
The collaborative system should provide support for all scenarios.
2.6 Infrastructure
Infrastructure represents technology which may be homogenous or heterogeneous.
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Depending upon the needs and requirements of the group collaborative activates, the system
may be developed for homogenous computing platforms. But this will be comparatively
costly as the system will demand for special software and hardware to be used within the
system. The CSCW system can also be developed to work in heterogeneous computing
platforms which are already deployed.
2.7 Collaborators mobility

Mobility management is important factor for almost every system. Providing facilities to
team members for performing their activities while they are on move, increase their
efficiency. The collaborators may also remain at a fixed location or they may change their
location to perform their activities. Systems should be developed to support both types of
collaborations.
2.8 Privacy
Every group member needs some degree of privacy when they interact with each other. The
privacy can be maintained, firstly by specifying how much information can be made available
to group members and which type of information can be kept secret. Secondly, the person
who controls the release of information must be trustworthy.
2.9 Participant selection

The selection of group members can be done in many ways. The existing group member
may select the new group members. The participant may select the group himself and become
member of the group. In these methods there is no control to enter or leave the group. The
most efficient way is that the group member may be selected by a single authority. For
example, to join a group in yahoo the participant first sends a request to the group
administrator. The administrator has the authority to accept or reject the request. Similarly
the group member is deleted from the group by the administrator.
2.10 Extensibility
Extensibility means enhancing the functionality of CSCW system with changing needs. The
collaborative system may provide full functionality to the user at the time of deployment. It
may also provide facility to collaborators to enhance the functionality of the system with the
passage of time according to their changing needs.
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3. Essential Features in CSCW Systems

Most of the research in CSCW has addressed to provide useful and efficient tools for
collaborative work that can be used by an organization to schedule, plan, structure and index
their information [14]. The researchers pointed out five important areas communication,
configuration, coordination, information access, interaction, and usability [1] which need
investigation to develop efficient collaborative applications. In Table 2 these five design
features for CSCW are summarized.
S.NO Design Area Key Features

Asynchronous, audio, data, private, shared, structured,
1 Communication
synchronous, text, unstructured, video
Setup and
2 Adaptation, composition, evolution, extension
Configuration
Access control, concurrency, consistency, delegation,
3 Coordination
scheduling, versioning
Information
4 Distribution, filtering, retrieval, structure
Access
Attention management, awareness, context management,
5 Interaction
relationship establishment and maintenance
Boundary crossing (cyberspace, physical space, logical
6 Usability
space), cross-device interaction, cross-mode interaction
Table 2: Five CSCW design areas and some key design features in each [1]
3.1 Communication
Communication among group members is one of the key features in computer supported
collaborative work. There are many ways e.g. Fax, phone, email, letter, instant message
software and social networking websites such as face book, my space, twitter etc. which can
be utilized by the distributed team members for the purpose of communication among them.
In previous research, audio was considered to be the most efficient channel for effective
communication among distributed group members [6]. Other researchers in the field of
CSCW [15, 16] have shown the importance of conference calls for communication among
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team members. Shared audio channels can also be utilized for the purpose of communication
[17]. Multimedia conferencing integrate data, audio channels and video channels together to
form more sophisticated communication system for CSCW. Multimedia channels can either
be used for live communication or in playback mode. In both cases it is the most efficient
way of communication for CSCW.
In order to see smooth running video at least 15 frames per second must be displayed to the
user. Also tight synchronization of 200 milliseconds is required for audio channels with
video. These are challenging factors for the efficient implementation of CSCW. Researchers
in the field of networking have investigated techniques to provide such a quality of service
communication (QoS) [17] with low cost. VOIP is the well known example. Although a lot of
work is required to make the communication more reliable and to provide the desired frame
rate with tight synchronization of audio channel in multimedia communication. If multimedia
communication is not feasible both technically and economically for CSCW, collaborative
activates can still be performed via text based systems such as chat applications, email and
news group etc.
3.2 Setup and Configuration

CSCW systems are very much complex and are difficult to install and configure. CSCW
researchers have worked on different problems associated with the set up and configuration
of CSCW systems. For example Moran [18] worked on how to extend the capabilities of
CSCW systems after it has been deployed. Amir [19] discussed the automatic adaption of
changes in the available resources for transmission and display of data . Jackson [20] did his
contribution and explained how to develop a CSCW system from the group of supporting sub
systems. Similarly, Lee and Neuwirth [21, 22] discussed the process of evaluation of CSCW
systems with changing needs of collaboration. The future work should focus on the
techniques and methods with which CSCW systems can be configured with ease.
Configuration may be the editing of configuration file or upgrading the software packages for
CSCW systems with the changing needs of the collaborators.
3.3 Coordination
In team work coordination of activities among group members play a significant role. In
CSCW much communication is done to coordinate tasks among distributed group members.
For this reason, most of the CSCW research focused on methods and procedures that
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facilitate team members to coordinate their activities. For group work, coordination involves
scheduling of process, resources and people involved in collaborative work.
The researchers worked on different parameters to improve the quality of coordination
among distributed team members. For example, Marx [23] has provided methods to join
together calendaring software with situation awareness and document distribution. Recent
research focused more on the scheduling of workflow or process. Glance et.al [24]
introduced the concept of process structure grammars. Process structure grammar provides
flexibility into workflow languages. Process structure grammar explains the relationship
among documents and activities and applies some constraints which build soft dependencies.
There are no hard dependencies in process structure grammar. Dourish et.al [25] also worked
in the same area. Collaborative systems are dynamic in nature. some researchers [26]
targeted this aspect of CSCW and worked on techniques that allow coordination policies to
be established and changed with the passage of time. Similarly, Miles [1] worked on methods
to handle exception during work- flows.
Collaboration can also be performed asynchronously. Unlike direct interaction, the group
members interact indirectly at different times, access and updates shared objects such as
documents, files and other resources. For coordinating indirect asynchronous activities we
need some access controls mechanisms and methods for concurrency and consistency control.
Different scientists worked on this aspect of CSCW. For example, Prakash [27] worked on
concurrency control and uncover different issues in this regard. His finding include methods
for, awareness among group members when they edit the same file, proper response time for
edit operation on shared object and providing consistent results when simultaneous updates
occur. Ressel et.al [28] adopted a formal approach and used transformation oriented scheme
for concurrency and ‘‘Undo’’ operators. Similarly, Munson [29] and Dewan [30] also
provide solution for consistency control in shared access applications.
3.4 Information Access

Information which is needed for collaborative work can be divided into two categories.
Subject matter information which contains contents such as data, images, video clips and web
pages related to the subject being discussed among group members. On the other hand,
collaboration support information consists of overhead data such as schedules for work,
agreements and procedure of plans, and session transcripts which may include text, audio,
video, images and interaction events. CSCW needs efficient mechanisms in both cases to
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structure, distribute, retrieve and index the information. CSCW researchers and other
researchers of the related fields worked on different techniques and methods which facilitate
collaborative work in this regard. Bush [31] introduced the concept of memex. Memex is an
associative memory which enables the retrieval of information encoded on microfilm. This
allows people to construct an associative web of trials through information. Later on this idea
was followed by several developments such as world wide web, globally accessible persistent
storage and publish subscribe tuple spaces [32]. The automatic distribution of information to
subscribers is another alternative to information retrieval [1]. The subscribers mention their
preferences for the information they would find interesting. An automated system checks for
the match between the information available and user preferences. In case of match,
information are broadcasted to interested users through communication system. The
important aspect of information distribution is description technique. Semi structured
messages [33] are much effective than free form text. A wide range of information can be
processed automatically with the help of semi structured messages; therefore they are most
suitable for collaborative systems than free text form messages. The advantage of semi
structured messages is that both people and computer create, read and interpret it. For
instance, messages written in extensible markup language (XML) can be interpreted by
human beings as well as by the computer.
From text data semi structured messages can be created but much of the information which
is exchanged in collaborative work exists in the form of images, audio and video. Such
unstructured information cannot be represented with semi structured messages which is a
great challenge for CSCW researchers. Kubala [34] worked on speech recognition
technology and discovered methods which can be used to create text transcripts from audio
streams. Wactlar [35] combined audio and video and developed techniques to extract
information directly from it. Hori and Sato [36, 37] developed methods to see inside video
frames to identify different objects such as buildings, trucks, and street within it. Although
multimedia data is mostly handled off line , Dao [38] worked to perform real time filtering
on multimedia data streams.
3.5 Interaction
Interaction is one of the important features of computer supported collaborative work.
CSCW systems must provide support for people working at a distance. Maintaining
awareness about the state and activities of other team members and drawing attention of
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people when they work simultaneously in multiple distributed places is the fertile area of
CSCW research. Distributed team members must maintain some degree of awareness about
the availability and progress of other group members. In more complex form, managing
awareness about the state of individuals in multiple distinctive collaborative sessions is very
much difficult. Hudson and Smith [39] worked on these issues. Nomura et.al [40] worked on
peripheral awareness using shared work spaces and presented some useful techniques. Isaacs
suggested that desktop computers can be used successfully for impromptu interaction among
distributed group members. Tollmar et.al [41] investigated methods and techniques to
improve the quality of social interaction within work place.
The most difficult challenge for CSCW researchers is to develop methods and techniques
that will manage the attention of group members, especially when they are involved
simultaneously in multiple but separate collaborative sessions. Belotti and Bly [42] discussed
the problem of context management for mobile users involved in different collaborative
activities. Other researcher tried to solve the problem of context management for mobile
collaborators through different metaphors. For example, Harrison [43] used virtual spaces
and Roseman [44] provide the solution through team rooms. Fitzpatrick et.al [45] examined
the issues in virtual collaborations.
Building and maintaining relationship among collaborators is another important aspect of
CSCW systems. Without much physical contact it is difficult to find appropriate
collaborators and then building and maintaining efficient and effective relationships among
them. Different researchers [46-48] worked on these issues and concluded that social
networks are best in this regard. It helps the people to know each other and interact. Payton
et.al [49] suggested that potential collaborators can be found with the help of individual
patterns of web browsing. People who visit similar web pages also have similarity of their
mind and they can be considered as potential collaborators. Converting the log of access web
pages into a graph, computer program can find the similarities and differences among people
and bring in contact matching people with help of email. According to Whittaker [50]
newsgroup can also play an important role to find potential collaborators. Different users
search for the news group of their interest and subscribe to it. The members then participate
in offline conversations and give their comments on various issues.
3.6 Usability
Future technologies of virtual and augmented realty aim to cross the boundary between
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physical and digital world. In CSCW systems how one group member can ensures that “other
collaborators are seeing as they are seeing”? This question has led to detailed research and
findings in the field of CSCW. Li [51] worked in this context and investigate methods which
provide ‘‘what-you-see-is-what-I-see’’ capability in CSCW system. Live-Board [52] is a
large screen display which is also connected to information resource with the help of
network. It enables group members to capture the digital information in real time as the other
group members create it. Lakin [53] worked on a digital medium that allows the live
processing of graphics and text. Len et.al [54] are working to develop an electronic
environment which enables people to draw a sketch for user interface design. The sketch can
be made operational by computer system. Arai et.al [55] investigated techniques which
enables users to directly embed electronic links into physical paper. Harrison et.al [56]
worked in similar way. They gave the idea of electronic staples which allows bits of
electronic information such as URL to be inserted in physical documents. Cross Padk is used
to convert data written on paper directly into digital information. When the user writes
something on the page, the pad beneath the page captures the strokes of the pen and converts
it into electronic signals which are accepted as digital information by the computer system.
The natural writing board (NWB) works in similar way. It captures markers and sketches
drawn on white board and converts it into digital information.
Holerer et.al [57] used augmented reality techniques to provide information about the
physical surrounding. The user position and orientation is tracked with the help of wearable
computers and head mounted display. According to Medl [58] gesture and even facial
expression can be used for interaction. Using multimodal technologies, he integrated gaze
directed, gesture tracking, speech recognition and synthesis along with more sophisticated
display into a single desktop interface which allows gesture based interaction with the
system.
4. Security
Security of digital data remains a big challenge for research community. Computer
networks have brought physically distributed people into a single platform. Distributed team
members using computer networks are able to interact in real time through shared virtual
spaces. Computer networks are exposed to different security attacks such as access,
modification, denial of service and repudiation attacks. People using theses unsecured
networks need the secrecy of their data during their interaction with other team members. For
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CSCW, the following security requirements are mentioned in literature which are necessary
for distributed team members [59].
4.1 Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the protection of data from unauthorized user. This service provides
protection against access attacks such as snooping, eavesdropping and interception.
Confidentiality must be provided to the data from the attacker when it is present on the
storage device as well as during transmission [60, 61]. The data present on storage device can
be made secure by physical security control e.g. locking the room in which the storage device
resides. If the data is present on computer it should be given a password. Data can also be
accessed by unauthorized user during transmission. To make the data secure it must be
encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm such as Data Encryption Standard (DES) or
RSA. The encrypted data has no value for the attacker.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides secure data channel by adding some secure
protocols to the existing insecure network protocols. Using VPN physically distributed team
members can send and receive secure, fast and stable data. If client server paradigm is used
for CSCW system, the stored data must be encrypted by a robust encryption algorithm and
access to the server should be controlled with an access control mechanism. In this way
unauthorized user will not be able to approach the data [62].
4.2 Integrity
Integrity means that the data is not changed or destroyed in unauthorized manner. When the
data which is sent is identical to the data received, the integrity of data is maintained.
Integrity service provides mechanisms for the correction of data and it protects collaborators
from modification attacks such as change, insertion and deletion.
Unexpected changes made by unauthorized user can effect the whole CSCW system. The
system has to ensure the integrity of data. In literature different methods have been proposed
in this regard. Hash function can be used to compare the old data and new data in order to
find errors during transmission over the network [63]. In addition, the system must confirm
that each server and client is reviewing the same object. If the data is modified or deleted by
a malicious program during review process, the system must recognize such backdoor
programs [64]. The unexpected results of such a malicious program should not spread over
the whole system.
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4.3 Availability
The continuous operation of the computing system is called availability. All the components
of the system including the software applications, database management systems, storage
devices and end to end network must provide continuous services to distributed team
members. For time critical process it is very much important that all the component of CSCW
system must work and user should be able to access the system resources whenever they want
to use them [63] . Denial of Service (Dos) and Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
are major threats for CSCW system. DoS attack deny the use of resources to the authentic
user. It can take many shapes such as denial of access to information, denial of access to the
application, denial of access to the system and denial of access to communication. Some time
the attacker destroys the information or encrypts the data and destroys the key. In other cases
the attacker shut down the application which is necessary for distributed operations in
CSCW. The attacker may also turn off the computer system on which the CSCW application
run. The attacker can also physically cut off the communication line among the distributed
team members. In this way the connection among team members is terminated and they are
not able to perform their activities. DDoS is the more severe form of DoS attack in which the
attackers exploit number of machine to intensify the attack. Some time a large amount of
unnecessary extra data is sent over the network. Different machines in the network broadcast
it which overwhelms the communication line and team members are not able to use the
network. Availability services are used to recover from the Dos or DDos attacks. Different
methods such as backup and fail-over has been proposed in literature to deal with such
attacks.
4.4 Authentication and Authorization

In CSCW system authentication and authorization play very much important role. It
identifies the individual who is attempting to perform a specific task or to access a resource.
Authentication can be performed by something the user knows like password or personal
identification number (PIN). If the user has something like smart card, he is authenticated
and can use the system resources. Biometric authentication such as finger prints or retina
scan can also be performed. For strong authentication the above methods can be used in
combination. In addition to authentication the CSCW systems need to build an access
control mechanism for granting access to team members to use different resources [65].
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Different access control models such as Access Matrix Model [66], Role-Based Access
Control (RBAC) [67], Task-Based Access Control (TBAC) [68], Team-Based Access
Control (TMAC) [69], and Spatial Access Control [70] have been proposed in literature.
4.5 Non repudiation

Repudiation is an attack in which the sender gives false information to the receiver or
denies an activity which has been performed by the sender. The well known examples of
repudiations are masquerading, IP spoofing and DNS spoofing. Non repudiation means that
the receiver must be able to prove that the received information has come from a specific user
and the sender will not be able to deny it. The CSCW system must maintain evidences about
the origin of the data and also about the receiver [71]. To prevent attackers from repudiation
attacks, the CSCW system must implement strong identification and authentication control.
Identification and authorization service provide two facilities. First it identifies the individual
who is attempting to perform a specific task. Secondly, it can prove that the individual is
who, he claims to be. For remote user digital signature is the best identification and
authentication tool.
5. Network Delay
The purpose of real time distributed groupware is to allow group members at different
places to work together in a natural way [72]. These distributed team members are connected
with the help of network which introduces communication delay when the team members
interact with each others. In a closely coupled environment this delay causes inconsistency
which significantly effects the activities and performance of collaborators [73]. Groupware
applications send messages to each other for the purpose of information communication.
Information are either discrete or continuous. For discrete information such as model updates
or commands, only the order of messages is important. For real time or continuous
information time play very much important role. In continuous stream of data, messages have
temporal dependencies and placing the message in stream of data on his proper time has an
effect on its interpretation. Streams are effected by two kinds of network delay. One is called
latency and the other one is jitter [74].
5.1 Latency
The interval between sending and the receiving of a message is called latency. When a
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message is sent it take some time to reach its destination. Therefore some degree of latency
will always exist when the distributed group members interact with each other. Even in face
to face communication there exists a small latency when the sound travels from one place to
another. But this latency is unnoticeable by the people. In network communication large
latency occurs. The main factors of latency in communication networks are delay caused by
the transmission medium, congestion in the network, time required for routing decision and
also the processing time to pack and unpack messages. These all factors collectively generate
larger delay in communication. Latency is shown in Fig. 2 (b).
From CSCW perspective, latency means for example the tele-pointer motion generated by
one person in distributed environment is late when it was produced. The updated data i.e. the
pointer motion takes some time on the network to reach other members of the group. Latency
produces inconsistency of data among group members. The degree of latency depends on
many factors. These factors include the system architecture, the manner in which the group
member interact with each other and also with the environment, the type of feedback
supported by the system and network characteristics [75]. The characteristics of the underline
network used by CSCW system play a major role in controlling the latency when distributed
team members interact with each other. A high bandwidth connection spread over thousands
of miles will incur some latency but still will transmit the data with acceptable reliability and
accuracy. On the other hand a small highly congested network will transmit the data
irregularly which will produce inconsistent results among the distributed team members in
CSCW system.
At the network layer, collaborative virtual environments use the internet protocol (IP),
which is best effort protocol having no mechanism for flow control and error control. At
transport layer two protocols namely transmission control protocol (TCP) and User Datagram
Protocol (UDP) are used. TCP is connection oriented and reliable protocol. TCP/IP can be
combinely used to provide reliable services to distributed group members in CSCW
environment. It ensures the integrity of data and also guarantees that the data has been
received in order. However this reliability introduces additional latency. Checking for error
detection and then apply some mechanism to correct the error will take some time. Also the
protocol wait for acknowledgement of the packet, if it is received then it sends the next
packet. Because of these extra processing TCP/IP is comparatively slow protocol. Instead of
using TCP, the UDP protocol can be used which is connectionless and comparatively fast
protocol than TCP. UDP does not guarantee the order delivery of data. Also there is no error
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detection and correction technique in this protocol. It sends the next packet without the
acknowledgement of the first packet. UDP is fast as there is no extra processing involved. It
potentially reduces the latency between sites.
TCP/IP offers unicast services i.e. using TCP/IP the sender can send the message to only
one receiver. In case of CSCW system we need multicasting service which enables the sender
to send a message to multiple receivers at a time. IP multicasting is a process by which a
single user can send message to multiple destinations. IP multicasting is unreliable but can be
made reliable by using multi cast transport protocol with the cost of additional latency.
Whichever protocol is used by the CSCW system, There will be latency when the data travel
over the wide area network (WAN) [75].
5.2 Jitter
Variation in delay is called jitter and it causes spikes in latency. It measures the difference
between the arrival times of two or more messages. For example, if two messages are sent at
5ms interval, but the receiving interval varies from 5ms, this represents jitter. Jitter is shown
in Fig. 2 (c), in which different messages reach to its destination at different intervals. In
CSCW systems, distributed group members are connected through a network. The data is
divided into packets and consecutive packets may follow different routes to destination.
Therefore, different packets encounter different overheads and traffic conditions which
causes jitter. One packet may be lost which is to be resent. In case of in- order delivery, all
the packet behind the lost packet has to wait till it is resent from the source. All these factors
introduce jitter in the transmission. For distributed team members jitter appears as jerky
moments. For example, a telepointer will stick when data is delayed and will catch up
moment when the data reach to destination machine. People can feel jitter up to 10ms. For
audio and video applications, the multimedia data is first buffered and then playback begins
which is smoother. It minimizes the jitter to zero level but increases the overall latency.
Jitter is not present in face to face communication as sound waves take the same time in air
to reach its destination. Jitter is characterized by two attributes. First, size of the delay and
secondly the percentages of packets that are delayed. Jitter is a major issue in distributed
groupware applications and can be minimized either at the network level i.e. by using quality
of service parameters or application level by using buffering techniques. The second
approach can be used for live communication as it does not provide real time service to
distributed users.
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Fig. 2.Time-Series of messages from sender to a receiver [76]

(a) No latency or jitter (b) Latency but no jitter (c) Jitter but no latency
In literature, small amount of work has been done to analyze the effects of jitter and latency
on human performance in real time distributed applications. Vaghi et al. [77] analyzed the
effects of delay on collaborative task performance in 3D virtual environments. According to
Park [78] performance of collaborators is negatively affected by latencies of only 200ms.
Another study conducted by Vaghi et.al [77] concluded that collaborative work become
difficult at a latency of about 500ms.
6. Quality of Service (QoS)

Quality of Service (QoS) represents a set of parameters e.g. reliability, delay, jitter and
bandwidth related to the performance of connection [79]. It assures that audio and video data
reach the destination with minimum delay. Bandwidth, delay, jitter and reliability are four
key parameters through which a network is evaluated for QoS [80]. If a network does not
support QoS, the multimedia communication will be inconsistent, unreliable and
unsatisfactory.
To enhance the quality of distributed collaborative work, CSCW systems integrate the
heterogeneous data e.g. audio, video, images and text into a single data streams. Such
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applications have a broad range of requirements. Time sensitive information in collaborative

work needs reliability and strict synchronization constraints. Video conferencing is the best
example in this context. For synchronization of lips in video conferencing, the coordination
between video and audio must be maintained to provide a natural interactive environment.
Other CSCW applications need to deliver the data in proper order for the purpose of
consistency in distributed applications. All these requirements are referred to as Quality of
Service (QoS) needed by the distributed applications. The availability of high performance
multimedia enabled networks provides support for CSCW applications up to some degree but
it does not support CSCW communication needs to the desired level. The TCP/IP has no
method to meet the requirements of end to end quality of service delivery in CSCW systems
[81].
7. Conclusion and future Work:

CSCW enable people to work together through the use of technology. CSCW systems
remove the constraints of time and space and increase the efficiency of group work in an
organization. Efficient implementation of CSCW systems require network infrastructure
which is secure, fast and fulfill quality of service (QoS) requirements of geographically
distributed team members. The available network protocols fulfill these requirements to some
acceptable level but need further research to improve its performance for CSCW systems.
Keeping in view the requirements of CSCW systems, the future work must concentrate on the
development of new protocols that will enhance the efficiency of CSCW systems.
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*Corresponding author: Aftab alam, Ph.D in progress.

Lecturer,
Department of Computer Science & IT, University of Malakand,
Chakdara K.P.K, Pakistan
E-mail: alam@uom.edu.pk
- 8020 -

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INFORMATION ISSN 1343-4500

Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) and Network

‘‘CSCW should be conceived as an endeavor to understand the nature of cooperative work as

1.1 CSCW Terminologies

2. Key Dimensions of CSCW

Table 1: Ten key dimensions in the CSCW design space [1]

2.1 Time Dimension

2.2 Space Dimension

Fig. 1: CSCW Quadrants [3]

2.3 Group Size

2.4 Interaction Style

2.7 Collaborators mobility

2.9 Participant selection

3. Essential Features in CSCW Systems

S.NO Design Area Key Features

3.2 Setup and Configuration

3.4 Information Access

4.4 Authentication and Authorization

4.5 Non repudiation

Fig. 2.Time-Series of messages from sender to a receiver [76]

6. Quality of Service (QoS)

applications have a broad range of requirements. Time sensitive information in collaborative

7. Conclusion and future Work:

[48] Foner, L.Y. A Multi-Agent, Referral-Based Matchmaking System. in

[76] Gutwin, C. The Effects of Network Delays on Group Work in Real-Time

*Corresponding author: Aftab alam, Ph.D in progress.

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