[seek-dev] Re: FW: Technical Issues

[Matt Jones]

Jim, Susan, and Aimee,

We have a number of linux boxes running SEEK services at NCEAS, and we 
could get another one for this need if you need it.  Most of our EcoGrid 
work will be developed on Linux.   As Susan said, adding another machine 
on to the maintenance list is no big deal.  That said, if you'd prefer 
to develop and/or deploy the services there that would be fine as well, 
although we'll need to talk about how the various components would 
integrate.  Given our current thoughts in EcoGrid about tying things 
together using Grid/Web Services, this probably won't represent a 
problem (if it does then we've got deeper troubles :)

As far as source code management goes, it really would be best if all 
source code is managed in the common SEEK CVS repository so that other 
parts of the project can benefit from and integrate with these 
components.  The current CVS repository has a directory 
("seek/projects/taxon") specifically for taxon related code, and that 
can be organized into subprojects as needed.  If anyone involved is 
having trouble with CVS (ie, doesn't know password, can't connect, 
etc.), please contact me ASAP.

We've also found it incredibly useful to provide some sort of 
transparent build system for source code modules as well.  We mainly use 
'ant' because it works well in the Java environment and the build 
scripts are easy to read, but 'make' or others would work as well.  The 
important part is that all of the subtle code dependencies be explicitly 
laid out in a text file so that building and running other people's code 
isn't a huge pain, especially as people move from one IDE to another. 
It also allows us to develop automated regression testing and other 
functions that we want for each code module.  We have some build files 
in place in various places in the seek cvs module if you want to see how 
it works.

I'll try to chat with Aimee and Richard Gales about this on IRC today 
and see what would work best.  I had a nice intro conversation with 
Richard yesterday, and introduced him to the other folks on IRC.

Matt

Beach, James H wrote:
> 	
> Matt --
> Would you consider and get back to Susan Gauch and Aimee Stewart on this wrt
> the SEEK project overall needs?   
> 
> Thanks,
> Jim
> 
> 
>  
> --------------------------------
> James H. Beach
> Biodiversity Research Center
> University of Kansas
> 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
> Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
> Tel: 785 864-4645, Fax: 785 864-5335
> Televideocon: (H.323): 129.237.201.102
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Susan Gauch [mailto:sgauch at ittc.ku.edu] 
> Sent: 03 June, 2003 7:00 PM
> To: Beach, James H
> Subject: Technical Issues
> 
> 
> Jim,
> 
> We need a common place for Aimee and Robert to develop and deploy code.
> Since the bulk of the SEEK project is aiming for "open source" this says
> "linux" to me.  I understand that the SEEK server being purchased is going
> to be Windows for admin purposes.  I think that the "web services" might be
> better to be on linux for compatibility with the rest of SEEK.  Since we are
> doing this as a 'Service" with an API, I guess it could be Windows, but I
> hate Windows...
> 
> If you like, we could host the development at ITTC.  We could host a new
> server, if you like, or just do double duty on one of my computers. We
> administer 100+ linux systems, so one more or less won't matter. This is
> what the "overhead" piece that is charged on my part is for - maintenance of
> computers etc.
> 
> Basically, the way I usually work is to have linux accounts created for each
> developer (Aimee and Robert already have them) and then create a "project"
> directory that they use to deploy completed code and coordinate themselves
> with.
> 
> Susan.

-- 
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Matt Jones                                     jones at nceas.ucsb.edu
http://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/    Fax: 425-920-2439    Ph: 907-789-0496
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
University of California Santa Barbara
Interested in ecological informatics? http://www.ecoinformatics.org
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