Changes between Version 2 and Version 3 of Meetings/Workshops/20080317

Timestamp:

Mar 18, 2008, 3:59:25 PM (18 years ago)

Author:

jouvin

Comment:

--

Meetings/Workshops/20080317

@@ -48 +48 @@
    * Plan to use a specific profile_base for these systems
  * Migration of service data historically in CDB to SDB (Service Database)
+
+Manpower situation at CERN:
+ * ME left for INFN. Still working on Quattor core component maintenance but not focused anymore on this
+ * German is no longer involved
+ * Veronique is the only remaining person involved in Quattor maintenance : will concentrate on Quattor for CERN. Not sure to be at CERN anymore in 2 years...
 
 === LAL - M. Jouvin ===
@@ -338 +343 @@
    * External path syntax : //myboject/some/absolute/path to be deprecated in favor of /my/object/tpl:/some/absolute/path
      * Will allow eventually object templates to be namespaced
-   * Literal escaping of paths : can escape part of a path
+   * Literal escaping of paths : can escape part of a path with possibility to improve significantly performance of some templates
+     * '/some/path/{a/b}/example' would translate to '/some/path/a_2fb/example'
+     * Avoid a call to escape()
+     * Avoid using DML on large blocks like in SPMA functions because part of the path must be escaped (e.g. package name).
  * More limits on structure template contents : variable, functions, include no longer allowed
  * New and changed functions :
@@ -380 +388 @@
  * To be acceptable the performance price for this should be only when you use the feature (and not for everybody like in panc v6).
  
+
+ === CDB - M.E. Poleggi ===
+ 
+ Completed since last workshop :
+  * Pan parser : cdb-tpl-view. Available and integrated with pangraph
+    * Only includes until panc v8
+  * Bug fixes
+  
+ Postponed :
+  * Fine-grained CDB locking with fair-queueing
+  * Common authentication service
+  
+Issues:
+ * Manpower : ME just back into active development and no other contributor foreseen, even though CDB is pretty complete and stable.
+ 
+ 
+=== Other Core Modules - M.E. Poleggi ===
+
+See [http://indico.cern.ch/getFile.py/access?contribId=11&sessionId=1&resId=1&materialId=slides&confId=28976 presentation].
+
+CDB :
+ * Deployment based on stages in production at CERN
+ 
+CDB2SQL : no progress, still alive at CERN
+
+SWRepSOAP : collaboration with BARC ended, need for a new maintainer. Open issues :
+ * Check signatures
+
+CCM : no maintainer
+ * Only bug fixes in the past months
+ * Wish list :
+   * De-privilege CCM execution
+   * Global flag to disable CCM update
+ * Luis as the next maintainer
+ 
+cdispd : no maintainer. Several pending requests :
+ * Add global activation switch [#13484]
+ * Improve handling of pre dependencies [#23814]
+ * Should be restarted after changes in modules [#27529]
+ * Cal as the next maintainer ?
+
+ncd : no maintainer: Open issues :
+ * Provide a way to force the reconfig of a node [#7791]: could NotD be used?
+ * Generic ‘provides’ for NCM components [ #17681]
+ * Establish relationship between NCM-component RPM version and config info
+[#21204]
+ * Add a new component dependency type to run a component as the last one
+[#27532]
+ 
+Basic framework :
+ * What's the decision about enforcing LC::Process
+ * Add to build tool ability to generate a skeleton for a new component
+ 
+SPMA/rpmt : no maintainer. Main open issues :
+ * Formattiong of SPMA output (#6203, #16825)
+ * SPMA should upgrade and not deinstall/install when both arch and version are changed (#19934)
+ * SPMA gives up at the first I/O error (#29029)
+ * Michel as the next maintainer for SPMA
+
+Build tools : ME will continue to maintain them
+
+Quattor release 1.4 planned with AII 2.0
+
+NotD : notification based on wassh. Used in production at CERN
+
+Common Logging Service : NEw module CAF::RepLogger for applications not instantiated as CAF::Applications
+
+
+== Coding Conventions - M.E. Poleggi ==
+
+Current recommendation available at https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/ELFms/WriteNCMComponent.
+ * Use blank instead of tabs, recommendation : 4 spaces
+ * Cleanup modules before making changes
+ * Make a header with author, revision... : make header
+ 
+Documentation :
+ * CVS : README, POD files for man pages
+   * Technical documents : LaTeX or DocBook, DocBook is an alternative also to POD
+ * WWW : Wiki pages mainly, encourage online use instead of PDF copy
+
+Quality assessment :
+ * Always use strict
+ * Use [https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/ELFms/QuattorExceptionHandling LC::Exception] when possible
+ * Provide [https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/FIOgroup/SWDevUnitTestPerl unit tests] when sensible
+ * Try [http://search.cpan.org/~jjore/B-Lint-1.11/lib/B/Lint.pm B::Lint] to assess potential problems
+ 
+Other issues :
+ * Call wrapper facilities :
+   * Enforce LC::Process ? Some caveats (#31194) but maintained. Need to upgrade to last LC:: version
+   * IPC::open3 as an alternative but requires a wrapper around it
+  * open() wrapper : log which files are touched. Use CAF::Log ?
+  * Luis agrees to look at it before next workshop. First contact L. Cons to know the exact status of LC::Process (ME).
+  
+ Code reviews : time consuming, concentrate on most important things.
+  * exit() calls in components
+  * Ignored return values
+  * Consistency of options with documentation
+  * We probably don't have the manpower to do it regularly, '''concentrate on the process''' to ensure nobody new to the framework breaks a component/module because he is not aware of the ''implicit rules''.
+
+
+== Quattor Documentation ==
+
+Current sources of information
+ * Main web site
+ * Twiki
+ * QWG wiki
+ * Savanah
+ * CVS/packages : should be possible to generate web pages automatically from the contents in CVS and RPM packages. Difficult today
+ 
+Developper's documentation :
+ * Reorganize a bit developper's guide to have all the information in one place and in a not too long documentation, have it distinct from user's documentation.
+ * Add LC:: and CAF:: documentation pointers to Quattor web site
+ 
+quattor.org web site :
+ * Keep just one page with a short introduction about Quattor and referring to 2 wiki pages : user and developper
+ * In each wiki page, have a list of reference to documentation relevant for each user category
+ 
+== Project Hosting Discussion ==
+
+CERN is now more a user than a major player of Quattor which becomes more and more a community product. Moving hosting to a source forge would allow its administration to be done by the community, whatever where its members are from, and increase its visibility.
+ * They provide a rather rich integrated infrstructure for hosting code, writing documentations, bug tracking...
+ 
+Agreement on the principle of moving to sourceforge.
+ * Need to figure out what is involved : start with a module like NCM components and review the implication with build tools
+ * Need to define a strategy for documentation and how to incrementally move it to this site
+ * Stephen will create/initialize the project
+ * Need to discuss with German implications on quattor.org domain
+ * Review the progress and precise plans for moving at next workshop or before on mailing list if we make quick progresses.
+ 
+License : we need to clean up the license used by the project.
+ * Let start with EDG license : every open source license is compatible with sourceforge.net
+
+
+== Release Process - M.E. Poleggi ==
+
+Progress since the last workshop:
+ * target tplconvert to convert components to namespaces
+ * target markobsolete, tagstable
+ * Build framework documentation : https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/ELFms/QuattorBuildFramework
+ 
+Next release planned: 1.4-1, possible release date May 1st.
+ * Unmaintained components : review the list and either mark as obsolete or assign a maintainer
+ * Skip obsolete components
+ * Use STABLE tag rather than head when defined
+
+Policy for accepting new developper : ensure people with write access to repository knows the rules, even the implicit one.
+
+== LISA Paper - Discussion ==
+
+Reasons for rejection last year:
+ * Technical level of the paper : we need to choose to be a user or technical paper.
+   * Remove comparison with competitors : concentrate on 2 other solutions
+   * Develop presentation of PAN as the distinctive value of Quattor
+   * Take input from Nick about Morgan's reasons to choose Quattor
+ * More details on main use cases : GRIF, GRID-Ireland
+   * But they as distributed sites they are unusal cases : need to better explain the reason and advantages for this 
+ and emphasize there is a growing need for this. Explain the benefit of distributed management.
+   * Ephasize the specific Quattor features, in particular PAN, making it possible with QWG as an illustration.
+   * Avoid a catalog of similar things : try to merge as much as possible.
+   
+Deadline : May 8th.
+ * Requires almost final version to be ready May 1st.
+ * Specific contribution to be available soon
+ 
+Probably change the paper title to "Distributed management accross distributed domains".
+ * Mention CERN and desktop/latop management as an illustration you can also do traditional management and about Quattor scalability but not have them as a separate section.
+
+First steps (2 weeks): phone call between Monday March 31st and Thurdasy April 3d
+ * Stijn, Stephen and Michel exchange between themselves about what they see as the important points to develop about distributed management. Commonalities and differencies.
+ * Cal reviews PAN section
+ * Nick provides input on Morgan's evaluation
+ 
+
+ == Conclusions ==
+ 
+ Next workshop in Amsterdam (NIKHEF), Oct. 27-29.
+  * Start : Monday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon : specific // sessions (CDB, SCDB, QWG Templates...)
+