COmanage-Dev Call 9-Jan-09
*Attending*
Heather Flanagan, Stanford (chair)
Jim Leous, Penn State
Chris Hubing, Penn State
Digant Kasundra, Stanford
Scotty Logan, Stanford
John Robertson, Stanford
Michael Gettes, MIT
Ann West, EDUCAUSE/Internet2
RL "Bob" Morgan, U. Washington
Ken Klingenstein, Internet2
Renee Frost, Internet2
Steve Olshansky, Internet2
Emily Eisbruch, Internet2 (scribe)
*New Action Items*
[AI] (Ken) will email a draft notification about the release to the COmanage-dev list when the release is ready. (The development team) will verify this draft for accuracy before it is sent to key alpha users/testers.
[AI] (Ken) will talk with Lois about Fluid involvement in improving the COmanage GUI, scheduling it for later in the year.
[AI] (Heather) will develop a COmanage roadmap and place it on the wiki.
[AI] (Chris) will set up two separate instances of a COmanage demo (one for Ken and one for public) and send instructions to the COmanage-dev list on how to operate the demo.
[AI] (Chris) will work with (SteveO) to register the demo as an InCommon SP.
[AI] (SteveO) and (Digant) will work on setting up a subversion repository at Internet2.
[AI] (SteveO) will register the comanage.org domain name for Internet2.
[AI] (Renee) will talk with Liene about the group's selection of COmanage logo #1.
[AI] (Chris) will contact Atlassian and try to obtain a timetable for Jira domestication. (Ken) will provide some wording for this communication with Atlassian.
*Carry Over Action Items*
[AI] (Bob) will send links to the group on the invitation problem.
[AI] (Ken) will send a note to his contact at OOI to explore their level interest (after the COmanage alpha is ready).
[AI] (Ken) will ping Frank Siebenlist from Argonne National Laboratory, who is interested in COmanage.
[AI] (Scotty) will send out to the group a list of APIs for the Domestication Guide.
[AI] (Digant) will create COmanage video #2, when the improved Collabmin GUI is available.
*Discussion*
Status of COmanage Alpha Release (Scotty's report)
Pieces needing to be completed prior to release of the COmanage Beta, include:
- Ability to invite other users and have them sign on with federated credentials
- Ability to assign such invited users to groups.
- Straight adds and deletes of people
Items already completed for the Alpha release include:
- Basic groups functionality
- Add/remove groups
- Basic adding of applications
- Drupal (John finished it before he left)
- Confluence (groups are externalized)
- Documentation for creating a VM
https://spaces.at.internet2.edu/display/COmanage/Creating+a+COmanage+VM
Sunday is the target date for having the Alpha release ready.
Test Sites
Penn State / CIC will be an Alpha test site.
Ken reported that MCNC wants to make COmanage their initial rollout application for their federation. Ken is scheduled for multi-hour remote presentation to MCNC in early February. MCNC will have 15 people on the call. Eventually they may become a test site also.
The Dutch Federation is another group that could possibly be an Alpha tester.
It's best to have no more than four Alpha test sites. Also, it would be a plus if testers could be groups that could devote some resources to helping with the project.
Ken: If someone downloads the Alpha COmanage version, puts it into production (even though this is discouraged) then what happens when they want to upgrade to the next version?
Answer: In the Alpha/Beta phase, we cannot guarantee backward compatibility between current and future releases. It can be a goal, but cannot be a guarantee. To upgrade, it will be necessary to export data from each application separately (Confluence, JIRA, etc.) and then re-import data into the newer COmanage version. This will be stated in the migration document. In this early stage, it would be a waste of resources to focus heavily on migration.
Ken needs to include some of this info when he sends out a note asking folks to become testers.
[AI] (Ken) will email a draft notification about the release to the COmanage-dev list when the release is ready. (The development team) will verify this draft for accuracy before it is sent to key alpha users/testers.
Demo Instance
Jim suggested that a demo instance could be placed in the Penn State Amazon web services and could be maintained there. The Penn State people would still maintain the CIC site locally.
[AI] (Chris) will set up two separate instances of a COmanage demo (one for Ken and one for public) and send instructions to the COmanage-dev list on how to operate the demo.
[AI] (SteveO) will register the comanage.org domain name for Internet2.
[AI] (SteveO) and (Digant) will work on setting up a Subversion repository at Internet2.
[AI] (Chris) will work with (SteveO) to register the demo as an InCommon SP.
Q: will there be tooltips for the demo?
Bob: The first step for the demo is having a version that can be shown/demonstrated by Bob or Ken. Tooltips will not be essential for this version. Step two will be having the demo for folks to try on their own − tooltips would be very helpful for that.
JIRA
There are issues with JIRA not externalizing groups, not tying into LDAP groups. (Adding local users to the user base table currently must be done via the API.) But since Atlassian acquired JIRA, there are apparently plans to make JIRA have a more similar code base with Confluence. This could make JIRA a moving target, but moving in the right way.
Chris will contact Atlassian to ask about a target date for a version of JIRA that can ingest LDAP groups. Ken suggested mentioning that their product exposure will increase if they embrace domestication.
[AI] (Chris) will contact Atlassian and try to obtain a timetable for Jira domestication. (Ken) will provide some wording for this communication with Atlassian.
Next Wave of Developers
Suggestion to look in Alpha testing crowd for folks who are willing to not only test but also build.
Digant is preparing a document that will help create a framework for new developers. Digant will be point person for new folks willing to help with the project.
It's important to have a Contributors Agreement on file for new developers. SteveO made the Contributors Agreement available on the COmanage wiki space.
http://www.internet2.edu/membership/ip.html#appendix_c
Roadmap
Plan is to have another COmanage version by mid-year (a more firm beta). Then to have COmanage 1.0 RC by end of 2009.
Digant suggested focusing on these features:
- Provide a more generic installer (not just for Debian but also for Red Hat)
- Add an abstraction layer with hooking mechanisms into the collabmin interface.
- Hooks may be needed to call a user in from semi domesticated applications (such as JIRA).
- Using .ini files for configuration.
[AI] (Ken) will talk with Lois about Fluid involvement in improving the COmanage GUI, scheduling it for later in the year.
[AI] (Heather) will develop a COmanage roadmap and place it on the wiki.
COmanage Logo
Liene provided eight options for the logo.
After brief discussion, the group selected option #1.
[AI] (Renee) will talk with Liene about the group's selection of COmanage logo #1.
Software Versions bundled with COmanage
It will be up to the COmanage customer to get latest software version if that is not the one bundled with the COmanage instance provided. For example, COmanage right now has Grouper 1.3.1 and not Grouper 1.4.
Next call : Friday, 23-Jan-09 , 2pm ET