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Subject:
UDD
From:
"Eric Thomas (CERN/L3)" <ERIC@LEPICS>
Reply To:
Eric Thomas (CERN/L3)
Date:
Tue, 6 Dec 88 01:15:30 GMT
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (54 lines)
I  have almost  finished  a  preliminary version  of  the LISTSERV-based  User
Directory Database which I  had said a long time ago I  would write, and never
actually did :-) After postponing it  countless times, I eventually decided to
start working on  it on sunday, because it  was raining and I had  not much to
do.
 
This preliminary version will not have any command allowing the NAD to view or
alter the  subscription of his users,  in order to avoid  mass subscription to
this database. This is due to the  inherent complexity of the maintenance of a
distributed, network-wide user  directory; although I am fairly  sure that the
present design will work, I have as yet no proof of that. Although I have been
careful, it is always possible that loops  get started and I don't want a loop
on a job with  update records for 10000 users right  after a mass registration
(well actually the code won't generate update jobs that large, but you get the
picture). Additionally, major changes may be  required in the short term, like
adding "mandatory" fields  to the database, and this could  force me to delete
all existing database records and require users to re-subscribe.
 
After some discussions I have decided on the following development plan:
 
- Phase 0: alpha-test (being done now). A few more days.
 
- Phase 1: beta-test, on a decent scale (5-10 servers). This will last as long
  as needed  to (1) fix  bugs not  found in alpha-test  and (2) make  sure the
  database  synchronization  algorithms  work  and  there  is  no  performance
  problem. A hundred entries would be enough for that phase.
 
- Phase  2:  implement  the  mass-registration commands,  and  make  the  code
  generally available  (according to  the new policy  on volunteer  support to
  EARN, there will be  some restrictions on usage by EARN  people which I will
  explain later).
 
- Phase  3: blend  the UDD  functions with  the other  LISTSERV functions,  eg
  automatically tell people who subscribe to the UDD which lists they might be
  interested in, notify  people in the SIGNUP FILE and  people subscribed to a
  list that they ought  to subscribe to the UDD, etc.  This will most probably
  require a  change in  the format  of the SIGNUP  FILE. I  will also  make an
  EXPIRE command to let the NAD clean  up UDD, lists, AFD, FUI, SIGNUP FILE et
  al.
 
I will  post a more detailed  description of the planned  UDD functions later,
probably tomorrow (if I do it now  I will forget something). What I would like
to have  at this  point is input  from you  about what you  would like  to see
recorded in this UDD and how you would like to get it managed - in addition to
what has been  already said before and on  which I based my design  (eg I know
that you  want phonetic search, it's  a LISTSERV database so  it automatically
has it). My main problem is that I want to know exactly what will be stored in
this  database, ie  what kind  of fields  containing what  kind of  semantics,
before I can allow a large amount of users to subscribe. Please reply directly
to  me  (I've  set the  REPLY-TO  accordingly)  unless  you  want to  start  a
discussion on an "open" problem.
 
Thanks for your time, Eric

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