Build status report

Ttech 22/23 February
PSE status update and build management meeting
Laura Whitehead
Chris Croome
Jim Kirkpatrick
Ed Mitchell

ACTIONS complete list:

ALL start keeping time on all work in this phase
ALL document all work before doing it and during
EM sort 1GB upgrade with Adam Web Architects
LW look into hosting options 2/3/4 over the summer
CC raise ticket and do some nginx specific work in this phase to deploy as much nginx as suitable in lieu with JK
JK raise ticket and do software configuration/enhancement work in this phase to optimise software
CC update hosting page with this info for work with LW later in the year
JK and LW document the technical delivery logic immediately
JK set up tickets and crack on with the technical delivery work
LW set up tickets and crack on with the technical delivery work
EM do management stuff related to budget management and funder updating

NEXT MEETING:

8:30 pm Thursday 22/3 UK time
07:30 am Friday 23/3 Aus time

Discussions, agreements, actions by point:

Hosting:
~~~~~~
Options:
1. Increase the RAM available to the existing virtual server, this is very easy and quick to do, currently the physical server has 3Gb spare. This wouldn't cost anything in time and wouldn't cost much money.
2. Migrate to a fast virtual server in Iceland, this would probably take a couple of days to set up or so.
3. Buy a dedicated server and host it in Sheffield, this would take  longer to configure and set up.
4. (added by JK:  research virtual hosting with related set up stuff from Aegir and Barracuda)

CC thoughts:
#1 increasing RAM will enable more apache processes and Varnish and useful if switch to nginx - increase server capicity - but not disk speed - which 2,3 would do
#3 Iceland disk speed at least twice as fast as would a new dedicated server, ie 2 or 3 would be the big improvement
Costs: important to consider for year 2 or 3
#2 Buying a colocated server would be lowest ongoing monthly costs and give room for expansion in the long term
CC reccommendation or TN's dilemma - reduce cost in long term, use grant capital for long term maintenance support (own server) - but Iceland attractive for zero carbon electricity
Iceland bandwidth cheaper, but connxn isn't quite as good as Sheffield
#3 would enable TN to offer multiple virtual servers for other hosted products
#3 many spare IP addresses in Sheffield and can easily up RAM and could expand from 2 to 4 mirrored disks
JK suggests Aegir, Barracuda for handling multiple drupal installs

AGREED: boost up RAM by 1GB now at 25GBP per month with this cash
AGREED: hold back maintenance budget for either #2 or #3 later in the year (post alpha phase)
AGREED: Research business and technical angles required to make decision on 2 or 3 for the long term

ACTION:
ALL start keeping time on all work in this phase
ALL document all work before doing it and during
EM sort 1GB upgrade with Adam Web Architects
LW look into options 2/3/4 over the summer
CC raise ticket and do some nginx specific work in this phase to deploy as much nginx as suitable in lieu with JK
JK raise ticket and do software configuration/enhancement work in this phase to optimise software
CC update hosting page with this info for work with LW later in the year

Project Content Types and logins (from emails and Skype meet JK/LW)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JK and LW have been working on this and come to agreement about how to deliver the widget and process based on the two key principles:
1. User can add project and related personal information to the widget in one step
2. Webmaster will pre-moderate widget-sourced content

So, for the Alpha, we have a choice... we:
Can stick to what Drupal does and enhance the site as a whole, minimising costly code and faff... reuse and upgrade existing project CT, reuse existing User structures in Drupal and simplify moderation/acceptance process by allowing 3rd party web authentication... AND avoid code to somehow;
OR
Are forced down a separate Project Submission CT (rather than just a moderation status field on ALL existing and future Project Profiles) and have to write/design code that upon successful moderation
a) copies data across to a 'full' project,
b) needs to keep user credentials and convert to user account,
c) creates a false dichotomy between submissions of this new CT on the site vs via the widget (from Drupal's PoV it's the same),
d) admins/moderators cannot use user contact forms,
e) no enhancement to the user process as part of this.

AGREED to use existing drupal set up and enable pre-authorised users to add project items

ACTION
JK and LW document the logic immediately
JK set up tickets and crack on with the work
LW set up tickets and crack on with the work

Project CT on main site update
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JK and LW met and discussed and agreed plan for upgrading the projects and views on TN.org for this phase:
JK grab the existing Project and views as a Feature, add the new fields including a 'gulag' field and a 'moderation status' field, pre-set to 'Accepted' for current content.
Write a little code to take the content out of the fields to be dropped and put it in the Gulag with HTML headings
LW then manages the handful of verbose projects with lots in their Gulag.
We remove the unneed fields and eventually the gulag
Tweaks made to Project views (directory) to hide unmoderated ones
Widget fields are now just the mandatory fields from the refreshed Project CT, not a separate CT. All existing views, permissions and contact methods work for existing projects AND new ones.
New 'Project moderation' view showing pending submissions.

EM suggests an editor for the editing work arising

AGREED to proceed on the plan above

ACTION
LW and JK to set up tickets and crack on
LW to assess editorial task and decide whether to seek an editor on that information

Budgets and times:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Q: roll it all up into one pot? There is tech and design work. There is work on PSE and main site, done by Jim and Laura together.

Tech: 3,500 14 days max 17.5 days min
Design: 1,250 5 days max 6.5 days min
Maintenance: stored up all cash since Sept, ie: 7 months to end March, ie: 1,750

AGREED: bundle tech and design into one 'phase' pot as tech team has worked so far, total: 4,750 GBP
AGREED: hold back most of maintenance for big spend in autumn on hardware
AGREED: buy 1GB RAM for hosting out of maintenance for now
AGREED: include nginx work as ticket in main bundle

ACTION:
EM do management stuff related to budget management and funder updating

Next Ttech meet date
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8:30 pm Thursday 22/3 UK time
07:30 am Friday 23/3 Aus time

Other separate meetings required?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
n/a

Laura and Ed separate meet for strategy/management handover/discussion
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

08:00 am Monday 5/3 UK Time
21:00 pm Monday 5/3 NZ Time (Ed in NZ)

Key points of handover are:
Transition Web project: strategy for 2012
International strategy: background and position
Transition Drupal: background and strategy
Nominet Trust information and processes etc.

Handover plan: to work on 2012 strategy together before handover to Laura, covering:
Positioning statement for web project strategy for 2012
Ttech team: keeping the flow of talent moving and the group open
Ttech processes: how to mature the group into delivering three streams: Innovation, Enhancement, Maintenance with related money agreements
Hosting changes for 2012

About the author

Ed is the Web Manager for Transition Network. This means that he works on all the web stuff from the day to day support, to tactical activities to strategic and special projects work for Transition Network about linking up all the Transition Initiative websites without them having to come to the main site all the time for updates and news.

He lives in Bristol, likes digging and climbing, growing vegetables and reading, bicycles and books, swimming, camping and generally being outdoors.