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Promoting Open Source Software Through Cloud Deployment:
Library à la Carte, Heroku, and OSU Michael B. Klein
Digital Applications [email protected] Mellinger
Engineering [email protected]
Presentation Overview
About Library à la Carte◦What is Library à la Carte?◦Distribution & Adoption
Cloud Deployment◦Why the Cloud?◦Hosting Options◦Challenges and Compromises◦Pilot Project◦Evaluation◦Future Directions
What is Library à la Carte?
Custom content management system ◦Course assignment pages, subject guides,
portal pages and tutorialsPages built around reusable modules
◦Text, images, media widgets, links, feedsFree & open-source Download, install, and start using Customizable and extensible
Distribution
5 major releases since 2007Scores of demo accounts requestedDownloaded hundreds of times20+ known installations
Barriers to Adoption
Lack of in-house technical expertise◦ Installing Ruby and dependencies◦Setting permissions◦Webserver configuration ◦Database administration◦Running scripts from the command line◦Hand-editing configuration files◦ Installing upgrades/applying patches◦Diagnosing and reporting problems
Unwillingness or inability to devote technical or human resources
Why the Cloud?
Pre-installed◦Lower the barrier for adoption
Dedicated◦Provide libraries with their own installations where
they can do real workPortable
◦Entire installation can be moved from the cloud to a local install or vice versa
Elastic◦Storage space and resources can be allocated on
the fly
Hosting Options
Amazon Web Services◦Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)◦Controllable via console or API◦Infrastructure as a Service (“Bare Metal”)◦Small instance: 10¢/hr. = $72/mo. = $864/yr.◦Boot volume and storage costs are extra◦Refactoring required to take advantage of
elasticity◦Additional refactoring required to compensate
for ephemeral server instances
Hosting Options
JumpBox◦Portable virtual machine◦Still “Bare Metal,” but host-agnostic◦Requires acceptance by JumpBox team◦Installation, maintenance, and upgrades may
require vendor action◦Still need to provide hardware or pay EC2 costs
Hosting Options
Eucalyptus◦Open Source cloud platform◦Based on Amazon cloud model and API◦Software is free; infrastructure is not◦We would have to provide hardware and
additional support
Hosting Options
Heroku◦Platform as a Service◦Dedicated Ruby/Rack/Rails platform◦Git-based deployment◦Ruby API◦Automatic, easy scaling and load balancing◦Predictable costs◦Over 2 dozen available add-ons◦Smallest instance: FREE
Hosting Options
Challenges and Compromises
No server-side file storage◦Requires another solution such as Amazon S3
No dedicated configuration filesLibrary à La Carte was written for MySQLHeroku uses PostgreSQLDevelopers aren’t necessarily thinking of
the cloud when adding new features
Deployment Application
Deployment Application
Deployment Application
Deployment Application
Pilot Project
Single insitutional partnerDeployed in January 2010Goals:
◦Administer and monitor installation◦Track usage, database size, bandwidth◦Develop cost model based on likely usage
scenarios◦Gather feedback from partner
Pilot Project – Librarian Evaluation
Initial evaluation June 2010Overall experience very positiveNeed to document differences between
standalone and cloud-based appUsers used to page creation had trouble
adjusting to content management workflow
Pilot Project – User Evaluation
Faculty and students consider Library à la Carte to be a valuable resource
Goal: “Collect all the necessary sources students need to use in their clinical year.”
Students “thrilled with having one starting place.”
Already receiving requests for additional content.
Pilot Project – OSU Evaluation
Administration & Maintenance◦2 software updates in 6 months◦30 minutes to install, including code review◦Marginal time cost of updating additional
hosted sites would be 2-3 minutesSupport
◦Installation/configuration support eliminated◦Some hand-holding still required
Future Directions
Revisit hosting model◦Is Heroku working for us?◦Would Amazon EC2 make more sense?
Determine costs based on size and useConsider other partnerships
◦Hand hosting off to consortium?
Library à La Carte in the Cloud: The Movie
See it on YouTube!