Intrastructure-May-14-2008-notes

From IIW

Meeting notes from May 14th Infrastructure meeting at IIW.

Attendees Fen Labalme, Eugene Kim, Kaliya Hamlin, Mary Ruddy, Mark Nakimura, Bob Snodgrass, Brian Walker(Parity), Bob Blakley

Notes

1) Fen provided an update on the infrastructure conversion efforts. All the web services are now served by the new box. Need to set up DNS, then get Stas access to move mail over. There are two people using IdCommons.net for the IMAP. Don't want to have to support IMAP on the new box. We need to notify them and get them moved off. There are also ~10 people using email forwarding.

2) Having the Identity Gang use a separate mailing list. Since Phil and Paul weren't available this item was deferred to a separate call.

3) Mailing list slowness. Determined that email forwarding slowness was not an ongoing problem. We need to make it very easy for new mailing lists to be set up. Need to document all the information that needs to be provided to set up a list quickly.

4) Vision for working group wiki pages. Have a summary list of working groups with descriptions to let people know about the different working groups. Have administrative wiki page for each group that has information about mailing list, stewards and their contact info. etc.

5) It was pointed out that we don't really want to be in the business of managing/defending IdCommons from SPAM.

6) Drupal status - Basic modules are done. Bob added a new menu to the left hand side to be more consistent. He is basically at a stopping point until hears what to do. Need to use as a community development tool. Have mashups, FAQ, etc.

7) Project to document old archives. There is a need to have someone review the old archives and document the historically significant (critical content) information. Judi is available to review the old messages. This project is expected to take 6 calendar months. Would need funding to pay her.

8) Bob asked questions about the new system. The new server is a virtual server, with Debian and security fire wall, RAID, nightly backups and weekly remote backup. There is a UPS. Are the backups being tested monthly?

Action items:

  • Send email to Andrew Nelson and Owen Davis who are using email.
  • Outsource email to an inexpensive email service that can be OpenID enabled. This could be done with Electronic Embers. ~$25 per month for 20 groups and $1 for each additional group. (Note there had been an action item to have Brian look into anti black list services, but if we go with Electronic Embers, they should handle this.)
  • Verify that backups are being tested monthly.
  • Move list of working groups and descriptions to the website.
  • Add page to the wiki documenting the process for setting up a new mailing list. This includes the name of the list, who will moderate it, working group list it should be documented on, etc. Also need to document what one must do as an owner.
  • Need to review new web content(by more than one person) before it it put on the website. Wiki content doesn't always translate to appropriate web content.
  • Bob to email Chris Allen for status update.
  • Kaliya to get administrator password to mailing list she is administering and process items.
  • Funding to pay for documenting the critical information in the old email archives.