| 1 |
AG3 Cycle 1 |
|
| 1.1 |
Beta test programme |
|
| 1.1.1 |
Beta Test (prep) |
Plan and announce Beta Test Programme. Ideally 4-6 weeks in duration, needs to be well under way in time for critical review. Encourage feedback with fast responses and where appropriate, changes. |
| 1.1.2 |
Beta Test (run) |
Recruit small but active team of beta testers. Ensure they understand the role, namely: to help us to polish our product, especially VODesktop and to find and eliminate hard to locate bugs. Reinforce the volatile nature of data and resources during this period. Perhaps introduce some incentive to get involved? |
| 1.2 |
Launch preparations |
|
| 1.2.1 |
Launch management |
Objectives:
- Complete top-level design
Complete top-level design (TLD) for VODesktop, Web sites, Help Desk and all user facing materials
- Marketing
Identify, produce and/or attend materials events and press releases
- Announcements
Ensure launch well publicised especially in lead-up to NAM. Determine what will we say, to whom will we say it and what mechanisms will we target
- Alliances: Data Centre integration
Encourage Data Centres to start integrating AstroGrid components into their services. This might be as simple as links to AstroGrid sites and services from data centre web sites or as sophisticated as the IPHAS Web 2.0 interface. Consortium members at least should get this done
- Alliances: Strategic
Ensure our message aligns with other VO projects. Aladin especially important and it is crucial that the new version of Aladin includes AstroGrid linkage. Investigate other opportunities (e.g. DS9)
- Outreach
Plan (and deliver some) seminars, conference presentations, road-shows, workshops etc
- Complete SLAs
Complete basic SLAs to indicate the level of service users can expect from AstroGrid supported services and to provide service quality guidelines to sites that deploy AstroGrid services
|
| 1.2.2 |
Prepare infrastructure |
Objectives:
- Web sites
Implement TLD decisions, ensure AstroGrid has high quality web presence
- Help Desk
Implement with assistance from astronomers
- Software downloads
Ensure all AstroGrid software packages are accessible from main web sites. Ensure the choice is not confusing.
- Software packaging
Binaries and sources to be packaged in standard WAR and TAR files
- Central Services
Deploy and prepare to support Registry, VOSpace and Community services. As other sites deploy these services reliance upon these central services will diminish, but for launch they are vital
- Deploy Core Services
These are the data and applications without which the VO cannot function. The set includes data held by the Consortium members as well as other resources identified by the science team and beta testers.
- Identify and deploy critical applications and services
Assist non-Consortium sites to deploy AstroGrid services as appropriate
- Define and build Deployment Bundles
Simplify the deployment common service sets (e.g. Community, DSA, Publishing Registry) by creating deployment bundles that are easier to install than downloading and configuring individual services.
- Dependencies: Identify
Look for and document any service dependencies e.g. single points of network failure, firewall issues, caching and/or port issues, software version dependencies. Define supported platforms and third-party software versions
- Dependencies: Eliminate
Implement fail over and redundant services to elimiate dependencies where possible
- Dependencies: Workarounds
Device and document workarounds to dependencies where they cannot be transparently (to the user) eliminated
- Complete hardware procurement and installation
Central and Core services need platforms upon which to run. Identify and satisfy outstanding hardware requirements
- Complete registry clean up
Registry entries still confuse users and sometimes obfuscate resource availability. Such entries need to be edited and made clear and simple for users to understand.
|
| 1.4 |
Documentation |
|
| 1.4.1 |
Science docs |
Complete science documentation prior to launch. Vitally important |
| 1.4.2 |
Technical docs |
Objectives:
- Complete administrator-level documentation (Download, deploy, configure, run) prior to launch
- Programmer documentation to be tackled post launch
|
| 1.5 |
Engineering |
|
| 1.5.2 |
Complete engineering |
Objectives:
- Complete VOSpace
Replace existing MySpace (FileManager / FileStore) services with new VOSpace service offering a MySpace interface. VOSpace V1.1 interface will be deployed post launch.
- Complete move to Registry V1.0
Update AR, delegates and all components that interact with Registry to take advantage of the V1.0 schema provisions.
- AR changes to support Registry V1.0
Special focus on exploiting Reg V1.0 in VODesktop/AR
|
| 1.5.4 |
Testing |
Objectives:
- Testing: System, Integration, User
Complete full testing of existing and C1 engineering work. Publish results
- Profiling / tuning
Analyse services (code level) and optimise code where possible
|
| 1.5.5 |
Create installer |
Create VODesktop installer:-
Investigate and prepare InstallAnywhere kit for VODesktop |
| 1.6 |
Operations |
|
| 1.6.1 |
Run Help Desk |
Run Help Desk:-
Implement SLA provisions including processes and rota requirements. Continuously review and augment as appropriate. Publish statistics (but not too many) and create Symptom/Solution Info incl. FAQ |
| 1.6.2 |
Run Core Services |
Run Central / Core Services:-
Implement SLA provisions including processes and rota requirements |
| 1.7 |
Q2 activities |
|
| 1.7.1 |
Post launch marketing |
Post release marketing:-
Plan and implement a post launch campaign that keeps focus on AstroGrid and encouraged sustained take-up of services and adoption by end users |
| 1.7.2 |
Planned improvements |
Planned improvements:-
Document and prepare for next round of post-launch developments |
| 1.7.3 |
Track standards |
Track standards (IVOA and Industry):-
Refocus on emerging IVOA standards and plan to meet their provisions |