Speakers
Printable Summary
The EGI Applications Database (AppDB) is a service that retrieves information about scientific applications, developer tools and about the programmers and scientists who developed and use them. This demonstration presents the latest developments of the system, the features that enable the database to grow to a registry and platform used by all software developers and consumers in EGI. The demo is aimed at software developers from scientific communities, National Grid Infrastructures, middleware groups, operational tool providers, and anyone working on software for distributed computing.
The following AppDB features will be demonstrated:
• Federating databases and portals
◦ AppDB write API principles and notions
◦ Authentication methods
• Notifications and feedback
◦ RSS feeds and e-mails, customised mass-messaging
◦ Commenting and rating
• Embedding AppDB third party websites
◦ Using the gadget editor
◦ Deploying a Gadget instance
Description of the work
One of the most prominent new features of the EGI Applications Database is the release of v1.0 of its REST API, supporting authenticated write access. Third party application providers can make use of the API by forwarding their users' EGI SSO credentials, or by creating an AppDB system account to act on behalf of their users, in order to modify content and to read content that is not open to the general public. Developments related to the REST API's write access include amongst others:
• API key management feature from within the portal, under user preferences
• Documentation, complete with examples and sample use cases [R1]
Other significant developments that took place in the last 6 months and will be demonstrated relate to the curation and quality control of information stored in the database. The new services in this area include:
• A broken link notification subsystem, which automatically sends out e-mail notifications and reminders to application owners if a link referenced from the profile of their application is not reachable
• A mechanism that identifies application entries that have not been updated recently and may became obsolete.
• A mechanism to enable the community classify software entries into different high level categories. Besides the already known ‘scientific application’ and ‘software developer tool’ categories new categories, such as middleware service, operational tool, workflow system, etc. can be also added.
• A dissemination tool, which allows managers to create and send out informative e-mail messages, to lists of users based on criteria of their choice, such as a specific NGI, discipline, etc.
Wider impact of this work
The main aim of the demo session is to assist research leaders, scientists and software developers to gain a better understand of:
• How they can make best use of the AppDB service to find new users, to keep in touch with the existing users and, to gather feedback and satisfaction information from users about the software.
• What are the different interfaces and user roles one could use the system with.
• What are the most significant features developed by the AppDB development team during the period from the EGI UF 2012 up till the present.
Link for further information
http://appdb.egi.eu
