[Yale ArchivesSpace] ASpace Update

[Wisner, Melissa]

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to send an update of the progress on ASpace. The status of several key tasks is going to read a bit like how the sausage gets made, but we're at the stage of pencil marks and erasers on the project plan.

Yale Custom Plugins:

*         HM turned around a set of modified plugins compatible with the current ASpace release 1.4.1

*         Acceptance testing documented two plugins in need of additional tweaking

o   Material Type plugin-all set with a snazzy 2-column display of material types. Please wait for Mark Custer's YouTube series about how to get screen grabs off a Mac!

o   OCLC Plugin-well, we'll keep swinging for the fences on this one. We had a bit of back and forth. SSL errors, SSL updates, but not there yet. I'm putting a pause on this so we don't end up with spaghetti. No reason to have this one plugin delay testing the Lyrasis hosted instance of our database either. So more to come on this one.

*         It also appears that our container management plugin will be part of the core code circa release 1.5!  (https://github.com/archivesspace/archivesspace/releases/tag/v1.4.3-dev17 ) This is very exciting. Like finding $20 in your jeans before throwing them in the laundry.

Lyrasis Hosting Evaluation:

*         I've been working with Lyrasis staff out in California in the evenings. It helps to keep things moving when several time zones are involved. The service has been exceptional and we are developing an easy rapport over email and Skype.

*         Several key tasks have been completed by Lyrasis to ready our database for testing

o   Received copy of our database and we ran through several sets of QC to validate data

o   Loaded all custom plugins and rebuilt the index-more QC and all looks great

o   Removed all current users IDs from the database so Maureen Callahan and I can create a subset of users for the pilot

o   Ran a resequencing script which fixes a "record turns into a brick" problem and can't be moved. Also successful, but it took about 25 hours. I know, right? But again, there is good news. Lyrasis and I discussed this as an example of how the application needs to consider very large datasets. Some suggestions brought forward are maintenance tools designed with options to target repositories in stages, rather than the whole db at once.

*         Lyrasis should have the testing environment ready by the end of the day tomorrow. This means staff testing and automated testing will begin in earnest next week. Speaking of automated testing, check out our ASpace blog<http://campuspress.yale.edu/yalearchivesspace/2015/10/29/software-performance-testing-or-how-to-tell-if-youve-got-bad-blood/>.

What's Up in Library IT:

*         As mentioned we had some back and forth on troubleshooting the OCLC plugin, but I recommended a brief pause

*         We have been discussing the resequence script internally, but I want to speak face to face with ASpace committee for final scheduling options

*         We will regroup on upgrading TEST and PROD ASpace to 1.4.2 and determine what scheduling is available as we approach Thanksgiving break. Maybe just the TEST instance by then.

*         I've got a few new problem reports from staff using ASpace unrelated to all this stuff. I'm working on those in parallel to the other tasks noted.

*         Something I'm forgetting


On a general note, due to a slight delay in receiving the plugins and OCLC giving us the business, the project is going to extend into January. I've discussed this with Maureen and Ray and they say that is OK. As a reminder the project task list is here<https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9GAF4MvWHAANmNvTjRPdFAwYlE/view?usp=sharing>. I updated it last week, but I confess it needs a few date changes again.

Thank you and good night!

Melissa Wisner
Yale Library IT
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