Replace current eXist for Roma with updated version

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

The version of eXist which provides the backend to Roma's queries into p5subset.xml needs to be replaced with a current stable version. Indexes will need to be reconfigured (the indexing definition process has changed), and suitable permissions set up; tei-database-update.sh will also need to be tweaked to work with the new setup. This should be done and tested well in advance of the 2.8 release.

Original comment by: @martindholmes

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

This issue was originally assigned to SF user: stadlerpeter Current user is: peterstadler

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

One wrinkle here: modern versions of eXist run best on Java 1.7, but tei-c is running 1.6. How practical would it be to upgrade, given that OpenCMS also runs on tei-c? If we have to stick with Java 1.6, would a stable version of eXist 1.4 be the best option, or could we configure 1.7 alongside 1.6 and have eXist use that?

Original comment by: @martindholmes

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

While we are at it, I’d say to restrict access to the eXist-db to localhost only (see e.g. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1955455/how-to-secure-jetty-to-only-allow-access-from-loopbacklocalhost). Afterwards it’s harder to debug but for a production system it’s usually good practice to proxy the eXist-db behind apache (or whathaveyou). When Roma on tei-c.org is the only application to talk with the eXist-db, maybe we do not need proxying at all?

Original comment by: @peterstadler

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

I agree with everything you suggest, except that I'm inclined to say that I'd like the flexibility of being able to point an external Roma at the new eXist when it's running on tei-c. I can imagine a situation in which Roma gets broken (or we're working on an update), and we need to run a separate Roma on a different server, but don't want or need the hassle of setting up a separate eXist when we can use the one that's already there. We probably do want to be able to control who can access it, but restricting it to localhost only might be too severe.

Original comment by: @martindholmes

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

• assigned_to: Peter Stadler
• Group: AMBER --> GREEN

Original comment by: @jamescummings

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

Assigning to PWS as result of breakout group discussion at F2F Raleigh 2014-11-17.

Original comment by: @jamescummings

[TEITechnicalCouncil]

Council agrees.

Original comment by: @jamescummings

[lb42]

Is this ticket still waiting for action?

[hcayless]

Since we're looking at sunsetting Roma anyway, this is a very low priority.

[Conal-Tuohy]

Is a replacement for Roma under development?

[lb42]

Not to my knowledge.

[martindholmes]

This project was undertaken, apparently with some success:

https://github.com/TEIC/Byzantium

but I don't think it was finished.

[Conal-Tuohy]

Thanks @martindholmes! It certainly looks good on the face of it, but it's hard to tell how "finished" it might be, since the "default TEI database" at http://bits.nsms.ox.ac.uk:8080/jenkins/job/TEIP5/lastSuccessfulBuild/artifact/release/xml/tei/odd/p5subset.js is 404. :-(

I logged an issue.

It looks like the Byzantine approach is to rely on this static artifact in place of the Roman approach of issuing an XQuery to retrieve the current schema. That seems like not such a bad idea, in theory (so long as the js file is where it's supposed to be).

[jamescummings]

Bits should be replaced with jenkins.tei-c.org.

There is a Roma replacement planned. @raffazizzi was looking at it. I prodded him recently about it and do so again through this comment.

[Conal-Tuohy]

Thanks @jamescummings!

I tried http://jenkins.tei-c.org:8080/job/TEIP5/lastSuccessfulBuild/artifact/P5/release/xml/tei/odd/p5subset.js (which is 200 OK), but Byzantium still failed to load it. Lending weight to the "not finished" assessment.

I've starred https://github.com/raffazizzi/romajs -- thanks for the pointer!

I wonder, given the amount of XML expertise in the community, why no-one seems to have written a UI using XForms? (ducks)

[jamescummings]

@conal-tuohy Byzantium was only a proof of concept written mostly by an intern with Sebastian and me explaining the TEI side of things.

[lb42]

I know of at least one other project (at the University of Caen) which was planning to construct a new Roma on the basis of Byzantium, in their case using xmlMind as the front end. I will ping them to see how far they got and update if there is news.

[lb42]

As suspected no progress on the caen project.

[Conal-Tuohy]

Anyone interested in Roma, Byzantium, etc, may be interested to follow my project Muscovy, an ODD editor that's implemented in XForms. The goal is for it to be purely client-side, with just OxGarage (plus, if it turns out to be necessary, the TEI-C XQuery server) as the back end.

So far I've spent a while adding missing features to XSLTForms (the XForms implementation), but I've now produced a form that will allow a user to upload a TEI file to OxGarage and receive it in response, validated.