refactor the sysadmin dashboard as a pluggable Django app

[pdpinch]

edX now supports pluggable django apps that can have dependencies on edx-platform. It would be more convenient to managed the sysadmin dashboard as a separate, optionally-installed app.

┆Issue is synchronized with this Trello card by Unito

[pdpinch]

In particular, Dave asked that we store things like gitlogs in the app's own storage instead of in mongo -- they might want to get rid of mongo some day.

[pdpinch]

The existing functionality of the sysadmin panel is documented in an ADR at https://github.com/edx/edx-platform/blob/master/lms/djangoapps/dashboard/decisions/0001-sysadmin-dashboard.rst

There is some discussion of the subset of features that would be needed in the new, pluggable version, at https://github.com/edx/edx-platform/pull/24048

edX has a short guide on how to create a pluggable django app: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AC/pages/30965856/How+to+add+a+new+feature+to+LMS+or+Studio#HowtoaddanewfeaturetoLMSorStudio-django-app-separate-repoHowtoaddanewDjangoappinitsownGitrepository

We have done this before for https://github.com/mitodl/edx-git-auto-export and, I think, https://github.com/mitodl/rapid-response-xblock

[asadiqbal08]

Here is the SysAdmin checklist that would be helpful for further in-depth discussions about application demand.

SysAdmin Checklist

• [ ] Creation of external django App "SysAdmin" (Persisting the current UI same as in OpenEdx). mostly as did in past for https://github.com/mitodl/edx-git-auto-export. App will request specifically and get JSON responses.

  • [ ] UI Templates (remain consistent)
  • [ ] A valid documentation for integrating/installation with openEdx.
  • [ ] Unit Tests

• [ ] Need to introduce an entry point for communication in edx-platform that will host the API's (CRUD Operations). The API's will be used by our external django SysAdmin application. I am bit new to OpenEdx Django App Plugins but seems it would be an option because plugins just required some minimal configuration changes in edx-platform otherwise introduction of a Django app for hosting lms/djangoapps/dashboard/sysadmin.py operations under /openedx/features/djangoapps as something implemented for Course Enrollments in edx-platform.

• [ ] Required to define a set of API's endpoints under SysAdmin plugin app. Following Endpoints (as @pdpinch suggested in a Draft PR):

• [ ] Create user accounts (REST API)

  • [ ] One can take advantage from /user/v1/validation/registration endpoint to get validation decision. RegistrationValidationView

        Get validation information about user data during registration.
        Client-side may request validation for any number of form fields,
        and the API will return a conclusion from its analysis for each
        input

    • [ ] POST Params: username, fullname and password.
    • [ ] Permissions: Staff
    • [ ] Unit testing: 100% coverage

      NOTE: I can see, a helper method exist in openEdx for creating user account and profile that is utilized by eox-core but making it a separate end point would be helpful for other plugable apps.

  • [ ] Deleting courses API

    • [ ] POST Params: course_id.
    • [ ] Permissions: Staff
    • [ ] Unit testing: 100% coverage

• [ ] Importing courses (from git) API

• [ ] Gathering cross-course enrollment data (TBD)

• [ ] Git Lgos As per "Dave's" comment, If we want to store logs into app own storage instead of in mongo then I think, The git logs logic should be the part of SysAdmin django app but I am not sure what will be performance impact if we persist this data in django model.

@pdpinch @HamzaIbnFarooq kindly take a look over it and let me know if anything I missed over here.

[pdpinch]

I copied this into Google doc because I had some questions that I think need further discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z6bmM5yHIY_yR8wLCStMQk3JlhAZDJj8XptMWoGmE0c/edit#heading=h.8ineo2m2ivpa

[briangrossman]

Phase I

• [x] : #190 - sysadmin dashboard - phase 1: Remove "Download list of all users" functionality
• [x] : #191 - sysadmin dashboard - phase 1: Address any python3 issues
• [x] : #192 - sysadmin dashboard - phase 1: deprecation message
• [x] : #193 - sysadmin dashboard - phase 1: remove "Check and repair external authentication map" button

[asadiqbal08]

Phase 2: @pdpinch kindly take a look over these and share thoughts.

• [x] SysAdmin Django application
• [x] Showing SysAdmin in OpenEdx Navigation Bar(OpenEdx PR)
• [x] [SysAdmin] Create User Functionality
• [x] [SysAdmin] Delete Course Functionlity
• [x] [SysAdmin] GitLogs Functionality
• [x] [SysAdmin] Remove the SysAdmin from OpenEdx(OpenEdx PR)

[pdpinch]

Thanks @asadiqbal08. I reviewed the issues. I moved most of them to the new syadmin repo and made some edits and comments.

[pdpinch]

Wow, I think we can close this epic! 🎉

Now all we have to is announce the sysadmin dashboard on the discuss.openedx.org