DistributedServersPlan

In this early stage, we're just going to use the one wiki server - there are enough infrastructures to re-build already.

for week 2&3 : distributed static file serving (pub/TWiki only) - rsync and Sven's writing code - yay.

Geo-DNS

Foswiki will be set up with geographically distributed servers, all serving the same up-to-date content.

Discussion

• Who will be providing the Geo-DNS? Will we have our own DNS servers?
  • I guess Association can pay for it. Any list of good providers?
  • I guess we can run our own.. we have 2 full servers that we can use now
• Do we want perfect sync-ing of the contents?
  • Data can then be synced via any number of ways - crsync, rsync, bittorrent, elephant, or more likely Crawfords ReadWriteOfflinePlugin.
  • If not, what's the delay that we can accept?

International

Each International will have its own subdomain.

• http://de.Foswiki.org will default to show the DE web

Discussion

• No-brainer, easily done.
• ...

Platform

Each server platform will also have its own subdomain.

• http://osx.Foswiki.org
• http://w2k3.Foswiki.org
• http://freebsd.Foswiki.org
• http://debian.Foswiki.org
• http://ubuntu.Foswiki.org

Discussion

• Is it the same as the main sites?
  • If no, is it publically accessible? Or kept within the TaskTeam for testing purposes?
    • If it's kept for testing purposes, should we have multiple sites for different skins? And multiple sites running on different Foswiki versions (see Item27)?
  • initially, these are the main sites, but with aliases to make testing easier.

Web-specific

• http://community.Foswiki.org will default to show the Community web

Discussion

• What happens when we have language specific community/support?
• Do we cater for all Webs?

General Discussion

• What are the capabilities for all platforms to adhere to the above plan? What are its shortcomings?
• Do we only support Apache? Or will Lighttpd, Nginx, etc. be considered too?
  • In Sven's opinion, we support whatever someone is willing to set up and maintain.
• Any guidelines on which distributions are allowed? e.g. are unstable distros allowed?
  • What are the security implications? When one server is compromised, we are doomed...?
  • In Sven's opinion, we support whatever someone is willing to set up and maintain.
• Need for load balancer?
  • the above geo-dns is load balancing. If (in the unlikely event) we need even more load balancing, the geo-dns servers I looked into a few months ago also do load based distribution.
• What sort of extension can be built to help?
  • Sven have an idea how to do this using very few lines of plugin code, but don't let that stop anyone writing it
• Separate 'static' content servers (Static == pub files that don't require permissions - Skin data at least)
  • to be able to geo-locate static info even when going the long route to a master edit server.
  • no security implications on protected files in pub - as we only serve non-premission restricted pub files
• Master data server (long term goal? - no, this is easier to implement than having edits on more than one system)
  • When a user hits edit, they are sent to the appropriate master server for that web's content (so that non-technical users don't get surprised wrt star-merges) with some kind of server to server communications to transfer their session.