Difference between revisions of "Deployment Platform"

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<noinclude>[[Category:Supported systems|Harmonic]]</noinclude>
 
<noinclude>[[Category:Supported systems|Harmonic]]</noinclude>
{{Template:Harmonic Distribution Cycle Linkbar}}
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{{Template:Deployment Platform Cycle Linkbar}}
  
 
== Summary ==
 
== Summary ==
  
The Sugar Harmonic Distribution is a systems approach to provide all the software tools that people might need within the [[What_is_Sugar?|Sugar Learning Platform]].
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A customizable platform based on the Sugar Learning Environment which is intended to be a basis for downstream distributions. The targeting audience for this platform are educational distributors and deployments who might be interested in these features:
  
== Goals ==
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* A robust content sharing system, [[Sugar Network]];
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* Getting feedback from the field;
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* Providing remote educational and technical support using Sugar Network's capabilities; which are especially needed in  an offline scenario;
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* Supporting the offline scenario;
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* Centralized gathering of usage statistics;
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* Supporting heterogeneous deployments, i.e., not only XO laptops.
  
* Provide the ability to launch <u>''Base Software''</u> within heterogeneous software and hardware environments.
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Deployment Platform consists of the following major components:
* Using ''Base Software'', provide access to varieties of <u>''Content''</u> created within the Sugar community, such as Sugar activities, artifacts derived from Sugar activities, books, etc.
 
* Using ''Base Software'', provide the collaborative functionality to support community <u>''Social activity''</u> centered around the ''Content''.
 
* Provide tools and workflows to adapt the ''Content'' and ''Base Software'' to specific needs that a Sugar <u>''Deployment''</u> might face. The final solutions are assuming to be scaled in several dimensions:
 
** support not only XO laptops but regular desktops as well, e.g., in schools' computer labs;
 
** work in online (Internet connectivity) and offline (e.g., rural schools) environments;
 
** the size of Harmonic Distribution based deployments can start from micro/mini deployments (such as a couple of people deciding to setup the Sugar based learning platform in one particular school).
 
  
For a more detailed description, see the [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Declaration of purpose|declaration of purpose]].
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Software#Software_Map|Base software]]
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: Base software is the foundation to start exploring the rest of the system. It will be accessible from [[Deployment_Platform/Software#Sweets_Distribution|Sweets Distribution]] native packages. Repositories of packaged software will be provided for all [[Sweets_Distribution/Supported_platforms|supported platforms]] and can be used as-is on top of existing operating system, e.g., [[wikipedia:GNU/Linux distribution|GNU/Linux distribution]] for regular desktops, or [http://one.laptop.org/ OLPC OS] for XO laptops.
  
== Components ==
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* [[Sugar_Network|Content]]
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: This class of software is based on [[Sugar Network]], with master services hosted on Sugar Labs resources.  It provides a broad variety of content, such as Sugar activities, artifacts derived from Sugar activities, books, etc., and the community social activity centered around this content. It is the common information forum to embrace all participants. Software provided on this level, in comparison to ''Base software'', will be [[Deployment_Platform/Software#Sugar_Network|supported]] out of native packages.
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* [[#Reference_distributions|Reference distributions]] to cover most common [[#Deployment scenarios|Deployment scenarios]]
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: Deployment scenarios are a set of solutions adapting all the previous components in order to support differing Sugar deployment scenarios. For example, "Keep the [[wikipedia:Long_Term_Support|LTS]] releases for an ''Operating System'' and its ''Base software''", or "Provide tools to sort out ''Content'' to make it useful for specific deployment needs".
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== Deployment scenarios ==
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The following list describes common deployment scenarios where Deployment Platform might be useful. The final model might be an intermediate variant of them tuned by third-party distributor for local needs.
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Internet|Internet server]]<br>There is a master server located on the Internet in a highly accessible place for any maintenance work. Users are always connected to the Internet and the master server.
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Gateway|Gateway server]]<br>The school server has Internet connectivity and serves it into the local network where it can be used by clients. Users are always connected to their school server via the Intranet.
  
* [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Software#Software_Map|Base software]]
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Sneakernet|Offline server]]<br>When the school server itself and clients it serves are in an Internet-less environment with only one way to be synchronized with the outer world, [[wikipedia:Sneakernet|sneakernet]].
: Base software is the foundation to start exploring the rest of the system. It will be accessible from [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Software#Sweets_Distribution|Sweets Distribution]] native packages. Repositories of packaged software will be provided for all [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Supported_platforms|supported platforms]] and can be used as-is on top of existing operating system, e.g., [[wikipedia:GNU/Linux distribution|GNU/Linux distribution]] for regular desktops, or [http://one.laptop.org/ OLPC OS] for XO laptops.
 
  
* [[Sugar_Network|Content]]
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== Deployment specific functionality ==
: This class of software is based on [[Sugar Network]], with master services hosted on Sugar Labs resources.  It provides a broad variety of content, such as Sugar activities, artifacts derived from Sugar activities, books, etc., and the community social activity centered around this content. It is the common information forum to embrace all participants. Software provided on this level, in comparison to ''Base software'', will be [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Software#Sugar_Network|supported]] out of native packages.
 
  
* [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Deployment_scenarios|Deployment]]
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The following features were designed especially for deployment workflow.
: A Harmonic Distribution Deployment is a set of solutions adapting all the previous components in order to support differing Sugar deployment scenarios. For example, "Keep the [[wikipedia:Long_Term_Support|LTS]] releases for an ''Operating System'' and its ''Base software''", or "Provide tools to sort out ''Content'' to make it useful for specific deployment needs".
 
  
== Start using ==
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* Common client side [[Deployment_Platform/Client_Configuration|configuration]] for all Deployment Platform components;
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* Deployment specific improvements of the Sugar Shell:
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** Shell [[Deployment_Platform/Shell_Plugins|plugins]],
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** [[Deployment_Platform/Blacklist_Shell_Components|blacklist]] Shell components;
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* Collecting [[Deployment_Platform/Usage_Statistics|usage statistics]] of Sugar users;
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* Lightweight [[Deployment_Platform/Package_Management_on_XO|package management]] to process system updates and extra dependencies installation on XO laptops.
  
Usage scenarios depend on the category of participants and might be different:
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== Reference implementations ==
  
* Regular usage for an individual starts with being on one of [[Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Supported_platforms|supported platforms]], and [[Sweets_Distribution#Installation|installing]] ''Base software'' from the 3rd party repositories provided by [[Sweets Distribution]]. Then, [[Sweets_Distribution#Usage|using]] the installed software, one can explore the ''Content'' and start participating.
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These are reference implementations of distributions based on Deployment Platform. These implementations might be used as a template for downstream solutions.
  
* From any Web browser, open the [[Sugar Network]] site to start participating with people, who use our ''Base software'', within the ''Content'' forum.
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* [[Deployment_Platform/XO_reference_distribution|XO distribution]]<br>Reference desktop distribution for OLPC XO laptops.
  
* Sugar distributors might follow one of our ''Deployment'' suggestions to create downstream, ''Base software''-based distributions for specified needs. In addition to ''Base software'', distributors can adapt ''Content'' to local requirements, but ''Content'' will remain the common information forum for all participants, within and out of the deployment.
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Ubuntu_desktop_reference_distribution|Ubuntu desktop distribution]]<br>Reference desktop distribution for workstations on Ubuntu or its derivates.
  
== Downstream distributions ==
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* [[Deployment_Platform/Debian_server_reference_distribution|Debian server distribution]]<br>Reference school server distribution for servers on Debian, Ubuntu or its derivates.
  
These distributions supports the full Harmonic Distribution stack (see also the [[Platform_Team/Sweets_Distribution#Downstream_distributions|list]] of Sweets Distribution only based downstreams):
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== Downstream solutions ==
  
 
* The [http://pe.sugarlabs.org/go/Proyecto_Piloto_Hexoquinasa Hexoquinasa] project created by Peruvian community to support Sugar Learning Platform deployments.
 
* The [http://pe.sugarlabs.org/go/Proyecto_Piloto_Hexoquinasa Hexoquinasa] project created by Peruvian community to support Sugar Learning Platform deployments.
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* Announcement [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.laptop.olpc.sugar/34422 email thread].
 
* Announcement [http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.laptop.olpc.sugar/34422 email thread].
* '''[[Sugar Network/Tutorial|Sugar Network Tutorial]]''' - A series of screen-shots of ''Sugar Network Factory 0.94''
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== Getting involved ==
 
== Getting involved ==
  
{{:Platform_Team/Harmonic_Distribution/Feedback}}
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{{:Deployment_Platform/Feedback}}
 
 
=== Activity Testing ===
 
 
 
:[[Sugar Network Activities]] only half completed --[[User:Satellit|Satellit]] 10:16, 19 May 2012 (EDT)
 
:[[Sugar Network Activities Alphabetic]]-not updated for latest SN--[[User:Satellit|Satellit]] 09:44, 19 May 2012 (EDT)
 
  
 
== Subpages ==
 
== Subpages ==
  
 
{{Special:PrefixIndex/{{PAGENAMEE}}/}}
 
{{Special:PrefixIndex/{{PAGENAMEE}}/}}

Latest revision as of 17:59, 14 May 2016

Stop hand.png NOTE:
The content of this page is considered
DEPRECATED and OBSOLETE
It is preserved for historical research, along with its talk page.

Deployment Platform version cycle: | 1.0 | 1.1 | 2.0 |

Summary

A customizable platform based on the Sugar Learning Environment which is intended to be a basis for downstream distributions. The targeting audience for this platform are educational distributors and deployments who might be interested in these features:

  • A robust content sharing system, Sugar Network;
  • Getting feedback from the field;
  • Providing remote educational and technical support using Sugar Network's capabilities; which are especially needed in an offline scenario;
  • Supporting the offline scenario;
  • Centralized gathering of usage statistics;
  • Supporting heterogeneous deployments, i.e., not only XO laptops.

Deployment Platform consists of the following major components:

Base software is the foundation to start exploring the rest of the system. It will be accessible from Sweets Distribution native packages. Repositories of packaged software will be provided for all supported platforms and can be used as-is on top of existing operating system, e.g., GNU/Linux distribution for regular desktops, or OLPC OS for XO laptops.
This class of software is based on Sugar Network, with master services hosted on Sugar Labs resources. It provides a broad variety of content, such as Sugar activities, artifacts derived from Sugar activities, books, etc., and the community social activity centered around this content. It is the common information forum to embrace all participants. Software provided on this level, in comparison to Base software, will be supported out of native packages.
Deployment scenarios are a set of solutions adapting all the previous components in order to support differing Sugar deployment scenarios. For example, "Keep the LTS releases for an Operating System and its Base software", or "Provide tools to sort out Content to make it useful for specific deployment needs".

Deployment scenarios

The following list describes common deployment scenarios where Deployment Platform might be useful. The final model might be an intermediate variant of them tuned by third-party distributor for local needs.

  • Internet server
    There is a master server located on the Internet in a highly accessible place for any maintenance work. Users are always connected to the Internet and the master server.
  • Gateway server
    The school server has Internet connectivity and serves it into the local network where it can be used by clients. Users are always connected to their school server via the Intranet.
  • Offline server
    When the school server itself and clients it serves are in an Internet-less environment with only one way to be synchronized with the outer world, sneakernet.

Deployment specific functionality

The following features were designed especially for deployment workflow.

  • Common client side configuration for all Deployment Platform components;
  • Deployment specific improvements of the Sugar Shell:
  • Collecting usage statistics of Sugar users;
  • Lightweight package management to process system updates and extra dependencies installation on XO laptops.

Reference implementations

These are reference implementations of distributions based on Deployment Platform. These implementations might be used as a template for downstream solutions.

Downstream solutions

  • The Hexoquinasa project created by Peruvian community to support Sugar Learning Platform deployments.

See also

Getting involved

  • Subscribe to the sugar-devel mailing list and email with the subject prefixed with [PLATFORM].
  • Ask your question on IRC channels, #sugar (not logged) or #sugar-newbies (logged).

Subpages