Promoting Open Source Software Through Cloud Deployment:

Library à la Carte, Heroku, and OSU Michael B. Klein

Digital Applications Librarianmichael.klein@oregonstate.eduMargaret Mellinger

Engineering Librarianmargaret.mellinger@oregonstate.edu

Presentation Overview

About Library à la Carte◦What is Library à la Carte?◦Distribution & Adoption

Cloud Deployment◦Why the Cloud?◦Hosting Options◦Challenges and Compromises◦Pilot Project◦Evaluation◦Future Directions

What is Library à la Carte?

Custom content management system ◦Course assignment pages, subject guides,

portal pages and tutorialsPages built around reusable modules

◦Text, images, media widgets, links, feedsFree & open-source Download, install, and start using Customizable and extensible

Distribution

5 major releases since 2007Scores of demo accounts requestedDownloaded hundreds of times20+ known installations

Barriers to Adoption

Lack of in-house technical expertise◦Installing Ruby and dependencies◦Setting permissions◦Webserver configuration ◦Database administration◦Running scripts from the command line◦Hand-editing configuration files◦Installing upgrades/applying patches◦Diagnosing and reporting problems

Unwillingness or inability to devote technical or human resources

Why the Cloud?

Pre-installed◦Lower the barrier for adoption

Dedicated◦Provide libraries with their own installations where

they can do real workPortable

◦Entire installation can be moved from the cloud to a local install or vice versa

Elastic◦Storage space and resources can be allocated on the

fly

Hosting Options

Amazon Web Services◦Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)◦Controllable via console or API◦Infrastructure as a Service (“Bare Metal”)◦Small instance: 10¢/hr. = $72/mo. = $864/yr.◦Boot volume and storage costs are extra◦Refactoring required to take advantage of

elasticity◦Additional refactoring required to compensate

for ephemeral server instances

Hosting Options

JumpBox◦Portable virtual machine◦Still “Bare Metal,” but host-agnostic◦Requires acceptance by JumpBox team◦Installation, maintenance, and upgrades may

require vendor action◦Still need to provide hardware or pay EC2 costs

Hosting Options

Eucalyptus◦Open Source cloud platform◦Based on Amazon cloud model and API◦Software is free; infrastructure is not◦We would have to provide hardware and

additional support

Hosting Options

Heroku◦Platform as a Service◦Dedicated Ruby/Rack/Rails platform◦Git-based deployment◦Ruby API◦Automatic, easy scaling and load balancing◦Predictable costs◦Over 2 dozen available add-ons◦Smallest instance: FREE

Hosting Options

Challenges and Compromises

No server-side file storage◦Requires another solution such as Amazon S3

No dedicated configuration filesLibrary à La Carte was written for MySQLHeroku uses PostgreSQLDevelopers aren’t necessarily thinking of

the cloud when adding new features

Deployment Application

Deployment Application

Deployment Application

Deployment Application

Pilot Project

Single insitutional partnerDeployed in January 2010Goals:

◦Administer and monitor installation◦Track usage, database size, bandwidth◦Develop cost model based on likely usage

scenarios◦Gather feedback from partner

Pilot Project – Librarian Evaluation

Initial evaluation June 2010Overall experience very positiveNeed to document differences between

standalone and cloud-based appUsers used to page creation had trouble

adjusting to content management workflow

Pilot Project – User Evaluation

Faculty and students consider Library à la Carte to be a valuable resource

Goal: “Collect all the necessary sources students need to use in their clinical year.”

Students “thrilled with having one starting place.”

Already receiving requests for additional content.

Pilot Project – OSU Evaluation

Administration & Maintenance◦2 software updates in 6 months◦30 minutes to install, including code review◦Marginal time cost of updating additional

hosted sites would be 2-3 minutesSupport

◦Installation/configuration support eliminated◦Some hand-holding still required

Future Directions

Revisit hosting model◦Is Heroku working for us?◦Would Amazon EC2 make more sense?

Determine costs based on size and useConsider other partnerships

◦Hand hosting off to consortium?

Library à La Carte in the Cloud: The Movie

See it on YouTube!