[Babase] Conference call summary

Stephanie Combes babase@www.eco.princeton.edu
Wed, 12 May 2004 14:50:15 -0400


Hi everyone,
  The following is a summary of our discussion today, 12 May 2004.

1.  Duke ACCESS to Princeton (Daphne's) machine: Currently, only Susan's 
computer at Duke has FTP access to the Princeton computer.  Susan believes 
that this was done for security and financial reasons.  IF it is true that 
only ONE computer can have access, we will replace Susan's machine with the 
login.biology.duke.edu machine.  If more than one machine can be listed as 
having access, Susan's machine will remain on.  Daphne will check with Sal 
regarding this set-up.  She needs to tell Sal that the 
login.biology.duke.edu (good enough, shouldn't need numeric ip) needs 
access.  Daphne should also inform Sal that many people have access to the 
"login" machine - Daphne will report back to us with any of Sal's 
concerns/questions.

1a) As a security aside, apparently the security issue arises from our use 
of FTP.  We could, in theory, switch to something like SSH which encrypts 
passwords.  The need for and difficulty of this switch is unclear right 
now.

2. INTEGRITY checks/rules: First of all, all of the rules that Karl wrote 
in and are currently in use for Babase are documented in the Babase manual. 
We should, perhaps, all read it over again once in awhile.  For the current 
system, we (Daphne or Steph) could make our own "cheat sheet" summarizing 
the rules, by reading through the manual.  For our new system, Karl is 
keeping track of changes and rules.  Karl will create our new system to not 
allow us to enter data that violate the rules (i.e. you will get an 
immediate error).  For things that may need to be changed at some point (or 
errors we temporarily ignore), we will have daily or weekly (need to figure 
out interval) warnings of things that the system doesn't like.  [Karl - 
chime in here if I'm wrong].

3. DOCUMENTATION of rules/integrity checks:  new system - Karl is keeping 
track.  We need to eventually update/change all of the documentation.  Karl 
suggested docbook  (see www.docbook.org) as a system for doing this.  We 
can have the new manual set up so that it generates an email/message 
telling us that a change has occurred (it may not tell us what, exactly, 
occurred, only that a change has taken place.  so go read the manual 
again). In addition, Daphne/Axel will set up another mailing list for 
announcements ONLY.  When you make a significant change to the database 
(i.e. changed the rules for dcauses) send an email to the announcement 
list.  This second list will have limited traffic.  It will provide us with 
a way of zeroing in on emails that create significant changes, and prevent 
this information from getting buried under a million emails).  The manual 
and database will be stored in a shared repository so that changes can be 
made from Duke or Princeton.

4. DCAUSE:  The plan is as follows: 1.  Steph is in charge of fixing up the 
dcauses.  2. Steph will create a file for Daphne that has 2 columns - sname 
and dcause.  3. The dcause column will have the updated dcauses that were 
done by Jeanne and Jessica.  4.  The dcause column will also contain "8" 
for all other dcauses (blanks and old dcauses).  "8" will now be "under 
review".  These "under review"  dcauses will be reviewed and re-assigned by 
Steph (with input from Jeanne and Daphne) at a later date.  When this later 
date arrives, Steph, Jeanne and Daphne will need to go through and clarify 
some of the dcause rules (example: the abort definition due to mom dying). 
She will, obviously, update all documentation appropriately as listed in 
point 3 of this email! Moreover, Karl  will relax the data integrity rules 
for dcause.  This entails no longer having a rule for aborts/fetal loss. 
The only dcause rule that will stay in place is that a dead animal must 
have a dcause (even if the dcause is "unknown").

5. The CONVERSION: Karl has not been able to work on babase since leaving 
Duke.  He will likely be able to return to babase at the end of this week. 
(Go Karl go!).

I think that's it.  Please add any clarifications.  I'm not sure if my 
email is as long as Susan's, but maybe I can top it next week!

'Til next Wednesday (same bat time, same bat place).
-steph