Communication Channels between CSCS and CHIPP

Twiki

Advantages:

• can optimally present information, full layout control
• multiple people can collaborate on the same page
• change record (including who) and playback of old page versions
• authn/authz
• can set mail notifications or RSS news feeds

Disadvantages

• takes a bit longer then the average email
• needs discipline to keep some order in the pages (try to keep a minimum of pages)
• Pablo: multiple colaboration is clumsy

Usage:

• main information portal for users
• main documentation portal for admins and users
• principal place for finding all quasi-static information on the system
• VOs must specify their requirements in relation to the local Grid services on a wiki page, so that this information is accessible for the CSCS admins. This is needed, since the CSCS admins cannot be expected to follow the internal VO discussions, and often even do not have access to the restricted CERN VO twiki areas or indico
  • Example from CMS that certainly could be improved
  • Sigve: ATLAS should have this link https://cic.gridops.org/index.php?section=vo&vo=atlas .
  • Sigve: This will be Marc's duty since he is following the ATLAS FZK Clould meetings.
• log book of events (for admins, but also for VOs, if wanted. e.g. look at the CMSSiteLog)
• Pablo: we think it's a great tool for documentation, issues reports, operations, minutes, resource description, but not for organization or interactive work

Trouble tickets (grid-rt@cscs.ch)

Advantages:

• tracked with open/closed status, so issues are not lost
• all changes to the ticket are tracked

Disadvantage:

• Information spread over multiple entries
• only submitter and local admins see the issues

Usage:

• submission of support requests and bug reports by the VO site contacts. They should also have access to the web front end.
  • Do we want users to submit to this, too? Or rather have all users use the GGUS or go via site contacts?
• requests, e.g. for the installation of a machine or a service
• Pablo: preferred over IRC for bugs/issue/requests, because has better tracking/logging.
• Sigve: I would like to have only one ticket portal for our sites in Switzerland. Can grid-rt@cscs.ch "subscribe" to http://rt.smscg.ch/ ?

Mailing lists

Advantages:

• small effort
• people can filter or put triggers in their clients
• archived

Disadvantages

• information scattered throughout threads
• bad to locate information
• Sigve: Which lists do we actually have now ? With the 2 below I think I would be on 5 lists from cscs. Then there is also the smscg lists which contain the main ARC expertise in Switzerland. Is it possible to have less lists ?

Chat

Advantages:

• interactive, fast (Pablo: for simple things)
• logged, so historic information is available

Disadvantages:

• information is scattered, searching through chat logs is a pain
• bad if there are multiple simultaneous discussions going on
• Pablo: discussions can get really slow

CSCS admins and VO-contacts try to be present on the chat.

Usage:

• emergencies Pablo: We can also use the phone, maybe we should make a small phone directory
• request for fast information
• working together on a service, debugging
• discussions (Pablo: no please)
• Sigve: For other work I usually use Skype chat. Then one can also easily make a phone discussion among several participants. Don't know if that would be an alternative for us.

EVO/Phone Meetings

-- DerekFeichtinger - 2010-06-30