1. Announcements:

2. Current issues:

• Data transfer/data storage @ Cascina
• Software Engineering Run 1 preparation: projects + organisation Software Engineering Run 1 (Nicolas)
  

3. Special topic: VDB upgrade:

- VDB status report document prepared by Gary
- VDB web interface questions/requests on VDQ telecon of Oct 6th 2011

- Work organization: list of preamble questions:

1. Define the scope of VDB (segments db vs segments+data transfer bookkeeping db) --> other experimental data
   

2. Clarify the dichotomy between on-line and off-line.

3. Access issues from outside Cascina: firewall issues ...
4. The web interface: clean-up + new functions
5. The VDBtk_segment toolkit

6. Inter-application relationships + link with segdb.
   

7. Documentation.

8. Database structure and back-up procedure.

9. Changes in tables (remove "stable" property for  segments list, add frequency band...)
10. Scimon DQ and Scimon DQ web interface
11. ...
    

- Work organization: short term & long term

Attendees:

       Didier, Loic, Florent, Alberto, Cristiano, Gegerly, Gary, Elena, Franco, Livio, Stefano                                                           

Minutes:

1. Current issues:

Data transfer: nothing to report

Data storage @ Cascina: Livio reports that 29TB low cost storage has been installed to store users' archived data: there was a demand to save VA4 data. MAB would like to be aware when such demands are made by users.

ER1: Nicolas is busy in another telecon. ER1 will start officially tomorrow. Many difficulties gaced at CIT related to data transfer and data access. No problem on the Virgo side.

Franco announced that a test machine equipped with SL6.1 is now available to test
Stefano mentions that this is not yet decided which platform should be chosen in the next year. The question is SL6.1 vs SL7 or SL6.2 as hardware issues might be solved with one but not another. MAB mentioned that LSC SL6.1 choice should not constrain too much Virgo online software. SL6.1 porting concerns mainly the data analysis software.

2. VDB focus session
MAB explains the short term and long term strategy: VDB has been useful and will be useful for advanced Virgo, but it requires maintenance and new developments.
Florent asks a question about the usefulness of a triggers database to store Omega and KW triggers.
Didier questions about the efficiency of accessing triggers in database
Elena mentions the experience of WDF.

Decision: let's decouple VDB from the triggers' database which represents another project in itself.

Question 1: Alberto used the book-keeping database functionalities when doing test of grid data transfer. The project is for the moment delayed because decisions about Lyon and Bologna data access need to be taken. This is typically another project that VDAS should support in collaboration/agreement with Livio. Decision of decoupling the data transfer book-keeping database from VDB: agreed. Gary will save what has been developed for the data transfer book-keeping.

Question 2: online and offline tables are different. Historical demand to Leone. Related to the versioning. Logical difference: segments produce online should always have the same version number. Offline new segment lists have a version number that gets upgraded (+1). It turns out that the online/offline internal dichotomy was creating more difficulties than bringing advantages. Florent asks that online lists should be flagged in some way. Could be done with a version convention. For instance version 1 are for online lists. Decision: suppression of the online/offline distinction.

Question 3: The VDB server has been moved in the online network partition to fix the problem of huge latency. On the other hand user access to VDB from outside Cascina must be granted (web interface and VDBtk_segment). From "Virgo labs and LSC labs" access is granted. Just need to declare the machine IPs in the Cascina firewall. The problem comes mainly from home connections. Virgo folds have firewall access. Not all LSC members. Will have to live with that situation right now.

Conclusion: next meeting next week. Continue to discuss the points. Gola of this: write the users requirements and software requirements document.