Fedora @ UniSA
Presenter – Martyn George
Prashant Pandey
prashant.pandey@unisa.edu.au
Lead Developer - FABULOUS, BORSA & Arrow@UniSA
BORSA
(Big Object Repository with Secured Access)
Prashant Pandey
prashant.pandey@unisa.edu.au
UniSA Library
• UniSA environment
– 20,000+ students being taught on campus, off
campus and off shore
– The Library catalogue is used as the central
digitisation register for the University
– Digitised readings are accessed via the library
catalogue and direct links to resources
Image Server
• U get what you pay for
– Bundled with the Voyager ILMS
– No longer developed by the provider
• Authentication built into the Library catalogue,
with pre-authenticated direct links to files
– Academic staff were not allowed to publish links except on
secure course pages
• Non-intuitive client
• Limited Usage statistics
Our Needs
• Proper authentication, preferably tied into
the University’s LDAP system
• Simple and easy to use interface
• Good usage statistics
• Wider variety of file types supported
• Works with the library catalogue
BORSA
(Big Object Repository with Secured Access)
• Dark fedora repository with in built authentication
• Simple file loading and updating
– Files loaded/updated/purged automatically
overnight
– Single data entry via the catalogue module of
the ILMS. Basic DC metadata extracted from
the catalogue and used for basic indexing by
Fedora
BORSA
(Ingest Work Flow)
FABULOUS
Fedora/Arrow Batch Utility with Lots Of User Services
Prashant Pandey
prashant.pandey@unisa.edu.au
Background
• ARROW Model
– (VITAL+FEDORA)
• Administrative interfaces
– Fedora Administrative Client
– Vital management software (vital manager)
VITAL Manager
• User friendly
• Single object
manipulation
• Requires third party
tool for XML editing
• Windows Client based
design
Fedora Admin Client
• Complicated user
interface
• Single object
manipulation
• Requires third party
tool for XML editing
• Desktop client
based design
Desirable Features
• Improving Data (RM/ADT/Endnote) quality
– Bulk editing workflow: purging and re-ingesting of
data
• Activation/deactivation of DataStream based on
copyright constraints
• Content ingest for already existing metadata
– Workflow: single object modification using client
based utility
ARROW Mini-Projects (first round)
ƒ ARROW BATCH UTILITIES
• Batch activate/de-activate data streams
• Linking batches of content files to existing
metadata objects
ƒ ARROW BATCH EDIT TOOL
• Globally add/edit/delete selected metadata fields
FABULOUS
Fabulous is a web-based application which implements the
proposed batch edit tool and utilities.
[ http://code.google.com/p/fabulous ]
Special features:
•Directly Interacts with fedora (compatible with all fedora
applications….fez etc)
•Open source and platform independent
•Simple and easy to use Interface (Vital 2.0 look and feel)
•Web based application
FABULOUS - Front End Implementation
FABULOUS Shortcomings
• Tied to ARROW content model
• Batch ingest of 10 (set default) content files at a time
• Unique ITEM IDs to distinguish between DataStreams
• Exception messages not user friendly
• Select all option
• Searches rely upon limited fedora indexes
• No mechanism exists to provide a list of pid’s rather than
searching and selecting them.
Absolutely Fabulous (FABULOUS 2)
ARROW Mini-Projects (Second round)
ƒSupport for fedora 2.1(vital 3.0) and fedora 2.2(vital 3.1 and
3.1.1)
ƒSelective purging (Bulk deletion)
ƒImproved exception messages
ƒBatch Content ingest improvement
ƒSupport for creating other metadata streams during batch
edit process
Absolutely Absolutely Fabulous
(BABY FABULOUS)
Solution for the shortcomings of Fabulous
ƒModify object along with DataStream properties
ƒRepository wide changes
ƒCommand line interface at the moment (just a collection of
methods)…..planning to implement as a web application
packaged as a .war file, just like fedora packaging.
ƒ Support for creating other metadata streams repository
wide.
QUESTIONS ?
THANK YOU!