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Last updated: Tue Mar 17 11:39:12 PST 2005
Dear Collaborators,
After much negotiation SLAC completed its purchase of the software package Objectivity.
What the Collaboration got
SLAC has purchased 150 Objectivity "seats" for use in the BaBar project (Objectivity is the object-oriented database system). These seats may be used concurrently by BaBar collaborators doing computing for the project. This includes domestic and
international use within the experiment. However, collaborators may not use Objectivity for any other purpose but the Babar project.
The license agreement
Much time and effort was spent to achieve the final license agreement, and modifications to it by individual collaborators or institutions would mean long, tedious renegotiations and possible changes in cost, not to mention a possible loss of trust
between SLAC and Objectivity. Therefore, it is requested that the license agreement be signed without modifications.
Maintenance and Support
Maintenance and support are handled more efficiently when problem reporting can be channeled through a small group of people designated as contact support people. Objectivity has requested that 3 people resident at SLAC serve as such support. David
Quarrie and Paul Raines have agreed to fulfill this request, with a decision for a 3rd person to come later.
License requirements
Each collaborator doing computing for BaBar must sign an agreement. This is independent of whether the use of Objectivity will occur at SLAC or at another institution. To expedite access to Objectivity, collaborators may fax a signed copy of the agreement to SLAC. The fax number is (650) 926-2657.
Objectivity Agreement
Responsibility of Site Contacts
There is no license server to track usage of Objectivity. Instead, SLAC under the "good faith" agreement will provide Objectivity with a yearly status report. To accomplish this yearly task each site must provide a site contact person whose main
responsibility shall be to provide SLAC a list of users using Objectivity and a close approximation of peak annual usage for that site. The collective results from all participating sites shall be sent to Objectivity in keeping with SLAC's part of the
agreement. We are in the process of working out a list of tips and hints on how to manage objectivity for site contacts. Included in this list will be an acceptable method for estimating peak usage. This list will be mailed out to site contacts in the
near future.
Distribution of Objectivity
The distribution of Objectivity will be controlled using AFS and the group access control mechanism. A collaborator's userid will be added to the AFS group once the necessary paperwork has been received. He or she will then be able to copy over the
appropriate files.
- The AFS group name is g-babar:com-obj
- Source code is located in subdirectory: BFROOT/package/objy4/Objectivity_Admin/Objectivity_src
- (BFROOT equals /afs/slac.stanford.edu/g/babar)
All userids from the agreements signed at the May BaBar collaboration meeting will be added to the AFS group by the 23rd of May. If you do not have and AFS account and would like one, please follow the path Babar Detector Home page -> Tools/New Users.
This clickable link will explain several things about SLAC Unix and AFS accounts.
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