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\chapter{Introduction and Overview}

\label{ciov0}

\beginchapterquote{``One way to prevent progress is by arguing that
                     any first step is unfair to somebody.''}
                  {Unknown}


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\section{Overview of \emph{\productbasename{}}}
%Section tag:  pov0
\label{ciov0:spov0}

\emph{\productbasename{}} is a server-based and primarily web-based
collaboration product to serve the enterprise that develops software.
The \emph{\productbasename{}} 
software (all of which runs on the server-side) will run only
on *nix platforms.  The clients that use the software (web browsers)
may be run on any platform; including \emph{Windows}, \emph{Linux}, and
various embedded platforms such as intelligent cellphones and PDAs.

The \emph{\productbasename{}} software may be used in two primary ways
(not mutually exclusive):

\begin{itemize}
\item The product may be used as-is with no modifications.
\item The existing authentication and database framework may be used
      to speed development of custom database applications; either
      supplanting or completely replacing existing database
      functionality. 
\end{itemize} 


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\section{Challenges in the Software Development Enterprise}
%Section tag:  CEN0
\label{ciov0:scen0}

Software development is typically characterized by:

\begin{itemize}
\item Awesome complexity and hundreds or thousands of details.
\item The need to resolve every detail correctly (this stems
      directly from the nature of software and the requirement
      for absolute correctness).
\item The need to create or import workproducts and move them through
      a defined process.
\item The need to capture many different forms of data (for example,
      scanned documents as 
      \emph{.PDF}\index{PDF file@\emph{.PDF} file} files or 
      images of product defects as 
      \emph{.JPG}\index{JPG file@\emph{.JPG} file} files) and integrate
      them into a defined process.
\item The need to integrate individuals who are only peripherally part
      of the enterprise (for example, customers and suppliers) into the
      process.
\item The need to work and access data securely from remote locations (for example,
      from home, from coffee shops, from libraries, from cellphones and PDAs,
      from customer sites, and from foreign countries and airport kiosks
      while traveling).             
\end{itemize}

The complexity and need for correctness conflict directly
with human limitations in the following ways:

\begin{itemize}
\item Humans cannot reliably manage large numbers of details without
      the danger of neglecting some of the details.
\item In the presence of large numbers of tasks to be
      completed, humans often have difficulty identifying
      the tasks that need to be completed and selecting
      a task.
\item When forced to switch between tasks, humans cannot 
      efficiently save and restore context.  
      Typically, resuming a task
      involves a brief period of reviewing the status of
      the task and planning how to proceed.      
\end{itemize}

Standard web database and 
\index{two-factor authentication}two-factor authentication
technology can address all of the needs cited above.


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\section{The \emph{buy-versus-build} Decision}
%Section tag:  BVB0
\label{ciov0:sbvb0}

\index{buy-versus-build}

Many software development organizations are reluctant to develop collaboration
tools in-house, citing the standard arguments against crafting solutions.

For certain commodity items---such as software development tools, version control
systems, and defect tracking systems---the \emph{buy} decision works well.

However, for non-commodity items, it usually happens that the commercial tools
available for purchase don't precisely fit enterprise processes and can't be
modified or customized.  The enterprise is left with two choices:

\begin{itemize}
\item Purchase commercial tools that don't fit enterprise processes, forcing
      the enterprise to misuse the tools or modify its processes to fit the
      processes supported by the tools.
\item Fail to purchase commercial tools and forego tool support.      
\end{itemize}

If, at every opportunity to make a buy-versus-build decision, the enterprise
chooses \emph{buy}, the end result after several years will be persistent gaps
in enterprise tool coverage.  Most organizations in fact end up with
persistent gaps in tool coverage.

\emph{\productbasename{}-\productversion{}} is essentially a ``catch-all''
database framework designed to allow an organization to satisfy all unmet 
database/collaboration needs in \emph{one} alternate framework.


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\section{Obtaining Assistance with \emph{\productbasename{}-\productversion{}}}
%Section tag:  OAS0
\label{ciov0:soas0}

TBD.


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\section{Records Retention Todos}
%Section tag:  RRT0
\label{ciov0:srrt0}

Need to incorporate the following capability into the tool:

\begin{itemize}
\item \textbf{Legal Hold:}\\
      Tool must be able to suspend deletion of some or all records
      to support ``legal hold'' and similar notions.  This probably
      means that in addition to suspending records retention deletions,
      the database views have to disregard older records as if they have been
      deleted (i.e. virtual non-existence).
\item \textbf{Visible Record of Changes:}\\
      The tool must not allow changes to be made that are ``silent'' where
      the new data appears with no clear record that the data has been changed.
      \emph{Bugzilla}, for example, shows changes via ``bug history''.  For all data,
      there has to be a view of how, when, and by who it was modified.
\end{itemize}



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$Revision: 1.7 $
$Author: dashley $
$Date: 2008/02/14 16:44:47 $
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