WASD Hypertext Services - Technical Overview

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13 - Organizing Data Areas

This section deals with the provision of physical file space for WASD hypertext-related data, and the integration of that within the logical organization of the WASD hypertext data.

The logical organisation of served data is largely hierarchical, and is achieved via two mechanisms.

  1. The natural hierachy provided by a hierarchical file system.
  2. The logical hierarchy possible using rules within the mapping file to place disparate physical areas into a single logical structure (see 6 - HTTPd Mapping Rules).

WASD has a single section of the file system for the core hypertext environment files, such as the Division home page, help areas, documentation, etc., it can be accessed using the logical area WEB:[000000]. Physically integrated with this are directories providing data storage for specific groupings of data, such as CEAC minutes, adminstration announcements, etc. Physically distinct areas are also logical grouped into the hypertext environment, areas such as the IE group area, JFAS minutes, etc.

The reason for some areas being physically distinct are for legitimate physical reasons (e.g. the area can best be hosted on a group-local disk), for historical reasons (e.g. the area existed before any hypertext environment existed) or for reasons of convenience (e.g. lets put this where access controls already allow the maintainers to manage it).

The reasons for an area being physically integrated with the core hypertext data area can be legitimate (e.g. there is really nowhere else it reasonably belongs), convenience (e.g. lets quickly put it here) or by logical necessity (it really does below as part of the core hypertext enviroment).

Guidelines

In general, only hypertext enviroment files need to go into the core physical hypertext file system. All other groupings should, if possible, be decentralised into the portion of the file system they represent and logically placed in the hypertext area using rules in the mapping file. That is, a given project's hypertext files should be located in the project's part of the file system. If it doesn't have any then it may be a candidate for location in the core area.

When locating a hypertext area in a physically distinct area it is possible the managers of that data will already have the correct access controls. If locating an area in the core hypertext environment it will be necessary to give the manager ownership of the directory area, or provide ACL access if multiple managers are involved.

When locating a hypertext area in a physically distinct area it will be necessary to update the mapping file with a new rule (see 6 - HTTPd Mapping Rules). If located within the core hypertext area the rules do not need to be adjusted.


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