Kory Draughn

Chief Technologist

iRODS Consortium

iRODS 2023 Roadmap

iRODS 2023 Roadmap

May 10, 2023

TRiRODS

Chapel Hill, NC

Overview

• iRODS Today
• The Consortium's Plan
  • The Server
  • Plugins and Capabilities
  • Libraries
  • Clients
• Expectations
• Timeline

iRODS Today

With each release of iRODS, things become better. However ...

• Developers want a consistent experience across programming languages
  • Different implementations of the iRODS protocol
  • Availability of features
• Administrators want more flexibility and visibility into what their deployments are doing
• Users need GUIs and tools that are easy to understand and use

The Consortium's Plan

The Consortium plans to address these challenges by focusing on approachability.

Providing consistent interfaces and simplifying semantics enables developers to design and build tools, libraries, and applications that are easy to understand and use.

The Server

• Make implementing the iRODS Protocol less complicated
  • Provide an HTTP API or design a new protocol
• Replace the PackStruct serialization library
• Make the server cloud-friendly
  • Every server becomes a Catalog Service Provider
  • Centralized/Shared configuration with local overrides
• Redesign handling of archive files from the ground up
  • Entries within an archive file are visible in the catalog

Plugins and Capabilities

• Finish and release the Policy Composition rule engine plugin
  • Consolidates handling of dynamic PEPs
  • Enables policy implementers to think in terms of higher level concepts
• Finish and release the Publishing capability

Libraries

Add support for the new Authentication Plugin Framework introduced in the iRODS 4.3 series.

Enables use of the pam_interactive authentication plugin which allows administrators to support dynamic flows.

Clients

• Replace iCommands with a new CLI
  • A single binary backed by a plugin architecture
• Improve Metalnx
  • Remove private PostgreSQL database
  • Remove most administrative features (aimed at non-admins)
• Improve Zone Management Tool
  • Allow administrators to manage their zone from a single GUI
    • Including configuration, policy, etc.

Expectations

With these changes ...

• Developers can focus on what needs to get done because the developer experience is consistent regardless of the library used
• Administrators can diagnose issues better and have confidence in what they are manipulating
• Users get access to better tools which allow them to do science without needing to know everything about iRODS

Timeline

The items outlined in this presentation are NOT ...

• Tied to a particular release
• Tied to a particular date

The priority is set by the community.

Your participation is important.

Thank you!

https://irods.org/roadmap

Questions?