(ISF) RE: Seeking feedback on Humanitarian/Emergency Software application and deployment

Don:

You don't seem to include the option to run with MySQL and
PHP under Windows with IIS - Apache does not HAVE to go with
M and P, does it?  There will be some php/my/config.ini
changes I guess, but these would not be onerous and could
easily be documented for relatively easy installation by
informed end-users?

I am running a couple of open source packages on each of two
machines (on the same desk, as it happens, as well as a
third installation on a remote server), one local machine
uses Windows/IIS and the other WIndows/Apache.  I was
originally working with IIS but wanted to start to move the
other way from you, to Linux.  As a first step, I decided to
move from IIS to Apache but sticking with Windows.  What
helped me break through was a great installation package
from www.devside.net.  This installation was a real breeze -
as I recall all I had to do to make it work was enable the
MySQL extensions in php.ini (PHP 5 does not do that
automatically any more, apparently) and put the PHP
directory path into the Windows PATH environment variable -
then it all worked just fine.  I am a relative newbie when
it comes to all this AMP stuff, but I am patient and
determined!  This package from devside gets my vote ... it's
been running ever since and IIS is history in my house! 
But, I never
  tried to run both IIS and Apache at the same time, so I
can't answer your core question!

You don't really describe the context for Sahana.  Does each
field worker have their own copy?  Are you running it
centrally?  Surely in most operational contexts there will
be little or no communications infrastructure?  Sounds like
a really interesting application and I never heard of it
before.

Good luck, I would be interested to hear how it goes.

Andy Bytheway




-----original message-----
>>Sahana (http://www.sahana.lk/) is
the free and open source Disaster Management System to
facilitate management of missing people, disaster victims;
manage and administer various organizations, camps and
requests and assist in the distribution of disaster
resources. As part of the project development team I am
leading a port of Sahana from Linux to Microsoft Windows,
and would seek the feedback of individuals or organizations
involved in emergency or humanitarian work on several
options currently under consideration>>





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Thanks for the valuable input Rol, Andy.

Andy writes: "You don't really describe the context for
Sahana."

Sahana is a humanitarian disaster aid application so context
of use is predominantly by small to medium-sized NPO's,
NGO's and Govt aid agencies during times of disaster and
recovery. We also promote use of Sahana as a pre-disaster
planning and prevention tool as the need for such by
responding groups and agencies is increasingly recognised.
The app can be run centrally, locally, or remotely (on PDA's
or notebooks) depending on needs, system availabilities and
communications capabilities. It is not feasible to
prioritise one methodology over another as the nature of the
disaster will dictate operational methodologies.

MySQL + PHP + IIS is an option, but IMO an option more
suited to intermediate-level computer users. It's not really
a focus of this effort (users at this level would not
require a port from Linux to Windows or visa-versa as they
can do this themselves) - i.e. If we break computer use into
the four generic categories we are presented with four
possible deployment scenarios:

1/ Advanced Computer Users: Sahana is Open Source so
advanced users can/will modify the source code as required
for local needs - and we very much encourage this type of
development - these users do not require installation
support for an AMP application on any platform although some
higher-level programming support may be required.

2/ Intermediate Computer Users: Will be capable of
installing AMP or modifying as appropriate so Sahana runs on
any combination of AMP, IIS, PWS, MS SQL Server etc. (as per
your suggestion). These users may require a FAQ or
additional installation support however this is manageable
within the context of an Open Source deployment project. We
would not envisage these users requiring a specific platform
'port' however they may find it useful for rapid deployment.

3/ Beginner/Novice Computer Users (the vast majority of our
projected user base): Will not be proficient with AMP or
installing/configuring/securing web servers or high-level
databases. They also will not be proficient in
cross-platform computing scenarios. These are the people we
wish to help by offering a very simple means of running
Sahana under Windows that does not involve complex
configurations or installation routines.

4/ The Computer Illiterate: At some point we must recognise
that people with no computing skills require assistance
beyond our capacity to support. We are not attempting to
simplify the process to such a degree that completely
illiterate computer users will be able to load and run
Sahana.

I hope the above puts the project into a meaningful context.

Rol writes: "Many of the nonprofit groups and agencies
I work with that might benefit from such a package are
already struggling with managing their computing systems.
Many do their work solely as end users employing basic PC
systems with Windows installed - typically XP".

Rol it's great to catch-up again, and yes your experience
mirrors my own and that of other NPO and emergency
management contributors. The most common of all scenarios is
to see computers running Windows operated by users of
varying skill but tending to the intermediate/beginner level
- acknowledging these people are often very highly skilled
in other fields of endeavour (pilots, doctors, emergency
workers and others whose life priorities simply do not
include spending thousands of hours to also become highly
proficient at computing) - These are exactly the people we
wish to support with a methodology that does not require
extensive computer skills development. We will achieve our
mission if we can provide a very simple and manageable tool
that helps them to do their job - this is why I am tending
to the "no install required" method of deployment
supported by source-code deployments for the lesser number
of advanced users wishing to tailor the program for specific
purposes.

Again thanks all for the very valuable input.

Cheers, Don





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