[MOBY-dev] RFC - Synchronization of Biomoby secondary repositories

[Mark Wilkinson]

> we already use the RDF agent, from the RSS we intend to pull mainly the  
> signature URLs, then we propose to use the RDF agent to get all data.

Ah!  I see.


> The advantage of the RSS versus the API call to retrieve ALL signature  
> URLs is:
> -scalability: If there are 1000s of signature URLs...with the RSS, we  
> only retrieve changes

I would need to modify the RSS feed such that it reports additions *and*  
removals (right now it is just additions), and we would have to come up  
with a formal way of representing these...  and then the RSS functionality  
and features would need to become a formal part of the MOBY API (I can  
just hear Dr. Senger yelling at us right now that we're considering  
building core functionality on parts of MOBY that are entirely  
undocumented ;-)  ;-) ).  I guess that's why I am so hesitant to use RSS.

However, I guess so long as this is not a "recommended" practice, only a  
short-cut; and as long as it is *always* possible to use a true API call  
to mirror the registry, and we formally say what the recommended  
best-practice is, then it's reasonable to have a non-guaranteed  
alternative that is more lightweight.


> However, for the initialization/from scratch, this method indeed makes  
> most sense, we'll modify the RFC accordingly. Is there a Biomoby WIKI  
> where we can post that?

There currently is no Wiki running on BioMoby.  The last Wiki we had was  
hacked, and we just never brought it back up again.  We tried using  
Bugzilla as a way of tracking RFC's, but that didn't make many people very  
happy, so we're simply using the mailing list, with some formal write-up  
in an attachment.


> Do you intend to come "work" at the MPIZ next week?

Do I have to answer that publicly?  ;-)

The answer is "Yes".  We should get a variety of things - MOBY-wise and  
otherwise - sorted out between us while I am there.  I'm free all day  
Thursday and Friday, so that should give us plenty of time.

Cheers!

M