[Sugar-devel] [SSK] Sugar Server Kit 1.1 release

[Aleksey Lim]

== Summary ==

This is the first Sugar Server Kit release that is being positioned as
ready for using in the field, thanks to the
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Paraguay_Educa_Server|Paraguayan pilot
program]]. This release should fulfill needs similar to that were faced
in Paraguay. The next step will be proving this system in restricted
environments within the
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Server_on_an_XO|Server on an XO]] project
for SSK-1.2.

This is also the first release that is following the
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/Release_plan|Sugar Server Kit releasing plan]].

== Design changes ==

Changes made from the initial,
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.0/Notes#Components|1.0]], Sugar Server Kit
implementation.

'''Unified API for sugar-server'''

:: The major way to interact with sugar-server for now, is a
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server#Services|RESTfull API]]. The API
inherited from the OLPC XS is preserved when it is possible, e.g.,
except Journal backups that were implemented differently from the
begining.

'''sugar-client'''

:: [[Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-client|sugar-client]] project is intended to
be the only one on a client side to cover all possible interactions with
a school server.

'''Clients are identified by profile UIDs on a server'''

:: In comparing with 1.0 implementation, and OLPC XS as well,
sugar-server-1.1
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-server#User_identity_models|identifies]]
clients by UID that is unique for particular user's profile, i.e., not
by XO's UUIDs. That was done to cover usecases when the same hardware is
being used for several users.

See the [[Sugar_Server_Kit/Architecture|design overview]] for more
details.

== Final solution ==

This release is entirely based on experience gotten during the work on
Paraguayan pilot program, i.e., the functionality of Sugar Server Kit
was improved and proven by using it in a school. As a result, the
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Paraguay_Educa_Server|paraguayeduca-server]],
the final Sugar Server Kit based solution, was created.

It covers the full life cycle of using school servers in environments
similar to Paraguay, i.e.:

* Install Kit on USB stick to:
** install new server,
** migrate from existing installation,
** migrate from existing OLPC XS installation;
* Post-install school server automated tests;
* Initial setup for the Mothership to support new school servers;
* New client side behaviour based on sugar-client.

== Supported platforms ==

* LTS versions of Trisquel-4.1 (Ubuntu-10.04) GNU/Linux distributions.

Fedora-14 will be added to supported platforms in
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.2/Todo|1.2]] to provide
[[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Server_on_an_XO|Server on an XO]] solution.

== Components ==

In comparing with [[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.0/Notes#Components|1.0]] release,
there are the following changes:

* [[Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-client|sugar-client]]
  new component to interact with a school server on a client side;
* ''sugaroid''
  was renamed to [[Sugar_Server_Kit/sugar-unit|sugar-unit]] to expose more
  general purpose of this project;
* ''sugar-server-demoxo''
  was removed as an Sugar Server Kit component and will be back as
  a supported [[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Server_on_an_XO|final solution]]
  in [[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.2/Todo|1.2]].

See also the [[Sugar_Server_Kit#Components|full list]] of Sugar Server
Kit components.

== Getting the release ==

Sources in tarballs can be found on
[https://packages.sugarlabs.org/project/show?project=Server%3A1
package.sugarlabs.org] and in {{Code|master-1.1}} branches in
repositories on [http://git.sugarlabs.org/server git.sugarlabs.org].

Binaries for supported distributions can be found on
[http://download.sugarlabs.org/packages/Server:/1/
download.sugarlabs.org].

== Looking forward ==

The next, [[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.2|1.2]], release should contain the
following major features:

* collecting [[Sugar_Server_Kit/Usage_Statistics|usage statistics]],
* return sugar-server-demoxo as a full featured Sugar Server Kit
* [[Sugar_Server_Kit/Solutions/Server_on_an_XO|based solution]].

See the [[Sugar_Server_Kit/1.2/Todo|1.2 TODO list]] for more details.

== Credits ==

* [http://activitycentral.com/ Activity Central] for supporting during
  the work on 1.1 release.
* [http://www.paraguayeduca.org/ Paraguay Educa] for supporting during
  the work on 1.1 release, sharing deployment experience and needs,
  making it possible to have a pilot program in one of Caacupe schools.
* The [[Wiki Team]] for continuous polishing [[Sugar Server Kit]] wiki
  pages.
* The [[Infrastructure Team]] to support servers and services that are
  being used within the [[Sugar Server Kit]] project.

-- 
Aleksey