Skip Navigation

Monday November 23rd, 2009 » Fall Quarter, Week 9

 
NACS > Identity Management > Plans > Directory Replacement

NACS Ph/Qi Directory Replacement
Plan 2008-2009

Brian Roode
Network and Support Programming

Background

The current identity management database/enterprise directory system used at UCI is called Ph/Qi. Ph/Qi is an electronic phonebook/nameserver database system developed at the Computing and Communications Services Office at the University of Illinois by Steve Dorner and others in the early 1990's.

Goals

The primary goal of this project is to develop a modern directory system to serve the current and future needs of the campus.
  • Maintain the directory data in a relational database system (MySQL).
  • Design a flexible database schema that supports current needs and future growth.
  • Simplify the import and export of data into and out of the directory system.
  • Extract the business logic from the existing database maintenance scripts and provide documentation that will later drive the processes.
  • Provide data to LDAP service for use by applications.
  • Employ modern programming techniques and languages including Ruby on Rails, ActiveRecord, etc.
  • Combine all NACS directory data management systems including ph/qi, nr2d2, sponsored/group systems, into the new system.
  • Enhance the security, access control, and logging mechanisms to provide pertinent usage information to NSP and the security team.
  • Phase out the current ph/qi system.

Ph/Qi directory replacement project plan

When Status Project area description
1st Quarter 2008 Done Develop database schema, define database tables, relations.
1st Quarter 2008 Done Configure and install new system hardware.
2nd Quarter 2008 Done Source data processing: Develop data import scripts for current data sources (Payroll, Registrar, University Extension, etc.)
3rd Quarter 2008 Done Data import, maintenance operations: Load/maintain data using new directory system. Compare data content to current system and track down any issues.
1st Quarter 2009 Planned Develop administrative database maintenance applications, e.g. ActAdmin utility.
1st Quarter 2009 Planned Modify NACS applications that update Ph/Qi to also update the new directory system.
1st Quarter 2009 Planned Develop Ph/Qi Emulation program for MySQL database system.
1st Quarter 2009 Planned Deploy replacement directory.
2nd Quarter 2009 Planned Modify all applications to use the new MySQL database or LDAP instead of Ph/Qi.
3rd Quarter 2009 Planned Turn off processing of feeder systems into Ph/Qi directory system.