[Dspace-general] installation and maintenance

[Jody DeRidder]

Hi Michele!
  Yes, I read your standard response on the FAQ list, and it was not
enough information for us, which is why I asked for information based on
personal experience from the list at large.  As I stated before, we are
NOT planning to set up a prototype, but a production installation, with
LDAP authentication, and the programmer involved will probably NOT have
familiarity with installing Java and database based open source
applications.

   Since I expect this is probably closer to the norm for many smaller
institutions, reason tells me others have been in this position before,
and can likely inform us from their own experience.



Jody DeRidder
Digital Services
University of Alabama Libraries
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487
(205) 348-0511
jody at jodyderidder.com
jlderidder at ua.edu

> Hi Jody,
>
> It is difficult to fully answer your question as the more
> customizations you have will increase install time, and the level of
> experience of the administrator could impact install time.  However,
> in general DSpace is pretty easy to install and maintain.  Below is
> our standard response, I hope others in the community can share more
> personal experiences.
>
> best, Michele
> DSpace Foundation
>
> How much time does it take to set up a DSpace installation?
>
> A person familiar with installing Java and database based open source
> applications should be able to complete a prototype DSpace
> installation in a few hours to a day.  After this experience, and an
> additional day to a week of exploring the software, a production
> installation should also take about a day for the basic software in a
> standalone configuration.  If customizations or local integrations are
> required (for example, for user authentication), then additional time
> should be allocated according to the complexity and quantity of the
> changes required.
>
> How much maintenance does a DSpace instance require?
>
> While the DSpace software itself requires very little maintenance, the
> usual IT overhead for data backup, etc. applies.  It is also typical
> for expectations and requirements to evolve once the instance is
> operational.  Initial system usage often exposes areas for
> reorganization, metadata correction, and the inevitable requests to
> remove prematurely or incorrectly deposited items.  An ongoing
> maintenance estimate should incorporate IT time based on the expected
> size of the repository to backup, ongoing local development based on
> the amount of customization, and repository content management based
> on the anticipated rate of deposit.
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