Dear all,
Introducing myself as a beginner and newbie in this Drupal platform. To be honest, basically I am a main contractor contracted to build numerous application like ERP but this is for higher education institution as a systems and it's database will be auto synchronize to update its database per application in the systems. The systems will be built using SSO for easier access. This systems will be use for education purpose in higher learning institution. Since I don't have knowledge in application whatsoever, I subcontracted this job to local developer. The developer is called Sapua, and they offered me to be able to provide 26 systems running under Drupal platform, using multisite as its portal, however using single database. Here are the example of details I able to share before I go to my questions, as follows:
- usage for: university
- who will use the applications under numerous systems: at least 35k
- what kind of system running under: academic information system, business intelligence system, asset management system, office management system, alumni management system, research management system, decision support system, content authoring system, e-library, repository system, multi payment gateway, financial information system, etc
- how many data we are talking about: at least 10million data, variable from text, audio to other multimedia files
- type of database use: single database
- type of login: sso
- hardware supports: match the requirement for running Drupal ie: dual core intel xeon, 16GB ram, etc
- network infrastructure: 10Gbps fiber up/down link, 30Mbps bandwidth, bandwidth management system applied.
Hopefully the above information will be sufficient for me to ask these several questions bugging me since months ago, because the progress has been difficult for me to overcome the difficulties occurred in the work field. Lots of error has been happening, often appeared if there were 2 or more errors occurred, then 1 error is repaired, then it'll incurred new error aside from the previously said.
My questions are:
- Will Drupal platform is suitable for these kind of applications and systems embedded?
- Usually, at least within 3 days, there'll be at least 30k users access multiple systems for their educational necessities, with recorded concurrent user could rose up to 4k within the same time. Will the Drupal able to run smoothly if being accessed from lots of user.
- Should the database be split like the original plan or still using single database, and why?
- Will the application inside the system or all the systems with all applications inside will be running..?
These questions appeared because too many errors from the developers, and the progress reports has been dissapointing..
For all your information and shares, I'd be greatly appreciated it.
Thanks and best Regards,
Aznlova
Comments
can't wait :D
can't wait to know the answer from the drupal master :)
Architectue
Interesting case,
First of all the question should not be 'Will Drupal ...?'
but 'How could one implement this concept with Drupal ....?'
In almost all cases the mentioned bugs arise between the keyboard and the chair, not in the CMS.
The Architecture concept of one multi-site in this scale is flawed by default.
While multi-site architecture reduces load to the (single?) server it also brings the risk that if one part of the system collapses the whole system does not work.
For the Single Sign On and 35.000 users one would recommend to use LDAP or equivalent authentication servers in redundant configuration. (in general universities have their users stored in Active Directory and LDAP can hook into this)
For the amount of data i.e. 10 million items with variable content (rich media, txt etc.) would probably be stored on different file servers again in redundant setup. (do not use NFS)
For big datasets non relational databases like CouchDB or MongoDB are better suited then MySQL.
Between the drupal web systems optimized per utility one could use Feeds / pubsubhubbub to have all data updated where needed.
Sofar my five cents of reaction, if you want more in depth consultancy contact me trough d.o. profile.
the developers divided into
the developers divided into three servers, but in 2 sites they put it into 1 =__=... well anyhow, let's dream the ideals shall we..3 servers configuration will be 1 for database, 1 for web and 1 for the application. Yes, they are using LDAP. In regards of MySQL, they've tried but when they migrated the data, it became trends for invalid data, so they switch to PostgreSQL (other site they use MySQL...)
Thanks for ur advice, I will ask the developers to discussed this with you, because I think this is the first in my country such developers using Drupal as platform to running many application at once..usually other developers are using pure PHP..
Standard ERP implementation practices
I am new to Drupal, but I have been implementing ERP and procurement systems for 15 years. I cannot imagine the CIO of a major client such as your University who would ever consider anything other than a dedicated database where the data is not commingled with other clients.
ERP projects are not simple. In my opinion, if you don't have an experienced project manager and tech lead who know the ERP business processes, you will be coding and re-coding for 3 years. What you are missing, if I am reading your question correctly, is someone to manage your requirements and designs with direct knowledge of both the business needs and the software capability.
Ted Spencer
Addison Spencer Consulting LLC
right on
Hi Ted,
Completely agree with your comments. Don't know if you've ever looked at xTuple (www.xtuple.com), but we've got a very mature, open source ERP core product (multi-platform client-server), as well as several Drupal add-ons for portal-based customer support, B2B sales, and an ubercart e-commerce integration.
More on the Drupal modules at www.xtuple.com/webportal.
Your comments caught my eye because we (and our partners around the world) always approach customer engagements as a business-focused ERP project first, not an IT exercise.
Best regards,
Ned
I concur that we need good
I concur that we need good analysts to analyze requirement of use and their necessities. From what I've seen when the developers start develop, they couldn't provide buspro flow to offered the client, instead they use default template that they used when they developed the application from previous clients. However, during time of analyzing university's needs and wants, they seemed so hard to modified the application. User has commented that since Drupal is using so many ppl scripts, therefore it will take longer time before modification could start. Usual problem occurred when developers tried to modified one part, other part would get impact, and usually error notification occurred.
Why would u suggest that dedicated database is needed for single system? I mean logically, several application accessing 1 database is faster isn't it rather than one application tried to access other app's database if it wanted specified data.
Well, I truly wanna know if Drupal can be use as platform to built an portal multi sites that numerous application running on top of it. One of my clients complained that this couldn't be successful unless maybe Drupal is being used for 1 or 2 application running on top of it.
Since I'm not an IT expert, what I did was trying to convince my clients otherwise, however since the progress isn't progressive, then disappointment and furiously angered responses are my daily meals nowadays..lol..
Thanks
I quoted: "I am new to
I quoted:
"I am new to Drupal, but I have been implementing ERP and procurement systems for 15 years. I cannot imagine the CIO of a major client such as your University who would ever consider anything other than a dedicated database where the data is not commingled with other clients."
--> This is my question as well to the developers, because user has been persuading them to use multiple distribution database, however the developers insisted that this is the best method amongst many that will beneficials to all the systems
"you will be coding and re-coding for 3 years."
--> Well..there was one project started since April 2011, and it still on going until today. There are 11 systems implemented there, yet we still suffering and struggling to finish 1 or 2 systems.. and 3 out of 3 projects I undergo, none of them are finished, because repeat errors and long time to fix it..
Are there any success story relevant to my kind of story? Because I've read on Drupal references on universities using Drupal are limited on how Drupal being used. Mostly they use Drupal as website or multisite platform and maybe 1 aplication and 1 system running on top of the platform.
Thank you