The AMI Database Project: Atlas Data Challenge Bookkeeping, and the Tag Collector, a new tool for Release Management

TL;DR

This paper introduces the AMI Database Project, a set of generic tools for managing database applications, and describes two applications: the Atlas Data Challenge Bookkeeping and the Tag Collector for release management.

Contribution

It presents a three-tier architecture for a flexible, generic database management interface supporting multiple applications, including new tools for production bookkeeping and release management.

Findings

The Tag Collector significantly improved Atlas software release management.

The AMI framework supports diverse RDBMS through a unified interface.

Two applications demonstrate the system's versatility and effectiveness.

Abstract

Many database tools have the same or similar requirements. The Atlas Metadata Interface (AMI) project aims to provide a set of generic tools for managing database applications. AMI has a three-tier architecture with a core that supports a connection to any RDBMS using JDBC and SQL. The middle layer assumes that the databases have an AMI compliant self-describing structure. It provides a generic web interface and a generic command line interface. The top layer contains application specific features. Currently 7 such applications exist. Two of these applications are described. The first, and principal use of AMI, is the Atlas Data Challenge Production Bookkeeping interface. The second application is called Tag Collector, a web tool for release management, has many features which have greatly facilitated Atlas software management.