[Zope] Announce - Audio Product

[marc lindahl]

This is a very necessary discussion, methinks... there's been bits of
threads, but I don't think enough.

> From: Bill Anderson <bill@libc.org>
> 
> o Some people are still (dare i say many?) running on a system that has
> a 2Gb limit on filesize.

OK, they can try this:
http://www.zope.org/Members/hathawsh/PartitionedFileStorage

> 
> o A large ZODB _can_ cause problems when you need it back it up, or
> restore it

how, more than a large bunch of files in a directory tree?  Either way,
typical backup software splits for CD burning, multiple tapes, etc.

> 
> o Consider the problems involved with a large ZODB when starting up and
> shutting down 
> I have an N-Class HPUX beastie that has a 362+MB ZODb, it refuses to
> pack, and takes a while to start up.

What do you mean, it refuses to pack?  It gives an error or something?

> Memory is not an issue, believe me, I have several gigs of that
> untouched yet. yet it still takes an unacceptable
> amountof time to strart up.

Several gigs of RAM?  Cool!  Maybe someone from DC can detail what goes on
at startup that might take alot of time.

I guess, this is important for a desktop machine, that you turn on every day
-- for a server that's always on, no big deal, right?

> o Consider the problem of someone uploading a diferent (perhaps improved
> mp3)  file. Now, until you pack past this change,
> you have _two_ copies of the data. Actually, I believe that even if
> only some metadata is changed, you get another copy.
> This.   Gets.   Ugly.   Fast.

Actually, this could be a good thing.  What if the 'improved' version is
broken somehow?  Or the meta data was in error?  'Undo'!

Also, importantly, version control!

If you're talking about a site like MP3.COM where you have lots of people
uploading their own stuff, then you might have a problem with packing, with
mp3's, images, other stuff.  What to do about it?  A couple of ideas come to
mind:  pack often, like every day, or use the packless database and forgo
the feature, or ...?

I'm aiming at uploading of audio as something with a little more control
(like a review process), so having 1000 versions of the same file unpacked
isn't an issue, and the versioning is important.

> 
> o Consider the ZSP that would much rather have the data stored in the FS
> where they can keep better track of it (and
> use quotas perhaps)

If they're in linux, they could quota the data.fs, no difference there...  I
don't know that they should be monitoring your files in either case, should
they?

> 
> o Consider the possibility of having the file sitting on the OS's file
> system, available for outbound-ftp through
> non-zope means, or local system use (for. those who would use it on
> their local machine as an MP3 organizer)
> or for an audio-streamer program, such as icecast or shoutcast, to
> stream them out

These are the important use cases I see for external storage.  Though, as
far as icecast goes, someone should beat that code into a Product, it would
be great to have streaming built in to zope!