[gdal-dev] Installing test databases/servers online for the GDAL project

[Frank Warmerdam]

Tamas Szekeres wrote:
> Folks,
> 
> I'm not totally sure whether this topic has already been discussed or
> not, however I'd like to see your opinion about.
> 
> I've just worked on adding further drivers to Windows buildbot slaves,
> as I consider it would be reasonable to have them regularly tested
> especialy during the beta/release period of the GDAL project. I've
> noticed that many of the tests rely on the existence of some external
> servers like for mysql, oci, sde, pgsql, wcs. Currently none of these
> servers are available online therefore those tests are skipped in the
> testing process.
> 
> I'd wonder if we could somehow get those servers online, however I'm
> not sure who is responsible to maintain the corresponding databases.
> Assuming that there's no explicit owner of these servers would it be
> reasonable to establish such test servers for the GDAL project
> permanently?

Tamas,

I am interested in having as many of the databases enabled in at least
one of the buildbot slave instances.  Possibly Ari and I can get some of
them working on buildtest.osgeo.org as he migrates some of our GDAL
build slaves there.

I will note that SDE is pretty involved and non-free.  Currently I'm hoping
that Howard will be able to test SDE reasonably frequently.

As Ivan mentioned, it is permitted to install the full Oracle software
without cost as long as it is only being used for development, not
production.  So I'd like to get an oracle instance running somewhere
reasonably centrally accessable for testing and development.  However, the
operating system on buildtest.osgeo.org seems to be too old/odd to
accomplish this.  I tried and failed.  There has been some discussion of
OSGeo purchasing a server beefy enough to run several VMs.  It might be
practical to have one of those VMs used for testing and include an oracle
instance.

There is no reason, other than time, that we can't get mysql, postgres,
and ingres working on buildtest.osgeo.org.   I'd also like to get a
dependable WCS and WMS instance going somewhere.  I've setup my own
WCS test instance in the past, but the system ended up dying
(geodata.telascience.org) and I never got around to setting it up again.
Once again, just a matter of someone willing to do the work and document
it.

I'm a bit leery about providing open database services on the internet.
One concern is that it may make for very slow automated testing for
those with significant network latency.  My second concern is security.
I have no idea how dangerous a publically accessable mysql or postgres
instance is.  But I'm not keen on leaving a door wide open to crackers.
This might be more practical if we could provide it in a VM that we
could just restart from a clean image when needed.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent