GASH schema changes proposed for dev3

[Jonathan Abbey <jonabbey@arlut.utexas.edu>]

Hi folks.  We're working towards a dev3 release of Ganymede, with a number
of new features, fixes, and all the rest.  I want to solicit feedback on
one matter pertaining to the GASH schema.

Right now, the GASH system schema is somewhat elaborated relative to the
actual capabilities of GASH.  This was because our initial efforts to develop
our 'next-generation' DNS support was implemented in the GASH schema.  You can
see this where individual interfaces in a system can have multiple I.P.
records, and each I.P. record can have multiple DNS records associated with
it.  We think this is a needed improvement and will be maintaining it in the
advanced schema we are developing here at the lab.  In terms of GASH
compatibility, however, it doesn't work very well.  We have implemented some
code to generate the GASH hosts_info file out of Ganymede running the GASH
schema.  With this code, it will be possible to use Ganymede as essentially a
drop-in replacement for GASH.

What I want to get feedback on is this:  should we go ahead and simplify the
system/network schema as implemented in the current GASH schema provided in
dev2c?  The advantage to this is that you would be able to use Ganymede as a
drop-in replacement for GASH with just a little bit of work.  The disadvantage
to it is that you would have to re-import your data from your GASH files
(and/or your Ganymede-emitted NIS source files), as the database format would
no longer be compatible.

I'm leaning towards doing this, as it would make the GASH schema more
consistent and useful for current GASH users.  It would mean, however, that
the GASH schema would be essentially frozen as a development area at the
level of GASH, and that at some point in the future it would be necessary
to have a separate schema that would have the advanced DNS management
features with a more generic NIS schema than the one we are currently
developing in the lab.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can give.

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Jonathan Abbey				              jonabbey@arlut.utexas.edu
Applied Research Laboratories                 The University of Texas at Austin
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