helping college students collaborate, learn, and share their knowledge freely online.
-# Installing
+## Additional resources
+
+[[ discussion groups, chat rooms, etc. related to FC and FC sources ]]
+
+
+
+# Quick install
Requirements:
-- Linux server (circa 2011)
-- Node.js (Version 0.4.10 or later)
-- MongoDB (Version 1.8.2 or later)
+- A typical Linux server (circa 2011)
+- Node.js (Version 0.4.10 or later) [More ...](http://nodejs.org)
+- MongoDB (Version 1.8.2 or later) [More ...](http://mongodb.org)
+- forever
+ $ pwd
+ /home/you
+ $ install git
+ $ install node
+ $ git clone git@github.com:/finalsclubdev/FinalsClub fc
+ $ cd fc
+ $ git submodule init
+ $ git submodule update
+ [[ flesh this out with correct commands - reference util scripts - fix util scripts ]]
-# Infrastructure
-The FC servers run in the cloud on Linux servers, using Amazon Web Services (AWS).
-Scaling is accomplished by adding additional servers to a load balancer.
+# System components
-NOTE: The scaling system is automatic; new servers have to be added manually, but it it's very easy.
-NOTE: Automatic fail-over of the database is not yet in place.
+The system consists of these main parts:
-NOTE: There are currently 2 running server instances. One for the live server and one for testing.
+- The website
+- The collaborative, real-time editor
+- The back channel
-Data is stored in a MongoDB server running on the same AWS instance as the website.
-Data is backed up daily to the durable AWS S3 system.
-One backup of the database is kept for the most recent 30 days, one for each of the most
-recent 12 months, and one for every year.
+Most of the system is written in Javascript and executed by the Node.js runtime.
-AWS Cloudwatch is used to monitor the servers.
-When the configured conditions warrant attention, notices are sent to "info@finalsclub.org".
-NOTE: There are currently 2 monitors set up:
-- available disk space
-- CPU utilization
+# Source Code
-NOTE: We still have an ongoing issue with the EPL server hanging up. This is being worked on.
+
+## The Collaborative Real-time Editor
+
+The editor is an embedded editor called [Etherpad-Lite](https://github.com/Pita/etherpad-lite) (EPL).
+It provides the ability for multiple people to simultaneously edit a single document.
+The documents in FC are the notes for a specific lecture.
+
+EPL is installed as a git submodule to the main FC source tree with the name "etherpad-lite".
+
+
+## The Back Channel (BC)
+
+The back channel portion of FC is implemented with ["BC"](https://github.com/FinalsClubDev/bc).
+BC allows the note takers, or anyone else who is just observing,
+to suggest questions for the lecturer, and vote on each other's questions.
+It also allows people to post commentary.
+
+Although the actual BC code was written for FC, it has been extracted from the original
+FC source and turned into an independent open source project.
+
+BC is installed as a git submodule to the main FC source tree with the name "bc".
+
+
+## The Surrounding Website
+
+This is the FC website, which brings together the other two elements into
+a single website that serves it's stated purpose (above).
+This would be the home page, privacy policy page, the page that lists the participating
+schools, the sub pages containing lists of lectures and note taking sessions, and the
+core page where EPL and BC are both found along side each other.
+
+Several node modules are leveraged to to make the basic website work:
+
+- [async](http:npmjs.org)
+- [aws-lib](http:npmjs.org)
+- [connect](http:npmjs.org)
+- [connect-mongo](http:npmjs.org)
+- [ejs](http:npmjs.org)
+- [express](http:npmjs.org)
+- [express-messages](http:npmjs.org)
+- [hat](http:npmjs.org)
+- [hooks](http:npmjs.org)
+- [init](http:npmjs.org)
+- [jade](http:npmjs.org)
+- [mongodb](http:npmjs.org)
+- [mongoose](http:npmjs.org)
+- [socket.io](http:npmjs.org)
+
+
+[[ more detail about website generally, then defer to src comments ]]
# Database
The database is MongoDB.
-MongoDB is not a relational database, but rather a noSQL or "document/object" based database.
+MongoDB is not a relational database, but rather a noSQL or "document/object" database.
Data is stored as structured objects versus tables and rows.
(More about MongoDB)[http://mongodb.org].
-## Collections
+## Collections in the database
- archivedcourses
[[ schema needed ]]
[[ schema needed ]]
+## [[ stuff ]]
-# Source Code
-
-The source code for the website itself consists of these main parts:
+[[ notes about scaling/replication/etc. ]]
-- The collaborative, real-time editor
-- The back channel
-- The surrounding website
-These 3 pieces are written in Javascript for Node.js.
-## The Collaborative Real-time Editor
+# AWS Infrastructure
-The real-time editor is an embedded editor called
-[Etherpad-Lite](https://github.com/Pita/etherpad-lite) (EPL).
-It provides the ability for multiple people to simultaneously edit a single document.
-The documents in FC are the notes for a specific lecture.
+The actual finalsclub.org servers run in the cloud on Linux servers, using Amazon Web Services (AWS).
+Scaling is accomplished by adding additional servers to a load balancer.
+NOTE: The scaling system is automatic; new servers have to be added manually, but it it's very easy.
+NOTE: Automatic fail-over of the database is not yet in place.
-## The Back Channel (BC)
+NOTE: There are currently 2 running server instances. One for the live server and one for testing.
-The back channel portion of FC utilizes ["BC"](https://github.com/FinalsClubDev/BC).
-BC allows the note takers, or anyone else who is just observing,
-to suggest questions for the lecturer, and vote on each other's questions.
-It also allows people to post commentary.
+Data is stored in a MongoDB server running on the same AWS instance as the website.
+Data is backed up daily to the durable AWS S3 system.
+One backup of the database is kept for the most recent 30 days, one for each of the most
+recent 12 months, and one for every year.
+AWS Cloudwatch is used to monitor the servers.
+When the configured conditions warrant attention, notices are sent to "info@finalsclub.org".
-## The Surrounding Website
+NOTE: There are currently 2 monitors set up:
-This is the FC website, which brings together the other two elements into
-a single website that serves it's stated purpose (above).
-This would be the home page, privacy policy page, the page that lists the participating
-schools, the sub pages containing lists of lectures and note taking sessions, and the
-core page where EPL and BC are both found along side each other.
+- available disk space
+- CPU utilization
+NOTE: We still have an ongoing issue with the EPL server hanging up. This is being worked on.
projects / oweals / finalsclub.git / blobdiff