Apache To Steward NASA-Built Middleware

itwbennett writes "The Apache Software Foundation announced Wednesday that the Object-Oriented Data Technology (OODT), first developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has graduated to a top level project. The software 'provides a one-stop toolkit for building up a database, populating a database, setting up a work flow to get data into that database, and then serving out lots of different content from that database,' said Chris Mattmann, vice president of the OODT project. NASA uses the software to manage data from multiple domains, including astrophysics, earth carbon monitoring and land-water use. The National Cancer Institute also uses the software for its Daily Detection Research Network, which ties together multiple cancer research databases."

Comments

The JPL

[Anonymous Coward]

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory sure does hate to do anything related to jet engines.

Re:The JPL

[TheLink]

Many people often come up with great things to do just to procrastinate...

Re:The JPL

[Nyeerrmm]

JPL never did any work with jet engines. It was founded between 1936 and 1941 (depending on what you consider founding) to work on rocket motors.

However, during that time, jet propulsion was all the rage (a 100mph difference would have been very important during WWII dog fights,) which led to the choice of names. Easier to get funding when you use the right buzzwords.

Whew, that's all right then

[rbrander]

When I first saw the acronym, I thought it was about the repeal of "Object-Oriented, Don't Tell", NASA's antiquated requirement for all-procedural programming...

Re:Whew, that's all right then

[Anonymous Coward]

NASA's antiquated requirement for all-procedural programming...

Can you provide a reference?

Re:Whew, that's all right then

[Mitchell314]

NASA's antiquated requirement for all-procedural programming...

Can you provide a reference?

0x0C56A5FF :P

But . . .

[Mitchell314]

But does it do backups?

Re:But . . .

[Goglu]

... and most importantly, does it support conversion between metric and imperial units of measure?

Re:But . . .

[davester666]

It doesn't matter, as all the operations it performs are covered by a number of patents, by a number of different companies, and which will sue the gov't and everybody who even thought about downloading this software for willful patent infringement.

Re:But . . .

[Mitchell314]

Only for non-rover related work.

Not a "first NASA's Open Source release"

[paxcoder]

Despite what http://oodt.apache.org/ says, this is not NASA's first "Open Source" project, as Worldwind is older (2007). However, OODT may well be NASA's first Free Software project because Worldwind was released under a non-free license, whereas this is Apache 2 license. Yes, you read correctly. NASA has its own NOSA license (NASA Open Source Agreement - yuck), which is not a free software license by the standards of FSF, but is non the less approved by OSI (which makes it officially "Open Source"). Look it up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Open_Source_Agreement

Re:Not a "first NASA's Open Source release"

[Anonymous Coward]

Despite what http://oodt.apache.org/ says, this is not NASA's first "Open Source" project, as Worldwind is older (2007). However, OODT may well be NASA's first Free Software project because Worldwind was released under a non-free license, whereas this is Apache 2 license. Yes, you read correctly. NASA has its own NOSA license (NASA Open Source Agreement - yuck), which is not a free software license by the standards of FSF, but is non the less approved by OSI (which makes it officially "Open Source"). Look it up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Open_Source_Agreement

Paxcoder,

You are 100% correct, the site should read this is the first NASA Project @ Apache. Good catch, I will be sure to get the project team to make the correction.

-Cameron

sounds useful, but

[Anonymous Coward]

You have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how it works.

Re:sounds useful, but

[HomelessInLaJolla]

a one-stop toolkit for building up a database

touch

populating a database

echo >>

setting up a work flow to get data into that database

emacs pico nano ed

and then serving out lots of different content from that database

head tail grep cut sed

Re:sounds useful, but

[sonamchauhan]

A log file isn't a database:)

Re:sounds useful, but

[Anonymous Coward]

Get back to me when you can do this with hundreds of millions of data entries.

Sounds like SharePoint

[jd2112]

or perhaps I've been around the PHBs for too long...

Re:Sounds like SharePoint

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't think they have been built to fill the same requirements. This is supposed to be useful to *share* knowledge, for instance.

NASA = PR WHORE

[z-j-y]

it has less and less things to whore about.

Re:NASA = PR WHORE

[Anonymous Coward]

less and less things

fewer and fewer things

Re:NASA = PR WHORE

[Required Snark]

The day you are involved any real research project is the day you can refer to NASA as a "whore". You are a congenital knuckle dragging asshat, and I expect that you have accomplished nothing in your entire life. Stop criticizing people who have real accomplishments from your parents basement, you dumb troll.

People who do hard things respect the work of others, and would never make the kind of idiot blanket statement you posted. Saying such a thing marks you as useless talentless and brainless. You trash you betters because you want to drag everyone else down the level of stupidity that makes you comfortable. STFU, moron.

High tech sophisticated sounding database tool

[h00manist]

Interesting Things To Check Out Someday pile. Queue position # 53,972. May be promoted if I get a database job. May be reached if i discover immortality or significant extention to lifetime, software development continues in afterlife, or I win the Super Extra Free Time Extension Lottery. #toomuchinformation #database #object-oriented #apache

Nice work

[kramulous]

It definitely sounds like an excellent tool. I can't wait to have a play.

Has the potential to be extremely useful. Thanks guys.

What is it?

[bill_mcgonigle]

I read the summary, the article, and a few pages on the website. They all talk about features, but no description of what the thing actually is, except that it's written in Python. I recognize most of the words there, and they have a block diagram with nebulous terms.

So, does anybody actually know what this is?

Re:What is it?

[lehphyro]

I suppose it's some kind of CMS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_management_system) written mostly in Java.

Something like the Apache foundation - best place

[dbIII]

Something like the Apache foundation is the best place for released government software. A previous attempt at release and public distribution via a private company was a truly dismal failure. OpenPBS (portable batch system) is supposed to be available to anyone that asks. However when you do ask a sales rep strings you along for more than a month trying to sell you something that they can't actually assure you will fit your requirements (and is no longer under development) even when the free one is documented as doing so. It was a truly stupid waste of the salesperson's time and mine that would have exceeded the price of providing the file for download or sending by email by several orders of magnitude and generated a lot of ill will. I'll go as far as saying it was blatant false advertising using a government funded open source product to do a bait and switch to try to sell me an unmaintained product they picked up in a corporate takeover.
My experience appears to have been identical to that of many that attempted to obtain this government funded open source software that NASA had declared was available for anyone. Eventually due to this open source project becoming closed the project just had to fork and the compatible Torque batch system was developed by people that had actually get hold of the original OpenPBS.

Re:Something like the Apache foundation - best pla

[Anonymous Coward]

what the hell are you talking about?!