I found gLite's python/xml configuration unworkable compared to yaim.
We attempted to install gLite (version 1.0) at NeSC for training
purposes with the python/xml configuration. Whilst I didn't have a
problem with the xml (surprisingly easy to edit with a text editor) I
had several with python. The main problem is due to the inevitable
debugging that sysadmins have to do. (Has any sysadmin not had to debug
yaim?). It is many times harder than yaim to track down and fix errors
for two reasons:
- python is object oriented: I found I had to jump around multiple files
to locate the problematic area of code. Not easy with a text editor.
- I am not as familiar with python as shell scripting and I suspect this
applies to many sysadmins.
Also, I don't think the use of object-oriented techniques for middleware
configuration is sensible from a software engineering perspective.
Configuration of software components is, inherently, a sequential task:
configure component x, then configure y and so on. The use of a
sequential language makes it easy (trivial in many cases) to locate
problems.
A compromise might be to use python in an entirely sequential way with
one file per middleware component. Then you'd get the advantages of a
more flexible, higher-level language without the disadvantages of
object-oriented debugging.
However, I can well imagine that using python makes it easier for the
developers to write and maintain.
cheers
Steve
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