[Gllug] Mature (web)app deployment/management frameworks?

[Bruce Richardson]

On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 06:39:39PM +0100, Walter wrote:
> (Sorry for the slightly vague description.  I suppose network level
> systems automation / management is one of those fairly large, time
> saving, habit altering 'jumps' that experienced list members will
> recognise in their own journey through UNIXland :)

You are not going to find a self-contained, well supported, mature,
platform-independent web application framework that is also designed to
integrate well with your OS of choice and favourite
monitoring/deployment/packaging systems.  Almost by definition, such a
system would be obvivious to those things.  So some of your requirements
are irrelevant (except as context) and others are just not realistic.
For example:

 * Deploys cleanly to a VM: if it deploys cleanly to anything, it'll
   deploy cleanly to a VM.  I do not think designers of web frameworks
   would or should waste time on wondering how to make their code more
   manageable in a VM - the virtual or physical nature of the host should
   be irrelevant.

 * Automatic dependency resolution: very reasonable demand.  Many
   systems try to offer this and some even manage it.

 * Automatic dependency system that integrates well with your favourite
   OS's package manager - not going to happen.  In fact, they'll
   conflict.  Use one or the other.  I think you'd have much more
   success using something like Puppet to control (or at least prompt)
   the typical web framework dependency/application deployment system
   than you would trying to do it at the OS packaging system level.  In
   fact, I think the lower level packaging system is the wrong tool.
   You can use it to install the basic package for the web framework
   itself, sure (but even there, it'll probably crap all over your
   packaging system once it's installed and wants to upgrade stuff).

 * Remote management of config: absolutely.  Nice to have, reasonable to
   ask for.  Same goes for starting and stopping of components.

I think the best you can ask for is something that is sane and exposes
enough functionality that you can do the integration work.  It's
possible that somebody has done some of that work already for your
platform of choice - although that would be much more likely if you were
using RHES or similar.  

Having probably not been as helpful as you wanted, I'll do some thinking
for another e-mail with some actual suggestions.

-- 
Bruce

I see a mouse.  Where?  There, on the stair.  And its clumsy wooden
footwear makes it easy to trap and kill.  -- Harry Hill
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