EUTP Website

EUTP Website technology and development

In terms of the plans for the EUTP project website we will shortly recap our earlier plans for the EUTP website development and explain which plans have been altered, and which technologies we’ve actually have accomplished.

The following explains the EUTP II website goals as they were stated before the EUTP II kick-off.

EUTP Website Goals

• Comprehensive database of information
• Relationship to other websites
• Intermodal Transport Portal
• Dissemination tool

By now some of these goals are already achieved. We have collected a large number of projects in the Website database, and we have established relations to other websites. The rest will among other issues be tasks for the future development of the website.

To achieve the tasks in the EUTP Website Goals WebHouse proposed an altered website and new database functionality and further technology expansion.

Some of these alterations has already been achieved, thus not in a visual way, but mostly behind the scenes with technical ground work, research and innovation.

To achieve our goals the website and it’s fundamental technology needed some major extensions which are being undertaken through the following tasks:

Extension of the EUTP Website

• The Database
• Administrative Tools
• Import Engine
• Report Engine
• Website Design
• Web Publishing & Marketing

The following sections explain shortly what has been done, and what will be done within the scope of extending the EUTP Website.

The Database

All database related issues have been completed within the first project year but will be further revised during 2002 to obtain even better functionality and usability.

1. Expanded for scalability

The database on which the EUTP I website was build is an entry level database called Microsoft Access, which is to small for the amount of data collected and implemented during EUTP II. The database is also not very scalable so we wanted to find a database platform that was both free of charge, and had an open and scalable interface. This is were we decided on using a free Open Source initiative database called MySQL that works not only on Microsoft operating system, but on Linux and Unix systems as well.

The MySQL database has the power and scalability for very large and mission critical websites, and was to become the core database in the EUTP Content Management Platform which is explained later.

2. High-end SQL server software

The MySQL database that we have chosen is not a high-end SQL server software but a mid-level SQL database with no charge for the EUTP budget. A high-end database solution would have had large license costs on the budget, and we could not advise on that.

3. Portable Windows frontend (bypassed)

We believe that the web is the one and only right platform now and in the future for project and information collaboration software, and the costs of developing a Windows frontend would exceed the goals within EUTP.

4. Open Source initiatives/alterations

Open Source initiatives are highly supported by the commission and therefor we wanted to transfer the platform completely to use Open Source software for developing the EUTP II website and website tools. One of the Open Source projects used is the MySQL database, others include the free PHP4 server side scripting language, Linux operating systems, and CVS software version control. One of the main goals in using Open Source software is that it’s free and often supported on more systems than just the Microsoft platforms.

Administrative Tools

To enhance the availability of co-operation on the Internet the EUTP II website needed some better administrative tools. Almost all these technologies have been developed during 2001 and is now present as a complete administrative Content Management System behind the EUTP website.

The tools are divided into the following technologies:

1. Mailing lists (selected broadcast)

An e-mail mailinglist with the possibility to broadcast news and information to selected groups on the EUTP II website was needed to reach the EUTP goal of having a large RTD and Intermodal Internet portal. The software to do this has been developed by now and has by the end of october 2001 been included to the EUTP Content Management System.

2. Search Tool (with boolean logic)

The finalised EUTP II website will contain two different search tools. The task of both having an advanced internal search tool to find information in the EUTP databases and on the website itself, and an external Webcrawler tool to automatically collect information from other related Web resources is a exciting task. We will solve our aims by using both our own technology and by using another Open Source project – the ht://Dig WWW Search Engine Software. The ht://Dig software will be used for boolean search and to index external websites so their informations can be found directly by searching at the EUTP website. The task of connecting the two search engines is still obsolete and will commence in 2002. More details about this issue later year 2002.

3. Document upload & handling

For document upload and download we have developed a first edition webbased document publishing tool, that let members of the EUTP Consortium and associated partners, and webmaster both publish (upload), and download documents on a secure basis. All documents will have their own permissions for limitations to peoples or persons not allowed to view the document. Documents is mainly used for download without the need of permissions. This task has been completed by october 2001.

4. Links

Adding and maintaining links is now a logical and very simple part of the EUTP Content Management System.

5. Menu (addition of new menupoints)

By using not only a new website core for all functions but also a new website user interface (design as presented november 2001) it is now possible to extend the website in numerous ways by adding the possibility of more information levels through the navigation menu.

Webcrawler technology

The Webcrawler technology will be possible through the ht://Dig search software explained earlier. The main task for this software will be to index other relevant information resources on a regular basis, and then storing information for search use later. The stored information is based on text abstracts from the original source, and links to the original source for further reading. This makes it easy for the EUTP website administrator to collect information about other RTD relevant projects and Intermodal websites. This task will be completed in 2002 and will be addressed through our E-mail Newsletter.

Summary

To sum up issues addressed in this context a serious amount of targeted tasks and goals have already been completed by late 2001.

We will commence our strategy of having a complete Intermodal Transport Portal by the end of 2002 or early 2003.

The following tasks will be initiated early 2002:

1. Installation and comprehensive testing of webcrawler technology
2. Setup and integration of webcrawler schemata into the EUTP search engine
3. Easier access to user account information
4. Easier access to enter project information