Web-Based Content Management System for Equipment Information

Summary form only given. Our lab has developed a database driven content management system for lab members to obtain up to date information on the status and availability of tools from any web browser. The system displays whether a tool is up, down or in a caution state. It provides a calendar of upcoming reservations-either in-browser or as an ical file. Tools can be pinpointed on a map. Tool specific downloads can be stored in a versionable file repository with tiered access to control visibility to each of 3 groups: lab staff, lab members and the general public. Administration views and controls are available to lab staff when logged in. The system can be configured to use OpenCoral as the data backend. By installing the JasperServer reporting engine, a number of reports covering lab usage, equipment metrics and repair history can also be hosted and linked to the same set of information. This presentation will demonstrate how our web system is accessed by first going through the typical experience of a lab member, from authentication to looking up tool information, including the availability of reservation slots and any problems that have been reported on the tool. Then the user interface that is used by administrators for updating information and uploading files will be shown. The second portion of the demonstration will show the software components that make up the system and give an overview of how to install the application onto an existing web server. The software is based on a typical LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) stack with LDAP authentication on the backend. Database storage can also use PostgreSQL. The JasperReports reporting engine is used for displaying reports. I will discuss the various caveats that need to be considered when setting up and connecting these systems, as well as plans for future improvements.