Whythawk, as leading open data and CKAN technical experts, were approached to prepare technical training and guidance to support the following objectives:
- Upgrade CKAN to the latest version.
- Automate dataset metadata field updates via API.
- Publication authorisation and workflow, including configuration of notification by email of the modification of a data set.
- Add custom dataset metadata fields to be indexed by the search engine, either as search or as a filter.
- Geospatial support, including for search, for datasets where a location field in the dataset is included in a geographical area defined during the search.
- Data explorer GUI functionality to access the resource files without going through Windows Explorer, limiting access to the administrators or managers of the datasets.
- Installing a single-sign-on (SSO) plugin / interconnection with an Active Directory.
All of this to be delivered on site, inside their secure environment, and entirely in French.
Our solution
We researched and prepared comprehensive documentation on all requirements, including selecting appropriate plugins to serve extended needs. Additionally, we built a local simulation of their existing deployment and tested processes for offline / isolated deployment of CKAN within a secure environment.
Once all was tested and working, we translated all our material into French. We then spent several days with the Marine Nationale team on site, conducting a guided tutorial where they implemented our processes directly as we went.
Outcomes
While extremely complex and challenging, we were successfully able to upgrade and migrate their systems, permitting them to self-manage them into the future.
