[cad-linux] Re: database application scenarios

> The following was supposedly scribed by
> Lee Fickenscher
> on Thursday 15 May 2003 08:41 am:

>Are you saying that you would take a snapshot, convert that snapshat to
>a .dwg, and store that .dwg in a ramdrive?

yes.

>I'm not sure how well ramdrives work on windows machines, and if you are
>talking about AutoCAD (or any windows-only app) then you are talking
>about running on windows, or at best through wine. I'm not even sure how
>wine would handle a file in a ramdrive.

With the linux kernel's implementation of the VFS, and the mounted nature of 
the filesystem, this would work seamlessly with the rest of the system 
(including wine).  I realize that it may be more difficult to implement on 
Windows, but it is possible.  

>It may be easier to simply snapshot, convert, and write to a regular
>file. I know this creates overhead in cleaning up said file when you are
>done, but I suspect it will be easier to do it that way then to mess
>with a ramdrive.

Part of the reason for suggesting a ramdrive is just to keep a clean and 
controlled system.  A temporary directory would work, but I don't know if 
windows has directory notification the way the (2.4.19?) Linux kernel does.  
The benefit of using a VFS is that changes to the files in the directory 
could be used to notify the database manager that it needs to update the 
database.

The main concept, which you have seen, is to give a link between the database 
and programs which have not been specifically intended to utilize it.  This 
integrates the collaboration environment, making all of the access control, 
network connectivity, revision tracking, etc, other benefits, etc fit into 
one nice package with a single configuration/administration interface.  The 
IT and cad managers would love it and the users (document editors and 
draftsmen alike) would not really have to even be aware of how it worked, 
they would simply need to always work in the one "directory" for each 
project.  This also creates an automatic archive for the project, giving the 
legal documents and other correspondence a place to live and a consistent 
method of tracking what happened when, by whom, etc, etc.

--Eric

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