Administration

Context

The Administration area provides comprehensive management tools for all aspects of the SODa Semantic Co-Working Space. This section is designed for administrators and advanced users who need to oversee applications, projects, security, and system resources across the entire platform.

Goals

  • Understand the different administration areas and their purposes
  • Learn how to manage applications, projects, and resources effectively
  • Gain knowledge about security management through service keys
  • Develop the ability to perform advanced administrative tasks

Prerequisites

  • Familiarity with the Dashboard and Catalogue
  • Understanding of your organization's infrastructure needs

Administration Overview

The Administration section is divided into five main areas, each providing specialized management capabilities for different aspects of the SODa SCS Manager. 

SODa SCS Components

Until this point we always talked about applications as the main entities. In the SCS backend we devide them into Components (individual infrastructure services such as databases, storage systems, and single applications..) and Stacks (complete environments with several included components). The Components administration area allows you to manage all deployed components across the entire platform.

What You Can Do

  • View all components deployed by any user in the system
  • Edit component configurations and settings
  • Monitor component health and performance across the platform
  • Delete or deactivate components that are no longer needed
  • Transfer component ownership between users
  • View component usage statistics and resource consumption

Some of this tasks require administrator privileges, so you may not be able to access or perform these tasks.

Managing Components

To manage components:

  1. Navigate to Administration → SODa SCS Components
  2. Browse the list of all deployed components
  3. Use filters to find specific components by type, owner, or status
  4. Click on a component to view detailed information and configuration options
  5. Use the action buttons to view, edit, or delete components

Component Types

  • SQL Components: Relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.)
  • Triplestore Components: Semantic databases for linked data
  • Filesystem Components: File storage systems
  • Single Applications: Standalone tools like WebProtégé

SODa SCS Projects

Projects are collaborative frameworks that group related applications and team members together. The Projects administration area provides tools for overseeing all research projects across the platform.

What You Can Do

  • View all projects in the system, regardless of membership
  • Create new projects for users or teams
  • Edit project details, descriptions, and settings
  • Manage project membership and access permissions
  • View which applications are connected to each project

Managing Projects

To manage projects:

  1. Navigate to Administration → SODa SCS Projects
  2. View the complete list of all projects
  3. Click on a project to see its members and connected applications
  4. Add or remove team members from projects
  5. Modify project settings and permissions

Project Organization Best Practices

  • Group related applications within the same project
  • Assign clear project ownership and responsibilities
  • Regularly review project membership to ensure appropriate access
  • Use descriptive project names that indicate purpose and scope

SODa SCS Service Keys

Service Keys are authentication credentials that allow applications and external services to securely access SODa SCS resources. The Service Keys administration area manages all API keys, tokens, and credentials across the platform.

What You Can Do

  • View all active service keys in the system
  • Generate new service keys for applications or integrations
  • Revoke compromised or unused service keys
  • Set expiration dates and access scopes for keys
  • Monitor service key usage and access patterns
  • Audit security events related to service keys

Managing Service Keys

To manage service keys:

  1. Navigate to Administration → SODa SCS Service Keys
  2. Review the list of all service keys and their associated applications
  3. Click "Add Service Key" to generate a new credential
  4. Specify the key's purpose, scope, and expiration
  5. Copy the generated key securely (it will only be shown once)
  6. Revoke keys immediately if they are compromised

Security Best Practices

  • Use descriptive names: Clearly identify what each service key is used for
  • Set expiration dates: Limit key lifetime to reduce security risks
  • Rotate keys regularly: Update credentials on a schedule
  • Revoke unused keys: Remove keys that are no longer needed
  • Monitor usage: Watch for unusual access patterns
  • Principle of least privilege: Grant only necessary permissions

SODa SCS Snapshots

Snapshots are point-in-time backups of applications and their data. The Snapshots administration area allows you to manage backup and restore operations across the entire platform.

What You Can Do

  • View all snapshots created across the system
  • Create manual snapshots of any application
  • Schedule automatic snapshot creation
  • Restore applications to previous states
  • Delete old or unnecessary snapshots to free storage
  • Export snapshots for archival or migration purposes

Managing Snapshots

To manage snapshots:

  1. Navigate to Administration → SODa SCS Snapshots
  2. Browse all available snapshots organized by application
  3. Filter by date, application type, or owner
  4. Click "Create Snapshot" to back up an application
  5. Select "Restore" to revert an application to a snapshot state
  6. Use "Delete" to remove outdated snapshots

Snapshot Best Practices

  • Regular backups: Create snapshots before major changes or updates
  • Retention policy: Define how long to keep snapshots
  • Test restores: Periodically verify that snapshots can be restored successfully
  • Document snapshots: Add notes about what each snapshot contains
  • Storage management: Clean up old snapshots to conserve resources

SODa SCS Stacks

Stacks are pre-configured bundles of components that work together to provide complete research environments. The Stacks administration area allows you to manage these integrated environments across the platform.

What You Can Do

  • View all deployed stacks in the system
  • Edit stack configurations and component connections
  • Monitor the health of all components within a stack
  • Manage stack membership and access permissions
  • Add or remove components from existing stacks
  • Delete entire stacks and their associated components

Managing Stacks

To manage stacks:

  1. Navigate to Administration → SODa SCS Stacks
  2. View the list of all deployed stacks
  3. Click on a stack to see its included components and configuration
  4. Edit stack settings or modify component connections
  5. Monitor the operational status of all components in the stack

Common Stack Types

  • WissKI Stack: Complete knowledge representation environment with database, storage, and web application
  • Custom Stacks: User-created combinations of components tailored to specific research needs

Administrative Workflows

Setting Up a New Research Team

  1. Create a new project in SODa SCS Projects
  2. Add team members to the project
  3. Deploy necessary components or stacks
  4. Connect the applications to the project
  5. Generate service keys if needed for integrations
  6. Create initial snapshots for backup

Performing System Maintenance

  1. Review all components in SODa SCS Components for health issues
  2. Create snapshots of critical applications before maintenance
  3. Clean up unused service keys in SODa SCS Service Keys
  4. Delete old snapshots to free storage space
  5. Archive or remove abandoned projects

Responding to Security Incidents

  1. Immediately revoke compromised service keys
  2. Review access logs for suspicious activity
  3. Create snapshots of affected applications for forensics
  4. Update project membership to remove unauthorized access
  5. Generate new service keys with appropriate restrictions

Tips for Effective Administration

  • Regular audits: Periodically review all areas to ensure proper configuration and security
  • Documentation: Keep detailed notes about administrative decisions and changes
  • Communication: Inform users before making changes that affect their applications
  • Backup strategy: Maintain a consistent snapshot schedule for all critical applications
  • Monitoring: Set up alerts for system issues and security events
  • User support: Be available to help users with application issues and questions

Additional Resources