Microwave Digital Library Status Report

1
Microwave Digital Library Status Report

• AdCom Fall Meeting 2005
• - Luciano Boglione -

2
Project Status (I)

• Digital Archive 2004 project (1953-2004) stumbled
  upon serious plug-in issue
• Digital archive based on Adobe Reader (pdf
  format)
• Adobes latest Reader release (v.7) has changed
  substantially from previous releases
• Digital Archive functionality based on a add-on
  software (plug-in) required to hot-swap index
  disk with journal disk on Windows based systems
• Unix and Mac users do not have this feature
• Current plug-in version is incompatible with
  Reader 7
• Vendor (InControl Production - ICP) hired
  developer to look into patching up the plug-in

3
Project Status (II)

• Developer contacted Adobe ? no patch is possible,
  redesign is needed
• ICP owns the right of the current plug-in
• ICP uses this plug-in with this project only
• ICP no longer wants to carry financial costs
  related to developing brand new plug-in
• ICP says cannot use plug-in with other clients to
  spread the cost out
• ? ICP will not/cannot support project in the
  future

4
Moving forward Short term

• Ship DA updates with current plug-in to meet
  deadline and commitment with MTT-S membership
• Adobe installation is available with update
• Some message/warning can be added to alert user
  that Adobe Reader v.7 is not supported

5
Moving forward Long term

• Develop new plug-in, same Archive
• Costs
• Could it be mitigated by bundling development
  with n-year long contract with new vendor
• Look into different archive structures
• DVD only?
• Compatibility with old archive
• Offer index only and access papers through Xplore
• Software development costs
• Interface with IEEE
• Can IEEE absorb some development costs?
• Fewer compatibility issues in the long run?
• Drop Digital Archive all together
• Other ideas?

6
Contact

• My apologies for not being able to address your
  questions in person at the time of this
  presentation
• I will be glad to address your concerns by
• email ? l.boglione_at_ieee.org
• phone ? 1 617 661 8999

7
Acknowledgment

• Publication Committee Chair
• Samir El-Ghazaly, for his constant support and
  ideas