add feature docs for integration options, reporting, workspaces

_includes/html_body_nav.html

@@ -39,19 +39,19 @@
                                 <hr class="dropdown-divider">
                             </li>
                             <li>
-                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/feature-1' %}active{% endif %}"
-                                   {% if page.url == '/features/feature-1' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
-                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/feature-1.md %}">Feature 1</a>
+                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/integration-options' %}active{% endif %}"
+                                   {% if page.url == '/features/integration-options' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
+                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/integration-options.md %}">Integration Options</a>
                             </li>
                             <li>
-                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/feature-2' %}active{% endif %}"
-                                   {% if page.url == '/features/feature-2' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
-                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/feature-2.md %}">Feature 2</a>
+                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/reporting' %}active{% endif %}"
+                                   {% if page.url == '/features/reporting' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
+                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/reporting.md %}">Reporting</a>
                             </li>
                             <li>
-                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/feature-3' %}active{% endif %}"
-                                   {% if page.url == '/features/feature-3' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
-                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/feature-3.md %}">Feature 3</a>
+                                <a class="dropdown-item {% if page.url == '/features/workspaces' %}active{% endif %}"
+                                   {% if page.url == '/features/workspaces' %}aria-current="page"{% endif %}
+                                   href="{{ site.baseurl }}{% link features/workspaces.md %}">Workspaces</a>
                             </li>
                         </ul>
                     </li>

data-lifecycle.md

@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ then allowing users to extract manifests of data back into ReDBox and publishing
 alongside the data collection metadata.
 alongside the data collection metadata.
 
-![How ReDBox supports the DCC Curation Life Cycle]({{ '/static/images/curationlifecycle.png' | relative_url }})
+<img src="{{ '/static/images/curationlifecycle.png' | relative_url }}" 
+class="img-fluid border" 
+alt="How ReDBox supports the DCC Curation Life Cycle">
 
 How ReDBox supports the DCC Curation Life Cycle
 
@@ -54,14 +56,16 @@ In the initial release, these services will include GitLab code repositories, OM
 LabArchive electronic lab notebooks. In ReDBox, the researcher can then manage that workspace with a variety of 
 functions, including:
 
-    sharing a workspace (a directory, site or project belonging to a researcher in a particular tool) with other researchers
-    setting a workspace to be immutable (read-only)
-    making a workspace from one tool available in a different research tool.
+- sharing a workspace (a directory, site or project belonging to a researcher in a particular tool) with other researchers
+- setting a workspace to be immutable (read-only)
+- making a workspace from one tool available in a different research tool.
 
 Future Provisioner development is expected to support many more useful processes, including data archiving 
 and data publication.
 
-![The UTS Provisioner links services to their Stash research data management platform via workspaces]({{ '/static/images/provisioner.jpg' | relative_url }})
+<img src="{{ '/static/images/provisioner.jpg' | relative_url }}"
+class="img-fluid border"
+alt="The UTS Provisioner links services to their Stash research data management platform via workspaces">
 
 The UTS Provisioner links services to their Stash research data management platform via workspaces
 
@@ -87,6 +91,9 @@ including planning, provisioning, data harvesting and publishing. It will give i
 into how researchers manage and publish their data while providing assurances that researcher practices conform
 to Australian standards and expectations.
 
-![The UTS Provisioner links services to their Stash research data management platform via workspaces]({{ '/static/images/rbdlc.jpg' | relative_url }})
+<img src="{{ '/static/images/rbdlc.jpg' | relative_url }}"
+class="img-fluid border"
+alt="The UTS Provisioner links services to their Stash research data management platform via workspaces">
+
 
 ReDBox is a complete data management system for supporting the Research Data Life Cycle Framework

features/integration-options.md

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+---
+layout: page_general
+permalink: /features/integration-options
+title: Integration Options
+excerpt: ReDBox can seamlessly integrate with a range of institutional systems.
+---
+
+## Integration Options in ReDBox
+
+
+This document outlines the various integration options available in the ReDBox platform. 
+ReDBox is designed to seamlessly integrate with a range of institutional systems, enabling 
+efficient data management and enhanced research workflows.
+
+The integration options include a fully featured REST API, provisioner plugins for research 
+services, publishing integrations for disseminating data, and robust lookup data functionalities.
+These integrations help ensure that ReDBox can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your 
+institution, fostering better data accuracy, streamlined processes, and improved collaboration
+among researchers.
+
+### REST API
+
+ReDBox has a fully featured REST API that enables other systems to either modify information 
+within the platform or retrieve information from it. This API facilitates seamless integration 
+with various institutional systems, ensuring smooth data flow and interoperability.
+
+#### Common Use Cases
+
+- **Exporting Data**: The export API can be utilized to retrieve data from ReDBox for integration 
+  with an institutional data lake or reporting system. This ensures that data within ReDBox 
+  can be consolidated with other institutional data for comprehensive analysis and reporting.
+- **Triggering Record Creation**: The API can trigger the creation of a record in ReDBox based on 
+  an action performed in another system. For example, an RDMP can be automatically created in 
+  ReDBox when a project grant is approved in the Research Information Management System (RIMS).
+  This automation helps in maintaining data consistency and reducing manual effort.
+
+### Provisioner Plugins
+
+As part of ReDBox's workspace functionality, a variety of plugins are provided to provision 
+research services such as storage or other online tools. These plugins not only incentivize 
+researchers to complete their RDMPs but also help in linking the usage of these services to 
+specific projects. Several provisioner plugins are available for configuration:
+
+- **ServiceNow**: Integrates with the [ServiceNow](https://www.servicenow.com/) platform to 
+  create and manage service requests.
+- **REDCap**: Facilitates the provisioning of [REDCap](https://www.project-redcap.org/) projects 
+  and resources.
+- **Terraform**: Automates the provisioning of infrastructure using 
+  [Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/).
+- **GitLab**: Manages [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/) repositories and resources.
+- **OMERO**: Integrates with [OMERO](https://www.openmicroscopy.org/omero/) for 
+  managing image data.
+- **LabArchives**: Connects with [LabArchives](https://www.labarchives.com/) for managing 
+  lab notebooks and research data.
+
+Additionally, many more plugins can be developed to extend the provisioning capabilities of 
+ReDBox, making it highly adaptable to various research needs and institutional requirements.
+
+### Publishing Integrations
+
+ReDBox aids in the publishing of data by providing configurable workflows for review and 
+integration with [Datacite Fabrica's](https://doi.datacite.org/) API for DOI minting.
+This facilitates the formal publication and dissemination of research data.
+ReDBox also supports pushing records to institutional publication search and discovery portals.
+The following portal systems are currently supported:
+
+- **Figshare**: Integrates with [Figshare](https://figshare.com/) for publishing and managing 
+  research outputs.
+- **OAI-PMH Feed**: Supports any portals that can ingest records using the OAI-PMH protocol, 
+  such as [Research Data Australia](https://researchdata.edu.au/).
+
+Additional portal systems can be integrated with further development, ensuring broad 
+compatibility with various publication platforms and maximizing the visibility and impact 
+of research data.
+
+### Lookup Data
+
+One of ReDBox's powerful features is its ability to provide lookup functionality for 
+institutional information, ensuring that records are filled out accurately. ReDBox supports 
+two primary methods for integrating lookup data:
+
+- **API Integration**: ReDBox can integrate with the APIs of source institutional systems, allowing
+  users to search and suggest values directly from these systems. This real-time integration
+  ensures that the most up-to-date information is available for record creation and management.
+- **Ingesting Feeds**: ReDBox can ingest data feeds from source institutional systems using its REST 
+  API. Once ingested, the internal search APIs can be used to suggest values to users, 
+  facilitating accurate data entry and enhancing the overall user experience.
+
+These lookup capabilities help maintain data integrity and streamline the process of filling 
+out records within ReDBox.
+

features/reporting.md

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+---
+layout: page_general
+permalink: /features/reporting
+title: Reporting Options
+excerpt: There are many options for creating reports in ReDBox
+---
+
+## ReDBox Reporting
+
+ReDBox has been designed to capture metadata from a variety of sources to help institutions 
+manage research data. While the intention of the system isn’t to be a fully fledged 
+reporting/business intelligence (BI) tool, it’s important for the system to be able to 
+provide some basic functionality as well as provide integration options for reporting tools 
+so that more complex reports can be created. This document outlines the options currently 
+available in ReDBox, how they can be used and any potential limitations with their approaches.
+
+## Features
+
+### Exports
+
+ReDBox provides the ability to export record metadata by record type (e.g. RDMPs) and can 
+filter down to a date range based on when the record was modified. 
+The export functionality supports exporting to CSV or to JSON formats.
+
+<img src="{{ '/static/images/reporting-exports.png' | relative_url }}"
+class="img-fluid border"
+alt="Export record metadata by record type">
+
+
+The output produced contains all the metadata that is being captured in the system for each 
+record and there’s no ability to choose which fields are exported though this can be done as 
+a post-processing task in the tool of your choice once the export is completed. 
+As the metadata stored in ReDBox is not 
+"[flat](https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/flat-file)" 
+but the CSV output is, some columns contain 
+JSON formatted strings to ensure all the metadata is present in the output. 
+
+In general, the CSV output is more useful for work within a spreadsheet tool such as Excel. 
+Most modern reporting/BI tools support JSON data sources and therefore the JSON output would 
+be recommended for use with those sorts of systems.
+
+### REST API
+
+ReDBox includes a 
+[REST API](https://redbox-mint.github.io/redbox-portal/additional-documentation/rest-api.html)
+that has endpoints that give systems the ability to retrieve record 
+metadata from ReDBox. A reporting/BI tool could use the APIs to query ReDBox for report generation 
+or simply as a machine to machine method to export metadata for importation into the system.
+
+### Report Screens
+
+<img src="{{ '/static/images/reporting-report-screens.png' | relative_url }}" class="img-fluid border" alt="ReDBox includes some basic reporting functionality">
+
+ReDBox includes some basic reporting functionality.
+With this functionality it is possible to configure a basic query, define filter parameters and 
+a basic table output. The functionality also provides the ability to export the output to a CSV.
+The functionality was developed early in the development of the system and has a number of 
+limitations currently:
+
+- The source of the data used for exporting is the index built for searching. 
+  The search index is generated from the source database and can sometimes be out of sync and 
+  therefore what is displayed is not accurate. Ideally it should be using the database.
+- There are a very limited number of options as to what the table columns can output. It can be 
+  configured to generate HTTP links based on the data to support providing links to access records
+  but all other data cannot be formatted and will show exactly as it is in the data source.
+- While the table column output has the ability to generate a link that will be shown in the UI 
+  report preview, it is not possible to format the content of the CSV export at all and hence the 
+  HTML links will not be shown in the exports.
+
+### Connecting Business Intelligence (BI) tools to the database
+
+ReDBox uses a 
+[MongoDB](https://www.mongodb.com/)
+database, most BI/Reporting tools support this type of database as a 
+datasource and therefore its possible to generate reports using this method.
+
+There are however security implications, especially for QCIF managed ReDBox instances that are 
+hosted outside an institution’s network and therefore would require discussions regarding 
+requirements and effort to configure to enable.
+
+### Other options
+
+In addition to the above, it is possible to customize ReDBox to the use case required by an 
+institution. This might include:
+- Sending data to a location within the institution. For example, outputting the metadata to 
+  institutional storage or system
+- Providing a custom endpoint to cater for the specific requirements of the system ingesting 
+  the content. For example, a system may require the content to be provided to it in a specific 
+  protocol and metadata format

features/workspaces.md

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+---
+layout: page_general
+permalink: /features/workspaces
+title: Workspaces
+excerpt: Workspaces provide researchers access to external services from ReDBox
+---
+
+## Workspaces in ReDBox
+
+Workspaces in ReDBox are a record type that describes a service 
+a researcher is using in their research project.
+
+This feature integrates with these services through a provisioner 
+framework to automate the provisioning process.
+
+### Purpose and Benefits
+
+- Incentivizes the creation of Research Data Management Plans (RDMPs)
+- Streamlines the provisioning process with pre-filled information
+
+### Accessing the Workspaces Feature
+
+1. Navigate to the RDMP Form: Access the RDMP form within ReDBox.
+2. Locate the Workspaces Tab: Find the tab listing all configured workspaces.
+
+## Key Functionalities
+
+- **Pre-Filled Information**: Saves time by using data from the RDMP to fill in the workspace form.
+- **Custom Fields**: Enter specific details required for the service being provisioned.
+
+### Customization Options
+
+- **Adjusting Storage Size**: For storage-related workspaces, specify the required storage size.
+- **Adding Additional Details**: Include any additional information relevant to the workspace.
+
+### Linkage Between RDMP and Workspace
+
+- **Associated Workspaces**: The linkage between the RDMP and the workspace allows 
+  displaying associated workspaces in the RDMP record.
+- **Workspaces Dashboard**: Researchers can view all their workspaces and the related 
+  RDMP through a dedicated dashboard.
+
+### Pushing RDMP Metadata to Services
+
+- **Provisioning Framework**: If the service being provisioned supports it, 
+  the provisioning framework can push RDMP metadata to the service to assist 
+  maintainers of the service.
+
+## Using the Workspaces Feature
+
+1. Creating an RDMP:
+
+    1. Fill out the RDMP form with the necessary details about your research project.
+    2. Save the RDMP to proceed to the workspaces section.
+
+2. Selecting and Opening a Workspace:
+
+    1. In the RDMP form, navigate to the Workspaces tab.
+    2. Select the desired workspace from the list.
+
+   <img src="{{ '/static/images/workspaces-open.png' | relative_url }}"
+   class="img-fluid border"
+   alt="Select the desired workspace from the list">
+
+3. Filling Out the Workspace Form:
+
+    1. Review the pre-filled information from the RDMP.
+    2. Enter any additional required information 
+       (e.g., storage size for a research data storage workspace).
+
+    <img src="{{ '/static/images/workspaces-additional-info.png' | relative_url }}"
+    class="img-fluid border"
+    alt="Enter any additional required information for the workspace">
+
+    3. Save the form to initiate the provisioning process.
+    4. View details about the status of the workspace either in the 
+       RDMP or the workspaces dashboard
+
+    <img src="{{ '/static/images/workspaces-list.png' | relative_url }}"
+    class="img-fluid border"
+    alt="View details about the status of the workspaces">
+
+
+## Case Study: ServiceNow Provisioner
+
+The ServiceNow provisioner is one of the most popular provisioners in ReDBox.
+It allows creating Service Catalog requests within the ServiceNow platform, 
+streamlining the process for researchers and service maintainers.
+
+### Features
+
+- **Automated Request Creation**: Automatically creates Service Catalog requests in 
+  ServiceNow based on the information in the RDMP and workspace forms.
+- **Pre-Filled Information**: Utilizes RDMP data to pre-fill request forms in ServiceNow, 
+  reducing manual entry and errors.
+- **Metadata Push**: Pushes relevant RDMP metadata to ServiceNow to assist service
+  maintainers with additional context and information about the research project.
+- **Status Tracking**: Allows researchers to track the status of their Service Catalog requests 
+  directly from the ReDBox interface.
+
+### Implementation Details
+
+1. Service Catalog Types Configuration in ServiceNow:
+    - Define and configure the Service Catalog types within the ServiceNow platform.
+2. Request Forms Configuration in ReDBox:
+    - Configure the corresponding request forms in ReDBox for each Service Catalog type.
+3. Updating Metadata via REST API:
+    - ServiceNow is provided with an identifier for the workspace.
+    - ServiceNow can update the metadata of the record to provide status and implementation 
+      information using ReDBox's REST API.
+