=====================
ARC MIDDLEWARE README
=====================
Last updated: 2019-01-16
`````````````````````````

Purpose of this Document
========================
This document is meant to introduce the reader to the
software and to point to existing documentation.


Table of contents
=================

  * What is the ARC Middleware
  * License
  * Getting the software
  * Installation
  * Configuration and Testing
  * Contributing
  * Support, Mailing lists
  * Documentation
  * Contact


What is the ARC Middleware
==========================
The Advanced Resource Connector (ARC) middleware, developed by the
NorduGrid Collaboration (<http://www.nordugrid.org>), is an open source software
solution enabling e-Science computing infrastructures with emphasis on
processing of large data volumes. 
ARC is being used to enable national and international e-infrastructures
since its first release in 2002.


License
=======
The software code is released under the Apache 2.0 License (see the
LICENSE file). 
The necessary 3rd party libraries are usually available in standard
Linux distributions; in rare cases NorduGrid repositories offer them.


Getting the software
====================
All the information about how to get the software is available at

  <http://download.nordugrid.org/>


Installation
============
If you want to install for a specific distribution, see the list of 
supported distributions here:

  <http://download.nordugrid.org/repos.html>
  
And follow the instructions here:

  <http://www.nordugrid.org/documents/arc6/user/index.html>

If you want to build and install the software yourself, please read

  <TBD>


Configuration and Testing
=========================
See the official online documentation:

  <http://www.nordugrid.org/documents/arc6/user/arc6_install_guide.html>


Contributing
============
The open source development of the ARC middleware is coordinated by
the NorduGrid Collaboration which is always open to new members.
Contributions from the community to the software and the documentation
is welcomed. Sources can be downloaded from the software repository
at <http://download.nordugrid.org> or the Coderefinery gitlab repository
at <https://https://source.coderefinery.org/nordugrid/arc>

The Technical Coordination Group (TCG) defines outstanding issues that 
have to be addressed in the framework of ARC development. Feature
requests and enhancement proposals are recorded in the Bugzilla bug
tracking system at <https://bugzilla.nordugrid.org>. For a more detailed
description, write access to the code repository and further
questions, subscribe and write to the *nordugrid-discuss* mailing list:
  <https://mail.nordugrid.org/mailman/listinfo>

Ongoing and completed e-Science research projects and student 
assignments related to the middleware are listed
on the NorduGrid web site: <http://www.nordugrid.org>


Support, Mailing lists
==============================================
User support and site installation assistance is provided via 
several mailing lists, among which the nordugrid-discuss mailing list 
is a general forum for all kind of issues related to the ARC middleware. 
  <https://mail.nordugrid.org/mailman/listinfo>

The Bugzilla problem tracking system accepts requests for features or 
enhancements, and is the prime medium to track and report problems.
  <https://bugzilla.nordugrid.org> 


Documentation
=============
Research papers, overview talks, reference manuals, user guides,
installation instructions, conference presentations, FAQ and even
tutorial materials can be fetched from the documentation section of
  <http://www.nordugrid.org>

ARC6 specific documentation is at
  <http://www.nordugrid.org/documents/arc6/>


Contact
=======
Contact information is kept updated on the <http://www.nordugrid.org>
web site.