Cyberinfrastructure Key Tenets

Introduction: Principles for Sustainable Digital Infrastructure

Based on the principles of minimal computing in Digital Humanities and the broader concepts of cyberinfrastructure and open source, these tenets provide a framework for building digital infrastructure that prioritizes sustainability, accessibility, and ethical responsibility over raw performance or cutting-edge features.

Core Mindsets

1. Sustainability-Focused Approach

Long-term viability over short-term gains

• Technical debt awareness: Consider the long-term maintenance costs of technological choices
• Resource lifecycle planning: Account for the full lifespan of hardware and software components
• Community sustainability: Build infrastructure that can be maintained by diverse communities over time
• Financial sustainability: Design systems that remain viable under changing budget constraints

Practical Applications

• Choose technologies with strong long-term community support
• Prefer mature, stable solutions over bleeding-edge alternatives
• Document decisions and rationale for future maintainers
• Plan for technology migration and evolution paths

2. Resource-Conscious Design

Mindful of hardware, software, and energy constraints

• Computational efficiency: Optimize for minimal resource consumption rather than maximum performance
• Energy awareness: Consider environmental impact of infrastructure choices
• Bandwidth consideration: Design for users with limited internet connectivity
• Device accessibility: Ensure functionality across diverse hardware capabilities

Implementation Strategies

• Profile and optimize resource usage regularly
• Implement progressive enhancement for different capability levels
• Choose lightweight alternatives when functionality is equivalent
• Monitor and reduce energy consumption patterns

3. Accessibility-Driven Philosophy

Ensure work is accessible to wide range of users and contexts

• Technical accessibility: Support diverse devices, browsers, and assistive technologies
• Economic accessibility: Minimize barriers related to cost and premium services
• Geographic accessibility: Design for users in different regions and connectivity conditions
• Skill accessibility: Create interfaces and documentation for users with varying technical expertise

Key Considerations

• Follow WCAG guidelines for web accessibility
• Provide multiple interaction modalities (keyboard, mouse, touch, voice)
• Offer offline or low-bandwidth functionality where possible
• Include clear documentation and user guidance

4. Open and Transparent Operations

Embrace open-source solutions and share processes

• Code transparency: Use and contribute to open-source software
• Process documentation: Share methodologies and decision-making processes
• Community engagement: Participate in and support open-source communities
• Knowledge sharing: Publish lessons learned and best practices

Community Participation

• Contribute bug reports, patches, and improvements to upstream projects
• Share configuration templates and deployment guides
• Participate in community governance and decision-making
• Mentor new contributors and users

5. Security-Aware Foundation

Prioritize cybersecurity in all infrastructure aspects

• Security by design: Integrate security considerations from planning through deployment
• Threat modeling: Regularly assess and address potential security risks
• User privacy: Protect user data and respect privacy preferences
• Incident preparedness: Develop and test response procedures for security events

Security Implementation

• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Automated security updates and patch management
• Encrypted data transmission and storage
• Access control and authentication best practices

Non-Negotiable Requirements

1. Open Standards and Protocols

Foundation for interoperability and longevity

• Data formats: Use open, well-documented file formats that can be read by multiple applications
• Communication protocols: Implement standard protocols that enable broad compatibility
• API design: Follow REST principles and OpenAPI specifications
• Metadata standards: Adopt community-recognized metadata schemas

Benefits and Implementation

• Reduces vendor lock-in and ensures data portability
• Facilitates integration with diverse tools and systems
• Enables long-term data preservation and access
• Supports collaborative development and maintenance

2. Regular Security Updates and Patches

Continuous protection against evolving threats

• Automated updates: Implement systems for timely security patch deployment
• Update testing: Establish procedures for validating updates before production deployment
• Vulnerability monitoring: Subscribe to security advisories for all used technologies
• Rollback procedures: Maintain ability to quickly revert problematic updates

Update Management Strategy

• Separate security updates from feature updates
• Maintain staging environments for update testing
• Document update procedures and dependencies
• Schedule regular maintenance windows for major updates

3. Data Backup and Recovery Plans

Protect against data loss and ensure business continuity

• Multi-tier backup: Implement local, remote, and offline backup strategies
• Recovery testing: Regularly test backup restoration procedures
• Version control: Maintain historical versions of critical data and configurations
• Disaster planning: Develop comprehensive disaster recovery procedures

Backup Architecture

• Follow 3-2-1 backup rule (3 copies, 2 different media, 1 offsite)
• Automate backup processes with monitoring and alerting
• Encrypt backup data both in transit and at rest
• Document recovery procedures for different failure scenarios

4. Comprehensive Documentation

Enable maintenance, troubleshooting, and knowledge transfer

• Technical documentation: Document architecture, configurations, and procedures
• User documentation: Provide clear guides for end-users and administrators
• Decision rationale: Record why specific choices were made
• Change logs: Maintain detailed records of system modifications

Documentation Standards

• Use version-controlled documentation systems
• Include diagrams, screenshots, and examples
• Write for different audience skill levels
• Keep documentation current with system changes

5. User Privacy and Data Protection

Respect user rights and comply with regulations

• Data minimization: Collect only necessary data for legitimate purposes
• Consent management: Provide clear opt-in/opt-out mechanisms
• Data retention: Implement policies for data lifecycle management
• User rights: Enable data access, correction, and deletion requests

Privacy Implementation

• Conduct privacy impact assessments for new features
• Implement privacy-by-design principles
• Provide transparent privacy policies and practices
• Regular privacy compliance audits and updates

Strategic Questions Framework

Resource Assessment Questions

What do we need?

• What are the essential functions our infrastructure must support?
• What performance requirements are truly necessary versus nice-to-have?
• What integrations and compatibility requirements exist?
• What are our legal and regulatory compliance needs?

What do we have?

• What existing hardware, software, and human resources are available?
• What skills and expertise exist within our team and community?
• What budget and time constraints affect our choices?
• What existing systems and data must be preserved or migrated?

Prioritization and Trade-off Questions

What must we prioritize?

• Which features are essential for launch versus future enhancement?
• What security requirements cannot be compromised?
• Which user groups and use cases are most critical to support?
• What performance characteristics are most important for success?

What are we willing to give up?

• Which advanced features can be sacrificed for simplicity and reliability?
• What performance trade-offs are acceptable for better sustainability?
• Which integrations can be deferred to reduce complexity?
• What conveniences can be exchanged for better security or privacy?

Sustainability and Impact Questions

How can we ensure long-term sustainability?

• What technologies have strong community support and development momentum?
• How can we minimize ongoing maintenance burden and technical debt?
• What funding and resource models will support continued operation?
• How can we build capacity within our team for system maintenance?

How can we make our infrastructure more accessible?

• What barriers prevent different user groups from accessing our services?
• How can we support users with different technical capabilities and resources?
• What accommodations are needed for users with disabilities?
• How can we reduce economic barriers to participation?

Security and Environmental Questions

What are the security implications of our choices?

• What are the most likely attack vectors and how can we defend against them?
• How do our choices affect user privacy and data protection?
• What are the security trade-offs of different architectural approaches?
• How can we maintain security while preserving accessibility and usability?

How can we minimize environmental impact?

• What are the energy consumption patterns of different technology choices?
• How can we optimize resource usage to reduce computational waste?
• What are the lifecycle environmental costs of our hardware choices?
• How can we design for longevity to reduce electronic waste?

Community and Collaboration Questions

How can we contribute back to the open-source community?

• What improvements and extensions can we share with upstream projects?
• How can we support other organizations with similar infrastructure needs?
• What documentation and knowledge can we contribute to the commons?
• How can we mentor and support new contributors to the ecosystem?

How will our choices affect collaboration and interoperability?

• How well do our systems integrate with common tools and workflows?
• What standards should we adopt to facilitate collaboration?
• How can we make our data and services discoverable and reusable?
• What governance models will support healthy community collaboration?

Implementation Guidelines

Phase 1: Foundation Building

1. Assessment and Planning

   • Conduct comprehensive needs assessment using the strategic questions framework
   • Inventory existing resources and constraints
   • Identify key stakeholders and their requirements
   • Develop sustainability and security requirements

2. Technology Selection

   • Evaluate options against the five core mindsets
   • Prioritize solutions that meet all non-negotiable requirements
   • Consider long-term maintenance and community support
   • Document selection rationale for future reference

Phase 2: Implementation and Testing

1. Incremental Deployment

   • Start with minimal viable infrastructure
   • Implement monitoring and logging from the beginning
   • Test security and backup procedures before going live
   • Document all configurations and procedures

2. User Testing and Feedback

   • Test accessibility with diverse user groups
   • Gather feedback on usability and performance
   • Iterate based on real-world usage patterns
   • Refine documentation based on user questions

Phase 3: Maintenance and Evolution

1. Ongoing Operations

   • Establish regular maintenance and update schedules
   • Monitor performance, security, and user satisfaction
   • Maintain comprehensive documentation and knowledge transfer
   • Participate actively in relevant open-source communities

2. Continuous Improvement

   • Regular review against the strategic questions framework
   • Adapt to changing user needs and technological landscape
   • Contribute improvements back to the broader community
   • Plan for technology migration and evolution

Conclusion

These cyberinfrastructure key tenets provide a framework for building digital infrastructure that serves users and communities sustainably over the long term. By prioritizing sustainability, accessibility, openness, and security over raw performance or cutting-edge features, we can create systems that remain viable and valuable as technologies and contexts change.

The strategic questions framework helps guide decision-making throughout the infrastructure lifecycle, ensuring that choices align with values and serve real user needs. Regular application of these questions and principles helps maintain focus on what truly matters while avoiding the trap of technological complexity for its own sake.

This approach recognizes that good infrastructure is not just about the technology itself, but about the communities it serves and the values it embodies. By keeping these human and ethical considerations at the center of technical decisions, we can build infrastructure that truly serves the public good.

References and Related Concepts

• Minimal Computing in Digital Humanities
• Open Source Infrastructure
• Sustainable Technology Design
• Digital Accessibility Standards
• Cybersecurity Best Practices
• Privacy by Design
• Community-Driven Development
• Environmental Impact of Computing