Ok…so the name is still a working title. The “secret code name” so far has been QServer but, Qloud is kind of great in its own way.
Server Data View
So what is it? Well…lets start at the beginning.
Originally this application started out as a paperwork solution for Qlab 2. I have had several Qlab projects on the drawing board for sometime. One problem that has persisted is, if I want to run an application for Qlab, like QAutoSaver, it needs to run on the machine hosting Qlab.
Now..if I’m designing a show it would be a major drag to have to open a paperwork app…make a pdf…put it on a disk…then run it to another computer with a printer. Lets face it…machines running Qlab are usually off the grid and locked away in a booth somewhere.
So what if there was a server you could run on the Qlab 2 machine that let the designer have apps and scripts on his laptop that would work as if they were actually on the control computer? “Qloud” aims to add this functionality.
People have been asking for a native iPhone app. Well…again…the missing ‘link’ has been something for the iPhone to talk to. “Qloud” aims to add this functionality as well.
So WTF is with the name “Qloud” then? The name is essentially borrowing from the internet term Cloud. To sum it up.. Wikipedia explains it:
“Cloud computing is a paradigm of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supports them.”
So lets say we have (10) machines running Qlab 2, (1) Sound Designer Laptop, (1) Asst. Sound Designer Laptop, and (1) Video Designer laptop all running “Qloud” and a few people with iPhones.
All 10 Qlab 2 machines will be able to send a receive AppleScript Cues to each other. The Workspace data models and scripting features on all 10 machines are available to the laptops and iPhones.
Example: One instance of a new “Qloud” aware version of QAutoSaver could make periodic backups on all machines from the Asst. Sound Designers Laptop.
It’s really all sorts of crazy when you start thinking about all the possibilities.
The “Qloud” server itself will also feature:
-Bonjour (Zero-Config Networking)
- Adjustable Computer Usage and Data Safety Options
- Scripting Hooks for Server features
There is no official release date as I am one guy with a full time job (not coding) and a computer. Progress is moving fast, thanks to Apple and Cocoa. I would like to see this out in the next 6 months tops…but there are several hurdles ahead.
Updates to follow…
PS. For the ultra nerd: Yes…I realize that calling this a Cloud may not be exactly accurate and that it might be closer to Grid Computing. I think this is somewhere in the in between.
