This file contains instructions on how to change the OWL file used in the system.
As described in the README, our system builds a queryable database out of the
OWL file. This database is built into a Docker image (Chiron) that is then deployed to
the production environment. Within Chiron's Dockerfile, the environment variable
OWL_FILE specifies which file is used.
We consider updating the ontology to be a new release of the system - as it involves rebuilding and redeploying services. As such, the ontology can only be updated by someone with commit access to the source code repository. This ensures proper continuous integration and review of the change.
Specifying a new ontology is as simple as changing the OWL_FILE variable. The
variable must be a valid URL. The desired OWL file must be downloadable at
the specified URL.
Once the Dockerfile has been updated, the changes can be committed and merged
into the master branch after passing CI and code review.
The Docker images are automatically built on Docker Hub when a new git tag is
pushed to Github. After the changes have made it into master, trigger a new
build by tagging the release. The built images are tagged with the git tag.
In production, the Docker Compose file is used to pull and start the services. Edit the Docker Compose file and update Chiron's version number to the new tag.
The new images can then be deployed to production.