JBoss DNA: The Genetics of Software
JBoss DNA is building a repository and set of tools that make it easy to capture, version, analyze, and understand the fundamental building blocks of information. As models, service and process definitions, schemas, source code, and other artifacts are added to the repository, JBoss DNA "sequences" the makeup of these components and extracts their structure and interdependencies. Users can then search, analyze, visualize, report, and modify the repository's content using the terminology and structures they are familiar with. Such domain-specific solutions can be created with little or no programming. Sharing this information is possible through Eclipse plugins, web applications, and REST servers.
JBoss DNA supports the Java Content Repository (JCR) standard and is able to provide a single integrated view of multiple repositories, external databases, services, and applications, ensuring that JBoss DNA has access to the latest and most reliable master data. For instance, DNA could provide in a single view valuable insight into the business processes and process-level services impacted by a change to in an intermediary web service operation defined via WSDL. Similarly, a user could quickly view and navigate the dependencies between the data source models and transformation information stored within a content repository, the code base stored within a version control system, and the database schemas used by an application.
JBoss DNA 0.1 is now available. Check out our Getting Started document. We're continuing on with our next release, and of course, we're always looking for great help, so get involved!
Features
- Manage numerous types of software assets, artifacts, and components
- Automated extraction of structured information
- Visualize and understand the relationships between components
- Use reports to show dependencies and similarities, or create custom reports
- Federate information from multiple JBoss DNA and JCR repositories, databases, services and applications
- Synchronize with content in source control systems
- REST server for use by other services and client applications
- WebDAV support for access by operating systems and WebDAV clients
- Content and information accessible to WebDAV clients, including Microsoft and Apple operating systems
- Web application to easily access, edit, search and tag information
Why Choose DNA?
| Speak your language | Information is most useful when it's presented in the terminology and structure that's meaningful and familiar to users. The challenge is that different users have different expectations. This is why JBoss DNA will tailor how it exchanges information with client applications and web applications, using templates to define the views for different kinds of information and users. We're planning EST services, Eclipse plugins, and web application components to help deliver this customized information to users. And all this process will be data-driven, so it'll be easy to change how the information is presented. |
| Throw stuff in, get much more out | Add, organize and manage virtually any kind of content, most easily by uploading files. JBoss DNA sequences those files and extracts the meaningful structured information, including relationships and interdependencies. Then take advantage of all this extra information that JBoss DNA discovered. |
| Federate and integrate | JBoss DNA manages its information in JCR repositories, but there's so much other valuable content out there. Pulling that information together is a major focus of JBoss DNA. Integrate multiple JCR repositories. Use relational databases. Access applications and services. JBoss DNA can federate and integration information from multiple JCR repositories, external databases, applications and services - all in real time without having to make copies. |
| Better ingredients | JBoss DNA is being built with the best enterprise-class ingredients. Drools for a business rule engine. Distributed transactions with JBoss Transactions. Clustering with JBoss Cache and JGroups. JBoss Microcontainer for a POJO container. JAAS integration with JBoss Security and Identity Management. And the list goes on. Plus, JBoss DNA benefits from the expertise of MetaMatrix and other JBoss groups. |
| Open Source | The JBoss DNA is an open source project with a business friendly open source license (LGPL). Visit our JIRA pages to get a glimpse of the status or project tasks. Get involved. Visit the forums to see what's being discussed. Better yet, get involved. JBoss core developers are guided by a meritocracy, and we hire talent anywhere in the world it may be. |
How to get started:
One of the best things to try first is to follow the Getting Started tutorial and use JBoss DNA for yourself. But there's also the documentation, downloads and wiki links at the top left. Feature requests and bugs are tracked in the JIRA issue tracking system (its quick to create your own account).