Announcing ModeShape 2.2

I’m very happy to announce that ModeShape 2.2 is now available. Yes, it’s just a few weeks since releasing 2.1, but we’ve managed to add a couple of great features and fix several bugs. As usual, ModeShape 2.2 is available in the JBoss Maven repository (under the “org.modeshape” group ID) and on our downloads page. We’ve updated our Getting Started Guide, Reference Guide , and JavaDoc.

ModeShape 2.2 has several improvements and new features:

• Deploying on JBoss AS – We’ve improved the kit for deploying ModeShape into JBoss Application Server introduced as a technology preview in the previous release. It still is as simple as downloading and unzipping into a profile directory. ModeShape will run as a service in JBoss AS, so you can simply deploy applications that use the standard JCR 2.0 API to find and access their javax.jcr.Repository instance. You also get the WebDAV and RESTful services, and use JOPR for monitoring, alerting, and administration. We’ve also added several sequencers to the default configuration.
• JDBC driver – We’ve improved the JDBC driver that was introduced as a technology preview in 2.1. And it’s now possible to use JDBC metadata, even if the driver is running in a remote process.
• Teiid relational model sequencer – Teiid Designer is a visual tool that enables rapid, model-driven definition, integration, management and testing of data services without programming using the Teiid database virtualization and federation engine. This new sequencer is able to parse parse relational model files produced by Teiid Designer, and extract the structured data model of the relational database design, including catalogs/schemas, tables, views, columns, primary keys, foreign keys, indexes, procedures, procedure results, procedure results, and logical relationships. This means that when these models are uploaded into a ModeShape repository, the sequencer writes to the repository all this relational metadata, where it can be queried and accessed by JCR, RESTful, and JDBC clients.
• Teiid VDB sequencer – This new sequencer parses the virtual database archive files produced by the Teiid Designer, and extracts the structured relational data model described by each of the contained XMI files. This means that when VDB files are uploaded into a ModeShape repository, the sequencer writes to the repository all this virtual database and relational metadata contained in the VDB, where it can be queried and accessed by JCR, RESTful, and JDBC clients.

There are other smaller features, improvements, and quite a few bug fixes. See the release notes for the complete list.

ModeShape is  lightweight, fast, pluggable, open-source JCR repository that federates and unifies content from multiple systems, including files systems, databases, data grids, other repositories, etc. It implements all of the required JCR 2.0 features (repository acquisition, authentication, reading/navigating, query, export, node type discovery, and permissions and capability checking) and most of the optional JCR 2.0 features (writing, import, observation, workspace management, versioning, locking, node type management, same-name siblings, orderable child nodes, and shareable nodes). That means you can use the JCR API to access the information you already have, or use it like a conventional JCR system (just with more ways to persist your content).

Many thanks to the ModeShape community of users and contributors, who have (once again) shown what a fantastic and active community can do in a very short time!

Give ModeShape 2.2 a try and let us know what you think!

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Filed under: features, jcr, news, repository, rest, tools

Announcing ModeShape 2.1

Once again I’m pleased to announce a new release of ModeShape. This time, it’s ModeShape 2.1, and it’s available in the JBoss Maven repository (under the “org.modeshape” group ID) and on our downloads page. As usual, we’ve updated our Getting Started Guide, Reference Guide , and JavaDoc.

ModeShape 2.1 introduces several major new features:

• Clustering – It’s now possible to create a cluster of ModeShape instances running on different processes. This makes it easy to scale ModeShape to handle more load, and it means that sessions work the same (including getting the same events) no matter in which process they’re running. ModeShape clustering uses the powerful, flexible and mature JGroups library to handle all network communication within the cluster. JGroups provides a wealth of capabilities, including automatically detecting new engines in the cluster (called discovery), reliable multicast communication, and automatic determination of the master node in the cluster. JGroups has a flexible protocol stack, works across firewalls, WANs and LANs, and supports multiple transport protocols, failure detection, reliable unicast and multicast message transmission, and encryption. But clustering is not enabled by default – if you want to use it, you need to enable it.
• Shareable nodes – This optional JCR 2.0 API feature allows a node that exists under one parent to be shared under multiple other nodes. These are similar to symbolic links in a *nix file system, and can be pretty powerful when you need it.
• ModeShape Kit for JBoss AS – Deploying ModeShape to a JBoss Application Server has just gotten very easy: download and unzip into a profile. ModeShape will run as a service in JBoss AS, so you can simply deploy applications that use the standard JCR 2.0 API to find and access their javax.jcr.Repository instance. You also get the WebDAV and RESTful services, and even a technology preview of a monitoring, alerting, and administration plugin for JOPR.

There are other smaller features, improvements, and quite a few bug fixes. See the release notes for the complete list.

ModeShape is  lightweight, fast, pluggable, open-source JCR repository that federates and unifies content from multiple systems, including files systems, databases, data grids, other repositories, etc. It implements all of the required JCR 2.0 features (repository acquisition, authentication, reading/navigating, query, export, node type discovery, and permissions and capability checking) and most of the optional JCR 2.0 features (writing, import, observation, workspace management, versioning, locking, node type management, same-name siblings, orderable child nodes, and shareable nodes). That means you can use the JCR API to access the information you already have, or use it like a conventional JCR system (just with more ways to persist your content).

Many thanks to the ModeShape community of users and contributors, who have (once again) shown what a fantastic and active community can accomplish in a very short time. After all, it’s been just over 4 weeks since we released ModeShape 2.0!

Give ModeShape 2.1 a try, and let us know what you think!

Filed under: features, federation, jcr, news, repository