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Proposal for Enterprise Component Framework

You are invited to join the project and to provide feedback using the eclipse.technology.ecp newsgroup. 

Introduction 

The outstanding flexibility of the Eclipse Platform is provided by its comprehensive component model. The Eclipse Platform component model targets tools development, tools integration and rich client applications and offers users a strong GUI orientation. Unfortunately, there is nothing similar to the Eclipse Platform available for enterprise application developers. Existing components models do not provide the flexibility for enterprise applications that the Eclipse Platform does for GUI-oriented applications. 

The Enterprise Component Framework's goal is to create a comprehensive component model for enterprise application development. The component model will provide a great deal of flexibility for building enterprise applications from components. In addition, applications would benefit from the component approach by acquiring such feature as adaptability e.g. ability to react on changes in environment at runtime. Finally, the project will create the ability to easily create enterprise application from existing components for development teams and users.

A majority of the flexibility the Eclipse Platform inherited from the OSGi Service Platform. Similarly, the Enterprise Component Framework should also be based on and extend the OSGi Service Platform. The Equinox along with Eclipse Core will serve as a container for the enterprise components. 

This document proposes the scope and organization of the project. 

Why A New Enterprise Component Model? 

It is important to explore the specific market need for yet another component framework. By definition, the word, "component" is today much overloaded and overused. However, in this project, the following definition will be used: A component is a software unit that exposes the following features: 

  • Has well specified interface and explicit dependencies 
  • Can be customized 
  • Can be assembled 
  • Reusable by nature 
  • A unit of substitution 
  • A unit of delivery and deployment

The primary reason for utilizing components is to provide a faster way to develop applications due to their high volume of reuse. In addition, components help to maintain existing application because of its customizability and substitutability. The following section describes the current market challenges that limit the usage of a component approach to develop enterprise applications and our propositions how to solve them. 

Reusability 

Today, there are no wide Java enterprise components on the market. The primary problem with this lack of diversity in the existing component models is that component models are mostly interface or object-oriented. They do not take in consideration that modern programming technologies require developers to use many different software artifacts such as services, resources, declarative programming specifications or object/relational mappings. Developers can't expose these artifacts as components because they are beyond of a component model. As a result, applications become monolithic because all of the artifacts are integrated into one big module such as war or ear.

The Enterprise Component Framework project proposes a component model based on OSGi bundles that can contain different types of components and XML descriptors that describe these components in terms of exposed artifacts and required artifacts. Such components can be reused without internal modifications but by customization in using components. Eclipse plug-ins are a good example of such an approach. 

Adaptability 

All commonly used existing component models today are static (e.g components are supposed to be installed and work all the time). These component models do not define behavior of components when there are some changes are under way within runtime environment. It makes impossible or very difficult to maintain operational applications. Usually, applications based on a static component model need to be stopped, reconfigured or updated and then launched again.

We propose a model that allows dynamic changes in the environment. Moreover applications can benefit from it by acquiring adaptability. In the same way as Eclipse IDE can be extended by plug-ins the proposed model allows extending enterprise applications.

Flexible Target Platform 

The proposed component model will allow enterprise developers to create enterprise components without targeting any specific environment such as J2EE or J2SE. As a result, enterprise components can run both on server or client sides. Theoretically, the enterprise components can be deployed anywhere from a cell phone to grid infrastructure. The only limitation is possibility of the environment to satisfy the component dependencies. 

Versioning 

The proposed component model will have versioning will rely on the OSGi Platform for components versioning. As a result it will allow great level of adaptability for existing applications 

High level architecture 

This technical diagram illustrates the architecture of how the Eclipse with the Enterprise Components may become a complete platform for building business applications.

The architecture is comprised of the following:

Java Platform - the Java virtual machine plus the API specifications

Eclipse OSGi Framework (Equinox) - The Equinox provides the OSGi framework implementation and component model upon which the Eclipse RCP, IDE platforms and Enterprise Component Framework run

Eclipse RCP - Eclipse Rich Client Platform - The set of plug-ins needed to build a rich client application

Enterprise Component Framework - The proposed framework for building enterprise application components. Unlike enterprise components that run on server-side of the business applications, this Framework has no such requirement. Enterprise Components may run in the same container as RCP components. 

Enterprise Components, Rich Client Component, Eclipse Plug-ins - The building blocks of the business applications and tools

Business Application - Any application that performs business functions and utilizes a GUI

Roles and responsibilities 

We understand that the proposed platform will change the way how business applications are developed. We propose to recognize the following roles in software development process with the Enterprise components: technology providers, component providers and application developers. 

Technology provider 

Technology providers bundle their products into OSGi bundles. Some technology components may be exposed as enterprise components. Technology providers must have substantial knowledge of the OSGi platform. Some knowledge of the Enterprise Component Framework may be required. 

Component provider 

Component providers create business components that can be used to build applications. Component providers must have basic knowledge of OSGi platform and knowledge of Enterprise Components model (must know what component descriptors are). Components are developed using commonly used Java technologies (JavaBeans, JSP, JSF etc.). Component bundles contain Enterprise Component descriptor(s) if necessary. 

Application developer 

Application developers customize and assemble business components together to satisfy end users needs. Application developers must be familiar with OSGi platform (must know what bundle and service is) and Enterprise Component model (must know what component descriptors are). Application developers use Enterprise Component Development Tools to compose and customize applications.

Project Scope 

The Enterprise Component Framework Project will focus on the development of an enterprise component model, runtime and common services that support this model and set of tools to support development and runtime management of enterprise components.

The items below describe the scope of the proposed Enterprise Component Framework project. 

Enterprise Component Model 

The following principles should be employed during the enterprise component model development: 

  • The component model should be based on the OSGi Service Platform. 
  • The component model should support multiple software artifacts such as resources, JavaBeans, OR mappings and process definitions in the same way as service components are supported by Service Component Runtime (see OSGi Service compendium: 112 Declarative Services Specification) 
  • The component model should specify dynamic behavior of the components. The components should adapt to the dynamic availability (the arrival or departure) of the services or other components they are using 
  • The component model should employ XML descriptors (non-intrusive model) and/or Java 5 annotations to describe, customize and assembling components 
  • The component model should allow converting existing software artifacts into enterprise components without any modifications in the artifacts 

Enterprise Component Runtime 

The project will specify and develop a runtime services that support and enforce the enterprise component model. The framework would include XML descriptor definitions for every component type defined by the component model, descriptor parsers, runtime support for registering/un-registering components and component dependencies resolving. In addition, the framework would provide a way to develop component applications that are sets of components that work together within the same context. 

Enterprise Component Tools 

The project goal is to provide a set of tools for the enterprise component development and runtime component management. Such tools would include managing lists of installed components, component dependencies resolving and validation, search/install/publish components from/into the component repository, wizards for component creation, import/export component project from/to a bundle, conversion software artifacts into a components, editors for component descriptors. 

Enterprise Component Repository 

The Enterprise Component Repository is a service that provides storage for components. The Component Repository would also provide search and retrieval of components. An optional runtime service would provide automatic discovery, download, install and activation of required components from the repository. 

Out of scope 

The initial project would not focus on compatibility with the existing enterprise component models such as EJB or currently developing such as SCA. Nevertheless, components that provide such services could be created within the boundaries of the basic enterprise component model.

The project would not focus on a security model. The security model is defined in OSGi Service Platform specification.

The project would not focus on packaging and deployment. The OSGi Service Platform specification defines module layer for these purposes.

The project would not define any specific component set that should be preinstalled at runtime. Only component dependencies can specify what is required at runtime. 

Relationship with other Eclipse Projects 

The Enterprise Component Framework will strongly rely on Equinox. The tool set will be built upon the Eclipse Platform as set of plug-ins. Project may have a relationship with RCP for UI components. 

Interested Parties 

There are two major interested parties in this project - potential contributors and potential adopters. The project leads have talked to many companies have expressed their interest in participating to this project as potential adopters: AIG, HSN, ABN AMRO Bank, Deutsche Bank, CNet and Echopass. To express support, concern, or constructive opinion regarding the formation of this proposed project, all are encouraged to utilize the newsgroup. 

Initial committers 

  • Igor Shabalov, Exadel, Project Lead 
  • Alex Antonau, Exadel, Project Architect and Committer 
  • Nick Belaevski, Exadel, Committer 
  • Andrew Yanchevsky, Exadel, Committer 

Code contributions 

Initial code contribution will be based on Exadel development of Eclipse-based Components Framework. We also encourage other parties to contribute Enterprise Components based on exiting and new open source technologies.

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