Alfresco as a platform

1
Alfresco as a platform

• Thoughts for discussion March, 2007

2
What is a platform?

• Set of services that developers can leverage to
  build applications
• The services that are important vary by solution
• User interface/presentation layer
• Data model/persistance layer
• Library services
• Transactions
• Security
• Workflow/BPM
• Integration hooks
• Scheduler
• Server-side API
• Development (config, customize, extend, manage,
  deploy) model
• Solution-specific services such as search,
  transformation
• Marketing guys want to sell platforms
• Infinity It's not an automobile, it is a sound
  studio on wheels.

3
Platform or not?

• These are examples of platforms
• Lotus Notes/Domino
• ATG/Dynamo
• Vignette
• Zope
• Documentum
• These are examples of tools, frameworks, and
  niche solutions
• LAMP, PHP, Symfony
• J2EE, Tomcat, JBoss, Spring
• Most mid-market ECM solutions
• Does it matter?

4
So is Alfresco a platform?

• Yes. Alfresco is a platform for content-centric
  solutions. It provides all of the services
  mentioned earlier...
• User interface/presentation layer Spring/MyFaces
• Data model/persistance layer Extensible content
  model
• Library services Check-in/check-out, versioning
• Transactions Configurable via Spring
• Security Authenticate against LDAP, define
  custom roles
• Workflow/BPM Simple workflows or embedded JBPM
• Integration hooks Write your own actions or
  policies that will call other apps with Java
  Other apps integrate with Alfresco via JCR or Web
  Services
• Scheduler Leverages Quartz scheduler
• Server-side API Via the Rhino JavaScript engine
• Development (config, customize, extend, manage,
  deploy) model Create light extensions through
  Freemarker, heavier customizations via Java
• Solution-specific services such as search,
  transformation Lucene handles search Some
  content transformers provided OOTB Add-ons for
  things like records management

Okay, but for what types of solutions?
5
Four Alfresco patterns

• Straight Alfresco
• Use cases Typical ECM Document management,
  imaging, records management
• Client Web client UI is acceptable OOTB or with
  minor customizations Office suites
• Process Simple to complex processes
• Content Document-centric
• Alfresco as a Repository
• Use cases NGI applications, portals
• Client Custom leverage a framework such as
  Symfony (PHP), Liferay (Java), or Jboss Portal
  (Java)
• Process Simple to complex may have integration
  requirements
• Content Content-centric

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Four Alfresco patterns

• Alfresco for Traditional WCM
• Use cases Enable non-technical users to manage
  mostly static web sites
• Client Web client
• Process Simple
• Content XML-centric
• Alfresco for Dynamic WCM
• Use cases Enable both technical and
  non-technical users to work together to maintain
  a dynamic web site (application)
• Client Web client, Eclipse and other tools
• Process Simple to complex processes
• Content XML-centric

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Alfresco anti-patterns

• An issue of could you versus should you
• You could use Alfresco to develop a CRM
  application but should you?
• Alfresco as the portal or community
• Alfresco is not there yet, but watch for
  developments in this area
• Alfresco as a platform for non-document- or
  non-content-centric solutions
• Alfresco is built to handle content, not as a
  replacement to Hibernate
• Source code management Brought up by one of the
  meet-up participants
• Until Alfresco supports the SVN protocol,
  developers probably will not be willing to give
  up their current tools to use Alfresco for source
  code management
• Others?

8
Contact info

• Jeff Potts, Optaros
• Personal blog http//ecmarchitect.com
• Optaros web site http//www.optaros.com