CMDBuild Newsletter n. 50

July 2015

New version CMDBuild 2.3.3 and roadmap

The new version of CMDBuild 2.3.3 is being released on the first few days of August.

It includes the following improvements:

• lock management in the workflows, according to the mode of operation in the data cards
• new API to force the abort of a workflow instance from a script
• possibility of reapply the pre-selection criteria within the linkCard widget
• performance improvements
• new translation into Hungarian
• bug fixing

At the beginning of October a new intermediate version 2.3.4 is going to be released. It will include a new simplified feature to manage second-level localisations, the LDAP authentication for the “mobile app”, the possibility of configuring custom pages in CMDBuild using the CMDBuild GUI Framework, the possibility of defining predefined filters for a class / group of users, a better management of SQL exceptions.

New Relation Graph

We are working on the implementation of the new “Relation Graph”, which is going to replace and extend the current one. Some parts are taking shape.

From a technical point of view, we decided to choose solutions that can ensure an optimal result by showing graphs including thousands nodes and relations. This required us to choose the 3D option because it offers one more spatial dimension where you can work.

The three-dimensional choice, and the resulting need of particular attention at the performance aspects, are directing us towards Three.js, a standard library that uses the power of OpenGL.

In order to offer to the users all the features they would need during the analysis of the graph, we are working to incorporate the possibilities offered by a library rich of solutions within the Network theory. At the moment we have identified Cytoscape.js as a possible candidate: it is a very powerful library used for many years especially for studying molecular biology, and we are moving in this direction.

The project will be released in two moments:

• by the end of the year we are going to release a first version of the tool, which will include the basic features for the visualization of the graph, with the possibility of choosing domains, applying filters, exploring clusters including several elements, etc.
• in the following months, we are going to extend the tool with new visualization features and, especially, we are going to release another set of features, useful to highlight dependencies among the elements of the graph, allowing in this way an “impact analysis” on data

Customer support

Useful links

CMDBuild on the field: ILafarge France

In this newsletter we want to describe you how CMDBuild is used by the French company Lafarge, world leader among the producers of building materials.

Here's a short description sent by them.

"Lafarge France has been using CMDBuild for the past 3 years.

It has been chosen because it was (and still is) the best OpenSource CMDB solution and can even easily compare with big vendors solutions (e.g. ServiceNow).

We use a home made model heavily based on TOGAF(r) and ArchiMate(r) (both registered trademarks of The Open Group), promoting CMDBuild to a full feature Enterprise Architecture Repository.

Thanks to CMDBuild and its data integration and reporting capability, we have now a clear view of our assets (even some intagible ones) and are able to really manage our services and costs.

The possibilities offered by such a tool are really endless, our teams use it every day for a lot of purposes (manual updates, impact analysis, report...) and would not be as efficient without it.

I highly recommend it."

The  openMAINT and READY2USE products