Architecture
From Cyclone3 Wiki
This article describes how Cyclone3 Framework works and how it is connected to other components and services.
Contents |
Cyclone3 Framework Core
Cyclone3 Framework is the heart of the system. It provides the connection of all the other components and integrates the basic logic for data manipulation. This means (database, filesystem, web, email, ...), data processing and output (eg. publishing on web pages, sending email reports,...)
Everything that the Framework does is executed by the "engines" as tasks. Every "engine" provides a different approach to the tasks. For example, engine "publisher" generates web documents (such as (X)HTML, but also WML, PDF or any others). With a different approach the "cron" engine is responsible for execution of scheduled tasks in the background at given time intervals (automatically sending reports, regular analytic processes, checking automation). It is possible for one to easily create their own custom engine (such as WebDAV or an IMAPv4 daemon)
Cyclone3 Framework, like any other framework, contains a set of tools (console commands), aknowledged standards (API modules, API applications, DATA standard) and a set of libraries to create and run new projects.
So, the Framework is the server component of Cyclone3, which is usually installed on a GNU/Linux server. Read more about System_Requirements.
What does the Framework do?
- Manages data sources and deals with low-level data processing
- Executes and manages tasks
- Serves as a platform for basic functioning of a service (one or a network of web sites)
- Provides a set of standard set of development and administration tools (debugging, console tools.
- Provides a unified database access interface
- Provides a unified interface for development and execution of addons (eg. an application is a type of addon)
- Enables linking and integration of addons (eg. linking articles to discussion forums, etc.)
- Publishes information and generates output (web pages, emails, graphs,..)
Main connections
- Communicates with data sources (databases, filesystem)
- Provides and uses libraries
- Calls tasks using a defined API
- Publishes information
- Implements data exchange with other components using standard protocols (HTTP, XML, SOAP,...)
Addons
Cyclone3 XULadmin
Main article: Cyclone3 XULadmin
Cyclone3 XULadmin is a GUI tool for managing addons and several other framework features. This means it is mainly a content management tool. The GUI is based on the XUL technology and JavaScript . It is implemented as a Mozilla Firefox addon, which can be downloaded and installed.
XULadmin uses its own XML protocol to communicate with the Framework (eg. with http://cyclone.example.tld). This rovides an interface for all the actions that can be executed in XULadmin (login, loading the content tree, creating a new article or uploading a new file). The communication is based on and works thanks to the AJAX technology.
What XULadmin does?
- Using an XML protocol acquires data which is displayed to the user in the GUI
- Sends requests to the back-end (framework) to execute changes
How is it connected?
- Communicates with the back-end by means of a XML-SOAP protocol (ie. a domain service run on the Cyclone3 Framework, eg. http://cyclone.example.tld.)
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