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Nexus

Nexus is a so-called repository manager for the Maven build tool, and organizes the management of internal and external repositories, including the Maven Central repository. Thus, the repository manager provides access to libraries and plug-ins (so-called artifacts) that are needed to create a build. Nexus is the successor to the Proximity tool and is offered not only as open source software but also in a commercial variant by the company Sonatype.

The Nexus software is available for download on the Internet. For the execution the previous installation of a Java Virtual Machine( JVM) is a condition. Furthermore, there are other tools with a similar range of functions in the open source environment:

  • Artifactory
  • Archiva
  • Dead Simple Maven Proxy
  • Standard Maven Proxy

The background of Nexus is the plug-in architecture implemented by Maven. To download the plug-ins as well as to resolve dependencies, Maven needs access to remote repositories. This is problematic, for example, with regard to restoring a specific software version. For this purpose, Nexus now acts as a proxy between the local repositories and the remote repositories on the Internet. This prevents Maven from directly accessing the remote repositories on the Internet. Maven accesses Nexus in between instead. If the required artifact( library or plug-in) is already stored in the local cache of Nexus, there is no prior access to a remote repository. Only non-existing artifacts are loaded by Nexus fully automatically and once from the remote repository. Thus, the core functionality is the Nexus Plug- In Console for browsing REST services and installing plug-ins. There are also some additional functions, for example, in the administration of repositories via the convenient web interface.

Thus, by using Nexus, the repeatability of builds is possible at any time - likewise, the import of license-bound software is unproblematic. However, Nexus simplifies the maintenance of local or internal repositories - other services no longer need to be used. Access to and provision of artifacts in an organization can thus be controlled from a single system. In this way, Nexus supports the requirements for efficient configuration management.

Informations:
Englisch: Nexus
Updated at: 25.01.2010
#Words: 339
Links: repository, Maven, tool, open source software (OSS), download
Translations: DE
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