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Eclipse CDO

Eclipse CDO (Connected Data Objects) is a model repository and distributed model persistence framework for EMF-based models (modeling and data management) within the Eclipse ecosystem.

  • Distributed shared model repository for EMF models (modeling and data management)
  • Transactional access with support for transactions, branching, and auditing (data consistency and governance)
  • Scalable persistence layer pluggable to various storage back ends (data persistence)
  • Client/server architecture with online and offline access patterns (enterprise application integration)
  • Integration with Eclipse Modeling Framework and Eclipse Immutable Deployment Environment (IDE) tooling (developer tooling and modeling)

More About Eclipse CDO

Eclipse CDO (Connected Data Objects) is a model repository framework focused on the storage, management, and distribution of EMF (Eclipse Modeling Framework) models (modeling and data management). It addresses the need to persist large models, share them among multiple users or processes, and maintain consistency across distributed environments.

At its core, Eclipse CDO provides a shared, central model repository with a client/server architecture (enterprise application integration). EMF-based clients connect to a CDO server to load, modify, and commit changes to models. The framework offers transactional access, which allows clients to group changes in atomic units and ensures consistent state when multiple users or systems interact with the same models (data consistency and governance).

The persistence layer in Eclipse CDO is pluggable and supports different storage back ends (data persistence). The project documentation describes support for standard database technologies as backing stores for model data. This design allows organizations to align model storage with existing database infrastructure and policies while using EMF for modeling.

Eclipse CDO includes features for branching, versioning, and auditing of models (configuration and change management). Branches enable parallel lines of development for models, while auditing allows access to historical states of the repository. These capabilities are relevant for scenarios where models represent evolving system designs, domain data structures, or configuration metadata over time.

The framework integrates with the Eclipse Modeling Framework and related tooling (developer tooling and modeling). EMF model definitions can be used directly with CDO, enabling developers to work with generated EMF code while delegating persistence and distribution to the CDO runtime. Integration with the Eclipse IDE provides views and tools for browsing repositories, inspecting models, and managing sessions and transactions from within the development environment.

From an enterprise usage perspective, Eclipse CDO is applied where EMF models function as central data structures for applications, such as configuration repositories, domain model stores, or design and engineering data hubs (enterprise application platforms). Its client/server model supports both online connected operation and use in distributed architectures, where multiple application nodes or tools need coordinated access to shared model data.

Eclipse CDO is part of the Eclipse Modeling project portfolio and follows Eclipse Foundation governance and licensing practices (open-source governance). For directory categorization, it fits into model repositories, EMF-based persistence frameworks, and transactional data management for modeling tools, with relevance to organizations building model-driven or metadata-centric systems on the Eclipse platform.