Expanding the Power of AWIPS with Plugins

In October 2005 FSL completed a two year development project known as the Advanced Linux Prototype System (ALPS). The project objective was to develop a functionally integrated prototype that demonstrated a full Linux system implementation, distributed data architecture, and simplified system extendability for AWIPS. This paper focuses on system extendability. The approach for improving system extendability was to develop a new Application Program Interface (API) that would replace the complex "extensions" interface and make it easy for developers to develop and integrate new capabilities. In concept, developers would develop stand-alone programs, known as "plugins", in their own environment and integrate them through a Plugin Application Repository and Automated Delivery System. Plugins are extensions to the basic functionality of AWIPS that can be added to meet specific user needs. Plugins can have a high degree of interactivity and can perform such functions as graphical annotation, watch/warning generation, collaborations, and can have special data interfaces.