DISA Cross Domain Enterprise Solutions on the NetBeans Platform
- by Geertjan
Bray 2.0 is a tool based on the NetBeans Platform that assists in creating valid Data Flow Configuration (DFC) files.
The DFC Specification was developed to provide a standardized way for defining, validating, and approving data flows for use on cross-domain guarding solutions. A DFC document specifies key entities such as security domains, guards that facilitate data between security domains, data flows that describe how data travels between security domains, filters that transform and validate the data and more. Related info:
http://www.disa.mil/Services/Information-Assurance/Cross-Domain-Solutions
The Bray product is in development at Fulcrum IT (http://www.fulcrumco.com). The DFC Specification and Bray were developed in support of the US Department of Defense. Bray 2.0 marks the first release of Bray on the NetBeans Platform and utilizes a number of features that are core to the NetBeans Platform:
Modular plugability. Bray consumers can integrate their own tools, file types, and more into the product with relative ease.
Robust UI. The NetBeans Platform intuitive UI makes it easy to access and manipulate multiple aspects of a DFC.
Explorer. The Explorer is a key component that makes the DFC XML easy to traverse, edit, and find errors.
Context-sensitive help. JavaHelp can be readily integrated for the product as well as all the UI within.
Editors. Any external file can be added to a DFC. Users can register their own editors or use the provided NetBeans editors to edit files.
Printing. The NetBeans Platform Print API makes it easy to determine what should be printed and how.
A screenshot:
Bray 2.0 provides a lot of key features in developing valid, robust DFC files:
XML validation. A DFC can be validated against the DFC schema specification.
DFC Check List. An interactive, minimal guide for creating a complete DFC.
Summary Window. The Summary Window functions like the Navigator in NetBeans IDE. The current "item of interest" is checked against various business rules and provides the ability to quickly find and fix errors.
Change Log. Bray audits every change to a DFC and places them in a change log for users to peruse.
Comments. Users can optionally add comments for other users to see.
Digital signatures. DFC files can be digitally signed. A signature history and signature validation is provided in Bray.
Pluggable security schemes. Bray ships with plain text and IC-ISM security schemes. If needed, users can integrate additional ones.
...and more to come! New features for Bray are constantly in development including use of the NetBeans Visual Library, language support, and more.
More screenshots:
