Conceptually, dm Server can be divided into two separate subsystems, one of which actually encompases the other:
- The kernel, which is the heart of dm Server. It makes up most of the dm Server, except for the part that supports Web applications. In other words, the kernel provides full OSGi modular support for your applications, as long as they are not Web-based.
See The dm Server Kernel for additional information.
- The user region is the subsystem that manages user applications. It deliberately isolates the kernel from both your applications and those of the dm Server itself, such as the Admin Console, making it much easier for you to administer dm Server.
See The dm Server User Region for additional information.
The following graphic shows how the kernel and user region make up dm Server:
When you download and install SpringSource dm Server you get both the kernel and a user region. You can also download and use the kernel on its own if you do not plan on deploying Web applications.
The dm Kernel encapsulates almost all of dm Server except for the deployment of Web applications. In sum, the kernel provides the following dm Server features:
- Deployment of non-Web artifacts, such as OSGi bundles, PARs, plans, and configuration artifacts.
- Local and hosted repositories
- Scoping
- Hot deployment
- User region
- Auto-provisioning
- System and application tracing and dump support
- Spring beans and Spring DM support
See Configuring dm Server for details about configuring the default kernel to better suit your environment.