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Introduction

myWMS is not a full featured Warehouse Management System. It is a set of tools and libraries and a concept how to build your own commercial strength Warhouse Management System.

myWMS AS

Current and future versions of myWMS, beginning with version 4, consist of J2EE based technologies, using Application Servers, OR-mappers and event systems.
The contents of version 4 (source and docs) are available at the public download area.

For further information about the state of myWMS, please also refer to the myWMS Wiki, where recent information about the state of myWMS are placed.

Infrastructure

The IT stack of a myWMS is a typical java stack. An operating system is hosting the Java subsystem, executing the application server. The several components of the myWMS can be accessed via the application server specific mechanisms, like for example JNDI, JMS, http/https and more.

Applications, running on an application server can be distributed over a cluster as well as the components can be deployed to individual dedicated servers.
For example, the web application can be hosted on one server, where the control center support is hosted on another server.
Beside the inbound plugins, those available as external service can be used also (if performance allowes).

Model

The model of myWMS incorporates the following aspects:

Topology of the warehouse (static WMS data, like locations, racks, ...)
Inventory of the warehouse (dynamic WMS data, like unit loads, stock units, ...)
Order- and Request-Management (dynamic WMS data, like picking requests, transport requests, ...)
Client ability (vendor managed warehouses)
User management (including roles and permissions)
Document management (storing delivery notes, pick lists, ...)
Logging of logistical events (for example change of inventory, change of topology, configuring clients, creating/editing/deleting users, ...)

myWMS Kernel

Up to Version 3 the myWMS consists of an kernel based architecture. This technology has been developed by the Fraunhofer IML since the end of the year 2000, as application servers just started to develop and connectivity of application servers into the field was not very good supported.
The kernel based architecture focusses onto the following priciples:

abstraction of the persistence layer to access relational databases
predefined, extensible datastructures
clear interfaces to access data structures
a single software to steer the field and to operate data
event oriented architectures for time critical operations
extensibility of data and operations

Now, years later, most of the above principles have been solved by free available software:

OR-mapping tools as abstraction layer to relational databases
application servers to operate processes and manage the data and ...
...to grant extensibility of data and operations

Nevertheless some basic myWMS choices persist:

predefined, extensible datastructures
clear interfaces to access data structures
event oriented architectures for time critical operations

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