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Ozone Widget Framework

The Ozone Widget Framework (OWF) is an open-source web-based framework for composing and integrating lightweight web applications, known as "widgets", into a customisable desktop-like interface called a "webtop". Developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), it enables decentralised data communication between widgets within a browser, allowing users to assemble tools for tasks like real-time analytics, cyber-situational awareness, and operational planning without sending data back to servers. OWF supports inter-widget communication via intents and channels.

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The Ozone Widget Framework (OWF) is an open-source web-based framework for composing and integrating lightweight web applications, known as "widgets", into a customisable desktop-like interface called a "webtop".123 Developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), it enables decentralised data communication between widgets within a browser, allowing users to assemble tools for tasks like real-time analytics, cyber-situational awareness, and operational planning without sending data back to servers.45 OWF supports inter-widget communication via intents and channels.67

Background

OWF originated as a secure framework for command and control (C2) interfaces within the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD).8 It was designed to address challenges in net-centric environments, where traditional portals struggled with decentralised content.9 In 2012, Congress mandated its release as open-source software under the National Defence Authorisation Act, requiring the DoD to publish APIs, toolkits, and source code to encourage commercial development and DoD/intelligence community use.101112

OWF's code was hosted on GitHub by the Ozone Platform team and released as Government Open Source Software (GOSS).21314 The framework evolved from NSA's Secure Widget Integration Framework (SWIF), incorporating mandatory access control (MAC) for multi-level security.46

Features

OWF provides a browser-based webtop where users can:615

  • Assemble widgets into dashboards or tabbed layouts for personalised workflows.3
  • Enable inter-widget communication via publish-subscribe channels and intents, allowing data sharing (e.g., a contact list sending addresses to a map widget).216
  • Implement security through plugin modules for user-specific access, discretionary access control (DAC) at the widget level, and optional MAC for data classification.4
  • Integrate with APIs like the Common Map Widget API (CMAPI) for standardised map-data interactions.3

Development and community

Development focuses on widget creation, with guides for integrating existing apps and adding components like descriptor URLs.17 The Ozone Platform maintains repositories for OWF, the OZONE Marketplace (a widget search engine), and OZONE Synapse (a data-caching layer).1819

Community support includes Google Groups for LDAP configuration and announcements, with pull requests encouraged via GitHub.202 Refactoring efforts in 2013 aimed at OSGi backend and Ext JS removal for scalability.9

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Hellar, David Benjamin; Vega, Laurian C. (2012-05-03). "The Ozone Widget Framework: Towards modularity of C2 human interfaces". In Suresh, Raja (ed.). Defense Transformation and Net-Centric Systems 2012. Vol. 8405. p. 840505. doi:10.1117/12.919131. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  2. "Ozone Widget Framework". GitHub. Ozone Platform. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  3. "OZONE Platform". OWF GOSS. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  4. "Achieving Information Dominance: Unleashing the Ozone Widget Framework". CSIAC. July 12, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  5. Ibanez, Luis. "Ozone Widget Framework required to be open source under congressional law | Opensource.com". opensource.com. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  6. Ruchkin, Ivan; Vishal Dwivedi; Garlan, David; Schmerl, Bradley (2014), Architectural Modeling of Ozone Widget Framework End-User Compositions, Institute for Software Research, Carnegie Mellon University, doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.4096.1449, retrieved 2025-09-12
  7. "Widget Development | Solutions". www.falconlogic.com. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  8. "The Ozone Widget Framework: Towards Modularity of C2 Human Interfaces" (PDF). www.spiedigitallibrary.org. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  9. "Ozone Widget Framework". GitHub. MIL-OSS. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  10. "Ozone Widget Framework required to be open source under congressional law". Opensource.com. February 1, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  11. Rep. McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [R-CA-25 (2011-12-31). "H.R.1540 - 112th Congress (2011-2012): National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. "NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  13. "Ozone Widget Framework developed by the NSA". Hacker News. December 22, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  14. "Ozone and the Government Open Source Software (GOSS) Advisory Board | JFDI: Just Do It". 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  15. "Widget Frameworks - Meta-Guide.com". meta-guide.com. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2025-09-12.
  16. "Ozone Platform". Ozone Platform. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  17. "Widget Developer's Guide Home". GitHub. Ozone Platform. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  18. "Ozone Platform". GitHub. Ozone Platform. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  19. "OMP Marketplace". GitHub. Ozone Platform. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  20. "Configuring ozone widget framework for ldap authentication". Google Groups. October 13, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  21. "Esri and Next Century Combine Forces to Develop Ozone Map Widgets". Esri. October 28, 2013. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
  22. "Ozone OpenLayers". GitHub. Sev1Tech. Retrieved September 11, 2025.
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