If you are a software developer, you likely rely on a Maven Repository Manager to acquire, manage, and report on open source software artifacts -- the building blocks of application development. Nexus is the industry-leading repository manager, and the recent release of Nexus 1.6 brings many exciting upgrades to both Nexus (now known as Sonatype Nexus Repository Community Edition) and Nexus Professional (now known as Sonatype Nexus Repository). But how do you decide what version of Nexus is best for you?
There are a few things to consider. Below are just a few differences to keep in mind and help you make the best decision.
Download a copy of Nexus and experiment with hosted and proxy repositories. You should get a sense of how Maven Settings are configured to retrieve artifacts from a single Repository Group, and you should download a copy of the free Nexus book – Repository Management with Nexus. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with Nexus, you can easily upgrade to Nexus Professional.
If you depend directly on public repositories, such as the Central Maven repository or the various repositories maintained by organizations like Codehaus or the Apache Software Foundation, you rely on these servers to be available to your developers 100% of the time. If a public repository goes down for maintenance, so does your development process. With a local proxy of Maven artifacts, you buy yourself a stable, isolated build. Even if a public repository becomes unavailable, you can still build your software against artifacts cached in your own Nexus installation.
When you purchase Nexus Professional, you are purchasing one year of support from the team that created the industry standard in repository management. With Nexus Professional, you not only get a capable repository manager, but also the peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Sonatype also offers a range of training, implementation and migration services for organizations looking for extra assistance.
Nexus Professional's Staging Suite can track the status of a software release and ensure that different decision-makers are notified and supported during a software release. When you start using Nexus Professional, your operations, quality assurance, and development teams can use the repository manager as a central point of collaboration.
Are you developing an open source project? If so, most open source projects qualify for a free Nexus Professional license. Sonatype is committed to supporting the development of quality open source, and this is our way of giving back to the community.
These factors are just scratching the surface of what Nexus and Nexus Professional are capable of, but will get you on the right track when deciding what repository manager makes the most sense for you.