OpenMRS Technology Radar

Inspired by the ThoughtWorks Technology Radar, we have created our own OpenMRS Technology Radar. Our first release was in October 2016. (Thanks to Mike Seaton for suggesting we do this!)

FAQ

What is the OpenMRS Technology Radar?

Our Tech Radar is an opinionated recommendation from some OpenMRSers who have been involved in many projects over the years, about what technologies you should be using, or avoiding, when building your OpenMRS implementations and distributions.

What is the structure?

The metaphor is a "radar" showing information about technologies, and how close they are to being recommended for adoption. (We took inspiration from the thinking behind ThoughtWorks's radar.)

We organized technologies into four quadrants:

• Languages & Frameworks
• Modules & Distributions
• Standards & Conventions
• Platforms & Integrations

Then we made a recommendation about each technology:

1. Adopt ... projects really should use these technologies (in the appropriate contexts, of course)
2. Trial ... projects should pilot/trial these technologies, and make an informed decision about whether they are the right fit
3. Assess ... projects should investigate these technologies, and track their progress, but they are typically not ready for production use
4. Hold ... you should avoid these technologies on new projects, and consider shifting away from them on existing projects, as appropriate.

Who was involved?

The October 2016 Radar was done by Pascal Brandt, Darius Jazayeri, Daniel Kayiwa, Wyclif Luyima, Burke Mamlin, and Mike Seaton. It was discussed off-and-on over the course of 6 months, mostly on Design Forums.

How to get involved?

Did we get something wrong? Did we miss something? Share your opinion on Talk! (Find the thread for the latest radar version, and write a comment.)

We plan to review the radar quarterly, and we are looking for /dev/3s and above to be part of the team. If you have (a) opinions about technology and a desire to voice them, (b) experience on OpenMRS projects, and (c) a willingness to commit a few hours every quarter, then contact Darius Jazayeri, Burke Mamlin, or any of the other Tech Radar team members by private message on OpenMRS Talk and ask to join the team.