Welcome
This site provides the specifications, architectural descriptions, and practical examples required to work with the java-spring implementation of the Eclipse Arrowhead Framework. It is designed as a central resource for developers, integrators, and system architects building Arrowhead compliant solutions.
What Is Eclipse Arrowhead?
The Eclipse Arrowhead Framework is an open-source, service-oriented framework for automation and digitalization. It was built on the principles of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) to provide a unified methodology that enables interoperability across heterogeneous devices, systems, and industrial domains. Arrowhead abstracts information exchange into loosely coupled services, allowing systems — regardless of vendor, technology, or scale — to interact through standardized, secure, and runtime-orchestrated service interfaces.
The Local Cloud Concept
The fundamental governance unit in Eclipse Arrowhead is the Local Cloud: a closed, local industrial network designed for deterministic, secure, and scalable system-of-systems collaboration.
Each Local Cloud is recommended to host a set of core systems providing the minimum functionality needed for secure, interoperable service exchange. These include:
- ServiceRegistry – Registers and discovers services, systems and optionally devices.
- ServiceOrchestration – Selects suitable service providers based on the chosen orchestration strategy.
- ConsumerAuthorization – Enforces access-control policies for service consumption.
- Authentication – Ensures trusted identity management within the Local Cloud.
Supporting Systems
Beyond the recommended set, Arrowhead includes a suite of supporting core systems enabling engineering workflows, configuration management, monitoring, operational control, and maintenance functions across system-of-systems deployments.