What if a tool is open source but is built upon a commercial tool?
The tool developers must let the users know of this dependency. The tool will be listed in ESCHER repository as an open source/public tool, but with the dependency on the commercial tool noted. Whether the tool will be considered ESCHER qualified will depend on the degree to which it depends on the commercial tool. For example, if the core functionality of the tool does not require the commercial tool, but only peripheral, “extended”, functionality does then it may be listed as ESCHER qualified. This also requires that the core functionality delivers the most value to user. What about a scenario where an open source tool interfaces to a commercial tool, reads its models and performs analysis, perhaps persisting results back in the commercial tool? In this case the open source tool will be considered ESCHER qualified.
Related Questions
- Is there a difference between portals in the JISC Information Environment and portals built outside this with commercial portal software or Internet portals such as MyNetscape?
- What’s the difference between the commercial and open source versions?
- What if a tool is open source but is built upon a commercial tool?
