Ontotext has released GraphDB 9.6, which implements a long list of usability improvements collected as input over various channels. We want to express our appreciation to all who contributed excellent feature ideas and helped us optimize the Workbench user experience. This release offers a long list of improvements that can be organized into several categories.
Improved User Interface and Productivity
A search box accessible through the looking glass icon next to the repository selection menu enables users to quickly locate and explore resources using configurable autocomplete search. The search opens the result in a new browser tab and makes it easier to explore multiple resources at any time, without losing focus of the current work. Autocomplete in the SPARQL editor can now lookup resources by name, not only by IRI. This is especially useful when dealing with non-human readable IRIs like those in Wikidata.
The GraphDB repository creation view is now simpler and has additional tooltips to guide the user. The repositories of type Ontop virtual SPARQL endpoint feature specific configuration forms for each supported database type and validate the existence of the JDBC driver in the classpath and the correctness of the input parameters.
Last but not least, the Cluster management view now shows all errors thrown by the workers for faster assessment of the cluster health and status.
Single Repository Restart
The repository management interface now shows the running state of each repository and allows users to restart a specific repository without having to restart the whole GraphDB. This makes it possible to reload configuration changes in Ontop or GraphDB repositories without affecting the work of other repositories. The feature improves the feedback loop on testing different RDBMS to SPARQL descriptors and reduces development time.
JavaScript Driver Authentication
The open-source GraphDB JavaScript driver introduces a new version of the client to simplify the communication with a secured GraphDB server. The client now uses the login endpoint to obtain an authentication token and attaches the token to all following operations. This feature greatly reduces the complexity of accessing password protected endpoints.
Multiple Authentication Options When Accessing Remote Locations
Up to GraphDB 9.6, the Workbench interface could connect to a secured remote GraphDB server using Basic authentication only. GraphDB 9.6 introduces a GraphDB signature authentication for remote locations, which is the same authentication mechanism used internally in the cluster. This is especially useful when configuring cluster nodes or when the user wants to connect to a remote server secured with OpenID/OAuth and Basic authentication is not an option.
Important Bug Fixes
- GraphDB provides more informative error messages when the Workbench fails to connect to a remote GraphDB instance.
- The preload tool now works with SHACL-enabled repositories.
- Multiple fixes in SHACL support and compliance.
Beyond GraphDB 9.6
GraphDB 9.7 is scheduled for release in March 2021. It will integrate RDF4J 3.6 and all recent development of further extended SHACL support. The release will feature improvements in the Connectors such as flexible indexing options for data, whose schema is not fixed or changes frequently. It will also include official Helm charts to deploy and manage the GraphDB cluster on Kubernetes. Release 9.7 will also include several performance optimizations.
Get ready to explore all new GraphDB 9.6 features!
For more information, contact Doug Kimball, Chief Marketing Officer at Ontotext