Catacomb is a module that extends the functionality of Apache's mod_dav by providing a WebDAV repository. It enables users to access and manage resources on remote servers using standard WebDAV clients.
By default, mod_dav uses a separate module known as mod_dav_fs to store resource bodies as files in the filesystem, and keeps properties in a (G)DBM database, which is a less efficient way of managing resources. However, with Catacomb-WebDAV, users have a replacement for mod_dav_fs called mod_dav_repos, which uses a relational database, MySQL, to store resources and their properties. The primary advantages of Catacomb's approach lie in its usage of the searching capabilities of the database to implement the DASL protocol, as well as its ability to easily implement the versioning capabilities of the DeltaV protocol.
By shifting to a relational database, Catacomb functions as a platform that contains typical document management system capabilities, including the capacity to store large volumes of documents and search over their metadata. Additionally, with a source code modification, users can change the schema of properties stored in the main schema of the relational database, which optimizes search speeds.
Catacomb's project is the first open-source implementation of the DASL and DeltaV(linear versioning) protocols, and the team plans to track its evolution.
Some of Catacomb WebDAV's key features include Class 1, 2 features from RFC 2518 and storage of arbitrary client-defined dead properties. It also supports live properties defined in RFC 2518, and a subset of the DeltaV protocol from RFC 3253 (linear versioning). Additionally, it supports VERSION-CONTROL, CHECKIN, CHECKOUT, UNCHECKOUT, and REPORT methods.
In its latest release, Catacomb WebDAV introduces database abstraction using mod_dbd from Apache 2.2.X, making it the first release candidate of version 1.0. From this release on, no new features will be added, with subsequent updates focusing on increasing performance and stability.
Version 0.9.6: N/A