Hyades is an Eclipse subproject that is an integrated test, trace and monitoring environment, based on Eclipse, that provides standards, tools and tool interoperability across the test process. It provides an open source platform for Automated Software Quality (ASQ) tools, and a range of open source reference implementations of ASQ tooling for testing, tracing and monitoring software systems.

Unlike test and trace tools available today – also some already mentioned in my weblog – Hyades provides a unified data model, a normative user experience and workflow, and a united set of APIs and reference tools that work consistently across the range of targets.

The goal of the Hyades project is to bring ASQ tools into the Eclipse environment in a consistent way that maximizes integration with tools used in the other processes of the software lifecycle. This enhanced integration should reduce the cost and complexity of implementing effective automated software quality control processes. Hyades also provides a set of platform-dependant Data Collector engines for profiling (support Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, Linux 390, zSeries, etc.)

A couple of additional documents on Hyades is available. Version 1.0.2 GA was releases last Friday 15th of August.

oh – and Hyades is actually:

• A cluster of stars in the Taurus constellation
• A historical milestone in astronomy and physics – During the 1919 eclipse, Hyades enabled scientists to collect

  the first empirical proof of Einstein's theory of relativity.