DevTools for better security and performance

Last year, we launched the free Bizzomate DevTool, an application which quickly discovers vulnerabilities in Mendix applications. Developers can use it to easily make their Mendix applications more resilient against cyber attacks. It also offers detailed information about the status of applications.

Reading data for security checks
A common vulnerability in Mendix applications is the incorrect configuration of user rights. This sometimes results in unwanted exposure of data. With the Bizzomate DevTool, developers can check for these vulnerabilities during and after the development of applications. The tool generates tables showing developers what they are allowed to see in a Mendix application, based on their user rights. The tool utilizes only the functionalities that are available within the Mendix client. Consequently, it can be considered as a type of pentest. This way, it’s easy to check if the set rights work properly and to solve security problems, even before a Mendix application goes live.

Insights in your application
In addition to quickly reading data to check security, the tool can also be used to analyze the status of Mendix applications. Any changes made in your Mendix application will immediately be reflected in the DevTool. You can easily browse relevant data, state and information in a graphical user friendly way. It helps you to quickly show relations between different objects and makes the Bizzomate DevTool very suitable for quick troubleshooting of Mendix applications.

Performance monitoring
The built-in performance monitoring in the Bizzomate DevTool logs important performance statistics on the server. This allows developers to see how long the Mendix application takes to execute certain actions on the server. This way, low performing parts of the application can easily be identified and improved. The Bizzomate DevTool accesses applications from the outside, making it possible to use the tool everywhere and eliminating the need to download the database of an application. This saves a lot of time.

Coen Spinhoven, Mendix MVP and developer of the DevTool at Bizzomate: “Over the course of a year, we have received a lot of great feedback from people using the tool. Many developers who started using it said they can’t go without it anymore. I’m glad we’re able to contribute to the community, and help make other developers’ lives easier.”

In a recent Meetup about the Bizzomate Devtool, with over 150 attendees, Coen announced some exciting new features: “We’re planning to overhaul the performance monitor and add functionality to be able to gather even more in-depth statistics about your application. When you connect your Mendix-app to the module, everything you do will be logged to the client, with a very detailed breakdown of what’s happening in your application. It really helps you make informed decisions and quickly identify possible bottlenecks.”

Charles Bronzwaer, partner at Bizzomate: “Our Bizzomate DevTool makes life for Mendix developers a lot easier. It gives developers immediate insight into the most important security settings, without any configuration necessary, and allows them to quickly identify and improve poorly functioning parts of Mendix applications, resulting in safer applications which are less vulnerable to cyber attacks. Because we want all Mendix developers to be able to use such a useful tool, we made this application available for free.”

New Mendix Add-ons
In addition to the DevTool, Bizzomate also announced two new useful Mendix add-ons. Ultimate Scheduler enables organizations to visually plan, carry out, and keep track of projects of any size. This helps in the efficient planning of resources, and enables better team collaboration to accomplish more than before. Ultimate Gantt is an add-on to create a modern project management tool that will help to monitor the progress of your projects, connect the dots between key dates, milestones, and dependent tasks and maintain a bird’s eye view of multiple projects, distributed teams, and changing deadlines.