While most MVC implementations provide action class caches, auto-population of objects, and tag libraries, the Centric CRM framework goes beyond the basics and adds real world features that are used in web-based applications. The following list includes features that have been added to the framework:

Security

1. SSL logins – providing a consistent entry-point into the application
2. Single session sign-on per user name – if a user is already logged in, a second login prompts if the user should cancel the other session and continue
3. Client browser auto-logout when server session expires
4. Roles and permissions – each user can have a single role in which permissions are granted
5. User hierarchy – each user can report to another user
6. Action level permissions – restricts module usage based on user role permissions
7. Record level permissions – restricts record usage based on record ownership and user hierarchy
8. Protection from concurrent updates to the same record – users are notified when another user has already updated a record in which they are trying to update
9. One-way encrypted passwords stored in the database
10. Private and public key encryption
11. Database gatekeeper – controls access to specific databases based on user authentication; useful for developing against multiple databases
12. Protected file system on server – prevents unauthenticated access and snooping of files
13. Logging

Performance

1. Database Connection Pool
2. Object Cache, for sharing system level resources between users
3. Image Cache, implementation for reusing images such as graphs

User Interface

1. Page layouts – templates for defining where global elements should be placed and where the content is placed; keeping the content separate from the layout
2. Page skins – settings to define how page elements are displayed, typically with style sheets; colors, borders, images, sizes, etc.
3. Record paging – server-side and client-side elements for navigating a result set
4. Calendar – server-side and client-side elements for displaying a calendar with optional settings; small or large, with icons for holidays and custom events
5. File transfer – server-side and client-side elements for allowing clients to upload, download, and stream files based on permissions and file content-type
6. Graphs – server-side image generation including web browser tool-tips; bar, line, pie, plot, etc.
7. Menu system
• Top-level menu displaying modules; graphically rich using style sheets
• Sub-menus for each module; graphically rich using style sheets
• Tab-style container menus; graphically rich using style sheets
8. Global items – elements that traverse the whole site or a sub-section of page layouts
• My Items; a list of alerts specific to the user
• Recent Items; a list of recently accessed items
• Search; a text field for searching the whole site for related content
• Quick Actions; a menu for popping up an action item form
• Help; page-sensitive help
• QA Development Tool; page-sensitive bug, feature, and help entry
9. Site preferences – allows for installations to easily modify the all terminology
10. Lookup lists – a standard way of using combo-boxes with advanced features for displaying entries that are no longer valid in the list and for allowing items to be modified by an administrator
11. Dynamic Forms – forms expressed as xml and translated by a JSP for a consistent look
12. Taglibs – html tags that allow cached access to users, lookup lists, and various custom html elements
13. Time Zones – every element is sensitive to the user's timezone, both when displaying and entering dates and times

Rules Engine

1. Object events – action triggers a customizable workflow process when an object is inserted, updated, deleted, or selected
2. Scheduled events – a timer triggers a customizable workflow proces
3. Notification manager – responsible for sending and logging messages

System Scheduler

1. Can execute tasks written in Java
2. Can execute native executables

Data Transfer and Exchange

1. HTTP-based XML API – multiple clients can add, update, delete or retrieve records on the server
2. Synchronization through XML API – multiple clients can synchronize tables with the server, the server can also map legacy primary keys to server primary keys on-the-fly
3. Process log through XML API – a timestamped listing of external and internal processes
4. Reader/Writer – a generalized application that can read data from various inputs and write the data to various outputs
5. Direct database connectivity

Document/Data Indexing and Search

1. Class indexers to define object metadata to be saved and indexed
2. Context-sensitive search results with word highlighting

Utilities

1. AppUtils for loading and saving persistent application settings
2. ContentUtils for parsing content and metadata from documents
3. DatabaseUtils for working with databases independent of the database type
4. DateUtils for common date methods
5. FileUtils for common file methods; copying files
6. HTMLUtils for working with HTML elements and data
7. HTTPUtils for remote HTTP and HTTPS connectivity
8. ImageUtils for thumbnails and image conversion
9. JasperReportUtils for compiling reports and generating PDFs
10. ObjectUtils for reflection and serialization
11. SearchUtils for working with result sets
12. SMTPMessage for text and HTML email messages, optionally with attachments
13. StringUtils for common string methods
14. SVGUtils for complex SVG methods
15. XMLUtils for common xml methods; parsing, searching nodes, converting to text
16. ZipUtils for adding files to .zip files